packing for any tropical destination is rather simple. stick to two rules and you will be good to go.

1. pack something breathable

and

2. pack something comfortable

it’s truly as simple as that. you want to pack anything that allows for air flow, because when i say it gets hot in bali, i mean it gets hot and humid the moment you think about stepping foot outdoors. and well, nobody travels to bali with plans stay inside all day, so the heat and humidity is unavoidable. therefore, breathable and comfortable material it is.

i opted to pack flow-y dresses [they’re great for taking pictures in], skirts [casual skirts], shorts, tanks and of course, beach wear. depending on what areas and sites you will be visiting, you do want to stay reasonably humble in attire. most areas in bali are relaxed and laid back on this, but if you are visiting a temple or holy place most will require shoulders and knees covered. [you can purchase or rent articles of clothing at most sites to cover required body areas].

below are my favorite picks to bring along to bali or any tropical destination you may find yourself visiting soon. you can click on any image to shop directly.

maxi dresses

bali is an adult playground with a photo-op at every corner. flow-y dresses will make any photo you take look instagram ready without even trying. however, they are not practical for every adventure you may embark upon while exploring. i wore a dress when i could and braved wearing one to the tegalang rice fields, all for the photo. it ended up pouring on us and walking around in a maxi dress was the last thing i wanted to do. but hey, girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

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skirts

packing a loose fit skirt is a great option to pair with a one piece bathing suit if you plan on seeking out a hidden waterfall or posting up by the beach somewhere. most are breathable and can also be paired with a tank that you can later re-wear with shorts. a great packing tip is to always pack pieces that you can wear in multiple ways. it saves luggage space which we all know is prime real estate!

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shorts

this is just a given. my favorite kind of shorts are ones that have a loose fit [you’ll thank me after being outside for 30 minutes or more] or ones that are made out of softer and more breathable material because well, they end up feeling like pajama shorts and who can complain about that!

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tanks and tops

this is another given. i would go for tank tops and t-shirts that are breathable and versatile. like i mentioned before, if you pack a top that could go with both a pair of shorts and a skirt, then that saves you luggage space which leaves you room to do a little bali souvenir shopping. 😉

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cover ups and bathing suits

find your favorite bathing suit and pack it! if you plan on doing a little sun bathing and lounging around, you can pack whatever suit you feel is best. if you plan on jumping into waterfalls and hiking around, i would opt for a suit with support and lots of comfort. i personally, pick a suit by how it ties. i am rather picky about bathingsuits that have a tie behind the neck. if i tie them too tight, i get a neck sore and if i tie them too loose, well.. the girls end up giving everyone a show. so, unless the suit provides extreme comfort, i typically lean towards suits with straps.

one-piece bathing suits are a great option to bring because they can double up as a top worn with jeans and/or your skirt. aka, more luggage space, aka more bali shopping!

cover ups can also double up as a dress/day outfit. i highly recommend packing a cover up that you would feel comfortable sitting in a casual lunch spot in. that way you can make the most out of your beach day.

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wishing you the best time on your next tropical vacation!

xoxo | jasmine

 

*please note, this is a free site to all users. in order to keep it running, affiliate links are used throughout the site. so stick around a while and be sure to check out all the great ready to shop items!

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dress: goodnightmacaroon | clutch: clare v. , similar [and a fraction of the cost] | earrings: similar | booties: steve madden, similar

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this tuesday i’m bringing you a trend that i am so excited about, fall florals. my style has always had a girly flair mixed with a boho vibe. let’s just say florals go with my style like peanut butter goes with jelly. so consider me on board with this trend!

florals are a perfect statement piece. to accessorize, pick out a color found in the floral pattern and violà. find matching earrings, a solid colored pair of booties and go wild with a fun clutch like my leopard patterned one.

floral prints can be loud, so pair a floral top with a solid colored bottom or floral bottoms with a solid colored top, like this body suit. or, have a little fun and mix prints.

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       choosing your bridesmaids can be tough. you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or have anyone feel left out, but the decision has to be made. once that decision is made, you have the fun task of choosing the dress for your bridesmaids. for some, this may see daunting. for others, it’s a blast! i used three simple steps to help ease my decision process and ultimately found the perfect dress.

my husband and i both looked at our lives and felt beyond blessed to be surrounded by such incredible people. if it were up to us, everyone we loved would have been by our sides as we said “i do.” of course, that’s not how it actually goes.. but i guess on your wedding day you really can do whatever you please :).

 my biggest deciding factor was, “who do i trust to call when i need advice or just need to vent?” once i asked myself that question, the answer was clear as day. i chose my best friends, the girls i enjoy spending time with [this is very important as you will be spending lots of time with them], and the girls that know me best. i wrote down a dream list if you will, to compare numbers with my husband’s groomsmen dream list [fiancé at the time]. when we both showed our lists, our numbers were identical. my dream list consisted of 12 girls, and his dream list consisted of 12 men. it turned out being one of the easiest wedding decision we had to make.

once numbers were decided, the next big decision was, “what do they wear?” i wanted an all white wedding with touches or natural greenery and gold. i wanted the bridesmaid dresses to go with the theme. i spent countless hours searching for gold dresses and sequined dresses [it was a NYE wedding!] but nothing screamed out my name. i even considered adding a touch of maroon and pink to the mix [still think that color palette is just breathtaking] but all white, gold and natural greenery was still my number 1 choice. my back up plan, which i was trying to avoid, was to have the girls where white dress – which i’m not opposed to, but  h e l l o, it was my wedding day. all white would have been beautiful, but there is something special about standing out for your new husband on your special day.

instead, i started looking at more neutral palettes. i searched for quite sometime until i stumbled upon the dress. it was perfect. it was whimsical and dreamy, flirty but classy and exactly what i had been looking for. i had an idea of what i wanted when i started my search. i wanted it to be fairytale-like and flowly. i was cautious about complimenting every different body-type, i wanted the dresses to be fun but leave some to the imagination if you know what i mean… there were multiple dresses that would fit the bill, but i knew this was the one.

just to rain on my parade, the dress was being discontinued and had only a few sizes left. i had 12 bridesmaids. 12. i knew by the time i had them all order the dress on their own, the dress would have been sold out. which would have meant i was back to square one. so, i naturally did what any crazed and sleep-deprived bride-to-be would do. i ordered 27 dresses. i wanted to make sure everyone had the size that made them most comfortable, so i stayed up all night guessing what size would fit who best, buying 2, sometimes 3 dresses just to make sure at least one of them would fit. totally normal, right?

in end the end, the dresses could not have been more perfect. everyone had a dress that fit them perfectly and each one of the girls looked absolutely stunning as they confidently walked down the aisle and stood by my side.

my 3 biggest determining factors were

1) ask yourself, “is this dress something i would wear?”

if it is, then that tells you the dress is your style. as the bride, you are the one that decided on your theme, your dress, your decor, your venue, your everything… because it was all a part of your style. so trust your judgement. if it passes step one, then you are more than likely right on target.

2) ask yourself, “is this dress something i would buy?”

not because of its style, we cleared that up with step one. step two is based solely on cost. weddings add up fast for both the bride and the wedding party. if you are asking your bridesmaids to purchase a dress [which is completely normal and very common– to all you brides who purchase your bridesmaids dresses for your girls, you go girl!] would you spend the amount of money on the dress that you are asking your bridesmaids to spend? i recommend setting a maximum amount prior to even beginning your search. most online stores will allow you to categorize by price. make this a priority. your girl squad will appreciate it so much.

3) does this dress have the potential for any “oopsies”

one thing to keep in mind is that everyone has a different body-type. for me, having 12 bridesmaids, i had to make sure the dress was okay for girls of all letters of the alphabet… you catch my drift? i also wanted to make sure that it was a comfortable dress that made everyone feel as radiant as they looked. i didn’t want anyone having any restrictions or hesitations breaking it down on the dance floor, all the while avoiding any “oopsie” janet jackson moments. the one shoulder was perfect for what i was looking for. it added a little extra support without taking away the flirty and fun look of the dress.

if you need any help finding the perfect dress, shoot me an e-mail. i would love to help!! hello@jasmineelias.com

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x o | j a s m i n e

photography by: chelseaqwhite

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