What’s In Your Beach Bag?
We surveyed the SSENSE community to ensure you pack the essentials.
- Text: Alek Rose, James Harris, Dan Pacitti, Aijani Payne, Liana Satenstien
- Design: Jaime Salgado
There are few better occasions to watch people than when you’re lying on the beach. Sure, to anybody else, you look like a regular beach-goer, shades on and a book covering the bottom half of your face, but under those tinted lenses and behind those unread pages, a deep study of human nature is underway.
Are they friends or partners? Where did they get that food and how have they managed to keep their beers so cold? But most importantly, what’s in their beach bag?
This summer, we’re lifting the curtain and getting a peek at what some of our favorite creatives are lugging to the sandy shores.
Featured In This Image: Louisa Ballou dress, VETEMENTS balaclava, BAPE gloves, Balmain towel and Burberry umbrella. Featured In Top Image: VETEMENTS balaclava, Burberry umbrella, Bang & Olufsen speaker, ROA sweater, Byredo perfume, Collina Strada water bottle, CHIMI snorkel, Jil Sander hat, Lauren Manoogian tote and Maiden Name tank top.
Liana Satenstein
I’m having a no-sun summer. My skin is sensitive and I want to look like a plump teen forever, so I’m wearing this mask eight hours out of the day. I swear, if one ray even touches my forehead....
Oh, so you thought I was being cute and kidding about not having any UVs even look at my supple body? Yeah, right! I’m toting along a Burberry umbrella with me for extra coverage. Also, I love the naughty proper check. Reminds me of Posh Spice in, like, 2002.
A publicist in LA told me that she drives around with gloves on for sun protection. Publicists in LA are always right. So, I’m bringing these to the beach, too.
You better bet I’m shrouding myself in this thing.
Can you imagine? If I was that masked and gloved girl with an umbrella at the beach laying on a monogrammed Balmain towel? Delusional, but glam!
Liana Satenstein is a fashion writer who does deep dives on Madonna’s arm workout, men’s pointy toe shoes, and the allure of shopping bags. She’s also the host of NEVERWORNS, a fab show about people’s stuff they don’t wear—and why.
Featured In This Image: 4SDESIGNS shirt, Bang & Olufsen speaker, ROA sweater, Oakley sunglasses and Snow Peak bottle.
James Harris
Swaddling your salty, sun-baked skin in some crisp Oxford stripes at the end of a beach day and letting that mf flap in the briny breeze is easily a top five summer feeling. Angelo Urrutia’s big brain once again delivers a super elevated version of a necessary and versatile jawn.
If I don’t get to play my personal song of the summer (Dori Ghezzi’s “Margherita Non Lo Sa”) on this beautiful portable speaker, I’m throwing a tantrum like a toddler who got sand in their ice cream. But truly, this is the only BO you should be pulling up with this season.
Who knew the boot masters at Roa would make a meshy knit top that’s perfect for not talking to your crush at a bonfire or backyard function? Toss this over a tee or go nips on knits to activate full slut boy summer mode. And don’t worry king, you’ll get their number in the fall.
There’s no shortage of amazing sunnies out there, but I keep coming back to these Bottega goldies that are both classic 1950s American military and weirdo fashion boy. An investment for sure, and if you’re worried that you’ll lose these like every gas station pair you’ve ever copped, the solution is simple: don’t!
Don’t be the guy pulling up to the beach with a lukewarm sixer of some saccharine seltzer. Batch up a dicktail beforehand, toss some ice or frozen fruit in, and vacuum seal that shit up so it stays frosty all day. Now you’re the hero and everyone’s love for you will still be strong even after the boys of summer have gone word to Don Henley.
James Harris is the co-host of Throwing Fits, which many people are calling the only podcast that matters. His new favorite thing is unironically giving people the thumbs-up sign.
Featured In This Image: Comme des Garçons Homme Plus shorts, Gentle Fullness t-shirt, C.P. Company swim shorts and C.P. Company cap.
Dan Pacitti
Gotta have a hat for the beach. Gotta protect your neck and C.P. has great colors and lightweight fabrics.
Everybody needs a good bag for the beach that can fit your towels and other things in. Martine Rose always has great prints, so you can’t go wrong with this dog print tote.
I like to tie my T-shirts around my head to protect me from the sun, and this graphic tee is great for that.
You need a bright pair of shorts to chill in after coming out of the sea.
Once again, C.P. has great colors and light fabrics for swimming trunks. A must.
Dan Pacitti is a creative consultant and stylist based in New York.
Featured In This Image: Oakley sunglasses, Collina Strada water bottle, Maiden Name tank top, Byredo perfume and Innerraum cap.
Aijani Payne
At the top of summer, I’m always on the hunt for a good hat that I can wear religiously. This
will be a guaranteed part of my beach look.
Having a tight and sleek tank is a go-to for summer. Doesn’t only make you feel good, but you also get to show the hard work you’ve been putting in at the gym!
The third most important thing in my daily routine is having a clean, crisp scent. I always need to
know I’m smelling right, especially in the summer. It’s a big contributor to having a good day.
I hate straining my eyes from the sun. A good solid pair of sunglasses also gives a little boost to your look.
Hydration is key…especially with a bust-down water bottle.
Aijani Payne is a New York-based photographer who shoots fashion and contemporary images. His work often consists of distinct composition and coloring, which sparks vulnerable discussions about human emotions and the experiences of life.
Featured In This Image: Helinox canopy, Marni towel, Jil Sander hat, CHIMI snorkel and LINDA FARROW sunglasses.
SSENSE
Editors’ Picks
Once you’ve found your spot on a busy beach, you need to assert dominance and protect your prime real estate. We’ve found no better way to do so than setting up this beach throne from Helinox.
Believe it or not, there’s more to a beach visit than people-watching. This Chimi snorkel looks like something Bond would wear to infiltrate an underwater lair, so it’s definitely good enough to look at some cute fishies in the shallows.
For SS23, Marni teamed up with No Vacancy Inn and brought us all the ultimate beach collab, ranging from blow-up beach balls to bold graphic towels.
360-degree sun protection is essential. Nobody wants their beach trip to be cut short because of an uncomfortably sunburnt neck, which is why this Jil Sander bucket hat is a permanent beach-bag fixture.
Linda Farrow’s ‘The Mask’ sunglasses are giving medieval plague doctor, and that’s the kind of memento mori that every good beach trip really needs.
- Text: Alek Rose, James Harris, Dan Pacitti, Aijani Payne, Liana Satenstien
- Design: Jaime Salgado
- Date: July 17, 2023
