st. barths

St. Barths has long been on my bucket list for several reasons: it's a place where lounging on the beach, swimming in the turquoise ocean, drinking rosé at lunch, eating dinner late, shopping, and dancing on tables are pretty much everyday routine--and all up my alley! It's also a trop chic playground, where things happen a little slower, the food tastes a lot better and life feels carefree. A few weeks ago, my husband and I spent some time with some frequent-St. Barths-visitor friends on this French-speaking 9.7 square-mile isle for some bon temps. We all stayed at Le Sereno, a tranquil, minimalist-chic resort designed by Christian Liaigre, situated on the beach, above. The hotel has a mellow, intimate vibe, as if you're staying at a friend's perfectly-appointed, elegantly laid-back estate. This works for me.

Le Sereno's entrance, above, featured some seriously chic symmetry. I especially love the lipstick red doors.

  
Open-air lobbies are usually a sign that you have deplaned in the right latitude.

A quick trip to our room yielded outfit change No.1! St. Barths' dress code centers around a striking bathing suit and a head-turning cover-up--my favorite kind of outfit! Here, I'm wearing a past-season dress by Thakoon, Chanel sandals, a Lisa Marie Fernandez bathing suit and an H&M hat. If only I had these standout cover-ups by Loup Charmant, Tory Burch and Melissa Obadash in my suitcase!
 

And here is the above-mentioned room. It was airy and serene--well suited for our early morning idleness and late afternoon naps.

I easily tore through my book on our balcony's well-positioned chaise lounges. On windier days, kite-surfers reign on this bay, known as the Grand Cul-de-Sac.

Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day, mostly because of where it was served: in an open-air, thatched-roof dining room, steps from the sea. I also think the perfectly crusty croissants may have had something to do with it!

Lunch at Nikki Beach, the island's most famous club-like seaside restaurant, kicked off with a ginormous magnum of rosé wine. In fact, the bottle was so big and heavy, the waiter had to rest it on his shoulder to pour the wine into our glasses. As you might expect, our lively lunch was capped off with dancing on the tables.  It turns out at least some of us must dance pretty well, as one of my (male) friends was asked more than once if he was a paid dancer.

To cool off, I proceeded to take a glorious dip in the ocean. My bikini is by Kiinis. It's super awesome--girls kept stopping me to find out what it was.

Rosé in the afternoon can be hard work--and requires rest. I will never get tired of this view though.

One day we chartered a boat to circumnavigate the island and snorkel. We anchored near the former Rockefeller House, just off Colombier Beach. The triangular structure in the distance is the estate's guesthouse studio, designed by Nelson Aldrich. I am just about to jump in to swim with the technicolor fish.

After another sumptuous lunch, I shopped at Poupette, by far the island's best boutique, and bought the crochet dress, above.

As the sun set, we would gather for drinks and/or dinner each night at the hotel bar, above, before heading into the night. There are all sorts of dining options on the island, some low key and some that end up with your drinking several cocktails called "Don't Feed the Models," outfit changing into a Laker cheerleader uniform, and then, yes, dancing on tables. No pictures of that shall appear on this website, however.

I actually took this photo on the flight in, but I think it works well as a parting shot, too. St. Barths is awesome. Go there!