In Which I Am Not Wearing Jeans
Notes from a week at the beach.
Greetings from Mustique, where I’ve spent the last seven days with my husband, our kids, and some dear friends from home. I’m keeping the introduction to this one brief because the sea is waiting…
All of the photos in this post were taken with a Camp Snap camera, which was gifted to me, though this post is not sponsored. What a fun gadget! So easy to use. It got me away from my phone – the need to take pictures on a family vacation is 95% of the reason I bring my phone to the beach at all – and was so great for the kids. No screen, no video games, no way to mess it up. In fact, Georgia and Walter took most of these photos, framing them in ways that feel so real and breezy; snapping the world at a sweet, lower eye line. Full disclosure: I did some filtering in VSCO to make everything look a tad more vibrant and true (the Camp Snap softens colors). But it did such a great job capturing the lo-fi vibe of the island.
The beachiest thing I did this trip was mix a lot of prints and colors. In fact, I did this with near-abandon, letting the function of a piece (a pareo, for example) drive my decision to wear it, more than anything. Without concern for coodination, I noticed my style becoming more textured, carefree. It’s good to have a plan when we pack, but actually, improvising with the odd pieces that ended up in my bag forced me to get creative – and repetitive, which is part of relaxing! Reaching for the same things with little thought = zero stress. For this trip, I failed to pack enough dinner outfits and had to wear my Erdem skirt with a white t-shirt on two separate occasions. You know who cared? Absolutely no one. I had the best of times.
THE ESSENTIALS:
✔️ Alex Mill Jo shirt in navy linen – I have this shirt in a few different fabrics, and this is my favorite by far. It’s sturdy and buoyant. It dries quickly and takes wrinkles with grace. Great for the beach. I wear a size S.
✔️ I also brought a J.Crew Garçon Irish linen shirt, which, in French Blue, looks preppier and better dressed-up with pants for dinner.
✔️ Aunty B. India block print pants, rolled up high so they fit like bloomers. You could buy the shorts, but you won’t get the same cute pouf. I buy my Aunty B.’s in Madrid. They do ship internationally, and reliably.
✔️ Bikinis from Matteu (this Tri Crop top shape w/ this brief bottom shape) and Negative (this top w/ this bottom; though mine is red, not blue). Five years postpartum, I’m finally over my bikini fear (i.e. that awful voice that said my changed mid-section wasn’t worthy.) I do not have the body I had before having babies and I am OK-enough with that to wear a two-piece now, finally. It’s my personal opinion that the bikini tan lines are cuter.
✔️ One-pieces from Matteau (the exact one I have is now 30% off) and Anemos (the square back on this one is so sexy). I also still love a maillot.
✔️ Ace tanks in French Blue and Poppy. It’s like the colors came straight off the island, matching the high-noon sky and Royal Poinciana trees.
✔️ Supergoop sunscreen for my face and body, with frequent applications of this spf 35 mineral powder.
✔️ TKees flip flops. Mine are a color called Ash, which seems to be gone. Lily Liners is the style. They stand up to sand, actually.
✔️ Le Monde Béryl leather thongs when I’m not at the beach.
✔️ I brought select pieces from my Beach Vacation Wardrobe, a capsule I keep in my closet that can transfer to a duffle in one fell swoop. They included: The Matteau square swimsuit, a Watskin sun tee, and drawstring pants from Leset.
✔️ The Only Jane Daisies bandanas. For keeping wet, frizzy hair out of my face; for wiping salty water out of kids’ eyes; for cleaning reading glasses and camera lenses. I packed 3 and used them all.
✔️ Else swim coverup. The most out-of-character thing I packed. To make it more me, I took the top part down, rolled it, and tied the straps in a knot at my waist to wear it like a skirt. (Photo below.)
✔️ Violette FR’s new Plume eyeshadow in Bronze d’Or. Instead of a bright lip, a little drama for the eyes and nothing else on my face at night.
✔️ This beachy sweater from DL1961.
✔️ Erdem wrap skirt. The quality is always exceptional with Erdem, and a lot can be found on The RealReal for wildly good prices. Also, it leans romantic. And romance on a vacation is a wonderful thing.
✔️ A straw bag. Mine is from Antigua Casa Crespo, but I like the look of this one, and this one from Jenni Kayne, too. I wouldn’t spend more than $200 on a beach bag. Go small and keep the schlepping to a minimum.
✔️ I did not buy new sunglasses for this trip. I’m still wearing these from Jimmy Fairly, which are the right price for sandy bags and sunscreen smears, etc.
FOR THE KIDS:
✔️ This Neutrogena sunscreen spray.
✔️ Swimwear by Minnow for my daughter (size up, it runs small).
✔️ Mini Boden for my son.
I’ll soon be on my way back to L.A. – a three-flight, two-day journey inclusive of a night at the TWA hotel at JFK. Time in Mustique couldn’t be more worth the trip. I’m back on jeans next week. Thank you for reading and welcoming this momentary change of pace. As always, Denim Forever.
Jane
More good news…
True Botanicals, which I’m always talking about, is having a site-wide sale. 30% off everything, today through June 15. Newcomers, start with the Pure Radiance Oil. The Hydrate & Go travel set is on theme for this letter, and a great way to try it out.
I stopped relying on hotel/rental home shampoo and conditioner years ago. Aesop makes a very fine-smelling travel kit.
Kelly Klein wrote an inspiring story about how to feel good in a swimsuit.
Emilia Petrarca reported on Chanel’s gorgeous, rivet-less Cambon jeans for Air Mail.
Wow. So many good nuggets in here.
The photos are transportive! So beautiful