Last week we posted our tips for How to Pack Light (for the Beach!) and offered an easy formula for putting together a travel capsule wardrobe that will offer you a wide range of outfit options with only a duffel bag worth of stuff to carry. But we wanted to give you a concrete example or two for inspiration, so we’ve packed a virtual bag for you, pulled from our big Beach Wear collection: just 8 garments plus 1 swimsuit, 1 pair of shoes, a hat, a scarf and 3 (little, weightless) bags. What follows are insights into why it works, plus pics of the ~20 outfits we’ve dreamed up from just these pieces. (You could also wear the black jacket with the pants, the bodysuit with the gold shorts ... the list goes on.)
This mix-and-match wardrobe might skew a little more White Lotus Sicily than SoCal surf scene (maybe we’ll do that next!), and runs the gamut from poolside to casual sightseeing to “black tie optional”-worthy, so we’re imagining maybe there’s a beach wedding involved in this fantasy trip. But these outfits would also suit any warm-weather setting or occasion, beach or no beach.
The items on this packing list (all slow fashion, of course) are —
- Black linen Made X Hudson Chore Jacket and matching black linen Shorts
- Larumie one-piece, 3D-printed swimsuit
- One-of-a-kind Highlands Foundry white lace top sewn from a vintage textile
- One-of-a-kind slinky pink MXH button-down in a deadstock cotton blend
- Vilma Mare grey gauze Antiquity top
- Limited edition MXH Wide-Leg Pants in brown-grey pinstripe linen
- Limited edition MXH gold waxed cotton Shorts
- Limited edition MXH Zero-Waste Dress in deadstock black silk with ropes-and-tassels print
- Millinery Treasures handmade straw hat
- Language of the Birds wool gauze scarf in blue-black snake print
-
Per Lei mini square straw bag and Carmen tote
-
MXH Cross-Body Bag in goes-with-everything natural linen
- Calla Niki babouches upcycled slip-on shoes
All Made X Hudson (MXH) pieces are made by us right upstairs from our store in Catskill NY.
As noted in How to Pack Light, versatility and multi-functionality are what makes it work:
- The linen jacket can be worn on the plane (leaving space in your bag while protecting you from the a/c) with sneakers and a tee or tank for sleeping in. The only other thing you’d need is a pair of flip-flops for the beach or pool. (Plus toiletries and underthings, obvs.)
- Our MXH Chore Jacket and MXH Shorts are a true power couple: in lighter, slinkier fabrics they double as the perfect loungewear or swimsuit cover-up (a la Michelle Monaghan’s blue set on White Lotus S3), whereas in this black linen they are practically a beach tuxedo. By wearing them together and as separates, you can get loads of mileage out of them.
- The silk MXH Zero-Waste Dress can literally go from a walk on the beach barefoot to sightseeing in sneakers and an overshirt, to a fancy dinner or wedding with strappy sandals.
- The cotton-like swimsuit makes a chic bodysuit, allowing it to extend the number and ways the rest of the garments can be worn.
- Black linen can really do anything — keeping you cool while looking polished when you need it to.
- The lightweight, long-sleeved pink shirt really pulls its weight here, going from swimsuit cover-up to the star of several looks, while keeping the sun off your shoulders.
- The shoes bring a pop of color to all the neutrals, putting everything in a cheerful vacation mood.
- The rest of the pieces are all elevated alternatives to boring basics: a lace tee and grey gauze top instead of plain white and grey tees; gold waxed cotton shorts instead of khaki. But all just as versatile and interchangeable.
- The scarf can be worn as a sarong, rolled up as a pillow, or used as a scarf or shawl as needed.
- And the bags! Our Cross-Body Sling (available in multiple colors) is perfect for travel days and sightseeing, works as a clutch in the evening or even as a shoulder bag. The little square straw clutch makes literally anything cuter. And the perfect straw tote bag is a beach essential. (Pack your clothes into and around it in your suitcase, or carry it on.
(Straw hats are hard to travel with — you’ll either need to wear it on the plane or buy one when you get where you’re going.)
Please note that at the moment all of these items are available — you could literally buy the set! — but many of them are one-of-a-kind or limited edition, so they may have sold by the time you see this. Hopefully it will serve as inspiration for your own selections nevertheless.
There are lots more great options in the Beach Wear collection. Or we’re always happy to put together a travel bag (or capsule wardrobe) just for you!
