Written by admin on 06/07/2026

The Perfect Outfits for a Weekend Coastal Getaway

Travel Tips

Whenever I’m getting ready for a weekend by the coast, what I look forward to most isn’t planning every meal or making a list of every place I want to visit. It’s imagining what I’ll be wearing when I actually get there and start walking along the seaside.

I really enjoy these short coastal getaways. I usually don’t need to pack much, and a small suitcase is often enough. I can spend the morning walking along the coast, find a terrace restaurant for lunch, head back to the hotel for a little rest in the afternoon, and then change into a comfortable pair of shoes before going out to watch the sunset. The whole trip never feels too rushed, which is exactly why I find it so relaxing.

But putting together outfits for a coastal trip actually takes a little more thought than I used to expect.

When the wind picks up, I want a lightweight layer that I can easily throw on. When I’m walking along the beach or over cobblestone streets, I don’t want a skirt that makes it difficult to move around. And if I’m planning to visit a restaurant or explore a little seaside town, I don’t want to spend the whole day looking like I’ve just come from the beach.

That’s why I no longer pack lots of clothes that can only be worn once or with one specific outfit. Instead, I prefer simple pieces that I can mix and match throughout the weekend. Recently, while going through my travel wardrobe, I’ve been drawn to T-shirts, wide-leg trousers, skirts and lightweight knitwear from Bonmarché. Its womenswear range has plenty of simple pieces that work well for everyday and casual occasions, and I find them easy to combine in different ways.

These are the outfits I would genuinely choose to take with me for a weekend by the coast.

1. White T-Shirt + Wide-Leg Trousers: My Favourite Outfit for Coastal Walks

If the first thing I want to do after arriving at the coast is drop my luggage at the hotel and take a walk along the seafront, I’ll usually reach for wide-leg trousers and a simple white T-shirt.

The reason I love this combination is actually very simple — comfort.

Coastal trips are different from city breaks because I often end up walking much further than I originally planned. I might head out just to get a coffee and then somehow end up walking several more kilometres along the coastline. If I’m wearing trousers that feel too tight, I start noticing the discomfort pretty quickly.

That’s why I’ve become much more drawn to wide-leg trousers when I travel. They make walking feel easier, and I don’t feel restricted around the waist when I sit down for lunch. Bonmarché currently has a range of wide-leg, straight-leg and elasticated-waist trousers, so I tend to look for styles that are comfortable enough for spending several hours on the move.

I usually choose wide-leg trousers in off-white or light khaki and pair them with a white T-shirt. The combination is very simple, but I think it looks particularly good against a coastal backdrop.

If I feel that an entirely light-coloured outfit looks a little too plain, I’ll add a small bag in a brown leather-look finish or put on a pair of dark sunglasses. For shoes, I always choose a pair of white trainers that I already know I can walk comfortably in.

I used to make the mistake of wearing a beautiful but impractical skirt when travelling to the coast because I knew it would look good in photos. The photos were lovely, but after walking for an hour or two, all I wanted to do was get back to the hotel and change.

Now I actually prefer the simplicity of wide-leg trousers. They don’t compete with the scenery around me, and I feel completely at ease wearing them.

For colours, my favourite combinations are:

Off-white + white

Or:

Light khaki + cream

If I want a little more contrast, I might go for:

Navy + white

I don’t think coastal outfits need lots of different colours. Keeping the palette to two or three main shades usually looks much more effortless to me.

The biggest advantage of this outfit is how practical it is. I can wear it to get coffee in the morning, head straight to a seaside restaurant for lunch, and then continue exploring the town in the afternoon without needing to change.

If I had to choose one outfit that I knew I would wear again and again during a coastal trip, I’d probably start with Bonmarché wide-leg trousers and a simple basic T-shirt.

2. Midi Skirt + Simple Top: Perfect for Lunch and Exploring

If I’m having a slower day, perhaps taking a morning walk along the coast, exploring a small town in the afternoon and finding a nice restaurant for dinner, I’m more likely to choose a midi skirt.

I think midi skirts work particularly well for a weekend trip because they feel a little lighter and more relaxed than trousers, without looking like something I’ve packed specifically for a beach holiday.

I usually choose a simple top in white, cream or light grey and pair it with a midi skirt.

Bonmarché has a good range of skirts, and I tend to look for A-line styles, midi lengths or skirts with subtle prints. Its current skirt collection also includes lightweight printed styles, A-line designs and options with elasticated waistbands.

If I’m visiting a new seaside town for the first time, I’ll often choose a blue or beige skirt. Blue and white always give me that coastal feeling, but the combination never feels too obvious or overdone.

If the skirt already has a print, I’ll keep the top very simple.

I really like the idea of letting one piece of clothing become the focus of the outfit.

For example, if I’m wearing a midi skirt with a soft floral print, I’ll simply pair it with a white T-shirt and a pair of comfortable flats. It feels relaxed enough for walking around the seaside streets, but still looks put together enough for a restaurant later in the day.

The biggest difference I notice when I wear this kind of outfit is that I naturally feel more relaxed.

When the wind catches the skirt and the fabric moves slightly as I walk, I get that feeling that I’ve properly switched off and gone into holiday mode, rather than still feeling like I’m rushing around in the city.

For colours, I usually go for:

White + sea blue

Cream + olive green

Or:

Light grey + a soft print

If the skirt already has a noticeable pattern, I won’t add a complicated bag or lots of jewellery. A simple small bag, a pair of sunglasses and comfortable flats are usually enough.

I’ll also pack a lightweight cardigan.

Coastal weather can be unpredictable. The afternoon might feel perfectly warm and sunny, but once the evening breeze picks up, I can suddenly find myself wishing I had another layer. In that situation, I can simply throw on the cardigan and continue walking or head out for dinner.

Bonmarché’s knitwear range includes lightweight cardigans and short-sleeved knitted styles, and I find these kinds of pieces particularly useful to have in a coastal travel wardrobe. They don’t take up much room in my suitcase, but they can make a big difference when the temperature changes.

This is also one of my favourite outfits for going straight from an afternoon of exploring to dinner.

3. Lightweight Dress + Cardigan: My Choice for a Seaside Dinner

If I have one evening planned around a proper dinner during a weekend trip, I’ll always pack a dress.

I don’t mean anything particularly formal. I prefer relaxed dresses that I can wear with trainers or flats and still feel comfortable walking around.

I usually look for shades such as off-white, pale blue or soft prints.

If I’ve spent the day in a simple trouser outfit, I like changing into a lightly printed dress in the evening. It gives me a little bit of variety without making the outfit feel too dressy.

I really love that feeling.

I can spend the day walking along the coast in trainers, go back to the hotel, have a shower, change into a dress, add a lightweight cardigan and head straight out for dinner. I don’t need complicated makeup or an entirely new outfit planned from scratch.

Bonmarché’s womenswear range includes plenty of printed and everyday dresses, and I tend to choose styles with simple shapes that I can wear in more than one way.

When it comes to colour, I like letting the dress become the main focus of the outfit.

If I’m wearing a floral print dress, I’ll pair it with a cream or white cardigan. If the dress is a solid colour, I might add a brown bag or a pair of shoes with a little more colour.

I really like that “I’ve made an effort, but it didn’t take me very long” feeling.

When I’m travelling, I rarely want to spend an hour standing in front of the mirror trying to put an outfit together.

I’d much rather have a shower, pick up a dress, throw on a cardigan, change my shoes and be ready to go.

And the best thing is that these pieces can still be worn the next day.

If I don’t want to wear the dress again, I can style the cardigan with a T-shirt and wide-leg trousers. If the weather turns cooler, I can also use a shirt as another lightweight layer.

That way, every piece I pack has a purpose and none of the space in my suitcase feels wasted.

The Things I Pay Most Attention to When Packing for a Coastal Weekend

I used to pack for trips with one thought in mind: “I’m going to take lots of great photos this time.”

That usually meant bringing far too many impractical clothes.

Now I think about things very differently.

I consider whether something will actually let me walk around comfortably before I think about how good it will look in a photo.

That matters even more when I’m travelling somewhere by the coast.

I try to choose colours that can be mixed and matched

White, cream, pale blue, navy and olive green are some of the colours I reach for most often.

They work well together, and they keep my suitcase from becoming too complicated.

I always pack a lightweight layer

No matter how warm the forecast looks, I’ll always put a cardigan or shirt in my suitcase.

The wind by the coast can be surprisingly unpredictable.

Sometimes a short-sleeved top feels perfect in the afternoon, and then as soon as the sun goes down, I’m immediately looking for another layer.

Shoes can’t just be chosen for photos

This is something I’m particularly strict about now.

If I know I’ll be walking a lot, I would much rather wear a pair of trainers that I already know are comfortable than take a new pair of shoes just because they match the outfit.

Photos can always be edited. Sore feet, unfortunately, can affect my entire mood.

Every piece in my suitcase should work with something else

These days, I particularly like simple Bonmarché pieces that are easy to mix and match.

Wide-leg trousers can be worn with T-shirts or shirts, midi skirts can be paired with knitwear, and dresses can be worn on their own or styled with a cardigan. That means I don’t need to pack too much for a weekend, but I can still change the look depending on what I’m doing each day.

That’s one of the reasons I’ve grown to love weekend coastal getaways so much.

I don’t need to pack my schedule with activities, and I don’t need a suitcase that’s overflowing with clothes. A few comfortable, easy-to-style pieces and a pair of shoes I can actually walk in are enough to take me from a morning walk by the sea, to a café in a little coastal town, and then on to dinner in the evening.

I’m becoming more and more drawn to this kind of travel dressing: clothes that look like I’ve put some thought into them, but feel completely effortless to wear.

What makes me enjoy a coastal weekend isn’t having an outfit that looks particularly special. It’s being able to walk for miles in what I’m wearing, feel the sea breeze, sit down for lunch by the water and still feel good about myself by the evening.

If I were packing for another coastal weekend, I’d still start with a few simple Bonmarché staples — a comfortable pair of wide-leg trousers, a white T-shirt, a midi skirt, a lightweight shirt, a dress for dinner and a cardigan.

They won’t take up my entire suitcase, but they’ll give me everything I need for a relaxed weekend by the coast with just the right amount of style.