The Ultimate Guide To Sleek Beach Style
With the sun out and SPF on, it’s time to turn your attention to this summer’s beach (and poolside) style. Read on to discover the pieces that will ensure you look chic in the heat. By COLLEEN ROSS
You’ve booked your flights, planned your travel itinerary and, mentally, you’re already at the beach. Next comes the age-old vacation dilemma: what to pack? Happily, there is a fail-safe formula to ensure your wanderlust wardrobe delivers. So, whether you’re hitting the sand, surf or sun lounger, here are the staples to buy now and wear on repeat…
A breezy sundress
The beauty of a sundress is that it can be worn from day to night and requires little effort to style – think breezy fabrics, eye-catching details and figure-skimming shapes. Ticking every box, Faithfull’s pastel-yellow (the color of the season, FYI) ‘Hedy’ maxi, complete with a gathered linen bodice and flowing voile skirt, is so perfect you’ll want to wear it every day of your vacation. If you’re heading to dinner, add layers of gold jewelry and your signature scent. Elsewhere, Alaïa’s sophisticated dress comes in slinky black jersey with a halterneck bodice and flattering waist ties. Embrace after-dark glamour by styling yours with thong sandals and sculptural gold jewels for sunset soirées.
Summer sandals
There’s nothing like feeling the sand between your toes, but you’ll still need a pair of sleek sandals to slip your feet into when you aren’t at the beach. A timeless choice for vacation (and when you’re back in the city), Aeyde’s ‘Melody’ flip flops from our NET SUSTAIN edit are crafted from certified leather in a classic thong shape and will go with everything. Alternatively, Amanu’s handcrafted ‘The Kigali’ sandals are embellished with gleaming gold-tone hardware and have barely-there leather straps. Open-toe silhouettes like these call for a fresh pedicure, so be sure to book yourself in for a treatment before your flight.
A raffia bag
Part essential carryall, part style staple, choose your beach bag with care, and it will segue straight into your post-vacation closet. As a fail-safe accessory to summer outfits, we can’t get enough of basket bags – and Lié Studio’s ‘The Bianca’ raffia tote is top of our wish list. Exclusive to NET-A-PORTER, this striped version is both practical and chic with plenty of space for a beach towel or picnic blanket. Meanwhile, Isabel Marant’s whipstitched tote (another NET-A-PORTER exclusive) is perfectly proportioned for all your poolside essentials and will bring a bohemian touch to vacation looks.
The one-piece
Perfect if you prefer a little more coverage while sunbathing or taking a dip in the sea, a swimsuit is sure to be one of the hardest-working pieces in your vacation wardrobe. Hunza G’s minimal ‘Pamela’ style is cut from signature Crinkle™ seersucker with a scooped neckline and thin straps. Wear yours on relaxed beach days with an oversized shirt and baseball cap. On the opposite end of the style spectrum, Pucci’s one-piece is every maximalist’s dream. It’s printed with the brand’s archival ‘Iride’ pattern, first used in the ‘70s, and comes in swirling, ocean-like shades of blue.
Cool cover-ups
Designed to help you segue from beach to lunch with ease, the perfect cover-up looks effortless because it is. Zimmermann excels at this, offering eye-catching, bohemian motifs that instantly evoke summer and require very little in the way of accessorizing. Cristiano Marcheli, too, is a master of vacation color and print – new to NET-A-PORTER, the brand’s ‘Jane’ kaftan is cut from languid silk-satin and vibrantly printed with palm fronds and horses. For a more minimalist mood, seek out styles by James Perse – this breathable linen jumpsuit is effortless and impossibly chic.
Bikinis
Summer is the perfect time to invest in a new bikini (or seven) – and there is no shortage of covetable styles to choose from this season. Part of our NET SUSTAIN edit, Sara Cristina’s brown two-piece has been crafted in the brand’s native Venezuela using lower-impact materials and features a classic triangle top and low-cut briefs. The lustrous baroque pearl is a brand signature and such a pretty detail. For all-out poolside glamour, you can’t go wrong with a monogrammed bikini courtesy of Gucci. It comes in a triangle shape and has gleaming gold-tone accents that’ll shine as they catch the light.
Stylish sunglasses
Sunglasses are a must-have in the summer – not only do they offer crucial UV protection, but they also add immediate polish to warm-weather outfits. LA-based Barton Perreira’s timeless ‘Cecil’ shades have classic D-frames and are elegant in their simplicity. Elsewhere, Jacques Marie Mage offers a contemporary take on classic aviators with its oversized ‘Savoy’ style inspired by ’60s racing styles, while Celine Eyewear’s angular cat-eye shades are the ultimate cool-girl staple.
Sun hats
We all know that a hat is essential for shielding our faces from the sun, but it’s also a chic and easy way to add personality to vacation looks. From our NET SUSTAIN edit and designed in collaboration with accessories label Artesano, Johanna Ortiz’s ‘Symbols of Pride’ bucket hat has been handcrafted in Ecuador from toquilla straw with a glamorous wide brim. Elsewhere, Chloé’s fisherman-style cotton-blend canvas bucket hat is ideal for days spent sightseeing – the brim is longer at the back for maximum sun protection, while the adjustable straps mean you can keep it around your neck whenever you’re inside.
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