Travel Products Style Fashion 16 Stylish Caftan Dresses for the Easiest Vacation Outfits Ever By Monica Mendal Monica Mendal Website Monica Mendal is a New York City-based writer and editor focusing on fashion, travel, and lifestyle. She contributes regularly to Vogue, Architectural Digest, The New York Times, and more. Previously, Monica was a fashion editor holding posts at Condé Nast publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on April 5, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy of Cos/Net-a-Porter/&Other Stories At long last, it's finally time to start planning our summer travels. I've been telling myself that summer is around the corner for the last three months, but now it really is. With our flights booked, hotels confirmed, and itineraries in progress, what's next? What to pack, of course. Packing for a trip is half the fun and shopping online for the perfect outfit for Miami, Costa Rica, Colombia, or wherever you're headed is a truly delightful part of anticipating your trip. (I mean, for what other reason can you justify buying a pineapple-shaped bag?) But let's start with the basics. There's one staple item you simply can't go on a beach vacation without: a caftan (or kaftan). 12 Comfortable Dresses That Are Made to Travel In Though the garment dates back to ancient Mesopotamian, the caftan's essence has largely remained the same: it's lightweight, breathable, and loose-fitting. It just so happens that these three characteristics make for the perfect piece to transition from a day on the beach to an afternoon exploring a new city — especially in the heat of summer. Wear it atop a pair of light linen pants for a day of shopping. Toss it on over your swimsuit as a cover-up by the pool. Belt it and step into a pair of heeled slides for a night out. You really won't need to pack much else. But if you do opt for a pineapple bag to pair with your caftan, just know you have our full support. 01 of 16 Tory Burch geo embellished printed cotton voile kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $330 02 of 16 Mes Demoiselles farouche leopard print cotton voile kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $285 03 of 16 Love Binetti Good Vibrations tie-dye cotton kaftan Courtesy of Matches Fashion To buy: matchesfashion.com, $384 04 of 16 Pippa Holt embroidered cotton kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $560 05 of 16 Su Paris Sya metallic linen kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $665 06 of 16 D'Ascoli Emir cotton kaftan Courtesy of Matches Fashion To buy: matchesfashion.com, $373 07 of 16 Juliet Dunn floral-embroidered silk kaftan Courtesy of Matches Fashion To buy: matchesfashion.com, $461 08 of 16 Loup Charmant striped cotton kaftan Courtesy of Matches Fashion To buy: matchesfashion.com, $475 09 of 16 See by Chloé tiger print tunic Courtesy of Farfetch To buy: farfetch.com, $357 10 of 16 Missoni Mare printed rainbow stripe cover-up caftan Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue To buy: saksfifthavenue.com, $985 11 of 16 Figue paolina tasseled striped cotton kaftan Courtesy of Moda Operandi To buy: modaoperandi.com, $450 12 of 16 Adriana Degreas nautilus printed voile kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $1,066 13 of 16 Emilio Pucci printed cotton and silk-blend voile kaftan Courtesy of Net-a-Porter To buy: net-a-porter.com, $1,135 14 of 16 & Other Stories embroidered belted kaftan dress Courtesy of &Other Stories To buy: stories.com, $129 15 of 16 Cos oversized v-neck kaftan Courtesy of Cos To buy: cosstores.com, $135 16 of 16 Zara semi-sheer embroidered tunic Courtesy of Zara To buy: zara.com, $90 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit