What's ironic about putting beach outfits together is that it's a very different, far more stressful experience than the beach day itself. You're running around the house trying to gather supplies and locate where you stored that straw summer hat you bought on a whim last year. Your list of beach essentials feels a mile long: you need your best bikinis, flip-flops, and bathing suit cover-up that protects your skin but still allows you to get some color. You can only relax that moment when your toes hit the sand, the sun beams down on your shoulders, and you hear the waves crashing.
The solution to streamlining a beach outfit is obvious: preparation. And as your fashion-inclined friend who analyzes summer fashion trends and builds outfits as part of my paying, 9-to-5 gig, I'm here to do that extra step for you. Consider the below your one-and-done, beachy guide to easy summer outfits that make getting beach-ready a breeze. From the surprising return of once-passé, now-cool-again Y2K swimsuits—ICYMI: Burberry's check bikini is back—to the kick-off of Euro girl summer and the definitive best beach dresses that have lifespans beyond the sand, follow the instructions below so you have one less item on pre-beach to-dos.
