Sun Shirts

Because I’ve been going down the shore (haha, I think I’m using that correctly 😂) nearly every weekend, I have actually been donning swimsuits a lot more frequently than I’m used to. Literally two or three times a week now I’m in a swimsuit at the beach. It’s actually making me not feel quite as guilty about my giant swimsuit collection!

The only downside is that I have been extra paranoid about sun damage. I got a pretty bad sunburn while in Florida last month. I try to avoid sunburns altogether because it’s so bad for your skin, and I was pretty mad at myself for letting it happen in the first place.

Some things that have been stopping me lately from spending time down by the beach. (I’m still “at the beach,” but I’ve been opting for being fully clothed on a porch with a book and coffee. Just had to throw this in in case people were picturing me holed up inside and avoiding the world altogether…)

One: I still want to enjoy my time outside and don’t want to completely turn into a hermit just because I’m afraid of sun damage.

Two: I’m a Florida girl and have very, very thin blood. To be honest, 95% of the summer days I’m up north do not feel like beach days to me. It’s such a different beach experience, especially the Atlantic vs. The Gulf of Mexico, which I’m most used to. Waves are giant and the water is near freezing. I’m used to feeling crazy hot at the beach, not bundled under a towel like I’ve been resorting to up here!

Three: As I mentioned, I have been religious about wearing sunscreen. I have a great routine down for putting it on for an everyday wear, but if I’m going down to the beach, I really kick it up a notch. Which more or less just means that it takes me a bit of time. (I am a firm believer that you should put sunscreen on while stark naked and just cover your entire body in it so you don’t miss any spots even if your bathing suit shifts during the day.) But if we’re only going to be down by the beach for an hour… I’d almost rather just not go down at all because the production of putting on sunscreen will take upwards of twenty minutes.

I have had my fair share of rash guards over the years and some are good, some are okay, and some are bad. Fit and comfort are super important to me while picking one out and I keep trying different ones in the hopes that I’ll land on the perfect one.

Well, I found it. Everyone needs to get one. And they’re 50% off right now so they’re under $20! I bought two and had them rush shipped so I could get one before this weekend. They fit PERFECTLY. They’re more like a form-fitting, but not constricting, long sleeved tee. It’s also pretty thin, in a nice way. The shirt has UPF 50 sun protection! Woo!

I plan on wearing mine over bathing suits, but you could just as easily wear them like a regular shirt or even work out in them. I like the idea of being able to throw it on and have instant protection from the sun.

I bought the navy and the stripes (easy choices!). If you know your size, you can also add a monogram. For reference, the XXS fits perfectly both as a shirt and a rash guard; it’s not too tight or too loose. The size chart appears to be accurate if you’re unsure! If I had known my size definitively before, I would have done the monogramming in a heartbeat. Seriously can’t recommend them enough.

I snapped this photo yesterday afternoon on the beach. I wore the navy shirt over a striped bikini I got last year for a magazine photoshoot!