Turn up the heat: a suitcase should be brimming with personality in 2025 …
Holiday daydreaming starts long before you fly – and your packing list should follow suit! Start making a list at least two weeks before departure. The old rules still apply: invest in multifunctional pieces that can transition from beach to restaurant, with the addition of a few key accessories. There’s fun to be had in summer styling, take this season’s eclectic baskets and playful charms, vintage headscarves, beaded swimwear and bold, bright beauty items.
LUXE KAFTANS
Stable of Ireland has teamed up with textile designer Peter Westcott to create The Shamrock collection, in two patterns and three colourways. Each piece (a kaftan, top and skirt) is cut from decadent satin-backed silk, and patterned with a beautiful abstract shamrock motif and striped edging. Why shamrock? “We were intrigued by the idea of doing something with this emblematic symbol of Irishness for many years – we wanted to give it back some style,” co-founder Francie Duff tells us. Invest in one for the most glamorous summer nights; €680.
Khaki The Jackson wide-leg linen trousers, €380; Wiggy Kit.
LONGER LENGTHS
Not everyone wants to expose their legs to sun on holiday. Consider lightweight, flowy trouser options like linen or cotton extra wide-leg trousers for comfort and coverage (they will allow air circulation, keeping you cool even on the hottest days).
FANCY PANTS
Statement-making print drawstring or elasticated-waist trousers will have you looking put together with minimal effort. Try matching sets and fun prints.
BREEZY SHIRT DRESSES
Borrowed-from-the-boys- style shirts are the perfect easy, breezy silhouette for summer, but this year it’s all about the shirt dress. Roll up the sleeves and wear loose over swimwear, belt at night for a more fitted silhouette and add a raffia clutch.
Khaki Nicola cotton shirt dress, €218.95, at Rae Feather.
Seersucker headscarf, €30; red Dolly crinkle swimsuit, €225; both Hunza G.
HERE FOR HEADSCARVES
It’s official, a headscarf (cotton or silk) is summer’s must-have fun accessory. Switch up your sun hat for a chic vintage or new version. Wear tied under the chin – as seen on model Kendall Jenner in Mallorca – or tied around a slicked-back updo at the nape of your neck, channelling The Hunger Games actress Hunte Schafer at Cannes Film Festival.
SWIMWEAR WITH A TWIST
Swimwear designers are leaning into print and embellishment details that transform classic silhouettes. Think floral corsages and beaded ties that elevate a one-piece or bikini.
Natural Flamenco raffia bag, Loewe, €1,900, at Brown Thomas.
ECLECTIC BASKETS
Bohemian raffia bags are a summer essential. The best ones now have clever detailing and a sense of humour. If you have a classic version already, add personality with playful charms from the high street, or pick some up at markets abroad.
WOVEN HANDBAGS
Rixo has collaborated with fashion favourite artisanal handbag label Dragon Diffusion: the result is a seven-piece, hand-crafted bag and accessory collection. The Amoria braided leather bag (pictured) is available in bottle green, brown and black, €310.
ACCESSORY ESSENTIALS
Standout straw hats and stacked resin bracelets are high on this summer’s accessory wishlist.
EMBELLISHED SANDALS
Your summer sandals deserve a glow-up. If it’s time to upgrade your basic Birks, sandals with metal hardware details like toe rings are the ones to reach for now, whether you’re beach-bound or sightseeing in a new city.
STATEMENT SUNGLASSES
Nothing transforms an outfi t faster than statement shades. 1970s-style aviators with coloured lenses are trending, while bold shapes in a classic tortoiseshell finish will add polish to your poolside look.
CAPRI BLUE ACCESSORIES
Add an eye-catching pop of sky blue by way of chic accessories – beads, scarves, sunnies.
INSTANT GLOW
The sun shone on the Chanel Cruise 2025/26 collection, unveiled at the Villa d’Este on the banks of Lake Como in Italy. And this year’s Les Beiges beauty collection celebrates the “golden hour”, when everything is tinged by the sun’s rays, including your skin. Try Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder, €57, at counters nationwide.
CHIC KIT FOR CHEEKS
Get a sunkissed glow with these Nars cheek palettes (in four colour combinations), which are inspired by the striped sunshades on the beach in Biarritz. €52, at Brown Thomas. Pair with a glossy lip.
BRIGHT NAIL SHADES
You can’t beat a hot red with a (bottle) tan. And the nail shape? “Short almond and soft squares are key for summer,” says Orit Brahami, founder of Nails Dublin. “The aim is glossy minimalism”.
SUN-DRENCHED SCENT
The mood is mythical, with Homer’s The Odyssey the unlikely beach read of the summer (watch The Return, starring a ripped Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, and look forward to director Christopher Nolan’s take on the Greek myth). Ithaque by Memo Paris is inspired by the Greek island of the same name, it’s warm and bright with bergamot, blackcurrant and cedarwood. From €130.
READY FOR TAKE-OFF
It’s not just the weight of a cabin bag you need to know when travelling Ryanair. Your handbag or backpack must measure no greater than 40x20x25cm. Parfois, Penneys and Samsonite at Kildare Village have great options. New Northern Irish company Ciúb’s compression packing cubes let you pack 20 per cent more and keep clothes wrinkle-free. For smart, light bags to carry beauty bits, we love Trinny London’s large Chelsea bag (€48, at Arnotts) and SpaceNK’s colourful travel bags (from €18 for mini size).
