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If you’ve yet to try packing a travel capsule wardrobe, your next summer beach vacation is really the perfect trip to give it a try.
When it comes to packing, a beach trip is different from my usual travel capsule wardrobes. Instead of spending the day exploring Versailles, you’re on a sun lounger. The occasional museum visit becomes the occasional trip into town, and the only time you truly ‘get ready’ is for dinner in the evening.
That un-itinerary is exactly what makes a beach trip ideal for packing an easy, organized, mix-and-match suitcase. For alllllll my tips & tricks for capsule packing, grab the free guide right here!
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You need bathing suits, bien sûr, and I like to make a point to get completely underwater at least once a day. It’s important to have goals!
This timeless black one-piece is also sizeless, so no worries about whether it will fit for future summers. Annually released in different prints and colors, this Tory Burch smocked bikini is equal parts comfy and cute. And this white maillot has thick, textured fabric (essential for the color) and scalloped-cut edging that actually lays flat.
In my book, the sun hat is the most important ‘cover-up’ for keeping my face, neck, décolleté, shoulders shaded – and I love this one with interchangeable ribbons! To top a bathing suit, pack both a printed pareo and a simple sheer linen dress with sleeves.
Three dresses is the magic number for me – enough to rotate through and feel like I have variety, but not so much that I feel like I’m packing a whole separate wardrobe for evenings. My suggestion? A printed maxi dress, a sweeping silhouette in white, and this swing dress with a twirl factor of 100.
Of course, you’ll mostly live in simple slide sandals, and that’s not a problem. For those trips to town and sunset dinners, add in a lace-up style and some espadrilles for variety.
Pack a slightly larger tote than you think you need – a book, sunscreen, and the extras always seem to add up quickly, and a roomy basket > juggling miscellany en route to your lounge chair.
Your beach-trip glow doesn’t need much accessorizing – I like to stick to statement earrings and (of course) sunglasses.
Not clothes, but still something you wear, I’ve rounded up my favorite beach beauty products right here! SPF is the absolute essential – this is my everyday face sunscreen, and I love this creamy natural formula for body. To avoid any sneaky sunburn spots, apply it all over before you don your bathing suit for the day, then just top up every now and then.
My printable five-step
guide to packing light &
traveling in style.