We’re spending two weeks in Hawaii next month, and I’m looking forward to wearing summer clothing in the middle of winter. I’ve been slowly gathering my wardrobe for this trip over the last few months and I’m excited to finally put all the pieces together! It’s been fun to research different items and figure out what purchases make sense for this trip as well as this coming summer.

Shorts

The Agolde Riley High Rise Straight jeans are currently on my wishlist. I decided to get a pair of their shorts first since I didn’t have a great pair and have several jeans right now that are working. I purchased the Agolde Dee Ultra High Rise shorts that are great and well worth the investment. For shorts, I usually just want one denim pair that I wear all summer. These shorts do the trick. I know everyone loves the Parker style, but after seeing Natalie’s review, I decided to go this route instead.

I also have the Jungmaven Venice Short that I snagged from The Margo Market two summers ago. These shorts are super comfortable, a great length, and very stretchy.

Swimsuits

I was on the hunt for a swimsuit I could run around on the beach (or pool) with my kids in, still feel like a cool mom, but feel comfortable enough to hang with my Texas family by their pool and not be showing too much cheeky-ness. When I say I scoured the internet looking for the perfect suit, I mean it. I wanted to order some swimsuits from an actual company where their primary product was swimwear. As opposed to J Crew, Target, Everlane, etc.

I had originally ordered two swimsuits from the popular brand Summersalt, and ended up hating the suits. I found the cuts to be very unflattering for me. Beach Riot and L Space were too cheeky. Cupshe, Albion Fit, and Andie felt too….motherly. And then I found Left On Friday.

I had seen this company on IG as advertisements. Normally, with brands that I only see on social media, I just skim right over them — dismissing them to be a weird one-off company. But then I started seeing Left On Friday pop up on other sites during my swimsuit deep dive. I learned that the founders were previous executives at Lululemon and started the company out of frustration that there were no great swimsuits for women. These swimsuits are not cheap, at $170 a set. However, after ordering from Summersalt and having it be a total disaster, I decided to make the splurge and I’m so, so happy I did!

It really does feel like you are wearing athleisure clothing in swimsuit form. I love that they have a space dedicated on their site of real women (not models) wearing the suits and giving reviews. It was so helpful when figuring out my size. The swimsuits are super soft and well made. I love the cuts and how I feel when I’m wearing them. I’m excited to try them out on this trip!

I got the Sunday Top, Double Scoop Top, and the Hi Hi Bottoms to go with each top. I was my normal size in all pieces.

Swim Cover Ups

I wanted to avoid just wearing athletic shorts and a tank as a cover up on this trip. I’ve done that for so long, and it was time to get a proper swim cover up! This white gauzy dress is the perfect piece to throw up. It is nearly see through, so it is definitely only going to be used as a cover up. I love these pants and might actually use them as part of an outfit for dinner as well. They’re so easy to wear and I love that they have pockets.

I also bought this Emerson Fry caftan last summer. I have yet to wear it, but it’s going to be perfect to break in on this trip. I actually ended up getting it wet and throwing it in the dryer for two cycles because it was enormous on me. It’s still big, but I feel less like I’m swimming in it now that it has shrunk just a bit.

The West Perro Desert Sun Hat is from Shop Noble. I also purchased this last summer and I love this hat! It’s so well made and a great weight.

Skincare + Sunblock

I’ll be slathering Beatycounter’s SPF all over my face. I also got Supergoop’s Play Lip Balm for all our lips. The beach we are primarily going to be spending time at has zero shade and beach umbrellas are not allowed. So we will be using lots and lots of sunscreen!

I’ve used Necessaire body lotion in the past and love it, but I decided to make a special purchase specifically for this trip. I had the realization last week that we would be scrubbing off sand, sweat, and sunscreen daily. I’d also want to make sure we were hydrating our skin seeing that we will be in the sun for nearly two weeks straight. So I picked up the body wash and body lotion to bring with me. I’m excited to try the body wash for the first time. I also love the idea of buying special things like this (I normally use the most basic body wash) for a special vacation.

Shoes

I’m trying to keep it simple with shoes. The Tkees sandals I purchased in the spring of 2020 and because we haven’t traveled much due to the pandemic, they haven’t had much use. I plan on wearing them to dinner. The Able slides I plan on wearing to the beach and pool. Chacos will be used for hiking. I love the monochromatic matte colors that they have started to release lately.

Tops

If it’s not obvious, these Target tanks are some of my favorites. I have three pairs! They’re such great basic tops that I will wear year-round. And they’re so affordable! I love a classic white tank — especially when I have a tan. I used to be so nervous buying white tops, but I have found myself defaulting to them lately. They look so crisp and clean. Baseball cap is from Madewell. Not sure how much I’ll use it since I’ll have my big sun hat, but I wanted to be prepared!

All of these things among a lot of not-so-glamorous items (hello travel cooler!) will be coming with us. What is your favorite must-have item for a beach vacation? I’d love to hear.