Summer is just around the corner and many of us are itching to get out to the beach or to take a vacation on some tropical sandy beaches. Whether you’re spending a solo day at the beach reading your favorite summer book or taking a cruise with the entire family, there are some beachwear items that are essential for every situation. We’ve created a brief guide on what to wear in order to look fabulous at the beach from modest plus size to petite along with which items are essential to carry in your beach bag. We hope that this guide will help you feel travel ready and stress-free for whatever type of beach day you’re planning.
What To Wear To The Beach
Swimsuit
Probably the most obvious thing to wear to the beach is your swimsuit, of course! Even if you don’t plan on getting in the water, you’ll want to wear a swimsuit that flatters your figure just in case. While everyone is shaped differently there are some basic guidelines according to Real Simple, that you can steer towards when it comes to picking out a swimsuit for your shape:
- Petite – Smaller women with smaller hips and busts should stick with swimsuits that help to enhance the curves they do have and can have fun with different patterns and textures to create more definition.
- Tall & Straight – Narrow figures don’t need to worry about balancing proportions and can wear pretty much anything. To create the illusion of an hourglass figure, try out swimsuits with cutouts, shirring or bold prints.
- Curvy – For modest plus size swimsuits for fuller bottomed women look for swimsuits that offer a higher cut and more prints or brighter colors to draw the eye upward. High-waisted swimsuit bottoms are a great option for modest plus size swimsuits and work great on virtually every figure.
Swimsuit Cover
A swimsuit cover is almost as required as your swimsuit. Depending on your style you can opt for a maxi dress or flowy beach cover-up that still shows off your tan legs or if the weather is a little chillier, some loose leggings and your favorite tank top or basic v-neck are also excellent stand-ins for a beach cover-up. These pretty coverups from Target are fun and affordable.
Hat
A big straw sun hat or your favorite baseball cap is also a great asset to bring with you in order to keep those harmful UV rays away from your face and will also help to shade your book or kindle while you read on your beach towel or in a chair.
What To Bring
Sunscreen
There’s nothing sexy about skin cancer and though you may feel covered up in your modest plus size swimsuit or coverup that doesn’t mean you should skip the SPF. This article from World Pursuit recommends getting an eco-friendly sunscreen that is void of harsh chemicals and the extra dollars you spend will help to protect the oceans. You can order this sunscreen here.
Water Bottle
Stay hydrated and stay away from single-use plastic water bottles by bringing your own water bottle filled with fresh, cold water. Insulated stainless steel water bottles are the best option, but if you don’t have one you can always pack a cooler and keep your water bottles and other drinks and snacks cold that way.
Something To Lay On
There is a multitude of different items you could take to the beach in order to lay on or sit on so that you can relax and just soak in the sun. Some of our favorite items to bring to the beach for this purpose are an oversized towel or blanket, a portable beach mat, a portable lounge chair or even a beach tent.
Mobile Phone Charger
If you’re listening to your favorite book on audible, music or taking pictures for Instagram, you’ll want to make sure that your phone is fully charged so that you can capture and enjoy every moment while you’re hanging out at the beach. This pink “going places” portable charger from is cute and practical for every beach-goer out there.
