My Mom’s Packing These 10 Fashion Essentials From Levi’s and Spanx for Our Upcoming Cruise

My mom has been trying to coordinate a family trip for years, and the trip finally made it out of the group chat. We’re going on a seven-day cruise to the Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and my mom is making it her full-time job to ensure everyone comes prepared. She finished packing in March, and I rounded up 10 of her non-negotiables for the cruise, including Tory Burch sandals, Spanx T-shirt dresses, Levi’s denim shorts, and more. Shop her picks, below.

10 Mom-Picked Vacation Essentials:

• Spanx AirEssentials Maxi T-Shirt Dress, $138; spanx.com
• Faleave Linen Palazzo Pants, $26 (Originally $33); amazon.com
• Levi’s Baggy High-Waist Denim Shorts, $70; nordstrom.com
• Dokotoo Button-Down Shirt, $29; amazon.com
• J.Crew Como Woven-Straw Tote Bag; $95 (Originally $118); jcrew.com
• Tory Burch Buckle Slide Sandal, $148; toryburch.com
• Summersalt Ruffle Backflip One-Piece Swimsuit, $71 (Originally $95); summersalt.com
• J.Crew Capitaine Linen Shirtdress, $65 (Originally $128); jcrew.com
• Calpak Five-Piece Packing Cubes Set, $68; calpaktravel.com
• Béis Medium Check-In Roller Suitcase, $308; beistravel.com

Spanx AirEssentials Maxi T-Shirt Dress

Buy on Spanx$138

As soon as this ​​Spanx AirEssentials Maxi T-Shirt Dress arrived at my mom’s house, she knew she’d be packing it for our upcoming cruise. She says, “It’s super comfortable,” “lightweight,” and made from the buttery-soft material she and Oprah love. It comes in black, maroon, and black-and-white stripe, with sizes ranging from XS to 2XL. It features an easy silhouette that skims along curves, a classic crew neckline, short sleeves, slits at both sides that come up to the knee so walking isn’t restricted, and a length that stops at the ankle. 

Faleave Linen Palazzo Pants

Buy on Amazon$33$26

My InStyle article reviews easily influence my mom, and recently, she was persuaded to buy my go-to Faleave Linen Palazzo Pants, so now we’ll both be wearing the breezy style on the cruise. The lightweight pants come in seven colors, including khaki, yellow, brown, black, and gray, and sizes range from XS to XL. They feature a drawstring with an elastic waistband, made from a cotton-linen fabric, a high-rise fit, two front pockets, and a relaxed palazzo design that falls away from the leg.

Dokotoo Button-Down Shirt

Buy on Amazon$29

Dokotoo’s Button-Down Shirt is currently one of my mom’s favorite tops, so it should come as no surprise that it made it on the packing list. The button-up shirt comes in 12 colors, including black, brown, yellow, pink, and navy blue, ranging from S to 2XL. There’s a button-up front for easy on and off, roomy batwing short-sleeves, small slits at the side seam, and it’s made from 100-percent cotton with a crinkled texture. It has a relaxed fit that hangs away from the body and hits about hip-length. 

J.Crew Capitaine Linen Shirtdress

Buy on Jcrew.com$128$65

My mom loves a good multi-purpose dress, so she plans to pick up J.Crew’s Capitaine Linen Shirtdress because she can wear it as a dress with a nice pair of sandals or as a cover-up over her swimsuit. The dress comes in black, white, navy, light blue, and beige, with sizes ranging from 2XS to 3XL in regular, petite, and tall options. It’s made from 100-percent linen and features a button-front closure, a matching removable belt to cinch the waist, and pre-folded sleeves. The fit is relaxed, falls away from the body when not belted, and hits a few inches above the knee. 

Shop more of my mom’s cruise must-haves, below.

Tory Burch Buckle Slide Sandal

Buy on Toryburch.com$148

Summersalt Ruffle Backflip One-Piece Swimsuit

Buy on Summersalt.com$95$71

Calpak Five-Piece Packing Cubes Set

Buy on Calpaktravel.com$68

Béis Medium Check-In Roller Suitcase