What to Wear on a Beach Vacation

Welcome to Dressed for My Day! Since I’m away on a little vacation, I thought it might be a good idea to just devote this week to talking about summer vacations. Even if you’re down for a staycation instead of a vacation, you might find some great ideas for your summer fashions among my suggestions. Today we’re focusing on what to wear on a beach vacation. But because I’ve taken very different vacations to southern beaches and northern beaches, I’m offering unique suggestions for new items to pick up before you head to these very different climates.

You’ll find suggestions for what to pack and wear for 1) a day on the beach, 2) a day of sightseeing and shopping and 3) a nice waterfront dinner. Can you feel the sand between your toes already? Let’s get our beach vacation started!

A Day on the Beach

We’re going to Cannon Beach, Oregon, later this summer. And I know from experience that I won’t be getting in the water. In fact, I probably won’t even pack a swimsuit. The beach can warm up there, but the water stays cold. We’ll spend our time on the beach just walking, collecting shells, taking pictures and looking at the sea life in the tide pools.

A couple of summers my parents treated our family to a beach vacation. They rented a large house right on Seagrove Beach in Florida, for them, my family and my brother’s family. We had a blast. Most of our days were spent on the beach building sandcastles, jumping the waves with the children and just chillin’ under umbrellas. For those days you really just need a sweet swimsuit, a cover up, some flip flops and a hat. I forgot to include hats in either of my beach day ensembles (my bad!) but they are included in the others on down.

A Day of Sightseeing & Shopping

When we’re in Cannon Beach we spend a lot of time browsing through the shops, walking to ice cream or coffee shops and visiting nearby attractions like the Tillamook dairy. These are the kinds of clothes that are perfect for those activities. I especially tried to select cute but comfortable footwear.

When we spent our beach vacation on the Florida coast we didn’t spend much time away from the beach. But we did usually take one day to take the kids to play put-put, go to a movie, browse the stores at Seaside and maybe get some ice cream.

Enjoying a Waterfront Dinner

In Cannon Beach we have several places we like to eat good seafood. But one of our favorite things to do is to drive into Astoria (where they filmed the movie Goonies) and have Albacore tuna at a little tiny place called the Bow Picker. The line is crazy long and you actually have to eat outside there. But we usually do that on a Sunday after going to church, so this is exactly the kind of outfit I might wear to the Bow Picker.

When in Florida, the couples took turns preparing dinner in the house most nights. But once during the week, usually sometimes toward the end of the week, we’d all clean up and go to a nice seafood restaurant. That’s the night I’d choose to wear a simple dress, pretty sandals and even a little jewelry.

You may have noticed that all the hand bags  I featured are on the smaller size. My theory is that if you’re flying to the beach you should use your beach bag as a tote on the airplane and tuck into it a small purse or two. That’s why the ones I featured seem ideal to me. I’m also a little picky about the beach bags I choose. I want bags with enough structure to stand up even if little or nothing is in it. And it’s nice to have one that is large, simple and easy to carry. I’ve included a shopping widget for some of the bags I especially like right now.

Are you going to the beach this summer? Do you have additional tips for packing for a beach vacation? I’d love to hear from you. Later this week, I’ll feature fashion suggestions for a mountain vacation and a city vacation.

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Blessed for My Day

Today may you feel the Lord’s blessing on your soul as you pause to give Him the praise He alone is due. As you spend time in His presence may you feel that your soul has been sunned and refreshed, and may you then be a refresher to others. Throughout this day may you look for opportunities to join the chorus of nature and echo the praises that the sea, the birds, the wind in the trees and even the rocks cry out. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. ~ Psalm 69:34