Long stretches of sandy beach, laying in the sun with the calming sounds of rolling waves relaxing you into a trance, fancy seafood restaurants—your beach vacation is calling out to you. It’s much needed, and well deserved. It’s right around the corner, and once you’ve packed your bags the feeling begins to set in. But what should you pack?
Use these suggestions to make sure you’ve got a suitcase full of fashionable and practical beach-inspired clothing for an unforgettable vacation.
Your Favorite Swimsuits
Bring multiple swimsuits on your beach vacation. If you’re going to be headed out to the beach and into the water every day, you’ll want to have options. Match the style of your swimsuit to the vibe of the day, or the activities you plan on doing.
An Alluring One Piece
One-piece suits come in several different varieties. Because there is more surface area and material to work with compared to a two-piece suit, there’s more room for unique details to capture your personality. Many one-piece suits are easy to incorporate into casual outfits. You can wear your suit to and from the beach with clothing that compliments your beach vacation vibe.
Try a vintage-inspired one-piece with an underwire design.
Or a one-piece with a plunge cut.
Or this asymmetrical, one-shoulder suit.
With the number of options, you’re sure to find a one-piece that captures your personal style. Even if you’re used to wearing a two-piece suit, you might enjoy trying out a one-piece at some point during your beach vacation.
Tops and Bottoms To Mix and Match
Two-piece suits are ideal for tanning and fun to mix and match your tops and bottoms. Bringing a few different options on your beach vacation means that you can experiment with different looks based on how you feel or the outfit and accessories you want to wear with it.
For example, these three suit bottoms are similar in their elite fabric and fit, but each creates its own distinct look.
-
A Skirt Bottom makes for a 1930’s pinup look that’s both classy and sexy. There’s also an undeniable sporty aspect to it thanks to how trendy the tennis skirt has become in casual fashion these days.
-
The Boy Short Bottom is an easygoing style with full coverage and a secure waistband. Perfect for hitting the waves and being comfortable all day long.
-
The Riviera Bikini Bottom is a mid-rise bikini bottom with the added sophistication of a thin belt and buckle to show precise attention to detail.
Pair these different bottoms with tops that match or complement one another and find stunning combinations.
-
The Cove top is an elegant top with contrasting binding and a faux wrap front. The look is vintage, sporty, and all-around fantastic. Adjustable straps and removable cups ensure a perfect fit.
-
The Tank is the perfect tankini that gives a timeless look and a structured design for support and coverage.
-
The Santorini features a knot front, clasp back design that pairs easily with any of your favorite bottoms.
If you did happen to bring three tops and three bottoms on your beach vacation, that means you’d have a total of nine different combinations to try out!
The Most Versatile Swimsuit
This swimsuit is worth mentioning in a category of its own. It’s a one-piece suit that doubles seamlessly as a bodysuit. Not only that, but its snap front means that you can show as much or as little cleavage as you want.
Wear it buttoned up with a pair of cutoffs and you have a cute outfit you can take into a beachfront restaurant. Once you get to the beach, ditch the shorts and unbutton a few snaps and the heat is on.
Beach Accessories
While your swimsuit can be the star of the show, you have to bring along more than your best bathing suits, no matter how stunning you are in them. Beach accessories help take your look up a notch.
Easy Cover Ups
An easy and quick cover-up will make getting to and from the beach simple and efficient. Cut-off shorts and a baggy t-shirt are a classic combination to throw on over your suit. A sundress is also a great option. Or, what about a kimono?
Sun Hat
Bring the biggest, floppiest sun hat you can find. Okay, it doesn’t have to be the biggest or floppiest, but go for it if you want to. A sun hat is a practical way to keep the sun off your face and stylish part of your beach vacation look. You don’t want to leave this behind. Also, it’ll look adorable in your vacation pictures.
Flip Flops
Flip flops are a must. They’re easy to throw in your suitcase and will probably be your go-to footwear for the entire vacation. If you do happen to forget them, you could easily locate a pair in a gift shop. But you might as well bring along your favorite pair if you have them.
Sunglasses
You want sunglasses on a beach vacation. If there’s only one time in your life that you really should wear sunglasses, it might be a beach vacation. Protect your eyes from the sun and reflections, and feel like a movie star with some dark shades.
This is another necessary beach accessory that wouldn’t be hard to find on your trip. However, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to bring the pair you already own, and you could always pick up a second pair that catches your eye on vacation. And for many of us, sunglasses can be easy to misplace, so a backup is nice to have.
Rashguard
A rashguard is another beach accessory you’d do well to include in your suitcase. It’s a simple way to protect your skin from the sun and keep you a little warmer for that early morning surf session.
Fresh Off the Beach Vibes
Strappy Sandals
Glamorous strappy sandals will capture the feel of the beach while adding elegance and class to your outfit. A pair of strappy sandals will be great for shopping at the local boutiques and evening dinners.
Floral Sundress
You can’t go on a beach vacation without a floral sundress. You can use this as a cover-up with your bathing suit, and to wear off the beach as well. It’s comfortable, relaxed, and beautiful; all the same things you will be on your beach vacation.
Romper
A beach vacation is a perfect time to bring out your favorite romper. It’s cool and cozy at the same time. It’s posh and casual all at once. Whereas back home you might find it tricky to come across the perfect situation to wear a romper; on a beach vacation there’s no imperfect time to wear it.
Sneakers
This seems obvious, but you don’t want to go on a beach vacation without a good pair of sneakers. If you plan on going for runs or hikes, take that into consideration when selecting your sneakers.
A plain pair of leather sneakers will come in handy because they’ll go with anything you wear and fit the bill for bike rides, walking tours, or maybe even a bit of beachside tennis.
Crop Tops and Tank Tops
Crop tops and tank tops match the beach vibes well and are easy to wear with swimsuits and off-beach outfits as well. You might as well start wearing these on your vacation because you know you’ll be wearing them to show off your tan when you return home.
Enjoy a Relaxing Beach Vacation
On your beach vacation, nothing is required of you but to just be. That’s what vacations are, really, a celebration of being. You get to enjoy life, nature, and you. Bring along the beach essentials and the clothing you want to wear to be most comfortable and relaxed, and maybe a little flashy on your getaway.
Sources:
The 25 Best Island Beaches in the World: 2020 Readers' Choice Awards | Conde Naste Traveler