There’s a fine balance to the art of White Lotus resortwear. Relaxed but never slovenly. Showy but curated. Colorful but cohesive. Difficult to pinpoint but instantly recognizable. As costume designer Alex Bovaird put it to ELLE, The White Lotus season 3 costumes can best be described as “emotional dressing,” and each character has a wardrobe and a color palette that’s suited to their mood—and the personality they most want to project. The clothes communicate how these rich vacationers see themselves and how they want to be seen. And if you’re one of the thousands of HBO fans tuning in each week to learn what they’ll wear (and, eventually, who they’ll kill), you might find yourself eager to slip into a bikini and caftan yourself.

The White Lotus is all about presentation, performance, and preening, and Bovaird understands why that matters, even if the aesthetic itself is exaggerated. “Interestingly, at actual five-star resorts, I notice much simpler styles than what we show on The White Lotus,” Bovaird told Condé Nast Traveler earlier this month. “We deliberately avoid sweatpants and jeans, and you’ll see more high heels at our beach BBQs than you’d ever find in real life. We’re putting on a show, after all—it’s about entertainment and enjoyment.” In a separate interview with Who What Wear, she put it this way: “We imagine [the characters] are bringing their best selves or wearing something they’ve always wanted to or projecting their aspirations for the holiday into their suitcase.”

If you happen to see a spark of your “best self” in one of The White Lotus’s leading ladies, I’d, first and foremost, schedule a call with your therapist. But if it’s the clothes you find inspiring, here’s how best to pack your suitcase to emulate their looks.

 

https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a64311963/the-white-lotus-season-3-best-outfits-shop/