The Fashion Memo

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

Fashion editor Connie Daw
Fashion
Pastel-yellow ‘Hedy’ maxi dress, Faithfull; black maxi dress, Maygel Coronel

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.

  • FAITHFULL
    Hedy strapless gathered linen and voile maxi dress
    £182.00
    Select a Size
    xx small
    x small
    small - out of stock
    medium
    large - low stock
    x large - low stock
    xx large
  • ALAÏA
    Belted gathered jersey halterneck maxi dress
    £2,350.00
    Select a Size
    34 - low stock
    36
    38 - low stock
    40 - low stock
    42 - low stock
    44 - out of stock
    46 - out of stock
  • EMPORIO SIRENUSE
    Nellie embroidered linen and cotton-blend maxi dress
    £718.00
    Select a Size
    36 - out of stock
    38
    40
    42 - out of stock
    44
    46 - out of stock
    48 - out of stock
    50 - out of stock
  • KHAITE
    Jodie pleated wool midi dress
    £1,494.00
    Select a Size
    x small - low stock
    small - low stock
    medium
    large
    x large

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.EMERY
    Remly leather sandals
    £105.00
    Select a Size
    35
    36
    37
    38
    39
    40 - low stock
    41 - low stock
    42 - out of stock
  • AMANU
    The Kigali embellished leather sandals
    £260.00
    Select a Size
    6 - low stock
    7
    8 - out of stock
    9 - low stock
    10 - low stock
    11
    12
  • KHAITE
    Cage leather sandals
    £438.00
    Select a Size
    36 - out of stock
    36.5 - out of stock
    37
    37.5 - out of stock
    38 - out of stock
    38.5 - out of stock
    39 - low stock
    39.5 - out of stock
    40 - out of stock
    40.5 - out of stock
    41 - out of stock
  • AEYDE
    Melody leather flip flops
    £120.00
    Select a Size
    35 - out of stock
    35.5 - low stock
    36 - out of stock
    36.5 - out of stock
    37
    37.5 - out of stock
    38 - out of stock
    38.5 - out of stock
    39 - out of stock
    39.5 - out of stock
    40 - out of stock
    40.5 - out of stock
    41 - out of stock
    41.5 - out of stock
    42 - out of stock
Sandals, A. Emery
‘The Bianca’ raffia tote, Lié Studio

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.

  • LIÉ STUDIO
    The Bianca large leather-trimmed striped raffia tote
    £530.00
  • ISABEL MARANT
    Tampa whipstitched leather and printed silk-trimmed raffia shoulder bag
    £474.00
  • VALENTINO GARAVANI
    Viva Superstar crocheted raffia tote
    £1,690.00
  • LOEWE
    Punch Hole medium leather-trimmed raffia tote
    £2,200.00
Black swimsuit, Sara Cristina; blue ‘Pamela’ swimsuit, Hunza G

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.

  • TOTEME
    Open-back swimsuit
    £102.00
    Select a Size
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
    x large
  • HUNZA G
    Pamela seersucker swimsuit
    £88.00
  • PUCCI
    Iride printed swimsuit
    £360.00
    Select a Size
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
    x large - out of stock
  • KIKI DE MONTPARNASSE
    Lace-up swimsuit
    £214.00
    Select a Size
    x small
    small
    medium
    large
    x large

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.

  • ZIMMERMANN
    Rhiannon fringed cotton-terry jacquard mini dress
    £255.00
    Select a Size
    00 - out of stock
    0 - out of stock
    1
    2 - low stock
    3
    4
  • MIGUELINA
    Gianina cotton guipure lace kaftan
    £316.00
    Select a Size
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
  • CRISTIANO MARCHELI
    Jane printed silk-blend satin kaftan
    £410.00
    Select a Size
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
    x large - out of stock
  • JAMES PERSE
    Linen jumpsuit
    £236.00
    Select a Size
    0 - low stock
    1
    2
    3
    4 - out of stock

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.

  • LISA MARIE FERNANDEZ
    Gathered crepe halterneck bikini
    £118.00
    Select a Size
    1 - low stock
    2 - low stock
    3
    4
  • GUCCI
    Embellished printed bikini
    £580.00
    Select a Size
    XXS
    XS
    S
    M - out of stock
    L - low stock
    XL - out of stock
  • SARA CRISTINA
    Pearl-embellished triangle bikini
    £112.00
    Select a Size
    x small - out of stock
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large - out of stock
    x large - out of stock
  • BOTTEGA VENETA
    Embellished halterneck bikini
    £620.00
    Select a Size
    XS
    S
    M
    L

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.

  • CELINE EYEWEAR
    Triomphe cat-eye acetate sunglasses
    £400.00
  • BARTON PERREIRA
    Cecil D-Frame acetate sunglasses
    £390.00
  • JACQUES MARIE MAGE
    Savoy aviator-style titanium and acetate sunglasses
    £905.00
  • LOEWE EYEWEAR
    Oval-frame gold-tone sunglasses
    £400.00
Bikini, Faithfull

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.

  • EUGENIA KIM
    Bailey dégradé crocheted straw bucket hat
    £130.00
  • JOHANNA ORTIZ
    + Artesano Symbols of Pride straw bucket hat
    £243.00
    Select a Size
    small - out of stock
    medium - out of stock
    large
  • CHLOÉ
    Cotton-blend canvas bucket hat
    £234.00
    Select a Size
    S
    M - out of stock
  • ZIMMERMANN
    Fringed macramé raffia bucket hat
    £245.00

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The people featured in this story are not associated with NET-A-PORTER and do not endorse it or the products shown