Summer Vacation Fabrics

Summer means travel season, and whether you’re going for a quick getaway weekend or heading to the vacation house for the summer, packing the right fabrics is essential for looking chic and staying cool. Here is Fashion Fabrics Club’s guide to vacation-ready fabrics.

Linen

Whether it be a tunic, wide-leg pants, shift or shirtdress, linen makes a fantastic travel partner. Its incredible light weight and natural properties makes it easy to pack and super cool to wear on even the hottest days. It is prone to wrinkling, which can be embraced as part of its appeal (think “crumpled-chic”), or you can hang it in the hotel bathroom while you shower—the steam will take the wrinkles right out. Throw a loose linen top on over a swimsuit for a beach day (if it gets wet, it will dry out almost instantly) or take a linen maxi skirt for a day of window-shopping.

Cotton

Gauze, eyelet, lawn, seersucker—the options of lightweight 100% cotton fabrics are nearly endless. Cotton is a fantastic fabric for vacationing because it can be dressed up or down and since it is a natural cellulose (i.e. made from plant fiber) it has incredible breathability. It’s easy, breezy, and perennially chic. Also prone to wrinkling like its bast-fiber sister, linen, simply hang your cottons up in the bathroom when you arrive to your destination and let the shower steam be your iron.

Polyester blend

A polyester blend is perfect to travel in, whether you’re stuck in a tiny airplane seat or strapped into a car, polyester’s resilience will keep you wrinkle-free upon arrival. Try a cotton-poly (T-shirt knit, lawn, eyelet), Lycra-poly (activewear, jersey knit), or rayon-poly (poplin, shirting) blend.

Cashmere

Light in weight and extremely thin, cashmere is a go-to for summer adventures; it takes up very little space in the suitcase yet offers incredible warmth for those chilly nights when the sun goes down. Try a button up cashmere cardigan, slouchy sweater, poncho, or a wide-paneled scarf.