Women Travelers - Need Advice re: SPF beach hat and other travel clothes/gear

We have an upcoming trip to the beach and I am looking for a wide-brim SPF hat - any brands you recommend?

I've also been combing the archives in search of tips since we are going to attempt to pack for a 9-day trip with a carryon only. I've noted some brands from that search, but I'm looking for stylish and versatile clothes that pack easily and come in petite sizes if you have brands to recommend?

Thanks!

You might want to check out villagehatshop.com. They have an SPF category, and also a packable category. You could also check out Tilley for hats, and clothes, too...but I don't really think their hats are pretty. I prefer the look of a traditional straw sunhat, myself, but Tilley hats are very good quality.

For a beach vacation, I would look for skirts or dresses or capris in lightweight cotton or blends which would dry overnight if hand washed. Seersucker or madras tend to look ok after hand washing and are comfortable in hot weather.

I have found suitable things at REI, Macys, LLBean and Lands' End.

I pack items which are color coordinated and can be layered as needed. I have learned to always have a sweater and a thin scarf - which I would want on the flights, anyway. And of course, I would pack a pareo for a beach vacation.

Try Eileen Fisher. She has a good selection of petites, lots of stylish lightweight knits that travel beautifully. Prices can be a little high. If you want to economize, you can find a decent selection of "New With Tags" on Ebay. Try her website, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Garnet Hill (catalog).

Thanks!

I have an Outdoor Research sun hat - packs very well, cheaper & lighter weight than Tilley (my husband has a tilley among his many hats - he wears them far more often than I do)

I bought mine at Sierra Trading post. This style, but mine is blue: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2424F_Outdoor-Research-Oasis-Sombrero-Sun-Hat-UPF-50-For-Women.html

Last year we did a 6 day trip to Costa Rica - carry-on only, very light weight due to one of our trips in a tiny plane en route. Brought the bare minimum! Wicking t-shirts/tanks that dry quickly, couple sundresses, couple pairs shorts. 2 swimsuits, one sarong, one pair of shoes (teva hiking sandals - good for the beach, good for the jungle) No hair dryer or curling iron, just a bandana & ponytail holders. This was a VERY casual vacation. I could probably have packed almost as lightly with some nicer clothes if I needed to^

I get a lot of my clothing & shoes at Sierra Trading post - they have technical clothing for hiking, but nice stuff for business too. Just never know what they'll have....

We have an upcoming trip to the beach and I am looking for a wide-brim SPF hat - any brands you recommend?

I'd look for a cheap hat at your destination. As long as you get a wide brim solid fabric hat it will protect you from the sun - straw hats tend to be too open weave to actually keep the sun off effectively.

Be aware that the UV will also reflect off sand and water, so a hat is not 100% protection.

As we Aussies do, slip, slop, slap! Slip on a long sleeved shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat!

Audrey

Also try athleta.com for UPF rated travel clothing. I have a hoodie made of rash guard material (similar to what surfers wear) I picked up from them, so I can slap on a little less sunblock. Both my mom and bf are allergic to chemical sunblocks so I try to be mindful of where I've put it on. Covering up is preferable to slopping it on my hands/arms where I might come into contact with them.

I picked up my current beach hat in Florida at a resort town. It was only $25. Be sure to check if you can squish or fold it, to bring it home. A lot of more stylish beach hats (vs "outdoor" hats) have wire in the brim. You might be able to find one at H&M as it gears up for the summer season.

You can also get wash in UPF liquid to give your current clothes a bit of extra sun protection. I know petite clothing can be tough to find and fit, so if you happen to have a few older pieces that would work, just get the liquid and wash it in before you travel.

I think someone else posted it, but try to stick to 1 color scheme--that limits the number of shoes and accessories you'll need to bring with you.

I'd check out Cabela's and Gander Mountain, in addition to the other stores suggested. They might have a hat that would work.

For watersports, I have the Tilley Gardener's Hat. It floats and has a wide 5"+ brim. For fancier places I have a few large brimmed "panama" hats that I dress up with scarves, ribbons and pins.

For petites, I mainly rely on Eileen Fisher and occasionally Gap Kids (XXL) for summer beach dresses. Babydoll/lantern style unstructured dresses are popular now so Gap Kids is a great place to shop for easy care casual dresses if you are in the 2-4 (and sometimes 6) dress range.

The main questions would be what is your style so we can define stylish ;) and what activities will you be doing.

This board is fantastic, thanks for all the helpful links and suggestions. There is so much out there that I didn't know.

Good question re: stylish, I'm not sure how to define what I mean since I am by no means a trendsetter... I tend to be pretty classic in my dress, I try to grab a few pieces each year that are a little more "trendy" as to try to keep up with what is current, but I generally don't follow fads. I'm thinking of stylish as in more "put-together" like I often see women in airport; I'm not interested in things that are ultra casual - I only wear sweatpants/loungewear around the house. I love the look of the Eileen Fisher brand that people mentioned, but a lot of her tops look to be more loose fit - which in general seems to be the style right now after going to the mall today. Wearing loose-fit tops given my height (short) and age (30s) starts to make me look like I am wearing maternity clothes, which isn't really the look I am going for these days. :)

I guess I'm searching for a look that is current and put together. Not sure if that helps!

I call my personal style "classic Bohemian". It's a lot of Talbots with a little Grateful Dead thrown in. Or, you know, a paisley dress but in a classic shape. Talbots has great "extra" sizes - petite, plus. Great sales, online outlet, and actual outlet stores if you happen to live near one. Though I have to say their quality isn't what it was 20 years ago (very few these days seem to be....) I still find much of their clothing a good value for the price. Same for Lands End (I buy tons of stuff for work and weekends from them, especially from the Overstocks section - I really love that they sell tons of swimsuit separates!) I'm 37 and probably a little boring in my dress- but I don't want to look pregnant or matronly either :p I find Athleta doesn't fit my style (it's a little too athletic/yoga inspired) and it doesn't fit my bust well either. I'm so-so on the Chico's travel knits (I have a few pieces but they're heavy and I don't love the look head to toe) but some of their other lines are cute - I've found some great tops & pants there, again - sale prices, discount coupons, or outlet stores. They have some tunics that actually appear to show my waist, not get hung up on the bust, and don't make me look pregnant.

Coolibar has really cool (actually cool) SPF sun hats in all sorts of sizes and colors. http://www.coolibar.com/ I travel with a lot of their stuff and am satisfied. I also wear there stuff at home in Texas.

Coolibar has really cool (actually cool) SPF sun hats in all sorts of sizes and colors. http://www.coolibar.com/ I travel with a lot of their stuff and am satisfied. I also wear there stuff at home in Texas.


I second that! Coolibar is the best for all kinds of sun protection clothing. I swim everyday in Florida and their shirts, gloves, coverups and hats really do protect instant burn and peel people like me. Those Aussies are miles ahead of us in this department.

Am in SoFL and did my pool walk this a.m. with my coolibar shirt. Good online shopping too!

I buy a lot of clothes online from Boden, Athleta and Title Nine. Both Athleta and Title Nine have an somewhat sporty (but feminine) vibe (no surprise) but they have a good selection of summer dresses, skirts and lightweight pants. Clothes fit smaller than what you might be used to - I'm 5'7", 125 pounds - and typically wear a medium in Athleta or Title Nine. I find that all three of these labels have more style, a somewhat younger look (not teenagerish - but well suited to 30 somethings) and look more distinctive than Land's End, Talbot's, LL Bean, Travelsmith, etc. Athleta's clothes in particular pack well - wrinkles shake out, and they typically wash and dry quickly.