Playing House Guide
July 2025
While everyone’s first instinct is to flock to Europe in the summer, don’t underestimate the power of a trip up north. Planning international travel feels like a full-time job these days, and aren’t vacations supposed to be relaxing? Renting a cottage in northern Michigan (cue our childhood nostalgia) or somewhere along the East Coast can be the low-maintenance escape many of us truly need. Something about beach waves, drinking coffee on a porch, and touching grass feels like the sartorial equivalent of a deep breath. Besides, what’s cuter than playing house with all your friends or your significant other, especially when it means escaping the insufferable heat waves that manage to seep into your tiny apartment no matter how many fans you set up? It’s also the perfect excuse to lean into cottagecore dressing.
When it comes to cottagecore, think: matching sets, nautical details, and loose layers you can nap in without changing. We’ve put together the perfect look for every cottage activity. Starting with The Train Ride, we have a layered ensemble to keep you cozy in the overzealous train A/C. Then there’s The Morning Errands, because renting a cottage also means realizing you still have to run into town in order to stock up the fridge. Next is The Midday Swim, because what’s the point of being near water if you’re not going to get in? Naturally, you’ll need The Post-Sunburn Shower, which is somehow both euphoric and excruciating, and your skin will thank you when you follow it up with soft fabric. Then comes The Beach at Sunset, where bringing a roadie to watch the sun dip below the horizon helps us build up enough serotonin to last months. And finally, there’s The Late Night Card Games, complete with giggles, grudges, questionable house rules, and bragging rights.
Because sometimes the best kind of summer getaway is the one that requires the least effort, and a lot of comfort clothes.
The Train ride
The train ride there is definitely the hardest part of the entire trip. Maneuvering your luggage from your apartment to the train to the car to the house is excruciating. So you’re going to need a smart outfit to get you through it. Trust us when we say layering is essential. For some reason, no one in the transportation industry has mastered temperature regulation. You will go from a subway platform sauna to full-blast air conditioning that turns your lips purple. Start with a simple ivory tank and a pair of mid-length jean shorts as your base. Throw on a nautical sweater, partly because it wouldn’t fit in your suitcase, but mostly because it’ll be your saving grace for a good chunk of the journey. Pair it with comfortable sneakers (because toes out on public transportation should be illegal), a multi-pocket tote to hold everything you forgot to pack the night before, and a pair of sunglasses to block the sun (and conceal the fact that you got lulled to sleep by the moving train).
Florence by Mills Fashion
Tombolo
Lisa Says Gah
The Morning errands
While errands usually feel like a chore and eat into the free time you’d rather spend doing anything else, they somehow become a little adventure when you’re traveling. When you’re renting a cottage, there may not be many reasons to leave, so heading into town to find fresh fish for dinner or pick up some household essentials suddenly feels like an occasion (and an excuse to dress up a bit). Begin with a flattering grey tank and some vibrant green pants for a fun and easy-going look. Add a pair of jelly shoes (bonus points if you pair them with a fun nail polish color), a brown leather bowling bag to reserve some arm real estate for many shopping bags, some brown wire sunglasses (assuming we don’t need to explain this one), and a beaded necklace to bring it all together. Now go convince yourself you need to purchase that city-name crew neck to commemorate your time there.
For Love & Lemons
Hand Over
Adidas x Wales Bonner
The Mid-Day Swim
Now, for the whole reason you went on this trip: swimming. The heat has been relentless this summer, so if there were ever a time to jump into the ocean or the lake, it’s now. Plus, think of the beach curls. To maximize the experience, you need the perfect waterside look. Obviously, a swimsuit is required; we recommend a classic white bikini. Throw on a pair of boxer shorts for the walk over, and slip into some flip-flops to avoid doing the dreaded hot-sand dance down to the water. Don’t forget a trucker hat to keep the sun off your face (ah, the eternal battle between protecting your skin and wanting a little glow), and bring along a beach basket to carry your towel and maybe a cheeky little bevvy. Wishing you warm water, salty hair, and a perfectly timed breeze.
Dairy Boy
Monday Swimwear
Monday Swimwear
Florence by Mills Fashion
Monday Swimwear
Havaianas
The Post Sunburn Shower
Nothing is as painful and euphoric as a post-sunburn shower. Whether you knew you got a little too much sun beforehand or found out the hard way once the water hit, it’s a feeling we all know too well. It’s the kind of shower that could either knock you out cold or give you just enough energy to make it through a full game of Monopoly. You and your skin will thank us for this perfect after-shower outfit. It’s loose, it’s soft, it’s a matching seersucker button-down and shorts set. Add a French pin to pull back your damp hair, some eyeglasses (because after a full day in sunglasses, something just feels missing), brown slides, and a beaded anklet, because if not now, then when? Now you’re fully set up to start prepping dinner… or curl up with a smutty book while everyone else takes their turn in the bathroom.
France Luxe
With Nothing Underneath
Bonnie Clyde
The Beach at sunset
Walking on the beach is a dating profile cliché for a reason. As one of life’s simple pleasures, it’s an absolute must on this kind of vacation. Whether it’s a quick stroll or someone in your group suddenly channels their inner Boy or Girl Scout and builds a campfire, we’ve got the perfect post-dinner activity look. We love graphic knitwear, and what is more on-theme than a Popeye sweater? Match it with some little flower pajama shorts for the ideal night-in aesthetic and some buckle sandals to inevitably throw off when someone decides they need to race you in the sand. Finish the look with gold twist earrings, a gold watch bracelet, and a woven bucket bag, one that may or may not contain an entire bottle of wine. You’ll be all set for the perfect evening on the beach… ideally with a s’more (or three).
Mansur Gavriel
Cou Cou Intimates
Birkenstock
The late-night card games
By the time you wander back in from the beach, dinner has been digested, and the group has some energy again. Chances are, you’ll find yourself roped into some kind of card game. Our personal recommendation? Euchre (it’s a Midwest thing—look it up). Whatever game you choose, expect at least one rematch, so you might as well settle in for a few hours. Honestly, it’s probably best to just put your pajamas on now. Start with a striped knit top and shorts set, cozy and infinitely more stylish than the oversized T-shirt and men’s boxers we all default to when no one’s looking. Add a pair of terry cloth flip-flops for shuffling around the house, and finish with a matching blue hibiscus claw clip and ring. We even threw in a set of fun, summer-themed playing cards that perfectly match the outfit (you didn’t ask, but you’re welcome anyway). Now go earn those bragging rights for the next year.
Arkitaip x Frankie Penwill
Lioness
Emi Jay
