I'm Manifesting My Dream Vacation, so I Compiled a List of Cool Summer Pieces

Shh… I'm manifesting. I've been incorporating the semi-ridiculous mental health and wellness practice into every single aspect of my life since a rather convincing TikTok teen came up on my For You page. As they say, I am a lucky girl (and everything always works out for me, allegedly), so when the chance to attend an all-inclusive tropical vacation landed in my lap, I had no one to thank for it except the 3-6-9 method. Before you ask, yes, I am a bit delusional.

While manifesting sounds like a lot of loud noise and hoopla to skeptics, I've been converted after seeing how my life has changed because of it. Case in point: Buying cute summer dresses and raffia bags and listening to smooth, old-timey European summer playlists instantly elevated my mood and transformed my attitude about traveling this summer. My mother always told me you should dress for the job you want, but frankly, I don't see this as any different. With the variety of summer trends and tropical silhouettes inundating my brain space as we head into May, June, and July, building the ideal vacation wardrobe is at the top of my priority list. Sure enough, these finds made my summer travel plans happen. 

Below, browse all the must-have items you need if you're dreaming up the perfect vacation-ready wardrobe. From elevated sunglasses to on-trend swimsuits, these seven items are necessities for all of your tropical trips abroad.

Longline Maxi Dresses

There's something so quintessentially summer about long, breezy maxi dresses. Whether you're into longline printed styles or delicate off-the-shoulder frocks, we can all agree that the ankle-grazing style is at the top of our packing lists. Have I bought too many this year already? Perhaps. But that's not stopping me from browsing more incredible styles.

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Elevated Flip-Flops

Hate them or love them, flip-flops have always been here to stay. I'm a big proponent of the plastic thong style—perhaps because I grew up on the beaches of Miami. Nevertheless, high-fashion brands and luxury designers have been putting their own spin on the once-tacky style, and truth be told, fashion people are being won over. Pick up a pair of sleek, chunky flip-flops for your next summer outing. I promise they won't disappoint. 

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Statement Swimsuits

Statement swimsuits are the foundation of any good vacation wardrobe. Although I'm partial to interesting one-pieces and strappy cutouts, printed bikinis and funky two-piece sets also made my manifestation mood board when I was fake-packing for Italy. While you can't go wrong with a simple black bikini, I prefer the cooler, more interesting cuts and shapes that the below swimsuits provide to switch up my beachside look. 

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White Eyelet Tops

Who can say no to these simple tried-and-true white tops? The breezy, delicate styles of eyelet tanks and linen blouses always remind me of the cool European women I see on Pinterest and Instagram who are often living their best lives as the days get longer and the shores get warmer. You know the ones! 

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Summery Handbags

What is 2023's hottest handbag trend? Raffia purses and accents for the 20th year in a row. The neutral straw material always ranks near the top of my vacation packing list thanks to its undeniably cool and laid-back maintenance routine. (No leather means no scratches!) Summer is the perfect time to debut colorful, childlike handbags as well. 

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Chic Sunglasses

Sunglasses make everything better. For vacations, I always love packing no-fuss, sophisticated black, white, and tortoiseshell styles to enhance and go with any outfit I'll be packing with me. There are plenty of options for anyone, including affordable, chic lenses and luxury-house silhouettes I'm dying to buy.

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Statement Jewelry

While I wear my dainty gold jewelry at all times, summer is the one time I let myself have fun and explore oversize beads, fluorescent colors, and interesting shapes. When it comes to jewelry, freshwater pearls, childlike beads, and chunky, coiled wrap necklaces all remind me of cruising down the coast of Portofino, and thankfully, these cool girl–inspired pieces helped me manifest just that.

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Next, I Went Searching for the Best Under-$100 Swimsuits at Nordstrom—29 Picks I Love