Summer Travel Staple: The Sarong

The funniest thing happened over my birthday. My sister and mother both sent me sarongs as gifts! Without consulting one another, they each thought a sarong would be the perfect piece for my summer travels. Rightly so. Caftans are dramatic, but sarongs are versatile. A few tying ideas:

• Where it around your neck as a scarf on the flight;
• Lay it out flat on the sand as a beach blanket in a pinch;
• Fold it in half twice and wrap it around your waist for a knee-length cover-cover-up; and
• Fold it in half once and wrap it around your waist for an ankle-legth skirt (pictured above).

Ready for the expert level? I tried every style in this amazing sarong tutorial. All of them were easy to tie, but I’m not sold the “harem pants” look… A few shopping ideas for a sarong:

This Lily and Lionel watercolor sarong would look gorgeous over a black one-piece suit.

This Roberta Roller Rabbit sarong is light and airy on hot days. I can see it with a pink bikini.

This Theodora & Callum one would work well in the evening; apparently, it’s a celebrity favorite.

This Star Mela sarong’s pom-pom edge is super fun. Great with a white t-shirt and jean jacket.

Best part? One size truly fits all. There is nothing so-wrong when it comes to a sarong (don’t hate me for that joke). I hope you are in a beachy frame of mind this week…but for now, a few links:

• The 12 Sexiest Ways to Wear a Sarong (Cosmopolitan)
• This Hawaiian company lets you design your own sarong (Pareo Island)
• Sarong-tying clasps, if you don’t trust your knot-tying skills (Fair Winds Sarongs)