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What are your style “travel goals”? For myself, I love to be stylish, comfortable, and always put together! When it comes to the dresses I pack in my suitcase, I have a few standards. Did you know what your dresses are made of can determine factors like: Will I look like a wrinkled mess? Will I be super hot and sweaty? Will I look like a wet puppy if it rains? It's so important to look at what fabrics are in your favorite dresses to know if they are travel-friendly or not!
Not only can certain fabrics be a traveler's dream, they can also make your dress look more expensive than it is. Man-made fibers, or synthentic fabrics, are GREAT for travel. They include: rayon, nylon, polyester, and microfiber blends. These fabrics are excellent for travel – they are lightweight, durable, wrinkle resistant, easy-care, water repellent and wind resistant.
I chose 10 summer dresses from brands I love that meet all the standards of being in the Golden Girl suitcase... hope you enjoy!
This is a beautiful summer dress from one of my favorite stores, J McLaughlin. It's made of their infamous Catalina Cloth, a nylon/spandex blend. The colors are so vibrant and I am obsessed with the neckline embellishments!
I discovered Sail to Sable last year when I was in Nantucket, and instantly became obsessed with this brand! I have a few of their dresses, including one very similar to this bell sleeve shift dress, and I love to travel with it! It's so comfortable, and comes in handy for those unexpected chilly evenings. It feels like a sweater dress, but the material (cotton/polyester/spandex) looks a bit more sophisticated.
One of my new favorite brands is Laundry by Shelli Segal, and this lace dress is absolutely stunning. It's also ON SALE right now at Lord and Taylor, one of my go-to places to find my dresses! I love traveling with lace because it doesn't wrinkle, and this dress is made of polyester. Perfectly appropriate for any party you'd attend this summer!
One of my beloved designers, Lilly Pulitzer, is always coming out with great dresses for traveling... especially if you're going somewhere on the beach! Her shift dresses are so flattering, and I love the fun embellishment around the neckline. This cotton/spandex blend will travel with you perfectly and won't make you sweaty while you're enjoying some time in the sun!
If you've been seeing my posts on IG lately, you know I own AND love this dress by Lilly Pulitzer! It can go from casual and cute with a pair of white slip-ons, to elegant and sexy with a pair of heels. And it is so comfortable; another cotton/polyester/spandex blend for the win with Lilly!
Another brand I found last year while I was in Grand Cayman was Mahi Gold... and once again I loved so many of their dresses! They make a lot of their dresses with a nylon/spandex blend that makes the colors in the fabric SO vibrant! Their prints are really different, and I always get asked where my Mahi Gold dresses are from! They are the absolute perfect resort wear dress.
As you can tell, I have quite a nautical and East Coast theme going on here, because this pretty little dress is from Vineyard Vines. If you're looking for a super comfy, casual, yet cute dress to wear to lunch on the beach, this is the one! It's a cotton/spandex blend, and makes for a great swim suit cover-up as well. And it's under $100!
Have a destination wedding you're attending this summer? This lace midi dress by Tahari (available at Macy's) is a stunning travel dress, and I'm dying over the beautiful color. If you look at the dress up close, you can see just how gorgeous and expensive-looking the fabric is. Pair it with some nude or white sandal heels, and you'll be the most elegant guest at the wedding, hands down.
Okay, hello beach goddess! This Tommy Bahama (what!) midi dress is a summer stunner. My friend owns this dress, and I just love it. It's so comfortable and summer chic! Tommy Bahama's "Island Zone" fabric is so genius: it's derived from coconut shells and volcanic sand—it uses the very elements of island life to keep you cool... how sweet it that?!
This romantic lace babydoll dress is now on sale at Michael Kors, and I am drooling. It comes in both white and navy. The outside is made of nylon and has a polyester lining. I love the way the dress is styled in this photo with white slides and a very on-trend straw tote. This look has total beach babe chic written all over it, and is perfect to travel with anywhere you go!