What to Wear for a Summer in the Catskills

By Katherine Bernard
June 10, 2015
Credit: Courtesy of Topshop
Last summer, The Graham + Co., a boutique hotel in Phoenecia, New York, debuted a slogan t-shirt on Instagram that summed up the internal struggle of New York summering: “Catskills vs. Hamptons.”

It's not unlike the rivalry between Mets and Yankees fans: if you grow up rooting for one, you know where you fall, but otherwise, it's easy to cheer right along with the crowd. So, even if you don't think of yourself as rustic (hint: if you're drinking a martini right now, have a European accessory on you, and spent more than three minutes on your hair this morning, you probably aren't cut from the rustic cloth), you can still bat for team Catskills, and venture up into the mountains to enjoy hiking, tubing, eco-farming, film festivals and fireworks.

So what do you pack to get you in the laid back, mountain air mindset? Here, we've assembled fashionable takes on Upstate staples, from a cotton gauze artist's jumpsuit cozy enough to inspire you to buy an old light filled shed and convert it into a studio, to a luxury cashmere tie dye t-shirt (yes, really), embroidery, crochet, and macrame accents that harken back to Woodstock Festival days, and flora-decorated pieces that will make you look like the local landscape (the next best thing to actually being a local). Once you have your Upstate look on lock, keep your Catskills ensembles in their own drawer. You wouldn't want to bring Hamptons attire by mistake...even if you are headed out east the weekend after!
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Credit: Courtesy of La Garconne

La Garconne Artist Jumpsuit, $575

Channel your inner Upstate recluse artist with this cotton gauze jumpsuit. Paintbrushes not included (but a great accessory idea).

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Credit: Courtesy of Elder Statesman

Elder Statesman cropped tie-dye tee, $495

A decidedly grown-up take on the fun summer tradition of tie-dye. Just be sure to change out of this luxuriously soft cashmere version if you decide to do any DIY dyeing.

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Credit: Courtesy of Altuzarra

Altuzarra tunic dress, $2,287.72

Wear this embroidered tunic to host a deck barbeque dinner party, and correct people when they say "man the grill"! In this dress, you're womaning the grill!

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Credit: Courtesy of Keds

Keds Champion Mushrooms, $45

Slip on your mushroom printed Keds for some early morning foraging. Just don't forget to check your edible plant life manual.

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Credit: Courtesy of Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony x Teva sandals, $95

The creek's down the hill. Two words: Jump in!

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Credit: Courtesy of Gucci

Gucci flora-print baseball cap, $365

Even if you forgo the day's hike in favor of lying by the pool with a magazine, you'll have the spirit of forest flora with you with this cap.

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Credit: Courtesy of Miu Miu

Miu Miu denim shorts, $745

Dance around the bonfire at the Graham + Co. in Phoenicia, New York in these little crochet-patch shorts. Your Woodstock Festival-going mother would be proud.

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Credit: Courtesy of Givenchy

Givenchy baby's breath printed backpack, $1,320

With a meadowy backpack, you'll have no problem volunteering to carry the trail mix, water bottle and sunscreen on the hike. The muddy boots--well, those can go in someone else's bag.

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Credit: Courtesy of One Kings Lane

Diamond cork flask, $29

Leave the city behind and embrace the laid back lifestyle of Upstate.

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Credit: Courtesy of Topshop

Topshop macrame back swimsuit, $70

Get Upstate crafty with this chic macrame back detail. You never know, the setting may inspire you to take up stitching yourself!

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By Katherine Bernard