Summer Resort Style

Often times while pregnant, it’s difficult to find clothes that are comfortable AND cute, so when we began planning our trip to Thailand, I knew I had quite the challenge ahead of me.

There was a great deal of time and effort {and money} spent trying to find a weather {and size} appropriate wardrobe all while trying to look my best on vacation. Some of my purchases worked out and were well worth the money, and others, well… not so much.

Today I want to share with you what I learned about packing for a tropical vacation while pregnant…

I am definitely a fan of packing light for vacation, especially after having kids with their own luggage that has to be hauled around in addition to my own. With each trip we take, I get better and better about packing efficiently and learning what is worth packing and what needs to be left at home.

However, never having been to Thailand, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Would I need appropriate jungle trekking attire in addition to beach wear? Would we be dressing up or strictly chilling out? So in an attempt to cover all bases, I packed a little it of everything… a couple nice dresses, a few maxi dresses, a couple pants and fancy tops with heels, and a few beach options with flip flops.

Once we arrived, I quickly learned that most people’s attire while traveling around Southeast Asia is laid-back, relaxed, and casual. I never wore any of my dressy outfits, which accounted for half of my suitcase. Instead, every day for two weeks, I opted for comfortable, easy, and versatile clothing.

 

 

1. From Day to Night

I have to admit, I am a huge lover of maxi dresses. There is nothing easier {or prettier} than this summertime wardrobe favorite. Even all the way in Thailand, my maxi dresses didn’t disappoint! I didn’t need to buy any maternity dresses… I just packed a few of my favorite dresses {mostly empire waistline and strapless}, and wore them for the majority of our trip. Rather than having to change outfits from day to night, causal maxi dresses worked great for all occasions. From shopping the streets of Ao Nang, to sunset dinners on the beach, maxi dresses are definitely a resort wear staple!

In addition to versatile maxi dresses, I also packed a pair of comfy Palazzo pants and a maxi skirt with matching tank tops for our jungle excursions. These outfits were comfy, lightweight options that worked well in the heat.

 

 

2. Beach Wear

It’s safe to say that I spent the majority of our time in Thailand in beach wear. I packed a couple of one-piece maternity bathing suits that I wore most days, covered by pretty kaftans or sarongs.

Naturally, I couldn’t resist the urge to purchase a couple fancy kaftans for our vacation, and ended up wearing them only while spending time at the resort pool.

For outings away from the resort, such as island hopping, boating, or beach combing, I found sarongs to be the most comfortable and versatile. In fact, no matter where we were headed, I threw a sarong in my bag, which worked well for just about anything. Whether using it as a bathing suit coverup or as a impromptu beach towel, as a shaw to provide warmth on the plane or to hide bare shoulders at a buddhist temple, having a sarong handy proved to be very beneficial throughout our entire trip. I packed a few sarongs in my luggage and returned home with a half dozen more!

 

 

3. Shoes & Accessories

Trust me when I tell you that you don’t need a lot of accessories when packing for a tropical vacation. I learned this lesson the hard way. Of course, since we were staying at a luxury resort, I packed all of my nice jewelry… none of which I ever wore. The majority of the time, I wore small studs in my ears and my wedding ring. On a few occasions, I threw on a colorful statement piece such as my go-to turquoise beaded necklace that looks great with just about anything, but sadly, most of my nice jewelry didn’t even make it out of the hotel room.

To tell you the truth, all I wore the entire trip was one pair of aviator sunglasses, my favorite Michael Kors flip flops {no heels… not even once}, one large beach bag or an over-the-shoulder messenger bag, and a couple of floppy hats.

 

 

I definitely learned a lot from this trip and will make sure to pack better next vacation! Even though looking cute can often be challenging while pregnant, I only needed half of the clothes and accessories I packed. Just remember, while on summer holiday, simplicity is the way to go!