What To Take To The Beach
Following on from my last article on how a grown up man wears swimming shorts, I thought I would expand on the image in my head of being by a pool or beach and dive into what other items you should be taking with you. Let’s be honest, how many times have we found ourselves at the poolside bar or on a beach tanning only to find we’ve left something pretty essential behind. It happens to the best of us, believe me.
The Essentials: Beach Bag & Swim Shorts
First of all, what you really need to do is update your beach bag. I’m afraid that battered and bruised messenger bad, or even worse, briefcase (trust me, I’ve witnessed it) just aren’t going to cut it anymore. For a hot day in the sun, you shouldn’t need any reminder of the heat by having material around that can’t handle it. So ditch leather and any heavy cotton for something more lightweight and breathable in wicker or linen. My bag of choice would be a tote because not only is it lightweight and easy to carry but because it is essentially one huge compartment. It will hold pretty much all the the items I’m about to mention without even breaking a sweat. They also happen to be right on trend at the moment, come in all kinds of crazy colours, and because these bags are genderless, don’t be afraid to look in the girls section guys!
Sunglasses
For a quick primer on what to style will suit your face, check out my previous article on them here. As a general rule, I find that either an aviator or a wayfarer style will suit any face shape so why not try one of these classic styles? However, unless you are willing to look after them vigilantly at the beach, I would suggest that you don’t go all out in the funds department on this particular pair because it’s more than likely they are going to experience a lot of water and sand. However, this does mean you can buy a great high street version in a unique bold colour.
Beach Towel
Your accommodation may allow you use of their towels, but as a stylish male who reads FashionBeans, I will assume you don’t want to be just the same as everyone else. We care about the little details as standard. The mistake most guys make is that they don’t invest in the proper type of towel for the beach or pool. You need to make sure that it’s big enough for you lay your entire body down or you’ll look like an idiot when you’re trying to keep your legs away from the sand after being in the sea. It may be good for your core but it’s bad for your style. With your new tote bag, a properly folded towel will fit in just fine and don’t worry about splashing a bit of money on it, it can always be washed and reused year after year. Likewise, if you can pick up a cheaper bold coloured or patterned version from your local department store or high street, then knock yourself out. The options below are strictly designer, as that is what we could find online at the time.
Footwear
I have always thought, and so does GQ Style Guy Glenn O’Brien, that flip flops are for one thing only; going to and from the beach to your car. And that is all! If this is all you intend to do then fine, keep things simple and sophisticated with a sleek black pair. If not, then adjust accordingly and get yourself a pair of thin leather boat shoes in a neutral colour. They will serve you well in any situation, be it beach, pool, bar or in town – and have the potential to take you from morning all the way through to the next.
Headwear
Oh, it’s the big one. For a quick refresher, why not check out these essential articles on men’s hats:
- Men’s Fashion Basics – Part 35 – Hats: A Casual Round up
- Men’s Fashion Basics – Part 36 – Hats: A More Formal Affair
If you’re too lazy then let me keep things simple; novelty hats, buckets and beanies are all out of the question and I hope for obvious reasons. All good high street shops are now selling straw trilbies of all shapes, sizes and colours – so as long as it suits the shape and size of your face, you can’t go wrong.
Layers
I saved the best to last. I honestly think that this is one of the most important things for guys when at the beach. Being British it’s more than likely that we will want to soak up as much of the sun, sea and sand as possible. What this means is that we will still be there long after the sun retreats and the sea breeze arrives. So remember to pack a layer with you that can be thrown over what you’re wearing already like a light weight jumper or cardigan. You’ll be surprised how much it will help, and if you picked the correct swimming shorts and footwear previously mentioned, it will help your transition into the night life become that much easier. So there you have it guys, all that’s left is for the weather at home to get better! Or I’ll see you all on the next easyjet flight out of here.
