HOW TO PACK: BEACH WEEKEND

There’s nothing better than waking up knowing that in a few hours, you’ll be sunbathing on the beach or sipping cocktails at the beach bar looking hot in your bikini or cover-up. But there’s nothing worse than not knowing what you’re gonna pack for you’re exciting weekend by the beach!

Like my other post, How to Pack: Week Long City Trip, the key is to pack in advance so you only pack the best and get rid of the rest.

The key to looking stylish on the beach but not having to bring your whole wardrobe, is to pack items of clothing that will match with a lot, so you can easily pair it with something else making it look like a completely new outfit!

The ideal beach weekend that I’ve created this for is for going out in the evenings as well, but if you know you’re not going to be partying it up at night then you can always reshape the list to your likings.

The Essentials

UnderwearWhen I was living by the beach for a month in Bali, I mainly wore bikinis as underwear as they were a lot easier to wash and dry, but if you find that a hassle, aim to pack at least two pairs of underwear and bra sets.

SwimsuitsAim to pack two sets of swimsuits/bikinis. Choose the ones that look most flattering on you, the colour that you like the most or the most comfortable (or all three!), the worst thing to do is pack bikinis that you aren’t too keen on, so make sure to pack in advance to prevent this!

Beach cover-upBring one kaftan, to easily throw on top of your bikini so you can go down to the beach without feeling too self-conscious. Also, for evenings or casual day wear, bring either a cardigan or a scarf so when it gets a bit chilly in the evenings, you can just throw it on.

DressesThe rookie mistake of packing that I always make, is packing too many dresses because of a few dilemmas that seem to prop up when packing: “what if I tan loads and don’t suit that colour anymore”, “I want to be able to decide on the day”, “there’s too many to choose from, I just can’t decide!”, so don’t be an annoying, indecisive plum like me, just choose one beach dress to wear during the day and a nice evening beach dress.

TopsYou really don’t need to bring that many tops so just choose one sleeveless and one with sleeves that you think will go with a lot so you can mix and match it with other things.

BottomsThese are most likely to be the heaviest items in your bag so make sure you don’t overload with these, just bring one pair of shorts, crop pants or a skirt and your sorted.

Footwear
One pair of flip flops and a dressy pair of sandals, make sure they’re flats! Unless you like sinking your high heels in sand…

BagsThe only bag you need for your beach weekend is one to carry down to the beach, a simple tote bag is great so you can easily roll up in your weekend bag, or if you prefer, a bigger straw bag – they do look fabulous on the beach! If you’re going out in the evening too, make sure you bring a clutch bag that will go well with your evening dress.

OtherMake sure you don’t forget your sunnies! As well as your camera to capture perfect moments in the sand, and of course other essentials like pajamas; toiletries; suntan lotion; PASSPORT (!); a towel; a good read; notebook and pen; first aid items like plasters, medication etc. any chargers (phone, camera etc) (Refer to How to Pack: Week Long City Trip if needed)

Here is the summary of what to bring in simple bulletpoint form to make it easier for you:

• underwear x 2
• swimsuit/bikini x 2
• kaftan x 1
• cardigan/long scarf x 1
• day dress x 1
• evening dress x 1
• tops x 2
• shorts/crop pants/skirt x 1
• flip flops x 1
• sandals x 1
• day bag x 1
• evening bag x 1
• pajamas x 1
• sunglasses x 1

And the really, really important things you MUST not forget or you’ll probably end up crying the WHOLE time you’re there (a slight exaggeration, of course…)

• passport
• suntan lotion
• toiletries
• camera
• mobile phone
• chargers (mobile phone, camera etc)

Hopefully you’ll be all set and ready now for your sunny trip to the beach, try not to get burnt and just enjoy yourself!