As you’ve noticed by now, my family and I love going to the beach. It is our happy place–it is one of the few places where were feel relaxed and completely at ease. I don’t know what it is about the beach but it feels like a reset button has been pressed whenever we go, and all the worries and stresses that come from living in the city seem to melt away. Carlos and I have been going on beach trips since we got together 14 years ago, and now that we are married with a two-year old, we try our best to set apart time so our little one can experience and appreciate the beach as much as we do.

And because my goal is usually to relax when I am at the beach, I really don’t like making much of an effort to dress up. I mean, of course, I still want to look stylish and put-together, but I do away with all the extras (like heavy/frilly accessories, too much makeup, etc.) and stick to simple, wearable silhouettes. However, I do like wearing prints–this is actually my secret to looking dressed up even when I’m wearing the most comfortable top, dress or skirt. Prints look good on photos and in real life, as it can elongate and flatter the figure (as it hides all the bulges and bumps), and you don’t need to worry so much about wrinkles from packing it in your suitcase.

So, okay, to show you what I mean, here are five beach outfits that lend effortless style. These are all gorgeous prints that easily take me from the city to the beach (and vise versa)–I actually love how versatile they are, and how comfortable I am when I wear them.

1.) Mango small checkered print ruffle dress. 

This really is the perfect summer dress–it is made of cool, breathable cotton and has the prettiest design. I like the little ruffle detail, and the front slit gives it a relaxed look. I paired it with floral earrings from Lily Jewelry (IG: @lilyjewelry), gold bracelets from Hey Jow! (@heyjow), and matte gold sandals from Teelle (@_teelle).

2.) Trinket Farm feather print wrap skirt. 

I love how effortless this skirt is–you can pair it with a simple tank top and immediately it feels dressed up. The front ruffles lend a little extra, and the print is really too pretty. I paired it with two tank tops from H&M, earrings that were a gift from a friend, and jelly sandals from Melissa.

3.) Promod floral sun dress and off-shoulder top.

These are actually the same print, but in came in different colors. I love how easy these are–you just slip them on at the beach and you’re immediately dressed. For the first outfit, I wore it with a hat I got from Lisbon, and sandals from Teelle (@_teelle); and for the off-shoulder top, I wore it with high waisted denim short from Guess, and sandals from Teelle.

4.) Promod navy floral coverup / flowy jacket.

This can easily be worn over a swimsuit or with jeans and a tank top–it is super versatile. I wore it with a black swimsuit from Nudo Swimwear (@nudoswimwear), and earrings from Seek the Uniq.

5.) Cocotini floral beach gown. 

This dress is unbelievably comfortable–it feels so nice against the skin, and you can wear it at any size as it is adjustable. I can imagine me wearing this for many more beach trips, and even if I get pregnant again. I wore it with earrings from Seek the Uniq.

How about you–do you have any beach dressing tips to share with me? I would love to hear them. Leave a comment below.