Travel with Style: Whether it’s Rivieran elegance or laid-back hippie chic, here’s how to pack accordingly.
Travel with style when making your summer travel plans. Don’t just think about where you want to go, but consider where you really want to be. In other words, if you’re gonna spend a week or two on an island in paradise, you’re going to take in more than just sun and sand, you’re going to take in the vibe.
So discern whether you’re in the mood for Rivieran elegance or laid-back hippie chic, and then pack accordingly. A vacation were you travel with style and get in touch with your surf goddess alter ego is a vacation well spent. And even after you return home, the essence of your holiday self will remain with you, muting the harshness of life for a time, until she retreats slowly like the tides at dawn.
San-Tropez, France
Lazy Days and Glamorous Nights
Image by © Sylvain Sonnet/Corbis
For most of the 20th Century, San-Tropez was a quaint fishing village with pristine beaches and cobblestone streets. In 1956, the Roger Vadim film And God Created Woman, starring Brigitte Bardot and set in Saint-Tropez, forever transformed public perception of the town from a sleepy village into a playground for the rich and famous. And by the mid-1960’s, that’s just what it became. Bianca Jagger, Pablo Picasso, and Aristotle Onassis all spent summers in San-Tropez, and once the beautiful people started showing up, they never stopped. Nowadays, the yachts outnumber the fishing boats, and a new generation of fabulous people voyage through San-Tropez in the summers, including Jay-Z, Beyonce, Donatella Versace, Leonardo DiCaprio, and David and Victoria Beckham. Despite its popularity as a luxury travel destination, San-Tropez maintains a relaxed vibe during the day, which most people spend on the beach. Evenings are another story. San-Tropez is packed with world-class restaurants and nightclubs, so be sure to dress the part of the international starlet, since you may very well end up rubbing elbows with one.
The finest hotel in San-Tropez is La Résidence de la Pinède, a luxury resort and spa with its own three-star Michelin restaurant, La Vague d’Or Restaurant. It is the only hotel in San-Tropez with its own private beach.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE BEACH —
Johanna Oritz Tropical Passage Striped One-Shoulder Ruffle Bikini Top, neimanmarcus.com; Versace Acetate Monochromatic Cat-Eye Sunglasses, neimanmarcus.com
This ruffled Maillard is inspired by the Breton Stripe, which originated on the Northern coast of France and used to be the official seaman’s uniform. Now a modern staple that signifies casual elegance, it’s in perfect harmony with the relaxed daytime vibe of San-Tropez.
These dark glasses with a dramatic frame make it impossible for passers-by to distinguish the starlets from the ordinary folks. And, yes, they provide 100 percent protection from UVA and UVB rays.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE TOWN —
Dress the Population Vittoria Sequin Fringe-Trim Mini Dress, neimanmarcus.com; Rene Caovilla Cleo 85mm Snake-Wrap Block-Heel Sandals, neimanmarcus.com
If you’re wondering whether a fringed mini-dress covered in sequins is trop trop for a night out in San Tropez, then you’ve never spent a night out in San Tropez. When you’re sharing the dance floor with Donatella Versace and Beyonce, too much is barely enough.
Sure, you could go with a neutral shoe, but what’s the sense in that? When your dress is covered in sequins, you’re fully committed, and there’s no turning back. You may not be a bona fide celebrity, but you sure as heck feel like one in Rene Caovilla’s gold sandals.
Casablanca, Morocco
Comfy Caftans and Exotic Textiles
Culture, shopping, cuisine, beaches: Casablanca has everything you could want in a travel destination. First settled by the Berbers in 744 AD, Casablanca’s harbor was developed by the Romans and continues to be one of the largest commercial ports on the coast of Northern Africa. Although it’s just across the Gibraltar Strait from Spain, it’s important to remember that Morocco has a very different culture than its European neighbors to the north. Morocco is a Muslim country led by a monarch (Mohammed VI), and it goes without saying that it is not advisable to publicly speak ill of Islam or the royal family. Moroccans in Casablanca and Fez are accustomed to Western visitors, but if you venture outside the city to The Atlas Mountains, be sure to dress in flowy fabrics that cover your legs above the ankle, and arms above the wrist. At the beach, and in upscale nightclubs, Western-style attire is acceptable, but when in doubt, opt for classy over sexy.
The Villa Blanca is a 40-room boutique hotel with crisp, spacious rooms, exceptional service, and exquisite waterfront views. The facility also boasts two restaurants, a bar, a nightclub, and a spa.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE BEACH —
Profile By Gottex Nomad Deep V-Neck Printed One-Piece Swimsuit, $128, neimanmarcus.com; Profile By Gottex Nomad V-Neck Strappy Coverup Dress, $128, neimanmarcus.com; Marc Jacobs Round Acetate Sunglasses w/ Logo Temples, $120, neimanmarcus.com
This Gottex V-neck one-piece is printed in a pattern that pays homage to Morocco’s ceramic tradition. Plus you’ll feel more comfortable in the more modest cut of a one-piece swimsuit as opposed to bearing it all in a bikini. A small concession, but when in Casablanca…
It’s a good idea to have a roomy, comfortable coverup available at the beach in case you want to dine at a restaurant for lunch or take a walk around town. Gottex’s coverup dress matches perfectly with this one-piece and has a flowy fit.
Marc Jacobs’ oversized sunnies balance out the boxiness of an ankle-length caftan. They impart the wearer with a sort of elusiveness, which is useful when you desire solitude on the beach. And of course, you can always take off your shades to make new friends.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE TOWN —
Dress the Population Rosella Sequin Tassel-Hem Dress, $278, neimanmarcus.com; Tom Ford 105mm Lizard-Print Lock Sandals, $1,150, neimanmarcus.com
The sequined cocktail dress, with its sweetheart neckline and tassel trim, is playful and polished. If your arms feel overexposed, pair with a chiffon kimono.
Tom Ford’s ankle-strapped stilettos with gold accents are the perfectly sophisticated way to tie the look together.
Panarea, Italy
Fashionistas on the Prowl
Imagine a fishing village with a year-round population of 280, which swells to several thousand residents during the summer, when Europeans and Americans descend in droves. And we’re not talking typical vacationers here. Panarea, a volcanic island off the coast of Sicily is the summer home of designer Roberto Cavalli. And Madonna, Giorgio Armani, Prince William, and Princess Caroline have also vacationed there. The island boasts a wealth of olive groves and swimming coves, and the only way to explore it all is on foot or bicycle because motor cars are not permitted.
Hotel Raya, a boutique hotel with 36 rooms built into the descending hillside, is the spiritual center of the island. Founded in the 1960s, it was the island’s first hotel, and although the guest rooms do not have televisions, they are equipped with balconies and magnificent seaside views. In August, when Panarea’s holiday population is at its apex, vacationers gather nightly on the Hotel Raya’s seaside piazza for dancing and revelry. Patrons are known to wear their sexiest mini-dresses but tend to eschew stilettos in favor of flip-flops. After all, even glamour needs a vacation.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE BEACH —
Chiara Boni La Petite Robe Atlante One-Shoulder Swimsuit, $395, neimanmarcus.com; Celine Cat-Eye Acetate Sunglasses, $390, neimanmarcus.com
The ruffled one-shoulder swimsuit from Chiara Boni La Petite Robe is a case study in the confluence of form and function. And it’s important to look chic even on the beach in Panarea, with all those fashionistas roaming around.
The devil is in the details. Celine has built its brand on timeless designs, and these sunglasses are no exception. The solid tinted lenses, acetate frames, logo details, and cat-eyed lenses are all small details that add up to colossal style.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE TOWN —
Bronx and Banco Tropical Print Long-Sleeve Ruffle Tiered Mini Dress, $575, neimanmarcus.com; Valentino Garavani Rockstud Caged Flat Slide Sandals, $675, neimanmarcus.com
This colorful, fitted dress is perfect for a spirited night of seaside dancing.
Sure, in Milan or New York, it would be strange to pair a mini dress with sandals. But in Panarea, things are different.
When there are no taxi cabs, and the only way home involves a steep walk up stone-paved pathways, you tend to adjust your footwear accordingly. The studded Valentino Garavani flat in blue is a casual complement to Cavalli’s rock-and-roll style.
Trancoso, Brazil
Natural Beauty
Surrounded by jungle on three sides, and ocean on the forth, Trancoso, a small town on Brazil’s “Discovery Coast” was rarely visited by outsiders until the 1970s. But when a band of travelers in search of the perfect beach approached Trancoso on foot, after a three-hour trek up the coast, they realized they found what they had been looking for and decided to settle there.
Affable locals welcomed the travelers, and continue to welcome newcomers today, including the newscaster Anderson Cooper, who built a vacation home there. The town has grown to include its own small airport for private aircraft, a yoga studio, capoeira school and a luxury hotel. But it hasn’t lost the charming allure that brought all the visitors to town in the first place.
The Uxua is a five-star facility that rents spacious rooms and cabins to travelers, and in turn, the owner, Wilbert Das contributed handsomely to schools and training programs for local children. But aside from its synergistic management, it’s pristine facilities and attentive service make it one of Brazil’s finest hotels.
—TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE BEACH —
OYE SWIMWEAR Lucette Off-the-Shoulder Bikini Top, neimanmarcus.com; OYE SWIMWEAR Lucette Off-the-Shoulder Bikini Bottom, neimanmarcus.com Gucci 53MM Pearl Embellished Cat Eye Sunglasses, neimanmarcus.com
If the woman sitting near you on the beach in Trancoso looks familiar, then there’s a good chance she is. She might be a Victoria’s Secret model or a reality tv star, but one thing is for certain: she is positively stunning in her two-piece swimsuit from Oye. The bikini’s banded construction has a way of sculpting the body, minimizing the waist, and accenting the bust. And it isn’t a bathing suit that is meant only for sitting on the beach. Swimming, yoga, capoeira, this swimsuit is made for movement.
You’ll be sure to not leave your sunglasses on the beach if they’re cat-eye shades, adorned with pearls and gold, designed by Gucci. They’re incredibly unique, yet versatile enough to go with almost any outfit.
— TRAVEL WITH STYLE ON THE TOWN —
A cold-shoulder high-low dress in holiday red feels festive and beachy when paired with raffia kitten heels.
Theia Cold-Shoulder Balloon-Sleeve High-Low Faux-Wrap Dress, neimanmarcus.com Malone Souliers Harriet 45mm Tricolor Raffia Mules neimanmarcus.com