You Asked, Ali Answered
What to Wear on a Beach Vacation?
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Published on: June 20, 2023
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Ali Pew
creative and editorial fashion director
When she’s not on set or styling an upcoming photo shoot, goop’s creative and editorial fashion director, Ali Pew, will let you pick her brain for sartorial guidance. Follow us on @goop to get your style q’s answered.
Dear Ali
How would you pack for a warm-weather trip?
A: When you’re headed somewhere tropical—with nothing on the itinerary but sunning, swimming, and sunning some more—my best advice is to a) pack in a color story, and b) go for quality over quantity. Instead of bringing everything, bring your best: Your favorite swimsuit. Your chicest dress. That new crochet bucket hat you can’t wait to wear. That way, when you unzip your suitcase at your destination, you know you’ll feel your best no matter what you pull out.
1
THE SWIMSUIT
You’ll probably be spending lots of time by (in?) the water, so bring at least one really great swimsuit—one that you’re excited to slip on. I just bought this bold saffron one-piece, and I love how vibrant it is. I don’t wear a ton of bikinis, but if I did, the dark-turquoise one that we just launched would’ve been in my cart faster than you could say cannonball.
2
WHAT TO WEAR OVER IT
I’m a big, big fan of matching sets. I pack the one below because it’s easy to throw on and covers enough so that you don’t feel exposed sitting at lunch, which I appreciate. (A long, flowy dress also does the job.) Specific silhouettes aside, try to stick to natural fabrics, like cotton and linen, which breathe better than synthetics and will keep you as cool as possible throughout the day, even as the temperature climbs.
3
THE DINNER OUTFIT
I think people feel this pressure to wear something extravagant on vacation, to which I say: by all means! But you never want to feel like you’re dressing outside your comfort zone. I’ll still go for a pair of trousers, which I wear constantly in my day-to-day life—but in a more suitable material, like linen instead of wool. I also like to play with styling, adding a slightly sexier top than I’d usually go for and some gold jewelry to fill in the neckline.
4
THE NICE-TO-HAVES
If your hotel has a golf course or tennis courts and you want to take advantage before you check out, be sure to bring the appropriate the gear. My husband and I are tennis people, so I always leave some suitcase space for one outfit, one pair of sneakers, and sunglasses (these Garrett Leight ones: so good).