The contents of my ideal beach bag
Everything I'd bring along for a day at the shore
I’ve been eyeing this extra-cute Madewell straw tote for a while now, and may just have to go for it.
The interplay of color and pattern on this really spiff—and reversible—Dusen Dusen beach towel is just excellent. For a similar awning stripe vibe but for less, check out this, and this too.
A good, insulted water bottle is a must, and I dig the snappy color combination on this one.
And this insulated lunch bag is just desperately adorable.
For reading on the beach, I always make sure to pack a pair of sunglass readers (I also really like this very cool wire frame pair and this modern take on the Wayfarer). I realized some time ago that If I buy only cheap readers, I will go through them like water. But if I buy nicer ones, like these, I tend to hang on to them.
I typically prefer to read books on my phone, but I dislike trying to read on a screen at the beach, so I’m bringing along a hard copy of How To Lose Your Mother, a memoir by political writer Molly Jong-Fast about her complicated relationship with her mother, the author Erica Jong, who wrote the classic feminist sex novel, Fear of Flying. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was so perceptive about mother/daughter relationships, and it’s so well-written it practically reads itself.
I used to always wear bucket hats to the beach, but I have come to accept that they don’t provide sufficient sun protection, so now I look for a wide-brimmed canvas hat, which has a similar vibe but allows for a lot more shade.
As for swimsuits, I’m quite liking this tank style, and also this and ruched strapless one-piece, which looks deeply flattering.
As for cover-ups, it would be hard to beat this breezy cotton caftan.
But I quite like this gauze cotton shirtdress for that purpose too.
I will not go out in the sun without plenty of this Sun Bum SPF 50 spray, which stays put even in the water.
My lips are chapped year-round, so I was pleased when Clé de Peau sent me this SPF 25 lip treatment: it’s so rich, and really moisturizes as it protects. Here’s something that probably gets the job done too, but is much cheaper.
These are water shoes disguised as espadrilles, and I think they are pretty genius.
Well, this post came right in time to lift my spirits. I ordered the Madewell bag and the Yeti water bottle. They should arrive right when I was going to leave for my annual beach trip, which got cancelled for sick-family-member reasons. I will instead enjoy Beach Week At Home: I'll camp out on my little deck, read a good book ("The Houseguest" by Kim Brooks) and drink Dill Pickle Lemonade (add 3 tablespoons dill pickle brine to lemonade -- delicious!). I'll wear a different beach caftan/dress every day because I have a nice collection and I won't have to pack only a couple of them. I will go through an entire tube of sunscreen. I will eat shrimp cocktails and Lays potato chips. If I've learned nothing else in my old age, it's how to adjust to cancelled plans. Happy Summer, ya'll.
I hate to be that person, but please do not rely on spray sunscreens. You likely do not get the advertised protection by spraying, unless you spray up to 40-50 times. It is also extremely wasteful. Michelle Wong from Labmuffin Beauty Science, a science communicator focused on skin care, tested this. From her testing only about 30-50% of the product (depending on indoor/outdoor application, wind conditions, distance, etc.) of the actual spray lands on your face/body and even then, it doesn't go on an even layer.