High on your list of considerations when dressing for a family-friendly pool party should be practicality. With a variety of ages in attendance and water-based activities on the program, you need to don easy-care clothing that doesn’t mind being dipped in chlorine, splotched with ice cream or splattered by condiments when it’s time for the barbecue. While colorful printed swimsuits are a good foil for such mishaps, not everyone is comfortable in bright swimwear. And black—well, that’s just a bit unimaginative. This year, swimsuits in neutral tones are big news, with the added bonus that earthy, natural tones such as clay, burnt orange, bronze and olive green are sophisticated enough to transition into early evening with the addition of a breezy cotton kaftan or an oversize linen shirt in a harmonious hue. Add a wide-brimmed straw hat and a pair of sunnies, and you’re good to go from sunrise to sunset.
