What I’m Packing for St. Thomas — The Allie + Bess Vacation Edit ☀️🌴
There is something about packing for a beach trip that makes me wildly optimistic about the version of myself I’m about to become. In my head, I’m calm, organized, effortless. The mom who packed exactly what everyone needs and nothing extra. The one who remembered sunscreen, goggles, snacks, chargers, and somehow still has room in the suitcase.
In reality, I’m usually zipping the suitcase while mentally running through a checklist of swim goggles, phone chargers, and the eternal question of “did anyone pack underwear?”
This Spring Break we’re heading to St. Thomas as a family, and it honestly feels like a trip we really need. Between swim meets, school, work, and all the emotional layers that come with this season of life, sunshine feels a little like medicine right now. I’m already picturing Jack sprinting toward the water like it’s a race and Kate insisting she doesn’t need sunscreen while actively turning bright red.
I want this trip to feel easy. So I’m packing that way.
Starting with the Feeling of the Trip
Normally January and February are fairly low key months for Allie + Bess and for our family rhythm, but this year has felt like a treadmill that won’t slow down. There have been a lot of decisions, changes, and just a lot happening behind the scenes both personally and professionally. I’m really looking forward to this trip as a chance to pause for a minute, take a deep breath, and be present with the people who matter most.
When I pack for any trip, I actually start with a feeling instead of a list. I think about what the air smells like when you first walk outside in the morning. I think about how the sun hits the water around six in the evening. I picture sitting on the beach playing Uno while everyone gets just a little too competitive. I think about sandy feet, late dinners, and kids who are exhausted in the best possible way. I imagine the moments first and then I let that guide what goes into the suitcase.
Some of my favorite vacation memories are the unplanned ones. On our last beach trip, Kate spent hours searching for seashells and carefully curating what she called her “perfect collection” to bring home to show her friends. It wasn’t some big magical event. It was quiet and simple, but her little brain was completely focused and creative. Those are the moments of childhood you don’t realize are core memories until much later.
My Simple Formula for Vacation Outfits
When it comes to packing outfits for vacation, I always start with a neutral base and let the accessories be where the personality comes in. I lean into white, cream, and denim. Pieces I can throw on without thinking too much about it.
A linen button down that doubles as a beach cover up. A simple white dress that works just as well for lunch by the pool as it does for dinner overlooking the water. I always pack at least one dress that makes me feel pretty but is still comfortable enough to chase kids down the beach if I have to, because vacation with kids isn’t glamorous. It’s real life, just in a prettier setting.
The Jewelry I Always Pack for Vacation
Jewelry is where I let things feel a little extra. I don’t bring a ton of pieces, but the ones I pack matter. I want things I can put on the first day and forget about in the best way.
My everyday base layer always comes with me. Ford bangles, Dylan hoops, Drift bangles, and my demi fine star earrings. These are the pieces I wear almost every day anyway, so they naturally make their way into my suitcase.
The Pieces Coming With Me to St. Thomas
Along with those everyday pieces, I like to bring a few items that add color and personality. Pieces that layer easily, catch the light at sunset, and somehow make a simple white linen dress feel intentional.
The Heating Up mini drop is coming with me this year because it literally feels like sunshine. It’s warm, bold, and easy to wear.
The Tokyo Stack is hands down my favorite because it can be styled so many different ways. You can wear the entire stack together for a statement or break it up and mix pieces with Ford bangles or vinyls to create the ultimate summer stack.
I’m also completely in love with the Wren Necklace. It’s such a fun burst of color and instantly makes even the simplest outfit feel styled.
Vacation Evenings Just Hit Different
There is something about getting ready for dinner on vacation that just feels fun in a different way than everyday life. Your skin is slightly pink from the sun, your hair is pulled up because the humidity has officially won, and you throw on an easy dress without overthinking it.
Then you add a stack of bracelets before heading out to dinner. Even if I’ve been in a swimsuit all day, putting on jewelry somehow makes me feel pulled together again. It’s such a small detail, but it shifts my whole mood.
I can already picture sunset dinners where we’re eating the best fish tacos and maybe drinking something with an umbrella in it while everyone is just a little sunburned even though I swear I reapplied sunscreen. I picture bracelets catching the light while we wait for dinner, the kids arguing about who found the biggest shell that day, and that happy exhausted feeling when everyone crashes early after a full day outside.
The Real Reason I Pack These Pieces
That’s the version of the trip I’m packing for. Not perfection. Just core memories.
When we get home and life speeds back up again, I love knowing I’ll still have the pieces I wore there. Jewelry has a funny way of holding memories. Every time I wear a bracelet from a trip, it takes me right back to that air, that light, and that version of our family in that moment.
If you’re heading somewhere warm soon, pack lighter than you think you need to. Choose pieces that feel like you and leave a little room in both your suitcase and your schedule.
Because the best parts of the trip won’t be what you packed anyway.
They’ll be the moments you didn’t plan.
See you in the sun. ☀️ -- BESS