Resortwear + Vacation Dresses to Wear in Hawaii
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A few of you asked if we are going on vacation soon, and sadly we don’t have anything planned at the moment! I could definitely use a beach vacation though! My parents are currently in Hawaii, my brother and sister in-law just got back from their honeymoon in Hawaii, and a lot of you have told me you have tropical vacations planned for Spring and Summer. So, I thought it would be perfect to share some vacation outfit ideas for your upcoming trips!!
Where to Shop for Tropical / Hawaii Vacation Outfits
When shopping for resortwear and vacation outfits, I typically stick to Lulus, Abercrombie, VICI, Aerie and Amazon. For fun and trendy maxi dresses, formal wear and casual dresses, Lulus and VICI are my favorite. They both have SO many options to choose from. Whether you’re dressing for a beach day or fancy dinner, there’s so many dresses and rompers that will fit whatever look/style you’re going for.
For denim shorts, basics and bodysuits, Abercrombie is my go-to. Almost all my denim is from here because the quality is incredible. They hold up so well and will last you years! For swimwear, Aerie is my new fave. They have so many cute suits and styles and everything is such good quality.
I own a lot of swimsuits from Amazon and Target too, but I definitely think the quality is better on my Aerie swimsuits. I actually wasn’t as impressed with the swimsuits that Target came out with this year.
And, for those of you looking for some more inexpensive resortwear options, Amazon has some great pieces too! I know it can be overwhelming trying to sort through their site to find the best clothes, so I’ll share some of the sun dresses and Hawaii outfits I ordered that made the cut.
ALSO READ: 30+ Must Have Travel Essentials for Women
For size reference, I am roughly 5’6,” 110 pounds and wear an XS in most dresses, tops, and swimwear, and a 24 or 25 in denim/pants. For the most part, everything fits true to size, but I’ll mention if I size up or down in anything below.
Vacation Dresses to Wear in Hawaii
I’m going to start by sharing a few of my favorite vacation dresses to wear in Hawaii and then I’ll go into tops, bottoms, swimwear and accessories that you can wear on your vacay!
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I’m loving all the styles this year. We’re seeing lots of midi-length dresses, fun cut-outs and lots of bold and bright colors. I own every dress pictured above and I seriously love them all! Any of these would be perfect to pack with you for a tropical vacation.
Floral Dress | Rhinestone Sandals | Multi-Strand Heart Necklace
When I think of Hawaii, I think of bright tropical prints and floral dresses. This midi dress definitely fits the vibe! It’s so fun, I love the vibrant colors, the halter neck, and ruffles at the top. It’s from Amazon and the quality is great! Super lightweight and breathable, which is exactly what you want in a tropical destination.
It’s listed as a maxi dress, however it’s definitely a midi and hits right above my calf. As much as I love this dress, I wish it fit a little bit tighter on me. They don’t offer it in an XS, so I had to order the Small and the top part is a bit big. You really can’t tell and I definitely plan on keeping it because the dress is gorgeous! But, for those of you that are petite or typically wear an XS, just know that this dress may run big on you.
It comes in a total of 10 different colors, a few solid options and then some fun prints! I’ve been thinking about ordering the blue and white floral option too. It would look so cute for any Spring and Summer events!
Black Strapless Dress | Rhinestone Sandals | Multi-Strand Heart Necklace | Beach Tote
I love everything about this smocked strapless midi! It has an empire waist with a double-lined tiered skirt, and the best part.. pockets on both sides! It’s super flattering and would look great on all body types.
If you have a smaller chest, I’d recommend sizing down if you’re looking for a tighter, tube-top fit. When I’m wearing strapless dresses, I always like the top to be a bit tighter than normal, just so it stays in place. Then, I’m not constantly worrying about the dress slipping down. For those of you who prefer to have straps, here’s almost the exact same smocked dress with spaghetti straps!
I love how easily it can be dressed up or down for beach days or a fancy dinner out. For a casual look, throw on some flip flops, sunglasses and a sun hat. For something a little dressier, style the dress with a pair of heels, a layered necklace and some large gold hoop earrings.
Magenta Midi Dress | Rhinestone Sandals | Braided Purse | Multi-Strand Heart Necklace
This might be the best vacation outfit! It’s dressy casual, has a quick-drying type of feel to the material, adjustable straps, and an elastic waistband with a drawstring so you can cinch it tighter. I love that it has a fitted look, but is still stretchy and super comfortable!
This midi dress has two slits on either side and is very lightweight making it perfect for warm days when you’re exploring the Hawaiian Islands. Or even wear it for a nice dinner out! It’s super versatile and I love this magenta color! It does come in 10 colors, so your options are endless.
SHOP MORE VACATION DRESSES TO WEAR IN HAWAII
When traveling to tropical climates, I definitely prefer to wear dresses over a pair of denim shorts. Denim can get really hot and heavy, and my legs always stick together. It’s just not comfortable. Dresses on the other hand, are much more lightweight and breezy!
Orange Mini Dress | Rhinestone Sandals | Multi-Strand Heart Necklace | Beach Bag
How fun is this orange crossover mini dress!? The square neckline is very flattering; I’ve recently been gravitating towards tops that have a square neck, just because I love the style! I love the short, flowy sleeves and tiered skirt, and from the back, this dress looks like a two piece set!
I’m almost 5’6″ and I think the length is great! However, in terms of size, the skirt is definitely a little big on me. I have a pretty small waist and if you look at the size chart, the Small fits a 26.7″-34.6″ waist. I should’ve looked at the chart before I ordered it, but since they didn’t have the XS, I wanted to make it work.
Wear it for a day of shopping, exploring the city, a lunch/dinner out or any special occasions! I also wanted to mention these rhinestone sandals. They’re gorgeous and go with anything. I feel like the rhinestones easily elevate any outfit and they’re so comfortable! I recommend ordering a half size down; they run big length wise.
Cut-out Midi Dress | Clear High Heels | Beach Bag | Gold Hoop Earrings | Necklace
In LOVE with this cut-out midi! I feel so confident in this dress! It hugs your body in all the right places, is tight where it needs to be, but also extremely stretchy and has a figure-slimming skirt.. it literally has the perfect fit! This midi also has adjustable straps to lift the top part a bit.
The dress isn’t lined, but I don’t have any issues with that. If you have a smaller chest, a bra is definitely not needed because the material is thick enough that you can’t see through. I’m wearing the dress with some clear heels, but it would look just as good with a pair of flats! I can’t wait to wear this on our next vacay!!
More Vacation Dresses
Green Midi Dress | Magenta Midi Dress | Orange Ruffle Romper
Here are a few more great options for your vacay! Like I mentioned before, midi dresses are so popular right now! Sometimes, I feel like midis can hit at an awkward length, but I really love all these! All fit true to size.
Tops
When you’re packing for somewhere warm and tropical, think lightweight, breathable, and comfortable. Besides tons of dresses, you’ll want to pack some basics – tank tops, t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, a linen shirt and a light jacket.
I love this oversized linen-blend shirt. It’s so versatile and you can easily layer it over a tank top or swimsuit. These cropped tanks are great for wearing underneath shirts, I own both the white and black!
Here are some great, inexpensive top options!
Bottoms
When it comes to bottoms, you want to go for pieces with breathable fabrics that are easy to slip on. Think linen or cotton shorts, flowy skirts, linen pants and athletic-style shorts with quick-drying material for waterfall hikes. You probably will want to leave your denim shorts at home, as they’re a bit heavier and take longer to dry!
And if you’re looking for some cute, tropical two-piece sets, Petal and Pup has tons of fun options! I’m hesitant to link anything because some of their pieces sell out quickly, but definitely browse their site. I own a few dresses from here and absolutely love them!
Here are some great options for shorts, skirts and pants!
Swimsuits
Now.. SWIMSUITS! Swimsuit shopping can be so hard sometimes.. Whenever I try on swimsuits in the store, I feel like the lighting is absolutely terrible and I never really like the fit of the suits.. at least in the dressing room.
When shopping for swimsuits, I highly recommend buying them and trying them on at home. It’ll give you a much better idea of the true color, size and fit. Plus you’ll feel way more comfortable!
Baja Blue Bikini Top | Baja Blue Crossover Bottoms | Black Bikini Top / Black Crossover Bottoms
I recently bought these two swimsuits from Aerie and I LOVE them! I was only planning on keeping one, but after trying them on, I’m definitely keeping both! This was my first time ordering swimwear from Aerie and the quality is amazing. Fabric is thick and comfortable and I feel so confident in them!
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Both have high waisted, crossover bottoms, which previously, I wasn’t a huge fan of high-waisted swimwear. I always thought they looked some what like a diaper, but the style has definitely grown on me! The last three bikinis I’ve bought all have high waisted bottoms, and truthfully I think they make my legs look longer and leaner! Plus they cinch your stomach, to make it look slimmer!
I’m wearing my true size (XS) in both top and bottoms in these bikinis. The Baja Blue bottoms are definitely cheeky, very flattering, but just wanted to let you know! The black bottoms are a bit more modest, but not full coverage either. I personally don’t go for the full, full-coverage bottoms, I like my swimsuits to be a modestly cheeky!
More Bikinis
Here are some more two-piece options that I’ve been loving! All of these go on sale regularly, so make sure you watch for deals! I share daily sale updates on my Instagram stories here!
One-Piece Swimsuits
If you prefer one-piece swimsuits, here are a few of my favorites! The styles this year are so fun and flattering! Target, Aerie and Amazon have some really cute options.
The sun in Hawaii, or any tropical destination, might be stronger than what you’re used to, so when laying on the beach or doing any water activities, make sure you wear lots of reef-safe sunscreen to protect your skin! Don’t forget to pack a few sun hats to protect your scalp too! I’ll share some must-pack accessories later in this post.
Swim Cover-Ups
The swimsuit cover-ups that I found this year are SO PRETTY!! I feel so chic, elevated and put-together in all of these. I love how easy they are to throw on over a swimsuit and they’re so flattering.
White Knit Swimsuit Cover-up | Black Swimsuit Coverup | White Sheer Swimsuit Cover-up | Straw Hat | Tote Bag | Sunglasses | Similar Platform Sandals
The first two cover-ups are from Amazon and both are under $30! The white knit cover-up comes in tons of colors and is one-size fits all. It hits right below by calf and has two slits on either side. It’s a stretchy material and I love the cut-out detailing! It’s beyond flattering.
Next, this black beach shirt cover-up! I love that it can be worn as a cover-up or a beach shirt. Either throw it on over your swimsuit, or tuck it into a pair of shorts for a casual look. It comes in 40+ colors, has a super soft and lightweight fabric, and is longer in the back, so it completely covers you butt.
ALSO READ: Ultimate Beach Vacation Packing List
Lastly, the third option is kind of similar to the first cover-up, but there are some differences. It has a more mesh-like fabric and is a little shorter in terms of length. It runs from size XS to XL and is more fitted. There’s not as many color options, but it also comes in black, and looks so pretty!
In terms of how many cover-ups to pack, it’s always a good idea to have a few options. Since you’ll probably be spending a lot of time by the water, I’d recommend bringing two to three.
Shoes + Accessories
We can’t forget about shoes and accessories. You should aim for simple, comfortable and minimalistic. You’ll most likely spend a lot of time in the sun, on the beach and in the water, so you want clothing and accessories that can easily slip on and off. AND that you’re okay with getting wet.
Don’t bring your most valuable jewelry or expensive sunglasses. Pack light and bring accessories that can be worn with multiple outfits!
Shoes I recommend packing:
- Flip Flops – you’ll want these for the beach!
- Slide Sandals – pick a pair of slides that are cute, comfy and you can wear casually or dressed up.
- Water Hiking Shoes – these are great for hiking and water sports (kayaking, snorkeling, etc.)
- Classic Water Shoes – if you’re not doing any hiking, these water shoes are great for swimming, a boat ride, kayaking, etc.
- Hiking Shoes – here’s another hiking shoe option, they’ve got a low heel and are great for muddy, rocky terrains
- Pair of nice heels – you’ll want these for a fancier dinner or night out!
Shoes to Wear in Hawaii
Accessories I recommend packing:
- Sun Hat – you’ll 100% want a few sun hats to wear in Hawaii
- Sunglasses – these are a must and under $20!
- Jewelry (simple is best!) – I wear these gold hoops and multi-strand heart necklace daily
- Beach Tote – Jen & Co. has the best beach totes, they’re massive and so cute!
- Small purse / Clutch – love this shoulder bag/crossybody duo and this clutch!
Accessories to Pack for Hawaii
I hope you enjoyed this post and found tons of inspiration for your next beach vacation! If you have any questions on the resortwear or vacation dresses to wear in Hawaii, leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you!
Other Posts you May Like:
- Ultimate Beach Vacation Packing List
- Leggings Shopping Guide: Top 6 Must-Own Leggings
- Spring Style Guide: 8+ Date Night Looks
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