Welcome to Who What Wear Travels, a new series where our fashion insider lens meets the world of travel. We’re kicking things off with a feature on the coolest destinations the style set is heading to this year, and diving into everything from the most Pinterest-worthy hotels, the hotspots they’re dining at and, of course, the must-pack resort trends you’ll be seeing all over your timeline.
Summer is always high time for a getaway but this year, it feels like everyone is booking vacations left and right. As such, our travel bucket lists have never been longer nor has our wanderlust ever been as potent. Sure, we’re not exactly travel savants or food critics, but we do study the fashion-person lifestyle like it’s our job (well, it basically is), so we’re low-key experts on where they’re is going, staying, and dining right now.
Naturally, traveling also happens to be the perfect opportunity to add some fresh pieces to your wardrobe, which is why we’ve cherrypicked the most exciting resort trends that are basically begging to be packed in your suitcase. Couple those with the best-reviewed travel accessories and the editor-obsessed beauty buys that you’re about to discover here and after devouring this report you’ll be ready for your most unforgettable getaway yet.
Since 2022 began, it seemed like every one of my coolest friends from L.A. and NYC was being pulled here. I managed to visit this spring and I can say with certainty that the hype is very real. From the food scene which is bursting with exciting Michelin-star restaurants like Pujol to the incredible art scene—believe it or not, it’s home to the most museums in the world—and the colorful architecture, it’s a must-visit for anyone with even a single creative bone in their body. From a style perspective, there’s nothing more exciting than seeing and discovering emerging fashion designers, and Mexico City provides a gold mine of untapped creatives who showcase distinct craftsmanship, style, and personality. Audette and Blobb are our favorite indie designers emerging from the city’s fashion scene. Stay: Condesa DF; Visit: Casa Gilardi; Dine: Contramar; Drink: Baltra Bar
Over the past few summers, it seems like every fashion person in my feed has visited Puglia. The “heel” of Italy’s boot is set along a rugged coastline with stunning cliffside views of the Adriatic. It’s dotted with charming small towns and has remained an area largely untouched by international tourism—until recent years. Just last month, Gucci hosted its Cruise 2022 show at Castel del Monte in the region and brought with it a throng of its fashion-insider attendees. Stay: Borga Eganzia; Dine: Ristorante Grotta Palazzese; Visit: The beach at Polignano a Mare
Outdoorsy types are booking trips to Iceland en masse and unlike a beachside destination, the country has plenty to offer year-round from hiking to spotting the northern lights. Our Editor-in-Chief Kat Collings told me that visiting the famed Blue Lagoon was far and way the number-one highlight of her trip. “The popular tourist activity is no secret, but rather than doing general admission, you can book a spa day pass at The Retreat Hotel at Blue Lagoon for a quarter of the price of staying at the hotel,” she divulged. “They have a large, private section of the lagoon, with a swim-up bar, steam rooms, cold plunges, and all the spa amenities and services. It was a highlight of my travel life.” Stay: The Reykjavik EDITION; Dine: Grill Market; Visit: Blue Lagoon
Rather than a specific shade, we’re seeing the saturated color trend in a rainbow of colors from tangerine to violet—each worn from head to toe for the biggest possible impact. When packing for a sun-filled trip, there’s nothing more serotonin-inducing than filling your suitcase with bold pops of color.
Designers clearly had their minds on holiday for their S/S ’22 collections, because the runways held a heavy rotation of swimwear and beachwear primed for a getaway. Brands like Paco Rabanne and Jacquemus infused vibrant vacation-ready prints into their dresses and matching sets.
Our take on the viral Coastal Grandma aesthetic is a trend we’re naming Coastal Granddaughter. The same clean and relaxed vibe still applies—imagine any Diane Keaton scene from Nancy Meyers’ Something’s Gotta Give—only with a more youthful twist, no beachside property required. It hinges on a few great summer staples, like white linen trousers, a woven tote, and a breezy button-down shirt but with skin-baring elements like an open-back dress or cutout top mixed in.
Drive a few hours south from Puerto Vallarta and you’ll find yourself at Cuixmala. It’s part-resort, part-nature reserve and a complete escape. Originally built as a residence for French-British financier Sir James Goldsmith in the ’80s, the property runs along 5km of the Pacific Ocean coastline and features a biodynamic farm, three different private beaches, and, yes, wild zebras. Revolve hosted a summer getaway here in 2019 and we’ve been drooling over the checkered pool and dramatic stucco staircase ever since.
At this point, you can’t really call yourself an A-lister if you haven’t been to Amangiri (and posted a photo dump of your stay). The serene property is built into the desert on 600 acres in southern Utah and while the stunning brutalist architecture that blends into the surroundings tends to be the main draw, the luxury resort also boasts plenty of adventures like hiking in the neighboring national parks, rock climbing or boating on Lake Powell.
Set up on a cliff overlooking Positano on the Amalfi Coast, Le Sireneuse is one of the most iconic hotels in all of Italy, if not the globe. It opened its doors in 1951 and has since remained a fixture of the region and, naturally, a magnet for the world’s most glamorous crowd. Its bougainvillea-framed archways and sweeping Mediterranean vistas are the stuff of destination wedding dreams and we’ll probably never stop adding imagery from every inch of the place to our Pinterest boards.
As any well-seasoned traveler knows, the right accessories can be the difference between smooth sailing and a stress-inducing experience. Luckily, our team of editors is always jetting off on a vacation or press trip and as such, we’ve personally vetted a number of roller suitcases, carry-on bags, packing cubes, neck pillows, and every other random-but-necessary buy that have transformed our travels.
Let’s start out with the basics. I’ve been a loyal fan of my Away Bigger Carry-On and will recommend the sturdy-but-lightweight luggage to anyone who will listen. If you’re in the market for a great, carry-on tote, Editor Eliza Huber told me that once she took her VeeCollective Tote Bag on a trip, she’ll never travel with anything else. “I love that it’s padded so my things, especially my laptop and iPad, feel protected,” she noted. “The straps are also padded so you don’t have to worry about them digging into your shoulder during your travels.”
As for those less glamorous but crucial buys, this viral Amazon neck pillow comes highly recommended. “This Tiktok convinced me I need to buy this for my upcoming summer travel,” Collings explained. “I’ve only ever used traditional donut-type pillows, but I was sold the second the girl said got great sleep on a flight with it, better than ever before.”
Senior editor Allyson Payer tells me she can’t remember the last time she took a trip without her Tumi Voyageur Madina Cosmetics Case. “The vanity case holds everything you need and is very convenient as you can hang it on a hook in the bathroom to free up more counter space (which is usually very limited in hotels),” she noted.
We could write several more stories about the best beauty products for traveling, and we have (see here, here, and here). But when it comes down to it, there are a handful of holy-grail beauty buys that you’ll always find our editors packing whether they’re headed across town or across the globe. In general, senior beauty editor Erin Jahns insists on opting for solid products like Glossier’s sleek solid fragrance or Bite’s toothpaste tablets whenever possible to avoid any kind of sticky, gloopy mess inside your suitcase.
“I’m lazy AF when it comes to packing,” Jahns tells me, “but I also freak out at the thought of having to sacrifice my skincare routine in the name of travel. I like to exfoliate a few times a week to keep my skin as glowy and smooth as possible and was turned onto these magical mess-free, easy-to-pack peel pads by a facialist a few years ago. There are lots of similar products out there, but trust me, these are the ones to keep on hand.”
For associate beauty editor Katie Berohn, Lumify Eye Drops are a traveling non-negotiable. “They work nearly instantly to turn tired, red eyes completely white. I honestly feel like I can get off a red-eye flight and look like I got 8 hours of sleep.” Talk about a game-changer. Skincare tends to be the trickiest to pack since you can never really recreate the multi-step routine you have going on at home. “I used to always know that I was going to deal with skincare woes every time I traveled,” associate fashion editor Sierra Mayhew commiserated. “That all changed when I started traveling with this routine from U Beauty. My skin has never looked more glowy after a trip than when all I really on are these easy steps.”
Although it opened in early 2020, American Bar feels like it’s a storied bistro that could have been around for decades. Inspired by the private members’ only clubs in Europe, the minds behind this West Village spot wanted to create a restaurant that “exudes clubbiness without exclusivity”—and that’s exactly the feel you get while sipping one of their incredible martinis inside the sunshine yellow dining room. It didn’t take long before earning a reputation as a fashion-person destination. You can even find a menu item dedicated to social media personality Serena Kerrigan: order the Chopped Salad “SFK style” and it comes with a negroni. It also happens to be a favorite the WWW team outings. Come for the legendary cocktails, but stay for the classics like steak and caesar salad, plus the famed sundae from Sunset Tower.
If it’s your first time visiting Mexico City, a meal at Contramar is a must. The seafood-focused restaurant is situated in the charming Roma neighborhood and is best experienced during the day when the airy dining room turns into one big daytime happy hour filled with the city’s most stylish visitors who flock here from all over to sip white wine and dine on their famous tuna tostadas and whole fish dressed in red and green sauce. Finish off your meal with the fig tart and a stroll through nearby Parque México in Condesa and you’ll have yourself a proper afternoon.
Flora Farms isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a full-blown destination. The farm-to-table concept is situated on a 25-acre working organic farm just north of San Jose del Cabo (and about 40 minutes from Cabo San Lucas) that’s not only a place to experience great food, but to take cooking classes, pick up groceries, relax at the spa, and do some shopping. Oh, and it’s a celeb hotspot, too. Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine notably held their wedding here and it counts Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner as fans, who came for dinner during their most recent stay at the tip of the Mexico peninsula.
