Are you going to the beach? Yes? Oh, that’s great! Now, surely you are wondering how to plan your beach outfits and what you will wear.
How to Plan Your Beach Outfits
First, ask yourself some questions. How many nights will you be staying at the beach? How is the weather going to be? What is the temperature going to be? Check the weather forecast a week before you go and again a few days before leaving. What activities will you be doing? Your outfits will differ depending on what you have planned to do.
What to Pack
Are you feeling anxious about forgetting things? Here is a quick list of things that you might not remember.
- A straw tote that is easy to flatten
- Sunscreen is super important! Getting burnt is highly uncomfortable, not to mention dangerous!
- Face mist
- Reading materials
- Sunglasses
- Hat or visor
- Hand sanitizer
- Beach towel
- Bathing suits – best to bring multiple so they can dry out before you use them again. Wrestling to put on a wet and cold swimsuit is no fun!
- Beach cover-ups
- A button-down shirt for popping over your shoulders if you’ve had too much sun.
- A water bottle to stay hydrated.
- Hair ties or clips so your hair doesn’t end up in your eyes, mouth, and everywhere else!
- And, of course, your outfits!
This list is not a complete list of everything to pack, just some things you’ll find yourself wishing you had remembered to pack.
Beach Outfit Ideas
When I think of summer and the beach, I think of flowy feminine dresses. If you are similar to me in that sense, consider taking a couple of dresses. They are a whole beach outfit in one, and if you pick loose, elasticated, or smocked dresses, they are straightforward to get on and off over a swimsuit. You can pop one on over your swimsuit and then take it back off easily when you get back to the beach. Also, if you take heels and a coordinating purse, you can use the same dress to go out to dinner at night.
Pants or Shorts
Below you will see some outfit ideas with wide-legged linen pants and shorts. A pair of loose linen pants or shorts can work well in place of a cover-up or pareo. If you pack a couple of nice tops and a pair of heels, you can wear them with the bottoms for dinner. Consider a top with design details such as big ruffles or puff sleeves, which are on-trend and will bring some visual interest into your outfit. If you want to detract attention from your waist, a wrap-style top or a blouse with ruching will look fantastic.
Cover-ups and Pareos
Cover-ups and pareos come in handy for grabbing lunch while still wearing your swimsuit. I got one from Target, which I had wanted to style for this page. Unfortunately, it is too short on me, so it’s going back. Since you can click on any of the pictures on this page if you are interested in purchasing anything styled, I will leave a few cover-up ideas linked in the photo with the swimsuit.
Accessories
Even if you plan to walk around barefoot, you will probably need a pair of sandals or slides for rough surfaces. You might want to check to see if the beach is rocky. If it is, take some jelly sandals to protect your feet from the rocks. You can take espadrilles or strappy heels for dinner at night. A straw tote is excellent for carrying beach essentials. And don’t forget a lovely hat or visor to protect you from the sun’s rays and sunglasses. I will leave the pair in the photo above linked so that you can click on the picture.
I hope you have great fun at the beach, and I hope these beach outfits gave you some ideas and inspiration as to what to take! If you want to see more outfit ideas for different occasions and seasons, check out my Instagram @stylizeyouig. See you there!