Introduction

This is a post about my EXACT packing list for Hawaii (involving trips to two of the islands). Mr. G.Q. and I spent five days on the Big Island of Hawaii at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel resort and five days on Oahu at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. In this post, I will attempt to give you all my packing and outfit tips from my trip. I’ll show you exactly what I brought, and what I plan to bring on my next trip to Hawaii.

How to decide what to pack for Hawaii

The two factors in determining what to put on your packing list for Hawaii are the projected weather for your locale and your itinerary. Everyone’s dream vacation is different. Some folks like to spend their trip lounging by the pool with umbrella drinks while others go everywhere they can. The Hawaiian islands are beautiful with national parks to explore, volcanoes to wow you, and gorgeous sunny days with stunning water views everywhere.

The weather in Hawaii is remarkably consistent. The daily year-round temperatures typically range from 75-90 degrees. It can be quite humid, as Hawaii is in the tropics. But there are usually trade winds blowing that keep temps very comfortable. There is a rainy season from November through March, but for the most part, it rarely rains for more than a day.

A funny thing about Hawaii and rain is that daily it rains somewhere on all the Hawaiian islands. It may just be a sprinkle or a shower. If you come during the rainy season, bring a rain jacket. Any other time of year, check to see if your hotel has umbrellas (mine did!)

The most common activities for a Hawaiian trip include:

-Hanging by the pool or beach

-Waterfall hikes

-Snorkeling and scuba diving

-Deep-sea fishing

-Luaus

-Shopping and Dining

So to plan your packing list for Hawaii, figure out your itinerary and go from there. Our trip to the Hawaiian islands involved LOTS of hanging by the pool and beach, reading five (!) books, a little shopping, some waterfall hiking, and some scenic driving around the Big Island. And of course, dining out and going for LOTS of long walks on the beach and around our hotel properties. Thus my outfits centered around those activities.

Don’t worry if you forget something. There are ABC stores on every block of Oahu and shops in most hotels where you can readily pick up reef-safe sunscreen or water shoes with a simple swipe of your credit card!

Plane Outfit on My Hawaii Packing List

| Sweatsuit | Tee | Scarf | Gym Shoes | Watch | Earrings | Scarf |

I am usually FREEZING on planes. So I wear a similar outfit on most flights. I wear a white tee shirt (on sale) under a soft black sweatshirt and sweatpants. I add athletic socks (great socks, and on sale!), gym shoes (20% off!), and usually a scarf (or, here). I wear ALL of this on the plane. I also wear my Ebel watch and my “diamond” earrings.

Upon arrival, I peel off the sweatshirt and tie it around my waist. I pop the scarf in my carry-on bag pocket. This outfit and gym shoes are the bulkiest items for my trip. By wearing them, I save important real estate for my other items. If I run out of room (read 50 pounds…), I mooch off Mr. G.Q’s bag for extra space. Did I mention it takes a lot to look this cute?!!!

Beach/Pool Outfits on my Hawaii Packing List

When we go to a resort, much of our days involve lounging by the pool after breakfast. Here’s what I wore:

Beach Outfit #1

| Hat | Coverup | Sandals | Purse | Swimsuits | Sunglasses |Bangles | Earrings |

I love coverups and cute hats! I am a retired dermatologist after all so that’s no surprise! This look takes me to breakfast and then to the pool. This swimsuit (similar here, and here) is from my favorite brand, Miraclesuit. It is so comfortable to wear for the day and the waist detail of flowers is VERY flattering and waist shaping without being too tight. I love the sweetheart neckline of the suit that is shaped by a remarkably comfortable wire at the TOP of the cups. So even when wet, it holds its shape.

My bracelets are stainless steel bangles that come in a set. The earrings are silver pave hoops. My sunglasses are here.

The coverup is a black hooded one with a bit of white embroidery. (It’s old, similar, here). The hat is such a keeper! I wore it with most beach outfits and on our waterfall hikes. It screens the sun, stays on my head, and looks cute! Consider one of the cute hats for your packing list for Hawaii. Here is a similar bag to mine. Lastly, here are similar black leather sandals.

| Hat | Coverup | Sandals | Purse | Swimsuits | Sunglasses |Bangles | Earrings |

Beach Look #2

| Hat | Coverup | Swimsuits | Sarong | Sandals | Sunglasses | Purse |

I LOVE this coverup. It’s a type of rash guard with an SPF 50 which is terrific! This comes in other colors (click on the link) but I love the dark blue. It’s a nice knit and is warmer than my white SPF 50 coverup (below), so I wore it when it was windy. It would be great on a boat as well!

| Hat | Blue Coverup | Espadrilles |

This photo immediately above shows me in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Isn’t it so cool that all of the hotel buildings are pink?!! I am wearing madras espadrilles (old, similar, here). Here, are some neutral tan ones that would go with your whole Hawaiian wardrobe.

Below, I have the same hat as the first two looks. This suit is a darling royal blue one by Gottex (similar, here and here). It has great waist and lower tummy compression in its style. It’s a little more challenging to get on than the Miraclesuit styles, but once on, it felt comfy all day. I added a print sarong to wear at the pool. Mine is old but I linked this one. Flip-flops are BIG in Hawaii, especially by the pool. You can buy them everywhere if you forget yours. I wear sandals like these.

| Hat | Swimsuits | Sarong |

Beach Look #3 on My Packing list for Hawaii

| Hat | White Coverup | Black Bathing Suit |

This is my second SPF 50 pool shirt. I love this one as much as the royal blue one above when we go on long beach walks. The hood covers my neck, so no “redneck”! The hat is fun and went everywhere with me on this trip. I brought another cute black tweed-like beach hat but kept forgetting about it. This black bathing suit is another Oceanus style by Miraclesuit and I love it! Very flattering to the waist and tummy areas, while still easy to wear!

Beach Look #4

| Pink Suit | Sarong | Sandals}

This is the last suit on my packing list for Hawaii. It’s a fuchsia tank (sold out, similar, here and here) with gentle shirring and nice shaping. I wore it with nude sandals (or here) and a pretty Polynesian print sarong (similar, here, and here). I think sarongs are a godsend. Wear them around your waist as a skirt, dress, or wrap over another outfit.

Daytime Outing Looks on My Packing List for Hawaii

Since Hawaii is a casual place, by day folks add shorts, tees, and flip-flops to their packing list for Hawaii. If you’re going hiking, bring supportive shoes. If you’re going to do water activities, bring pool shoes. For my packing list for Hawaii, I brought an athletic bra, yoga pants, and a tank for yoga classes, which were offered at both hoteL.

Daytime Outfit #1

| Hat | Boho Tops | Shorts | Sandals | Sunglasses | Gym Shoes |

This boho top (old, similar, here and here, AND both are currently 30 % off! ) was fun and easy to wear over the light blue linen shorts. These items packed well and could go to lunch with the sandals and purse, or to the waterfall hike paired with gym shoes. Here are my sunglasses.

Daytime Outfit #2

| Tee | Shorts | Shoes | Belt | Sunglasses | Hat |

This was a cute outfit. The leopard tee is so soft and gently drapey. It washes like a dream. The leopard belt and slip-ons worked well with the denim-cuffed shorts (here or here). Cropped jeans or white pants would also work instead of denim shorts.

Dressier Looks for Outings and Dining

Dressier Look #1 on My Packing List for Hawaii

| Navy Dress | Earrings | Bag | Sandals | Watch |

This was my favorite dress (sold out, similar, here and here) for this trip. It’s from Boden and I think they do a terrific job with their items. Isn’t the trim darling? No need for a necklace because the stripes and pompoms were such winners!!! Because there was so much happening with the dress, I added the earrings, neutral bag, and sandals.

Dressier Look #2

| Shirtdress | Espadrilles | Earrings | Necklace |

Who doesn’t love a shirt dress? Mine is a long-time light blue chambray favorite! (Mine is old, similar, here and here). I added espadrilles, which I find VERY COMFORTABLE in the humid weather. I filled the neckline with a silver beaded necklace and wore turquoise and silver earrings. Style Tip: I LOVE how silver with turquoise works with any denim or chambray.

Dressier Look #3

| Jumpsuit | Sandals | Jean Jacket | Purse | Watch | Tan Purse | Sunglasses | Hat |

| Jumpsuit | Sandals | Jean Jacket | Purse | Watch | Tan Purse | Sunglasses | Hat |

This is another playful look from Boden. It’s a very soft jumpsuit (sold out, similar, here, and here) made out of a dark floral print. Style Tip: The floral print works great on a warm vacation, but because it is dark and doesn’t show stains. I plan to also wear it in the fall in Chicago paired with a navy blazer and tobacco heels!

I loved the gentle harem shape to the cuff (think I Dream of Jeanie!) as well as the tasseled drawstring waist. I bought this in a size 8 even though the size 6 was comfortable. I just liked the added fullness in the 8. Doesn’t the denim jacket (and here) look neat with the jumpsuit? My sandals are flat and nude in color. Lastly in the photo, I decided at the last minute to pop on the crossbody bag (similar, here) in hot pink. We were walking a long way to dinner and it was easier to be hands-free. Here is a bag that is very similar to the one in the photo avove and below. Here is the hat from the photo above, as well as the sunglasses.

Dressy Look #4

| Pink Dress | Sandals | Sunglasses | Tote | Earrings |

This is what I wore to dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Big Island. The pink dress (old, similar, here and here) was a steal and I loved the ruffle neckline. It reminded me of the Gretchen Scott dresses, (here). Easy peasy to wear with tasseled earrings, nude sandals, and a bag (similar, here). One and done is why these dresses are such a win!

By the way, this list works great for many hot weather vacations. Going on a Tahiti cruise soon? Follow this list!

Dressy Look #5

| Black Dress | Sandals | Earrings

This is SUCH a comfortable dress. I know it looks like it might be hard to wear since it’s a body-conscious style, but TRY THIS DRESS!!! It’s stretchy and smooth in all the right places. Truly! I hate to wear uncomfortable clothes. This dress works and is a great value! (I’m standing in the lobby of the Mauna Kea Hotel in front of those gorgeous (pink, of course!) anthurium flowers!)

Dressy Look #6

| Sundress | Jean Jacket | Sandals | Sunglasses | Watch | Earrings | Bracelet|

I know you might be saying why did I bring so many dressy looks? Well, first I love cute looks. Second, we did eat out every night for ten days. And lastly, I think it’s fun to have options. I mean my blog is called, Dr. Julie’s FUN life after all..

This navy sundress (and here)is a maxi which is not Mr. G.Q’s favorite look. But, these long dresses were quite the style everywhere we went to dine out. I love the look, especially with a jean jacket and nude sandals. How about you, yay or nay? Let me know in the comments below.

A Few More Odds and Ends

If you like to take photos, and you like to go in the water, you need to get a waterproof phone case and flotation strap. These are critical. One of my favorite bloggers was recently on vacation with her hubby. He is also her travel photographer. Guess what? On their most recent trip, he dropped and lost his phone in the ocean!!! Don’t make that mistake. Also reef reef-safe sunscreen. And a rash guard for protecting yourself from the sun, especially during water activities. I even wore mine on early walks on the hotel property.

Please share this blog post with any girlfriends who might want packing ideas for a ten-day trip to Hawaii or another warm destination (or even a cruise). Thanks so much for reading! Please leave any comments or ideas for future blogs. You are a terrific audience and I LOVE hearing from you.

XO

Dr. Julie

P.S. More travel/packing tips:

I forgot to tell you how I packed all of this. My coolest packing tip involves the lightweight foam-topped hangers from the dry cleaners and their plastic bags. What I do for dresses, wrinkle-like tops, jumpsuits, etc., is I put each item on a separate hanger. If there are small straps, I secure the strap under the foam (see photo below).

Then I take two or three hanging items and cover them with one regular dry-cleaning bag. Next, I stack the bags together and lay them in my suitcase, folding the items in thirds. Then, when I arrive at the hotel, I just open my suitcase and hang everything up in their bags!

This trick saves me the hassle of not having enough hangers and having to wait for more from the front desk. It also makes it easy for repacking if you’re traveling to more than one spot as we did on this trip.

Lastly, for the rest of my items, I love these packing cubes and laundry bags. When I return home, I just wipe them out with one of those Lysol wipes. I do this to the inside and outside of my luggage too! All ready for my next adventure!

XO,

Dr. Julie

PS Here are a few more posts for you to enjoy:

Four Casual Chic Outfits for Spring

20 Gifts I Actually WANT for Mother’s Day This Year!

What to Wear on Beach Vacations

What I Packed for Five Days in Florida

Dr. Julie’s Fun Friday Finds – What to Bring to the Beach

Dermatologist Advice for Anti-Aging Products