Is Resort Style Still a Thing??? Women Everywhere Just Said Yes…Loudly! You know the feeling. That half-packed suitcase on the bed, the last-minute Amazon panic, the hope that maybe, just maybe, you’ll land on the perfect mix of “I woke up like this” and “I planned this outfit two months ago.”
Resort style brings out a weird mix of aspiration and anxiety in a lot of women. You want to look effortless, but also impressive.
Comfortable, but with intention. Nothing clingy, nothing fussy, but please, something that turns heads while you’re holding a drink with a tiny umbrella in it.
Is Resort Style Still a Thing? Women Everywhere Just Said Yes, Loudly
If you’ve been putting off a style refresh for your vacation wardrobe, now’s actually a good time to dive in. And no, you don’t need to haul ten outfits just to feel prepared.
It’s all about choosing pieces that do the talking for you. Here’s how women are actually dressing on vacation in 2025, low stress, high impact, and finally fun again.
Long Days, Longer Dresses
The maxi dress hasn’t gone anywhere, but it has gotten a whole lot better. No longer the go-to when you just want to cover your legs and hide a bad spray tan, today’s resort-ready maxis lean into movement and airiness.
Think lighter-than-air cottons and linens that float when you walk and never stick when you sit. Patterns are having a quieter moment, less neon palm leaves, more washed-out florals and stripes that feel like they belong on a boat dock in the south of France.
What you want is something that goes from breakfast to bookstore to beachside drinks without anyone wondering if you’ve changed.
Bonus points if you can nap in it. Even more if it works with flip-flops and also with that one pair of sandals you thought were a bad idea but packed anyway.
A really great maxi almost becomes your uniform on vacation, especially if it has pockets. Because let’s be honest, you’re not carrying a purse to the pool.
The Dress That Makes Women Talk
Every year, there’s one item that becomes the story of someone’s trip. The piece strangers ask about, the thing your friends want to borrow “just for one dinner,” the thing you wish you had in three colors.
This year, it’s a lace dress that somehow manages to be both airy and dramatic, like a heatwave with a breeze. Not the stiff, bridal kind of lace.
No. This is sun-drenched, feminine without being dainty, and sheer in all the right places. It looks incredible with just a tan and some oversized sunglasses, and somehow, it makes any picture look editorial without trying too hard.
What’s even better? It requires zero styling. You throw it on, and you’re done. There’s something almost sneaky about a dress like this, it looks like you put in real effort when in fact, you skipped makeup and were still half-asleep when you put it on.
It’s the sort of thing that works for a dinner overlooking the water but also makes sense if you find yourself dancing barefoot on tile somewhere around midnight. Magic? Not quite. Just well played.
Cool Clothes for Hot Days
Let’s talk about separates. There’s a sweet spot between lounge-y and locked-in, and it usually lands somewhere around a lightweight matching set.
Think shorts with a breezy button-down or a flowy skirt with a bralette that somehow doesn’t feel too exposed. The secret here is proportion.
When one piece flows, the other one should anchor. Loose on top? Keep it slimmer on bottom. Easy fit down low? Make the top a little more structured. That way, you don’t end up looking like you accidentally wore pajamas out of the hotel room.
This kind of outfit works especially well for group trips, where you’re hopping from poolside to town square and nobody really wants to change clothes five times.
There’s something especially smart about a printed set that doesn’t wrinkle when it’s stuffed in a beach tote. And if you’re headed out for a girls trip, you’ll want options that look good in every lighting situation, from golden hour to the wildly unflattering overhead lighting of souvenir shops. These outfits handle it all.
Barefoot at Noon, Dressed by Six
The in-between time on vacation, the no-schedule stretch between lunch and dinner, is actually where resortwear shines. It’s when you might be walking barefoot along a shaded path or sipping something cold on a balcony and thinking about your next outfit.
It’s not about being fancy. It’s about switching gears. And honestly, it’s kind of nice to have something slightly more polished to change into once you’ve rinsed the sunscreen off and brushed out your hair.
That’s where things like caftans and oversized shirts come in. The kind of shirt you steal from your partner but rework with a high-waist short or tied above a maxi skirt.
These pieces are somewhere between relaxed and refined. The vibe is less “resort wear” in the old-school, yacht-club sense, and more like you wandered into a linen ad and liked it there.
Bonus: you never feel overdressed in them, even if you end up sitting on the floor of a boutique or walking back from the beach with a dripping popsicle.
The One Thing Everyone Forgets
Accessories sound like an afterthought until you realize they make or break the resort style vibe. Sunglasses that don’t give you a headache. A tote bag that doesn’t scream “free gift with purchase.”
And jewelry that doesn’t tarnish the minute it touches saltwater. The key is to keep everything unfussy. You want earrings that stay in while you nap, necklaces you forget you’re wearing, and sandals you don’t have to break in.
It’s less about matching and more about letting your vacation version of yourself come through. She’s relaxed, maybe even radiant, and absolutely uninterested in adjusting her bra strap every fifteen minutes. If anything you pack makes you fidgety, leave it behind. Vacation style should feel like breathing out.
Let It Be Easy
The best outfits you wear on vacation usually aren’t the ones you overthought. They’re the ones you threw on in two minutes before walking out the door with wet hair and a plan to eat something fried.
Resort style doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to feel like you. So pack the dress that makes you feel a little famous, grab your favorite pair of too-big sunglasses, and give yourself permission to feel great, effortlessly. You’ve earned that.
PIN IT!
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