What to Pack for Marfa

Hint: It’s Not What Instagram Shows

Most people arrive in Marfa dressed for photos, not for the place itself. They expect warm days, cool nights, and a tidy little desert aesthetic. Marfa has other plans. Wind shows up unannounced. Temperatures change their minds. Shoes suddenly matter. Packing for Marfa isn’t about getting it “right”; it’s about being comfortable enough to follow your curiosity when the day takes a turn.

The good news? Marfa is one of the safest places imaginable to experiment with personal style. There are no rules here. No dress code. No raised eyebrows. You might see someone who looks like they just stepped off a Paris or New York fashion runway, followed immediately by someone in gym shorts and dusty boots. Almost anything goes. And if you’ve been waiting for a place to let your inner fashionista out for a low-stakes wander, this might be it.

Why Marfa Style Feels So Free

Marfa’s relationship with clothing didn’t begin with trend cycles or intention; it began with function. For much of its history, Marfa was a railroad town, a ranching town, and later a military town. People dressed for heat, dust, distance, and work. Clothes needed to last, breathe, and be worn again tomorrow.

That foundation never really left.

When artists began arriving in the 1970s, most notably Donald Judd, they didn’t bring a fashion movement with them. What they brought instead was a way of thinking: simplicity, function, materials that didn’t pretend to be something else. That mindset quietly shaped everything, including how people dressed.

Marfa style became personal, not performative. Practical first. Expressive if you felt like it. Repeating outfits normal. Explaining yourself unnecessary.

Which is why “anything goes” here actually works.

Marfa Isn’t a Look. It’s a Mood Swing.

Instagram loves to present Marfa as one consistent vibe. In real life, it’s more of a range. A single day can start cool and quiet, turn bright and breezy, and end wrapped in a jacket under the stars. Packing works best when you plan for change rather than commit to a single version of the desert.

If your clothes let you adapt, you’ll stay out longer. If they don’t, you may find yourself heading back inside just as something interesting was about to happen.

The Wind: The Unofficial Stylist

The wind is the most underappreciated character in Marfa. It arrives when it wants, leaves when it feels like it, and has no regard for how well you styled your outfit. A calm, sunny afternoon can turn surprisingly cool the moment it picks up.

A light layer that blocks wind often does more work than something heavy. Think flexible. Think “can live in your bag.” Think less commitment, more options.

Shoes Are Quietly in Charge

Marfa doesn’t look like a walking town, but it is. You’ll wander between galleries, stroll dirt roads, stand around talking longer than planned, and cross more gravel than expected. Shoes that only exist for looking good tend to retire early here.

Bring something fun if you want, just make sure at least one pair disappears once you put them on. Comfort is the real flex.

Layers Beat Outfits (Every Time)

Marfa rewards flexibility. Layers let you adjust without thinking, which frees up mental space for better things, like deciding whether to stay out a little longer or walk just one more block because the light looks good.

Rather than packing full outfits for imagined moments, pack pieces that work together and can shift with the day. You’ll wear them more, repeat them happily, and stop thinking about them entirely, which is kind of the point.

What People Usually Overpack

People often pack for a version of themselves that’s very busy in Marfa. Multiple outfit changes. Statement pieces waiting for a moment that never formally announces itself. Clothes that feel right in theory but stay folded in the bag.

Nothing wrong with any of this—it’s part of the Marfa learning curve. Most people leave knowing exactly what they didn’t need.

What People Forget

Sun protection, even when it’s cool. Something cozy for evenings, no matter the season. And at least one item that feels like an emotional support layer, the thing you reach for when plans dissolve, and sitting still becomes the activity.

The Real Goal: Stay Comfortable Enough to Wander

The best packing strategy for Marfa isn’t about items. It’s about freedom. When you’re comfortable, you linger. You wander without checking the time. You say yes to unplanned detours. Your clothes stop being the point and start quietly supporting whatever unfolds.

And if you show up in something bold, confusing, wildly expressive, deeply practical, or all four at once? Perfect. Marfa makes room for all of it.

We’ve set the house up with that same spirit, extra layers, places to kick off dusty shoes, space to spread out and settle in. Not to tell you how to do Marfa, but to make it easier to discover your own version once you arrive.

A Small Note Before You Go

Now that we’ve stepped into 2026, we’ve found ourselves looking back with a lot of gratitude—for the conversations on the porch, the dusty shoes by the door, the half-finished cups of coffee, and all the different versions of Marfa people brought with them in 2025. Hosting is a strange and wonderful thing. People arrive as strangers and leave behind stories, traces, and moments that linger long after the house quiets down again.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to keep doing what we love most: welcoming curious travelers, creative wanderers, and people who don’t mind when plans change a little. We’re also setting ourselves a slightly ambitious (possibly optimistic) goal—to write fifteen blog posts this year about Marfa, the house, the desert, and all the small, surprising things that happen in between.

Will we hit all fifteen? Maybe. Will some of them wander off-topic, get overly sentimental, or take the scenic route? Almost certainly. But that feels right for Marfa, and right for us.

If you’re planning a visit in 2026, we’d love to host you. And if you’re just reading along from afar, thanks for being here too. Either way, we’re glad you found your way to this little corner of the world.

Until next time - Rob and Becca!