A Tropical Vacation to Set my Wardrobe Tone for Summer

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You know when it's been cold for months and you're just dying for some warm weather? That's how I feel every year by the time we reach March, so I combined my birthday and our wedding anniversary to convince my husband to take me somewhere warm!

  • Destination: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
  • Vacation goals: Relax and take in as much sunshine as possible
  • Packing strategy: Start my summer wardrobe early and pack to look fab for every possible warm weather occasion! Perfect opportunity to set my wardrobe tone for the summer season.  

Packing for a warm weather holiday while it's still chilly presents it's own set of issues because you first have to unpack the summer clothes before repacking them in your suitcase.  Luckily, I have every item I own documented in my Stylebook app, so I've been digitally creating outfits for weeks prior to our trip so I knew exactly which pieces I had to dig up and also where the holes in my wardrobe were to start my summer shopping early! 

This is not one of those trips where I was really mindful of my suitcase space.  I totally overpacked. I was so excited about wearing summer styles that I was prepped for three outfit changes a day or several days of extra outfits just in case there was a snowstorm and we were stranded in paradise a little longer.  A girl can dream.  

Beach Bum

The first major takeaway is that there was no reason to have three outfit changes per day.  Most days we spent in our bathing suits.  The most activity we did was switch between the pools (plural!) and the pristine beach.  

I'm a huge fan of the high waisted bikini.  It shows just enough skin and is my happy balance between flattering, sexy and coverage.  I'm also loving the comeback of the one-piece trend.  On a day when I'm not feeling my thinnest (did I mention that we stayed at an all-inclusive resort?) the one-piece acts a bit like Spanx, sucking me in where I need it most.  We also did some snorkeling and boating activities.  In a one-piece there was no fear or losing a top or bottom half in the water! My favorite suits this year came from Target and J.Crew.  Target is great because they have a huge selection and they are super affordable.  J.Crew suits are sold as separates so I was able to purchase the perfect sizes for top and bottom for my body, even if they didn't match. 

I'm digging the button-down shirt as a cover up right now.  It looks great and provides coverage from sun.  A hat is a must.  J.Crew is great because the hats comes in sizes and it's packable. You also can't go wrong with a baseball cap.  This one from Adidas is a women's size and adjustable.  It came in handy when I had crazy wet hair and needed to tame it. 

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Summer Nights

Straight from bathing suits, we usually headed in for a little rest and a shower before dinner.  All-inclusive resorts are a great excuse to get fancy and show off your new tan. The nights were cooler, but still quite warm and humid.  I stayed cool with thin fabrics and items that show a little skin.  Open back, crop top, off-the-shoulder--I hit all three summer staples in my dinner looks.  In retrospective, I shouldn't started the trip off in my off-the-shoulder dress before my tan lines became so defined. Learn from my mistakes!

I also had a lot of fun playing with prints.  Florals are everywhere this season, and I'm loving them. The brighter the colors and funner the print, the more tropical vacation appropriate. 

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Though my trip was in March, I feel ahead of the curve for the upcoming summer season.  My warm weather wardrobe is set and I've nailed down the trends I'm loving.  Is your closet ready for summer?

To ensure you don't miss a single outfit, follow @MagentaBlazer on Instagram and like the Magenta Blazer Facebook page.

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