Chapter 3
What to wear in Tulum
Overview
Tulum is a place buzzing with colour, culture, and life. Like most beach destinations, it is also super hot. So while choosing outfits I kept all of those things in mind; I went with flowy and light materials, as well as bright colours and patterns. The idea of being comfy and trendy seemed like it might be a stretch but I was able to compile enough cute outfits that felt Instagram-worthy and comfortable at the same time.
Anyone who knows me will agree that I am a chronic over-packer. There are definitely things that I could have left behind and other things I wish I'd brought more of. I'll definitely list those things below so keep reading!
Swim SUits
Obviously being in a coastal place with such beautiful hot weather, you're going to spend time on the resort or the beach in bikinis and swim suits. I opted for some cute one pieces as well as more bikinis than I care to admit to bringing.
Most of my bikinis are from either Zaful, Onepiecekini, AERIE, or Victoria's Secret/PINK.
With the Zaful ones, make sure to read the reviews on sizing, and be sure to order MONTHS before you plan to go away! They are worth every penny, but they do take a while to ship. If you've been looking for extra encouragement before pulling the trigger on all of those suits in your cart (we're all guilty of filling our carts with items and then never buying them), order a couple and see how they work for you! (The army green one in this post is from Zaful and was around $13!!!)
Onepiecekini had some super cute one pieces that even doubled as cute body suits to wear with shorts into town! Also all suits on Onepiecekini are only $35USD and amazing quality!
So I know a lot of you are the same as me, when ordering bikinis online you have to order both pieces in one size. Most people are not the same size on the top as they are on the bottom. I am usually a US small/xs on the top, and a US medium on the bottom (bra size 34B and bottoms 4-6 or 27"). This means you either sacrifice a cute top for bottoms that fit, or you get the cute top and have to find bottoms that fit. I usually buy bikinis based on how the top looks, which means that I have a ton of tops with one or two bottoms that fit.
DO NOT FEAR, I have a solution!
Don't judge, and avoid opting for light colours because they're thin (white or like peach), but I bought the no show seamless undies from PINK and used them as bottoms for most of the trip. I was able to buy 7 or 8 for less than the price of one pair of real bikini bottoms, and if you're worried about them not lasting or fading, just replace them! The tropical black and green ones in the picture are the cheeky ones from PINK. They were a lifesaver! They're stretchy enough to not cut in and they show off the booty quite well.
Outfits
If there's one thing I wish I'd brought more of, it would be flowy skirts and pants - I definitely packed too much tight clothing.
Some of my favourite and most comfortable outfits were maxi dresses, long flowy skirts or wide legged pants which I got from Nordstrom, Little Lace Boutique, and from Forever 21. I paired them with cute bandeau or tank tops and a pair of strappy sandals, as well as a favourite sun hat and sunglasses.
I kept accessories minimal the entire trip, even with my dressier "out for dinner" outfits. I found here that less was more because the last thing you want to deal with when you're hot and sweaty is any extra jewelry, which also adds to your stress when packing.
Hiking and sightseeing days were composed of more practical outfits like jean shorts and t-shirts, or a sports bra and cropped active pants for mornings at the ruins. The pants helped my legs from being eaten alive on the early morning trips we took to the Tulum Ruins. I also brought along a pair of runners, and some water shoes for hiking and visiting the cenotes. I don't think I would have enjoyed the cenotes without water shoes, but that's totally a personal thing because I don't like going anywhere barefoot except on the beach.
I can't stress enough how important it is to be comfortable if you want to explore and enjoy yourself. I packed lots of ball caps and sun hats, two pairs of sunglasses (just in case), lots of comfy shoes for all possible occasions (that means I left the heels at home, but I do wish I had brought one pair of wedges for dinners out), I ditched real bras for the entire trip and stuck with sports bras and bralettes (or no bra), and with the exception of my "camera purse" I left all of my big bulky bags at home and stuck to a cute backpack.
It might sound like I'm overthinking it, but trust me when I tell you it makes a huge difference packing the right things and being comfortable.
