It may be tempting to reach for sweatpants or shorts, especially if you’re a driver who values comfort most, but – even at rest stops – I think there’s some value in a more intentional manner of dressing than sweats. You could make an argument for shorts but, especially if you’re blasting the A/C against heat outside that’s 90 degrees and rising, the skin on your shins may thank you for covering them up.
Some may be bemoaning the return of cargo pants, but they’re a sartorial gift to road trip drivers as the side-rigged pockets offer an alternative to the orthopedic nightmare of a wallet lumped in your back pocket for hours on end as well as a more accessible alternative to being crunched over your thigh in a front pocket.
Luckily, modern manufacturers seem to have recognized that cargo pant form can still meet function, offering sleeker fits that more flatter profiles so you won’t look like you merely updated your 8th grade closet when you get to where you’re going.
(If you still need to be convinced, read about their military heritage as an element of British battle dress!)