resort

Fashion Friday :: Romantic Caribbean

[trip style = beach + sun] Let me fill you in on a little secret about packing for a romantic Caribbean vacation: you don't need much {see: romantic + Caribbean}. Hey there overpackers - you really can travel with only carry-on luggage since the only items you'll be wearing are swimsuits and sarongs. And if you're like a friend of mine, who recently returned from a romantic Caribbean vacation with her husband, you don't need to worry about covering up much at all, because "when are you ever going to see these people again?" Wise words. Then again, don't think you won't be on display.

Several years ago, I travelled to the Dominican Republic with a group of 20 friends and family. There was a French couple at our resort, and we came to call the man "Hot Euro" for his, um, extreme hotness. Imagine you're laying out on the beach with your girlfriend and every time you look down the beach, 20 heads snap away. This was, of course, before I mastered the art of staring and not getting caught {the secret is to keep looking when your subject looks at you, as though you're staring at something just past them. This works especially well with sunglasses}.

Moral of the story? On a romantic vacation, who cares who's staring, they're probably just smitten with you. Unless of course you opted for beach braids. Then they're probably staring for another reason.

Now what to pack? Men (clockwise from top left) Orlebar Brown bulldog swim shorts, Penguin volley swim shorts, Costalots diego grey sunglasses, Soludos costa, Free Authority paper dress straw fedora

Women (from top centre) Zimmerman printed underwired bikini, Ray-Ban wayfarer acetate sunglasses, Topshop tie dye cover up, Norma Kamali walter mio ruched bandeau swimsuit, Pachacuti panama fedora, ASOS chiffon beach playsuit, ASOS fiji leather tie up sandals, Gregory Parkinson bag08, Target merona shirred 1-piece, ASOS floral beach dress, TM by Tara Matthews cheetah-print cotton sarong

{Trip Styler Tip: Two of my favourite online retailers have sunny vacation shops within their online shops: Net-A-Porter's Vacation Boutique and ASOS's Holiday Shop for Women & Men.}

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{Fashion Friday posts are published on the last Friday of every month and written by fashion blogger Heather.}