Where can I buy lightweight, beachy cotton and linen clothes in NYC or online?

January 3, 2012 11:24 AM

Where can I buy lightweight, beachy cotton and linen clothes in NYC or online? I'm going to Thailand in February and need protection from mosquitos and the sun.

My fair skin is really prone to skin cancer, and mosquitos absolutely love me. As I'd rather not spend my vacation contracting melanoma or dengue fever, I need to be pretty cautious with what I wear. I need long sleeves and pants that won't have me burning up in the tropical heat.

I am specifically looking for a couple pairs of affordable linen pants without a bunchy drawstring waist (they make me look hippy) unless it comes with a wide, flat waistband (like this pair, which I already bought). Light colors are preferable to dark ones, but I am not a big fan of bright white, which seems to be the popular color for linen pants.

Any recommendations for mosquito repellant and really good sunscreen for sensitive skin are also welcome!

posted by Viola to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 answers total)

If you can hold off until you arrive in Bangkok, you will find all you want and more in the clothing department.
posted by lulu68 at 11:47 AM on January 3, 2012 [3 favorites]

I just came back from Thailand for work a few weeks ago and was really dreading the heat and humidity as I'm very prone lately to heat rashes. I lucked out the week I was there - perfect days of 80s and little to no humidity. My mosquito bites were minimal and were at night when I was wearing flip flops.

You can easily find very thin cotton long sleeved shirts at most of the Thai markets. If you bargain well, they'll run you about $8-$12 each.

I consciously slathered on high SPF sunscreen AND in Bangkok bought one of those small, silver reflective umbrellas to use during days I was out and about to protect me from the sun. The umbrella cost maybe $3-$5. Amazing - no sunburn or heat rash. You should do this too.

As for mosquitos, bring a tiny jar and fill it with Vick's vapor rub. Kills the itchiness almost instantly and won't bother you the next day.
posted by HeyAllie at 12:16 PM on January 3, 2012

I like Calypso. There are quite a few of them here in NYC.
posted by devymetal at 1:42 PM on January 3, 2012

I'm not a huge fan of LL Bean because I think their clothes look a bit frumpy in a mom-jean kind of way, but these seem very simple and cute, got good reviews, and are not hippie at all (I know what you mean): Washable Linen Pants

JJill has some that are on sale: Stretch Linen Wide-Legged Pants

Disclaimer - I don't own either, but now I'm trying to decide between them!
posted by valeries at 2:36 PM on January 3, 2012

Oh, now I'm rereading it and maybe I didn't know what you meant. Hippy as in "having hips", not hippie as in "having dreadlocks"? Well, regardless, my links avoid drawstrings...
posted by valeries at 2:44 PM on January 3, 2012

Boden has a number of linen pants, dresses, and tops. And more, more, more. They're not available just yet, but will ship next week...

I totally plan to live in these items when I travel to Bangladesh for the a month in August (work)...
posted by charmcityblues at 3:41 PM on January 3, 2012

Sorry, I meant "hippy" as in "having wide hips," though I see how that's confusing.

Calypso is cute but waaaay too expensive. I am not a beach person in the slightest, so I'd rather not drop $350 on a cover-up that I'll never wear outside of Thailand.
posted by Viola at 3:41 PM on January 3, 2012

came here to say buy all your vacation clothes once you get to bangkok/thailand, and find i am nth-ing the recommendation, which isn't surprising. that's what we did, and it seemed by far the best way to go about it. throwaway beachy clothes are VERY VERY cheap in thailand, and also tend to be a bit unique to the thai tourist scene, so they make great souvenirs.

you can find a wide variety of styles to choose from on koh san road, and even more at the weekend market, both of which are touristy-yet-fun (the weekend market more so) though at koh san road they do tend pretty firmly towards the backpacker end of the fashion spectrum. but, when in rome...
posted by messiahwannabe at 6:35 PM on January 3, 2012