Start Prepping What To Pack
When I found out I was heading to Jamaica for a close friend's destination wedding, I was excited for two reasons. One, I've never travelled to the Caribbean and two, this would be my first real vacation in almost 2 years. Since we would be on the beach during the day and doing casual dinners at night, I knew that I wanted to keep my wardrobe simple. The bride requested that all of the guests wear white, so finding a white dress that could hold up in the heat and humidity was a priority.
Now here's a secret you may not know about stylists (or at least myself) - since we spend so much time pulling and scouting clothes for other people, we rarely take the time to shop for ourselves. It's true! But I ended up getting lucky and finding a gorgeous white lace dress at Bloomingdales one afternoon when I was prepping for a client.
Left to right: Anthropologie beaded clutch, Kate Spade earrings, Bardot dress, Enzo Angiolini espardilles, Banana Republic chambray shirt, Old Navy flip flops, woven beach bag, Banana Republic shirts, sarong from Italy, Kate Spade bracelet and earrings, Missoni sunglasses, Steve Madden sandals, Helmet Lang dress, white cotton dress, Nine West sandals, Old Navy striped bikini
Use What You Already Own
The rest of the items I pulled from my own closet and added in a new denim dress and bikini from Old Navy. Since we don't have much opportunity in San Francisco to wear hot weather clothes, I didn't want to invest in pieces that I wouldn't wear often. I had actually paid full price for the dress in the store and then found it on sale online for 60% off. Shopping tip: if you buy something in the store always check to see if there's a sale online. Usually can you get it at a better price!
Resist the Urge to Overpack
Kimberly helped me pull all of my outfits together. She is a pro-packer and knows how to keep things down to a minimum, whereas I tend to want to add extra things in at the last minute just in case. In this case, I only ended up wearing about 1/3 of my clothes. My days were spent in a bikini and wrap and at night I threw on a dress and flip flops.
Always Remember To Pack Sunblock
My recommendation for packing for a beach vacation is to keep it simple and easy. Less is definitely more and you don't want to wear anything that is overcomplicated... especially when dealing with 90 degree heat! Oh, and pack lots of sunblock. I may have learned that lesson the hard way.
Stay Stylish,
M