This Is The Only “Poolside Chic” Outfit Template You Will Ever Need
by The Candidly Team
It happens every year…like clockwork. A wave of heat predicted. A plane ticket booked. An invitation to a backyard soirée received.
And it returns.
The long-running fantasy of finally achieving the exquisite poolside look that’s lingered in our imagination.
It’s an image imbued with emotion:
From the enviably iconic.
To the eternally chic.
The seemingly possible.
To the wildly preposterous.
And finally, to perfection itself.
While the fantasy is alive and well, the reality of assembling the perfect poolside look gets foiled time and time again.
Because, let’s be honest, none of us are actually all that eager to be tugging an aggressive strip of spandex from our bottoms every 3 seconds in front of our vacationing in-laws. Or to be blissfully unaware of our boob having flopped from our ill-fitting bikini top while ordering an Aperol Spritz.
The point is, we need each and every piece in our beachy-chic ensemble to fit and feel as glorious as it looks.
And we must say, we feel strongly, that we’ve cracked it.
After some assiduous sleuthing, and even more passionate internal conversations, we have found the 6 exact pieces that achieve all of this and more.
Individually, they’re foolproof. Collectively, they’re the stuff of our (your?) sun-soaked dreams.
Let’s go:
1. The Swimsuit that Looks Gorgeous on Everyone
J. Crew Ruched Bandeau One-Piece
After a lifetime of feeling like our bodies just weren’t made for swimsuits, we found not one but two that have proved that all those years, swimsuits just weren’t being made for us (or like 97% of human women).
The first is THIS exquisite strapless suit from J. Crew. The ruching is beyond flattering. The bum coverage: perfection!
Then, for those of you who prefer a strap, there’s THIS ONE from Andie Swim that changed our poolside lives. Discovering it was an actual emotional experience, one that we documented with many real try-on photos HERE.
Price: $40 - $98
2. The Effortless And Essential Sarong
We wish everything was as easily elegant as a sarong that transitions from swim-to-supper at the tying of a bow. The black on black is flawless, but this one comes in every neutral and a series of bright summery colors, so you can mix it up as you wish. It’s perfect on curves and sizes up to 4X.
Price: $40
3. The Chicest Slides On This Earth
Beek Gallito Leather Slide Sandal
The most graceful, luxurious, butteriest leather slides in existence, and therefore, they’re also a wee bit “splurgier” than anything else on this list. But here’s our thinking. They are the same shoes you’ll wear all day long, hauling your ass around whatever darling shoppes and ruins and museums you’re going to be seeing pre-pool and aprés pool, and dumb Target flip flops are not going to cut it. We’re grown ups, and we need grown-up shoes that don’t give us blisters and support our arches, but still look impossibly chic, so that we actually wear them. These are those shoes. Memory foam. Molded foot beds. Half of their rave reviews are from teachers who are on their feet all day. A+ in every category.
Price: $260
4. The Gloriously Spacious Poolside Tote
This is one of 7 “ludicrously capacious” (and therefore ideal) bags we’ve been wild about. But this one might just be our favorite with its deeply practical, yet strikingly gorgeous effect. It holds all our poolside Mary Poppins necessities (but more on that later). Though if you’re more of a classic gal, you will love THIS bag.
Price: $155
5. The Perfect Sun Hat
J. Crew Wide-Brim Packable Straw Hat
The most perfectly proportioned sun hat. It lasts forever and has a magic way of framing every face it shades. Plus, if your poolside plans involve a plane ride, it’s thankfully packable.
Price: $69.50
6. The Old Hollywood Sunglasses
A universally gorj pair of shades. And they don’t cost half a paycheck like their designer counterparts.
Price: $65 - $85
BONUS: THE THINGS INSIDE THE Perfect PoOl TOTE
7. The Tinted SPF
Daybird 4-in-1 Serum Skin Tint
Imagine if your favorite nourishing serum blended with a glowy foundation and packed itself with SPF. This magic potion has made all our summer skincare dreams come true. We need multi-tasking tools like these for days spent in the sun, where we want to stay bright and clear, yet fiercely protected…without piling on layers of thick, sticky makeup.
Price: $39.50
8. The Towel
Nomadix Original Towel In Poolside Black
Don’t ruin your look with some bleach-stained mange you pulled from the garage that’s like a blue and orange alligator. This towel looks chic and makes you feel like you’re at a 5-star resort even when you’re actually sprawled out by a kiddie pool in your yard.
Price: $40
9. The Spray Sunscreen
Of course, we must diligently slather layers of SPF on our face and body before going outside, but we love using this refreshing spritz to touch up and cool down over and over. The scent is a full 80s nostalgia bomb with banana/coconut/pool-toy scent…And it’s thankfully SPF 50.
Price: $24
10. The Hair Scarf To Hide Away Unruly Post-Swim Hair
There’s nothing like lowering our hot head into the cool, clear water, but as soon as we air dry, our salty/chlorinated/sun-baked hair suffers the consequences. Fold and fashion one of Lost Pattern’s lovely scarves into a headband and poof, you’re set for a chic sunset supper of lobster and champagne.
Price: $85
11. The Smooth SPF Lip Balm
MDSolarSciences Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm
This is for those of us who want a little burst of luscious, quenching color to accompany our sun protection.
Get 15% off on Dermstore using the code CANDIDLY
Price: $23
12. The Hydrating, All-Over Sunscreen
Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
A light and fast-absorbing formula that doesn’t dry out your skin.
Price: $34
13. And, Of Course, The Obligatory Book
We may devour it under an umbrella or never even open it. Either way, a good book seated beside us sets the tone of absolute carefree bliss that we long for the 359 days a year we’re not lounging by a pool.
Price: $10
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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