A CHAMBRAY ROMPER

ROMPER: similar from TARGET | HAT: TARGET sold out online, similar HERE or HERE | TOTE: TARGET also love this one with thin horizontal stripes | EARRINGS: EXPRESS similar HERE| ESPADRILLES: LUCKY BRAND

In my last post I mentioned that I ended up going with a color palette of blue, white, black and camel for my LA trip. The only deviation from this palette was my bikini, which you don’t see much of here but is a punchy neon orange color. It comes in really bright fun colors and both bikini top and bottom together are only $36). More on the bikini in a later post because finding flattering swimwear is one of the hardest things and deserves its own post.

I knew I was going to spend the majority of my time just lounging. My daughter is addicted to the pool and it’s the one place where I can actually sit back and chill and she’ll entertain herself – aaaah relaxation! So I knew a romper would be key. For my pear-shape figure I look for rompers where the shorts are cut on a slight a-line. Rompers typically also give you nice waist definition and if you grab one with long sleeves you also get sun protection for your arms when you want it.

I also picked up this enormous straw tote because of its neutral colors. I honestly would have preferred it without the triangle in the middle (who else thinks that was unnecessary?) but when you have no time you just have to go with what’s available and make it work. The tote gets an A+ for functionality though. It’s very sturdy and holds a ton of stuff. In addition to the usual pool-side things like sunblock and magazines, there was enough room for my J.Crew clutch (on sale now for 25% off!), a long cardigan in case it got chilly, and a change of clothes for my daughter. There aren’t any internal pockets – a non-issue for me since I usually throw a clutch in my beach bag that I carry my cell-phone, keys and lip-gloss around in.

The espadrilles I’m wearing are extremely comfortable with a 2.5″ height. A pair of neutral espadrille-style shoes like this can really take you through all of summer. I love sandals with a mini-wedge for comfort but flat espadrilles are so stylish too if you find them comfortable. I wore these sandals all day, at the hotel pool and then later walking around Santa Monica.  It’s my version of sneakers.

I’m never pool-side without a hat so I grabbed this big sun-hat to coordinate with any black/white based outfits and also to pep up monochromatic pieces like my light blue romper here. This one traveled pretty well and popped back to shape within a few minutes when I took it out of my suitcase.

Last but not least I bought a pair of silky black shorts and a thin long-sleeved pullover black sweater from Target’s WhoWhatWear collection. These are such great basics to mix and match for easy summer outfits. The drapey shorts are perfect for vacation and being black, can’t be any easier to match.  I wore it with the black sweater and bandana scarf with a thin cargo vest layered over to cut the ocean breeze in the evening. I highly recommend the sweater – the fit is really nice and the thin cotton is just right for the warmer months. The shorts are great in terms of the cut and material but the waist was a little big for me even in the XS I bought and it sat an inch lower than my natural waist.

What’s your favorite pool-side lounging outfit? Please share and thanks for stopping by!