Great Outfits to Wear in Cabo Throughout the Year

Just a few short weeks ago I was busy putting together my wardrobe for our anniversary get-away to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Cabo is one of our favorite places in the world. I was looking forward to walks on the beach, laying in the sun, and having all kinds of new adventures! The following post contains all the fun details of what I wore in Cabo!

Amazon to the Rescue

As you can imagine not many local stores carry sun dresses and summer tops in January, so I began to look online. Even my favorite online shops were still featuring sweaters and pants. After I got some preliminary ideas from Pinterest, I hopped over to Amazon to see what I could find. To my surprise, Amazon had so many cute things I was really exited to try. I started piling things in my cart for consideration and the following outfits made the final cut! (No luck finding new shoes for this trip. The shoes I packed are pairs I’ve had for a while.)

A note about ordering clothing online: Read the reviews to help you determine your best fit. Many of the vendors are located overseas in Asia with Asian sizes that are generally 1-2 sizes smaller than US sizes. Amazon reviews can be a valuable resource for determining quality and sizing. I’ve included the sizes I ordered for your reference.

Disclaimer: I love to find and share pretty vacation outfits. All of the items I’m sharing here are things I purchased myself. I have included product links under each photo to make them easier to order. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission on your purchase when you use my links to make a purchase. There is no additional cost to you. I hope you find something perfect for your next vacation!

“Thanks to fashion, celebrities have at long last found a cure for January blues: the color yellow.” — Timothy Mitchell

WHAT I WORE IN CABO IN JANUARY

Yellow Floral Sun Dress

Yellow Floral Sun Dress | Straw Purse (currently on sale) | Chandelier Earrings

This cheery dress I wore in San Jose del Cabo was a last minute purchase and it ended up being one of my favorites. I fell in love with the cheery yellow and orange floral pattern, but once I tried it on I loved the way it fit. It has an elastic gathered empire waistline, just below my bra which prevents the dress from clinging to my stomach. The gathered sleeves and ruffled hem are also very feminine and pretty. Another detail that I love is the low cut back has a simple tie detail that makes this dress really cute from the front or the back. Ordered a large and it was perfect.

Black Pom-Pom Cover Up Tunic

Black Pom-Pom Cover Up | Tassel Earrings | Straw Purse (currently on sale)

This cute black cover up looks great by the pool, but as you can see you can easily wear it around town too…especially if that town is Cabo! The sleeves on this cover-up are mesh, so even though it was warm out it didn’t feel uncomfortable. The body is made of a light weight breathable material that draped nicely and wasn’t clingy. I love the beautiful lace panel in the middle. It adds a little sophistication while the pom-pom fringe around the edges make it fun! In the morning I wore this outfit with shorts. Then for dinner, I wore it more as a dress. Ordered a medium and it fit great!

Boho Maxi Beach Dress

I love this dress and I know I will get even more use out of it this summer! It’s very comfortable, flowy and so flattering! The elastic trim around the neckline allow you to wear this dress with regular sleeves or as an off the shoulder piece. The waistline is also elastic, so it will fit your shape nicely. The length on this dress is perfect for a maxi dress. I’m 5’6″ and it just hits the ground if I’m not wearing shoes. I ordered this dress in a size large and color “beige” (even though the material is actually orange and blue). The boho-inspired floral pattern is so pretty in real life and was the perfect look for a day at Flora Farms.

Read more about our Sunday Brunch at Flora Farms!

*This straw purse is a great size if you need to carry a lot. I typically had my clutch (lipgloss, photo ID, sunglasses) and my big Canon 70-200mm lens stowed safely inside, with room for a light cardigan on top.

Linen Embroidery Tunic Dress + Tassel Earrings

Linen Embroidery Dress | Tassel Statement Earrings | Shell Anklet | Leather Wrap Bracelet

I fell in love with the embroidery and the neutral colors of this dress. The pink flowers that cover the 3/4 sleeves and the bottom hem are so well done and really add a nice feminine touch to an otherwise simple dress. There is no elastic waist, so it’s very comfortable to wear. The 3/4 sleeves can be warn pushed up and there is also a tassel detail on the end of the sleeve as well as the neckline. I’m wearing a size large.

These tassel earrings are an identical dupe of the Stella + Ruby Calypso Tassel earrings you can get at Nordstrom. My Amazon dupes are just $10 for a savings of $38 which translates to a whole lot of tacos here in Cabo!

Yellow Off-the-Shoulder Embroidered Dress + Bamboo Purse

Yellow Off-the-Shoulder Emroidered Dress | Red Earrings | Shell Anklet | Heart Sunnies | Bamboo Purse

This yellow sundress has a sunny boho vibe with beautiful embroidery on the front of the dress and on the bell sleeves. The elastic neckline can be worn off the shoulder or relaxed at the top. Most of the dress is lined, but if you are worried about show through, just throw on a pair of shorts underneath. I’m wearing a size medium.

The red chandelier earrings I’m wearing are made from shells and come in several colors. I have them in white and red and I like that they are light weight and are the perfect size.

This bamboo purse gets noticed every time use it, without fail. It’s such an interesting and unique material and people are constantly asking about it. It’s the perfect purse for summertime or anytime you are vacationing near the beach. I use a clutch to hold my wallet, lipstick and sunglasses and the clutch fits nicely inside the bamboo purse. This insures that none of the small items fall through the slats. There are several manufactures of this same purse style, but I chose this one because it was made with wooden beads between the bamboo slats instead of clear plastic beads.

Red Maxi Wrap Dress

You just can’t go wrong with a red dress and this one is a great choice for the off season when the temperatures are still moderate. This wrap dress was so flattering on and exceeded my expectations with my husband’s complimentary reaction. I ordered this in the floor length and the shorter, knee length but the floor length was ultimately the winner. My plan was to wear this wrap dress on a dinner cruise where I knew it would be breezy, so I decided on a size large to reduce the wardrobe malfunction potential. I also safety pinned the dress “shut” so it wouldn’t completely open up unexpectedly if the wind picked up. This was my first wrap-style dress, so it took me a while to figure it out because I couldn’t find the hole to feed the belt/tie through. Hint, it’s on the right side! I tied my dress in back, but it also looks cute to tie the bow on the side.

Peacock Floral High-low Dress

Peacock Floral High-low Dress | Statement Earrings | Bamboo Purse | Lace Layering Tank

This Peacock Floral High-low Dress is my absolute favorite dress from our trip. It is a dupe based off of the Hotel Paradiso dress by Spell and the Gypsy that sells for over $325 online (but is sold out in most places). Personally, I prefer to spend my money on travel experiences rather than designer clothes, so I was thrilled to find this dress for right around $20. Same boho gypsy style, same colors, slightly modified pattern, $300 savings. That’s a winner in my book! If you enjoy a bargain like I do, you should definitely grab this one while it’s still available. Oh and the back of this dress is just as stunning as the front. The ruffle high-low hemline is so pretty and I felt like a million bucks in this dress! I purchased a size L and thought the fit was great. Not tight or too baggy and the elastic gathered waistline made it even more flattering (drawstring detail is just for looks).

Fitting Suggestions

The only issue I had was with the buttons near the bust area because they left some awkward gaps. I was aware of this prior to ordering and just used a couple safety pins to close the gaps. Really easy fix. This dress has a low neckline which is fine for date night, but not ideal for walking around town, so I paired it with this black lace layering tank from Vintage 316 and it worked perfectly. The lace tank is quite long, so it shows through where the hem splits at the bottom too, very feminine. Make sure to check out Vintage 316’s other offerings. I love everything she sells, many one-of-a-kind pieces made by Jules, the owner, here in Oregon!

Black Off-the-Shoulder Top

Off-the-shoulder tops are really flattering and I especially like the cute tie detail on the sleeve. This top was really cute paired with some black Bermuda shorts and was perfect for our whale watching adventure! My earrings, are dupes of the more expensive Lele Sadoughi crystal lily earrings. You can purchase the designer pair for $168 on the Lele Sadoughi website, or a similar pair on Anthropologie for $98, or get theme here for only $13! These floral earrings would be great for a tropical Hawaiian get-away, a night out on the town or to a wedding. They are made of a lightweight resin with a mother-of-pearl finish and really make a statement!

WHAT I WORE IN CABO IN APRIL

WHAT I WORE IN CABO IN OCTOBER

Red Floral Print Off the Shoulder Bell Sleeve Dress

Red Floral Print Off the Shoulder Bell Sleeve Dress | Straw Handbag

Green Off Shoulder Ruffle Maxi Dress

Green Off Shoulder Ruffle Maxi Dress | Boho Rattan Tassel Earrings | Wedge Sandals

Red and Black Floral Off Shoulder Dress

Red and Black Floral Off Shoulder Dress | Red Earrings

Red Layered Bodycon Dress

Red Layered Bodycon Dress | Kendra Scott Earrings

Long Bohemian Sun Dress

Long Bohemian Sun Dress | Wedge Sandals

Packing Strategies

Normally, I would just throw together a bunch of cute shorts and tank tops with a sun dress or two and call it good. This time however I had to be slightly more strategic. I am approaching my late 40s and like many women my age, the weight has been accumulating, especially in the mid-section. I started reading up on ways to camouflage the tummy area with the goal of not looking too matronly. Typically my tummy strategy consists of wearing dark colors, but on this trip I wanted to dress in brighter colors to reflect the beautiful vivid colors in Mexico. A girl can’t hide in black forever ya know! Here are some great tips for minimizing your tummy pooch.

Strategies to Hide Your Tummy

Fit and Flare: Look for tops and dresses with a high waist or empire waist. This cut is form-fitting on top and flares out around the tummy. These styles are both flattering and comfortable.
Accentuate the Positives: Highlight your favorite parts. Low cut or scoop neck tops and dresses draw the eye away from the middle and up towards your face. If you have nice legs, show em off!
Show Some Skin: Off the shoulder tops help bring the focus to your neck and face and can be very flattering if the top is flowy and feminine. Look for off the shoulder tops with ruffles or lace details.
Loose and Flowy: Look for clothing with a lose fit around your problem areas and save the tighter fitting pieces for areas you want to feature.

Although I’m not 50 yet, I found this video really encouraging and helpful for choosing outfits that would be the most flattering for my body. I hope you will find it useful as well!