What I’m Packing for Our Long Weekend on Nantucket

Whenever possible, my husband and I escape to Nantucket for a long weekend that we pretend is about rest. In reality, it’s about lobster rolls, old bookstores, and passive-aggressively racing strangers on beach cruisers. I like to pack light, but not… too light — I believe in options and over-preparing like a glamorous Boy Scout.

Here’s what’s coming in my weekender this summer:

✧ The Travel Set

Because if you’re going to be delayed by the ferry (again), you may as well look pulled-together.

  • Cream Linen Set – Anrabess Cream Two Piece Button Front Knit Lounge Set that feels like pajamas but looks like you read Joan Didion.
  • Oversized Navy Cardigan – Cashmere Cocoon Cardigan by Jenni Kayne for the sea breeze and overly air-conditioned cafés.

✧ Beach & Biking Essentials

I do not tan. I curate my sun exposure.

  • High-Waisted Swimsuit – Retro Black Two-Piece Swimsuit with the moral support of a good friend.
  • Nantucket Straw Hat – Wesley Wide Brim Fedora, because sunspots are not souvenirs.
  • Rattan Basket Bike Bag – MEUMITY Bike Basket Rattan Basket Bag for beach books, baguettes, and very strong SPF.

✧ Dinner-Ready Pieces

Nantucket dresses differently. Think “New England preppy with an inheritance.”

  • White Eyelet Midi Dress – Zayla Poplin Eyelet Midi Dress that says “I make jam, but professionally.”
  • Navy Espadrille Slides – The Center Seam Espadrille Slide Sandal in Navy, because stilettos on cobblestones are for amateurs.
  • Gold Statement Earrings – Coastal Hoops that shimmer at candlelit dinners and clambakes.

✧ The Intangibles

  • A genuinely good book – Summer Light on Nantucket by Nancy Thayer is set in Maine but smells of Nantucket.
  • His and hers bikes with questionable gears.
  • At least one impromptu photoshoot in front of a gray-shingled cottage.

We pack not just for the island, but for who we become there: a little more barefoot, a little more likely to start a lifestyle newsletter, a little more in love. That’s the point, isn’t it?

See you on the bluff.

xo,
Whitney

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