What to Wear in Hawaii

What to wear in Hawaii has been flashing through my mind since we booked the tickets in November. I’ve poured over articles on Pinterest and hoarded all the articles that I found to be useful. Then I made several drafts of a packing list and thought about our accommodations (grandparents house), the weather (might rain), our activities (some with grandparents, some active like zip lining, others just relaxing), and I thought about my airport outfit and how that can be incorporated into other outfit combos for the 10-day trip. We’re flying out March 25 and traveling back April 3rd and 4th. That leaves us 9 days of adventure in Hawaii! In my last post, I talked about all the things that I’m going to be packing to Hawaii, and this post is fine-tuned for my outfit packing for Hawaii.

What to Wear in Hawaii Depends on 5 Things

1. Just because you’re staying in Hawaii for X number of days, doesn’t mean you need exactly that many different articles of clothing for those outfits.
2. Your activities– do you plan on doing a lot of physical activities like hiking or zip lining? Or do you think you’re going to go to museums and spend more days at the beach? Do you need more cuter outfits or more athletic type outfits? Are you going to hike a mountain early in the AM? You should bring a light jacket for that…
3. The weather– I’ve noticed that Hawaii is like a constant 80 degrees but it can rain. So a lightweight raincoat might be handy. See mine below!
4. Your Accommodations– this has more to do with groceries and laundry. Are you staying with someone? A hotel, resort? Timeshare? If you’re staying someplace with laundry machines, then you can pack fewer clothes and wash halfway through your stay.
5. Your Airport Outfit– I’m still boggling over this one, but I know the basics:
   1. Comfy Clothes that are breathable (many articles say no jeans- makes sense)
   2. Layers for fluctuating temps in the airport or airplane
   3. Comfortable shoes that slip off easily for airport security

What to think about When Choosing Outfits

Packing for 10 days in Hawaii doesn’t mean 10 totally separate outfits. It’s always best to create outfits using staples and then creating several combinations. To start, choose a color palette and then mix with solids and patterns- patterns to add a little zing to your wardrobe! To start the packing process, pick out pieces that you’d like to wear and then try to make multiple combos with those pieces. If those bright red shorts don’t work with 2-3 other outfits… nix it!

Clothes & Outfits for 10 Days in Hawaii

Personal

• 10 pairs of underwear- even though we will be doing laundry probably half way through
• Bras
• 1-2 Sports Bras 1 nude bra 1 lightly wired bra
• Unlined bra for their airport and comfort!
• 2 sets of short pjs short
• Lightweight robe- I like the comforts of home!

Swimsuits & Coverup to Wear in Hawaii

• 1 one-piece
• 2 bottoms
• 1 tankini top
• 3 bikini tops- one of which is a 4-n-1 reversible top from VS!
• 1 coverup

Bottoms

• Few pairs of socks- especially hiking socks!
• 3-4 pairs of shorts
  • Red shorts (that works with my 2 dressy tops and can be dressed down with a couple of my other tops)
  • 2 pairs of denim shorts
  • Striped short (might nix those)
  • Gray Athletic bike shorts
• 1 pair of black yoga pants from VS (Airport outfit and I like to sleep in pants sometimes)
• 1 pair of Nike Capri athletic leggings (for a hike or yoga class?)

Tops/Dresses

• 2 dressy tops
• 1-2 athletic tops
• T-shirts
• 2-3 dresses- I’ve read that dresses are the perfect solutions for saving space and simplifying your traveling wardrobe!
• 1 lightweight sweater
• 1 ‘heavier’ sweater or sweatshirt (for Airport outfit)

Accessories/Extras

• Sun Hat- this one is adjustable with this discreet velcro strap. And the velcro strap makes it stay on your head…I’m also hoping that it doesn’t encourage Kyler or my grandpa to mess with my hat. It came with a removable chin strap, and a plastic insert that is the shape of the hat. So I’m keeping that for when I pack it. Then the hat will keep its shape.
• Raincoat- got this 1 because the photos of other women looked like it would stay true to its size and I appreciate that. I tried it on when I got it, and I’m happy to say that it looks good even on someone who is 5′ 2″ and petite. Navy blue looks best on me, so that’s the color I picked.

What Shoes do you Wear in Hawaii?

I love shoes, and I’ve been struggling on limiting how many shoes I will be packing for Hawaii. But it’s so casual there that I know I just need a couple of basics and a pair of really good sandals!…plus comfy shoes for the airport… plus something for hiking…. plus something to dress up an outfit- like my good pair of black ballet flats!

• Clarks sandals- simple sandals that will fit with many outfits, casual and so comfy! My mom recommended them.
• American Eagle flip flops- these are so that I have something nicer than the Clarks sandals. They take up almost no space.
• Hiking Shoes- they are the bulkiest items but we want to do a couple hikes to waterfall.
• TOMS slip on shoes (perhaps airport outfit shoes)
• TOMS Tennis Shoes (perhaps airport outfit shoes)
• Black ballet flats -for when I want to dress up one of my dresses for the trip and pair it with a lightweight floral pattered dress!