There’s a version of me who packs for the beach by opening the suitcase and panicking. This year I tried the other version: one rule, and I stuck to it. For a full week by the sea — the week of the Fourth of July, the American Independence Day — every single piece I brought was red, white or blue. No neutrals, no strays. Just a small patriotic kit that I could mix and match from beach mornings to a dinner by the water.
If that sounds like an odd constraint, it isn’t. It’s just capsule packing with a theme, and it made the whole trip easier. Everything coordinated with everything, and I never once stood in front of a full suitcase wondering what to put on.
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I’m 5’3″ and usually take a small — unless I say otherwise, everything below is in my regular size. And yes, I’ve already done the maths on every piece in this post. If it doesn’t pass the cost-per-wear test, it doesn’t earn a spot in my suitcase.
The look that did three things in one day
First up was the outfit that covered the drive there, a casual dinner on the water, and a walk on the beach straight after. A cropped tee and gauze shorts — the kind of pair that looks like it was put together on purpose because it was. Both pieces were 60%-75% off, and they’re in limited sizes now, so if you see yours, don’t overthink it. I sized down to an XS in the tee and it’s the fit I want.
That’s the whole formula. Cropped tee + gauze shorts + one pair of sunglasses = a full day of outfits that still looks considered. I keep the sunglasses in one spot in my bag and wear the same pair all day — no need for a new one per look.
Beach mornings, the lazy way
I became a bucket hat person that week, and this one’s my kind of hat. It also comes in a lighter natural tone, which is how I’d actually wear it outside the holiday.
One small confession: my swimsuit is technically burnt orange, not red. I told myself it passed as a rusty red, and honestly, at the beach, I was right. I own it in two colours, which tells you something about whether it’s a keeper. The sarong is the workhorse of the whole trip — it does covering-up, extra fabric, and towel-duty in one, and it’s just over $7 on Amazon. That’s the kind of buy that pays for itself by the second day.
My daughter’s cover-up is the sweetest little thing and it comes in black too, which is the colour I’d actually reach for most of the summer.
A deal worth a gamble
Last November I stumbled on a clearance run of J.Crew little-girls’ swimsuits and did something rare for me: I gambled on the sizing. It paid off. She’s been in them all season, and that modest two-piece is on sale right now. If you’re buying for kids, that’s the kind of deal you don’t wait on — the quality held up through a whole summer of swimming.
The dress that earns its keep
This is the dress I’d point you to first. I have it in both blue and green, and it does morning coffee, poolside lounging, and an evening out without a wardrobe change. That’s the test I use for everything I buy: can you wear it three ways? This one does it easily, and that’s what makes it worth the cost-per-wear maths.
Twinning, but make it crochet
I’ve had my crochet cover-up in a few colours for a while, and it’s one of my most-worn pieces of the summer. My mum surprised my daughter with the same one in her size, and we’ve been twinning every chance we get. A cover-up like this is the swap that makes a swimsuit wardrobe feel complete — it’s what you wear everywhere else.
I also picked up a swimsuit on Amazon that feels several price brackets above what it cost. I’m genuinely considering going back for it in white or red. That’s a good sign.
The dress everyone asked about
This breezy Tuckernuck dress in chambray was the most-requested link from the whole trip. It was nearly sold out, but on major sale, and it comes in other colours too. I paired it with a woven mini handbag that’s quietly become an obsession — the woven version and the non-woven one both exist, and both are in a lot of colours. A small bag like this is what takes a dress from casual to dinner-ready.
The swimsuit with a bargain price tag
I didn’t manage a great photo in this one, so I’ll be blunt instead: it’s under $30, and some colours are under $20. I have it in three colours. That’s not a typo, and that’s the point — when the price is this good, collecting colourways is how you get a whole swim wardrobe for less than one designer one costs. The chiffon sarong that goes with it is the same story: light, breezy, and it doesn’t trap heat, which is the only thing that matters at 2pm on a beach.
The night of the Fourth: jeans and a tee
On the evening of the Fourth of July I wore, yes, a tee and jeans. But not any tee and jeans. I’d fallen for these low-rise, beachy baggy jeans in a shop on a whim, and the comfort genuinely shocked me — they feel like pyjamas. I don’t usually do low rise, and I was wrong to skip it. They’re lightweight, the reviews are deserved, and I’m going back for another colour while they’re on sale.
The striped top had zero hype before it arrived, and I was surprised how much I loved it. The longer short sleeves are exactly right, and the way it falls is the reason I want it in another colour. It does patriotic duty for a holiday weekend and looks just as good a month later with nothing festive on.
The bag I actually use
A canvas tote that my friend and I spent an afternoon embellishing (together, loudly) is now my default beach bag. It’s a proper bag — roomy, sturdy — and a fraction of the cost of the boat totes it gets compared to. Bring one, decorate it, use it until it falls apart.
What I’d pack for a week like this
Here’s the formula if you want to copy it:
Two swimsuits + one sarong + one cover-up + one bucket hat + one pair of shorts + two tees + one striped top + one dress + one pair of jeans + one bag. That’s it. Every piece does at least two things, most do three, and the whole thing fits in one suitcase with room for sunscreen.
Red, white and blue was just this year’s excuse. The system works with any three colours. Pick a palette, pack only from it, and the mornings take five minutes instead of forty.
Try this one swap next summer: replace one “special occasion” piece with a dress that works morning and night. You’ll wear it more, and you’ll regret buying the special occasion piece less.
Wear it well — Elise.