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Many flights abroad have been canceled, and international travel restrictions are rife in an attempt to keep Coronavirus (COVID-19) at bay. But at some point, hopefully soon, travel restrictions will loosen, and we can once again think about a beach holiday.
I am planning to travel somewhere hot for Christmas, and possibly for the Autumn half term too (fingers crossed). For these trips away, I will need some stylish essentials for the beach and beyond. So let’s have a dream and start planning from our sofas.
1. The Best Flip Flops
Keep your feet feeling rejuvenated all day long with the ultimate flip flops. FlopZ are colourful flip flops which feature a unique massaging sensation to keep your feet feeling fabulous! You can pick up a pair from FlopZ.com or grab a pair from our own luxury travel auction.
FlopZ flip flops are regularly featured in Cosmopolitan, RED, Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Conde Nast, and many leading international publications. They’re stocked in some of the most exclusive Resorts and Spas in the world, including the One & Only Spa Reethi Rah in the Maldives, making them a must-have holiday essential.
From the moment you put on a pair of flopZ, you realize that these aren’t any ordinary flip flops. What makes flopZ so unique is the flopZgel that covers the insole, treating your feet to a delicious massaging sensation while you walk.
Inspired by Tropical Oceans, their vibrantly colorful coral designs are printed underneath the massaging gel, so they don’t fade with wear. Using only the finest materials, flopZ comfortable, hardwearing flip flops remain fresh and new in appearance all year round.
Refreshingly exclusive, flopZ flip flops are the perfect beach holiday essential, effortlessly taking you from the beach to spa (or bar!).
2. SUSU Accessories
SUSU Accessories is a fashion brand created by three entrepreneurial partners who wanted to create high fashion products while still giving back to the community where they are originally from in La Guajira, Colombia.
SUSU works with the indigenous women of the ethnic Colombian Wayúu group to create beautiful and colorful patterns that are each handmade by expert knitters using a single-string technique. Every knitted pattern has a woman, a family, and a real-life story behind it. This artisanal process produces the most vibrant patterns and highest quality craftsmanship. The single-string technique is the oldest and most authentic Wayúu knitting style. A standard-sized bag takes around 40 hours of work from a knitter. SUSU Accessories promotes a sustainable lifestyle with a Fair Trade philosophy for nearly 350 Wayúu knitters and their families whilst forging strong bonds in the communities where Susu work.
My bible of beach handbags is the SUSU range. They are perfectly sized to store car keys, a purse, suncream, sunnies, hankies, and anything else you keep in your handbag. They look fabulous on the beach and come in such a range of bright summer colors that will bring a smile to your face even out of the season.
What you can’t see from the photo above is how beautifully they have been handcrafted. Each bag is a piece of artwork, carefully finished and made with love. When you buy SUSU Accessories, you are genuinely doing good, promoting a sustainable lifestyle with a Fair Trade philosophy for nearly 350 Wayúu knitters and their families, so do take a look around and pick up something rather special this summer.
3. BohoBellaMar jewellery
BohoBellaMar is a beautiful handmade jewelry brand with stunning designs inspired by travel. Created by Ann-Kristin, a Scandinavian living between Luxembourg and Spain, BohoBellaMar uses natural stones and vibrant materials to create a stunning range of “one of a kind” earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more.
Ann-Kristin has been called a modern gypsy because of her love for a relaxed bohemian atmosphere which is reflected in the items she creates. Inspired by her travels, her taste is broad and could be described as both eclectic, bohemian, and chic with a touch of Scandinavian simplicity.
Ann-Kristin works alone, designing, creating, and searching the globe for her gemstones and materials. She also takes all her own photos, edits and manages her websites, and even packs and ships every item by hand.
BohoBellaMar has customers in many countries, including Europe and the United States, which just shows how things can grow from small beginnings if you produce beautiful things!
4. Protest
Protest create their clothes for a utopia with great swell, where the sun is shining and the sand is between your toes. They create clothing for where you want to be, which currently is the beach!
Protest print and technique to combine function with streetwise style, clothes that can take you from the sand to the street without a change of outfit.
Protest are known for bringing the unexpected to functional clothing. They’ve developed bikinis made from ribbed, matt & shine fabrics, bringing glamour fused with function to the beach. But the fun doesn’t stop at women’s beachwear. Their men’s collection is just as good, and I insist on kitting my boy out in Protest’s best for the summer. You see, I grow his hair in the summer whilst he’s out of school. We live by the beach, so the combination of hair and suntan makes him look like a 9-yr old surfer (even though he’s yet to do more than boogie board).
Protest t-shirts are particularly great with vibrant colors, some with almost luminous logos on, others depicting beach scenes with palm trees, etc. I love the fact that Protest isn’t afraid of color, and they have one sky blue t-shirt that seems to merge into the sea and sky when my son wears it on the beach.
Bottom line, Protest design well-cut beach and surf wear that lasts and maintains its shape wash after wash. The uplifting colors brighten your mood, the bold and dreamy logos and images used to take your mind on holiday to a better place. To a beach with sunshine. That’s where we all wish we could spend our entire summer… right?
5. Heidi Klein Bikinis
It is no secret that Heidi Klein is my favorite swimwear brand. It is a combination of the cut and the quality that attracts me, as well as the ultra-stylish designs.
I consider myself a bikini connoisseur. It’s a funny thing to be an expert in, but a perk of traveling so much is the requirement to visit hotel pools looking stylish and not always wearing the same thing!
Heidi Klein’s bikinis are better than all my other bikinis because they fit so well. The fabric is cut on a real woman, is thick, so nothing embarrassing shows through or hangs out. Honestly, you can dive in or even slide into your resort pool wearing Heidi Klein, and your bottoms won’t be wooshed off, your top will stay secure, and you have no worries about the material ripping, marking, or pulling when you sit on a slightly uneven or rough pool edge (or rock on the beach, etc.).
Of course, buying a bikini is not all about practicality, but Heidi Klein’s bikinis are reassuringly expensive and last a long time, forgive me if I want them to last more than one summer! Actually, I still have my first white Heidi Klein bikini, which must be almost 8 years old, and it looks as good as new.
Whatever you choose, be assured that you are buying one of the best, most stylish, and most robust bikinis on the market. Look cool by the pool in Heidi Klein!
6. Luxury Wrap From The Travelwrap Company
Perfect as a coverup to protect your skin from the sun, or to keep you warm as the sun sets on the beach, a luxury wrap from The Travelwrap Company, is a versatile item that can be used pretty much anywhere, including the beach.
The quality and feel of the sustainably sourced cashmere are just gorgeous. In fine knit, the classic travel wrap is uniquely rich in color and distinctive in shade. It feels warm and cozy but also lightweight, so perfect to bring with you on your travels.
With a variety of options in the travel wrap collection to choose from, you are spoilt when deciding which color to choose from as there are plenty of eye-catching options available. Gone are the days of lifting a sweater over my head to make myself warm or comfortable when I’m traveling – these wraps are practical yet luxurious and simply perfect for anyone who is traveling.
7. NoLoGo Beachwear
With their range of beautiful tunics, kaftans, and sarongs created by Tina Malhame (designer for the likes of Monsoon, Next, and Per Una), NoLoGo-chic is the perfect brand for your beach clothing.
Ideal for travel when comfort is key, and you don’t want to wear anything too clingy or fussy. The clothing range is made from natural fabrics and features a number of lines with eye-catching block printing, hand embroidery, dip dye, and tie-dye techniques unique to the pieces. I’ve taken a special shine to the easy jersey dress – made in England and available in two lengths its ever so flattering, lightweight, and comfortable.
8. KIND.SIR Bon Voyage Luggage Tags
An essential to get your stuff to the beach location is your luggage, and with this in mind, leather personalized luggage tags from KIND.SIR Bon Voyage are great hand-crafted tags that will keep your luggage safe. The best bit is you can personalize them with pretty much anything in a choice of a hand-stamped style or laser etching!
You might be thinking of a drab brown leather, but you’d be wrong as there are four lovely colors to choose from; Inky Black, Classic Tan, Rich Cognac, or Natural Blush – all come with matching leather thonging and enough space to pop four lines of text. A perfectly unique accompaniment to your hand luggage and suitcase.
9. Açores Flores Fragrance
Setting off on my travels, I always like to spritz myself with a fragrance that smells fresh but isn’t too overpowering. Açores Flores Fragrance is a new and unique perfume brand by Aqua dos Açores for women and men, created in 2019 that ticks all the boxes for me and is ideal for the beach.
It is made from natural raw materials and essential oils, including Neroli, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, and Bergamot which gives it the most wonderful floral scent. Responsibly sourced, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly it is produced with the environment in mind – just another perfect reason to wear this beautiful fragrance when I’m on the move.
10. Vuliwear Sunglasses
Nothing beats a nice pair of designer sunnies when on your travels. Made in Italy, Vuliwear produce a wide range of non-prescription unisex high-quality sunglasses that provide you with the all-important UVA/UVB ray protection, as well as reducing glare. The lens is the focus here, and when you slip these on, you immediately notice how clear and crisp things look, so much so that you simply don’t want to take them off. What I like most about them, though, is their classic aviator frame – it’s lightweight and mirrored, and of course, they make you look ever so cool!
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