how to dress for my sunny holiday

Fashion Friday :: Resort Wear

[trip style = all-inclusive/resort]

{Editor's Note: As All-inclusive Month draws to a close with Fashion Friday, we're ending on an haute note with what to wear as you sip icy umbrella drinks under a banyan tree.}

"Going on holiday doesn’t mean taking a vacation from stylishly living it up." - Rachel Zoe

Do you ever get the feeling you're walking in circles? Especially when you're travelling? During my first trip to New York, I was exploring Nolita and SoHo and I kept passing a chichi resort wear shop called Calypso. I wasn't lost - it just turns out there are five Calypso boutiques in Lower Manhattan alone. (Which reminds me of a scene in the classic 80s movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun when Helen Hunt distracts a nun by belting out "Day-o" so Sarah Jessica Parker can skip out of choir class, to which the nun says "Miss Stone, there is a time and a place for calypso music.") But I digress...

Resort wear was traditionally getaway garb for the wealthy winter in St.-Barts crowd, but it's about more than Calypso and caftans - it's evolving into ready to wear. Resort collections hit the runway in May and June. If you could score an invitation to any fashion show, I'd recommend Chanel resort: over the past few years, Karl Lagerfeld has held his all-expenses-paid shows in South Beach, Venice and Saint-Tropez. Oui, merci!

Now what to wear? (clockwise from top left) Matthew Williamson printed silk-chiffon kaftan, House of Harlow 1960 carey sunglasses, DVF jama shorts, Topshop yellow sunspot print shorts, Calypso Enshallah tuby bag, House of Harlow 1960 chelsea sunglasses, DVF maryelle bikini, Marni rope and chain necklace, Aritzia Talula exeter blazer, Enzo Anglioni darwyn espadrille booties, Marc by Marc Jacobs wedge espadrille sandals, Aritzia T.Babaton bette tank, Forever 21 layered wood beaded necklace, Tory Burch vivian rattan clutch, Topshop crochet kimono sleeve dress

Trip Styler Tip: Leave your stress and basic black at home - break out the brights! If hot pink and lemon yellow make you feel like an extra in a Katy Perry video, opt for white, nude or prints instead. And remember - a sarong can be your best friend on holiday! A final note for the fellas: skip the Hawaiian shirts and go for solid colours in breathable fabrics from surf shops or staple stores like J.Crew and Banana Republic. Linen is also appropriate, but only when you can get your hands on an iron.

Related All-inclusive Month :: Introductions All-Inclusive Month :: Matchmaking All-Inclusive Month :: Packaged VS Unpackaged All-Inclusive Month :: Tricks of the Trade Don’t Judge an All-Inclusive until Day 3

{Fashion Friday posts are published on the last Friday of every month and written by fashion blogger Heather.}

[Runway photos via Style.com]