Luxury Resort Wear for Women: Kaftans, Printed Maxis, Tunics and Cruise Outfits

Resort wear is the art of looking polished without appearing to have tried — the kaftan, wrap dress or printed maxi that goes from pool to lunch to dinner without a costume change in between. I design every piece here myself, in XS through 3XL, in prints I draw from places I have actually been. I'm Sandhya Garg: London College of Fashion, then Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Liberty London, then Project Runway season 13.

What "resort wear" actually means

It is a dress code, not a fabric. It means dressed, but not formal: no suit, no gown, nothing you would wear to an office, and nothing you would wear to the gym. In practice it is a dress or a kaftan during the day, and the same silhouette in a better fabric at night.

Resort casual is the softer version of it, and the one that confuses people most, because "casual" there does not mean jeans. It means a sundress, a tunic over trousers, flat sandals. I have written the long answers separately: what resort wear means for women, what resort casual attire actually is, and resort casual, defined.

This is the one collection where I sell whole outfits

Everywhere else on this site I sell you a dress. Here there are separates, and for travel that matters more, because a tunic and a pair of trousers is two outfits and a dress is one.

Kaftans and kimonos — the single most useful thing you can pack. Over swimwear at eleven, over trousers at eight. Mor wrap kimono ($178), Retro ($228), Gardenia ($228), Elyse blue ($228) and the BellaDonna ($198). Full-length: Taj ($298) and Duchess in red ($298). More in kaftans and kimonos.

Tunics and tops, which do the real work on a long trip. Jali ($178) is the one I would take anywhere; also Antoni in marigold ($138), Adele in royal blue ($148), Santra ($148), Miniature ($188) and Dahlia ($167). See all tunics and tops.

Trousers that are not jeans, which is what resort casual is really asking for. Deco red palazzo ($168), and Jal and Jaipur joggers ($158 each) for the flight and the morning after. More in trousers.

Printed maxis for dinner. Palm Tree ($358), Sahara ($338), Habibi ($358), Mumtaz ($328), Jharokha in rust ($298) and Samode in royal blue ($298).

A jacket for the aeroplane and the evening breeze — Fleur blue tapestry with embroidery ($288) or the short pastel kimono jacket ($228). A printed cotton tote for the beach and the market: Thalia ($128), Cora ($138), Daphne ($128). And because people ask: the floral and beach shirts ($158) are cut unisex, so you can put him in the same print.

The beige argument, and why I'm not having it

Every resort guide this year will tell you the season is about quiet luxury: muted, neutral, understated. The actual Resort 2027 runways went the other way.

WWD's review of Etro's Resort 2027 collection is headlined "Easy Paisley" and describes "paisley galore, the signature Arnica pattern and a plethora of ruffled silhouettes" — a house going back to print, not away from it. The review notes Etro's "globetrotting DNA" translated into airy, comfortable shapes, which is more or less a description of what I do.

At the other end, WWD called LoveShackFancy's Resort 2027 "Heavy Handed" — "decadent fabrics, all-out embellishments and rich jewel tones."

Beige travels badly anyway. It shows everything, it photographs flat in strong sun, and in a week of pictures you will look like you wore the same thing every day. A print does the opposite: it hides creasing from a suitcase, it reads differently in each photograph, and nobody can tell you wore it twice.

How much to actually pack

For a week, assuming dinners out: two kaftans, two printed maxis, two tunics, one pair of trousers, one jacket, one tote. That is nine pieces and about fourteen outfits, because the kaftan goes over swimwear and over trousers, and the tunic works with both.

Buy the pieces that share a palette so everything combines. Then the one thing worth doing: pack the maxi you want photographs in on the top of the case, not the bottom.

Trip-specific: Cabo, the Caribbean, a luxury resort, and my packing guide.

Shop by the kind of trip

Cruise, resort casual, resort evening wear, vacation dresses, tropical prints, swimsuit cover-ups, sundresses, linen, maxi dresses and the plus size resort range.

Sizes XS through 3XL. Check the size chart first. Free US shipping over $250. Afterpay available. Ships from Scottsdale, AZ within 1–3 business days.

Questions I get asked

What is resort wear for women?

Clothing for a holiday where you will be seen: dresses, kaftans, tunics, printed maxis and lightweight trousers, in fabrics that cope with heat. It sits between casual and formal — dressed enough for a hotel restaurant, relaxed enough for a pool deck. The defining feature is that one piece covers several hours of the day rather than one occasion.

What does resort casual mean?

Dressed, but without tailoring. A sundress, a tunic with trousers, a kaftan, flat sandals. "Casual" in this phrase does not license jeans, shorts, T-shirts or trainers, which is where most people get caught out. If a hotel specifies resort casual for dinner, a printed midi or a tunic and palazzo trousers is exactly right.

What should I pack for a week at a resort?

Two kaftans, two printed maxis, two tunics, one pair of trousers, one jacket and a tote. Nine pieces, roughly fourteen outfits, because the kaftan works over swimwear and over trousers and the tunics work with both. Keep everything in one palette so the pieces combine.

Is a kaftan the same as a kimono?

Not quite. A kaftan pulls on over the head and is usually one piece from shoulder to hem; a kimono or wrap style opens down the front and ties. For travel the wrap is the more versatile of the two because it layers over anything, but a full-length kaftan is the better dress on its own.

What colours work best for resort wear?

Prints and saturated colour, not neutrals. Beige and cream show everything, photograph flat in strong sunlight, and make a week of pictures look like one day. A print hides suitcase creasing, reads differently in each photograph, and lets you wear the same piece twice without anyone noticing.

Can I wear resort wear if I'm not going anywhere tropical?

Yes, and most of my customers do. A kaftan over trousers works for a summer dinner anywhere, and a printed maxi is a garden party dress with different shoes. The silhouettes are built for heat, not for a particular postcode.

What is cruise wear, and is it different?

Broadly the same clothes with one addition: most cruise lines run at least one formal or smart evening, so pack one dressier maxi than you otherwise would. Deck days are resort casual; dinner is a notch up. The kaftan covers both if you choose one in a good fabric.

How far ahead should I order for a trip?

Six to eight weeks, which leaves room for an exchange if the size is not right. Ordering the week before you fly is how people end up travelling with something that does not fit.