This Friday, summer officially starts—and so does your official beach season. (Not that there’s anything wrong with unofficial beach season.) We’re guessing you’ve already got a swimsuit lying around that makes your thighs look magnificent—here’s what else you need.
Say you’re planning a bonfire, and the directions on your invite (“We’ll be on the sand”) could use some improvement. May we suggest: “We’ll be under a vintage 1960s flag planted in the sand. The one with a big blue eagle on it.” There. That’s better.
Yes, your swimsuit will be captured forever in social-media photo galleries. Now, about that towel you’re lying on. It should probably be one of the nautically striped Turkish numbers from Hammer and Spear. They look like they’ve been faded by at least five seasons of Malibu sun. Or Turkish sun. Or something.
Eventually, you’ll want to partake in some kind of physical activity. Not too much. But hey, this ping-pong kit has crazy paddles that go over your hands like gloves. Except not like gloves, because gloves wouldn’t really make great ping-pong paddles.
Your good luggage: not really a beach option. A backpack can be too skater-y. Totes can be too... tote-y. Sometimes the beach just calls for a big canvas thing you dump everything into and sling over your shoulder. This is that... big canvas thing.
After a day in the water, you could take a bar of soap to one of those outdoor showers to clean up a bit—but then you wouldn’t smell like the sea anymore. Unless it’s this new soap from Baxter and Saturdays. It’s scented like the Pacific. Goes perfectly with your Atlantic crème rinse.
