The Ultimate Sandals & Beaches Dress Code Guide for Women & Men

This post explains in detail the Sandals dress code and Beaches Resorts dress code for both men and women. If you are you wondering what “resort evening” and “resort casual” mean – Fret not! I’ve got you covered.

Sandals and Beaches Resorts are owned by the same company, the difference between the resorts is that Sandals is adults-only and Beaches is family-friendly. Their dress codes are the SAME. What works at a Sandals Resort will also work at a Beaches Resort.

My husband and I are usually avid Sandals fans, but for our last trip to Turks and Caicos, we tried Beaches Turks & Caicos. So, I’ve had the chance to try out the dress code at both Beaches and Sandals Resorts firsthand.

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How to Dress for Resort Evening as a Woman at Sandals & Beaches Resorts

Sandals/Beaches actually doesn’t clearly define for women what is considered “resort evening.” (It’s pretty much all geared toward the men if you look on their website.) However, there is still a dress code for women.

Below, I’ll show you a few examples of my personal outfit recommendations for resort evening wear for women at both Beaches and Sandals.

Dresses – Sundresses are best!

Fortunately, my normal attire of a dress and comfy but cute sandals or flats are the perfect outfits for a “resort evening” dress code.

The sundress dress I am wearing in the photo above was super comfortable and by pairing it with some fun jewelry, it also looked perfectly dressy enough for a resort evening. I purchased it more than 5 years ago for a Luau but thought it would work great for wearing to dinner in Jamaica as well! (And it did!)

Click to shop:

Dress (Similar options) | Sandals (Similar option here) | Watch

If you want some fun and comfortable resort dresses for your vacation – I am a huge fan of Lilly Pulitzer clothing. It’s great quality, colorful, and the perfect look for a Caribbean vacation.  (Above is my favorite Lilly dress for vacations!)

You can also NEVER go wrong with a silk wrap dress for a beach vacation. They’re so comfortable and classy looking! I wore this a few times for resort evening dinners while we were at Beaches Turks and Caicos, and it was perfect. I bought the Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress above secondhand from The RealReal for less than $30 with tags still attached!

Click to shop:

Dress | Sandals | Earrings | Bag

Shoes – “nice” sandals

Sandals/Beaches does suggest that the ladies wear nice sandals or heels. However, ladies, you are on vacation at a beach resort – personally, I would leave the heels at home! A cute pair of sandals or wedges are comfier and far more practical for a beach vacation (where, you know, you’re going to be walking on sand and such!)… and sandals like the ones I am wearing above (and below) or wedges are completely fine!

The Dos and Don’ts of the Sandals Resort Evening Dress Code for Women

As a woman, we have far more options than the guys do.  A nice comfy sundress and cute sandals are more than adequate for “resort evening.” You would also be fine wearing a cute romper (such as the ones below) or a jumpsuit (also below). Another option is to wear resort pants and a dressy top (this is my least favorite option, though, it’s just not as comfy to me).

Romper examples

Jumpsuit examples

Do Wear:

• Dresses
• Rompers
• Jumpsuits
• Heels (but not required!)
• Wedges
• “Nice” sandals

Don’t Wear:

• Swimsuits
• Swimsuit cover-ups
• Jeans shorts
• Flip flops

How to Dress for Resort Evening as a Man at Sandals/Beaches Resorts

Men don’t get to have as much fun with what they wear, unfortunately. They can still be comfortable, though!

Click to shop my husband’s outfit:

Shirt | Pants | Sunglasses | Shoes 

Example of a Men’s Resort Evening Look 

For shirts, the guys are supposed to wear long or short-sleeved dress shirts, with or without a collar. My husband swears by his Eddie Bauer button-ups because they look nice and are very breathable (some of them are also wrinkle-resistant too). He also wore a couple of polos too (like the ones pictured below).

Great Places to Shop for These Type of Shirts for the Guys:

Prana | Nordstrom | Amazon | SCOTTeVEST (Use code HCWT for 15% off your order)

For pants, the guys are supposed to wear dress pants or jeans. However, jeans are the last thing you want to wear on a hot and humid night. (It never got below 80 degrees while we were here!) You can still look perfectly nice in breathable hiking pants, in my opinion. My husband wears these breathable hiking-ish pants for just about everything!

They look nice but are also comfortable to wear in the heat. (He wears them for work now and wore them pretty much the entire time we were in Egypt and Jordan too.) He also packed these pants from Eddie Bauer and wore them too.

Shoe Options – Loafers or Boat Shoes are Best!

As for shoes, men have to wear closed-toed shoes. So, no sandals for you guys – sorry! They’re also not supposed to wear sneakers. Loafers or boat shoes are great for nights like this. My husband is obsessed with these Sperry boat shoes at the moment because he can now wear them for work in his new role. They also worked perfectly for “resort evening” style plus they are very comfortable to wear.

The Dos and Don’ts of the Sandals Resort Evening Dress Code for Men

Do wear 

• A dress shirt – this could be a button-up or polo (doesn’t matter if it has a collar or not or if it’s long or short-sleeved)
• Long pants (NO shorts) – we suggest wearing these breathable hiking-type pants
• Closed-toe shoes – boat shoes and loafers are perfect

Don’t Wear

• Sleeveless shirts
• T-shirts
• Shorts
• Sandals or flips flop or sneakers
• Hats

Just to be clear too – this isn’t required for ALL Sandals restaurants, only some of them have the resort evening dress code. Others will have “resort casual” as their dress code.

If you want to know how many restaurants require “resort evening” for their dress code – simply visit the Sandals website or visit the Beaches Resort website. Then click on your resort and then “dining.” You’ll be able to then click on every restaurant at your resort and the dress code will be on the right-hand side.

Resort Casual for Women

I know I went into a great big long-winded explanation of what Sandals and Beaches dress code is for evening wear… but that’s because it’s a little trickier (at least for men). Now, “resort casual” is FAR easier.

Basically, what resort casual means is that you should have your swimwear covered (and not be dripping wet) and have some sort of footwear on. Resort casual for a restaurant means “no shirt, no shoes, no service.” So, just be covered and have some sort of shoes on, and that’s all you need to worry about!

Now, the swimsuit coverup I’m wearing above would work best for dining for lunch, when you’re just coming in from the beach or pool. I would pair it with a regular pair of flip flops and call it a day!

Dresses that work for both resort casual and resort evening

Again, I like dresses, so I’ll also wear a dress and a pair of sandals for a resort casual restaurant at night. But really, you can wear anything you want – just so long as you’re wearing SOMETHING other than your swimsuit.

The ScotteVest dress above is one that is super versatile for Sandals/Beaches vacations (or any tropical vacation). I use it as a beach coverup, as a resort casual dress, and as an evening wear dress (when paired with a belt and accessories). It has a whole bunch of hidden pockets, so you don’t have to carry a bag. Plus, it is really easy to wash up in a sink with a soap packet, and dries in no time at all! (So, you can wear it nonstop while on vacation!) It is the perfect travel clothing item to add to your wardrobe.

Click to shop:

Dress (Use code HCWT for 15% off your order) | Sandals (similar) | Hat | Necklace | Belt | Earrings | Watch

Resort Casual for Men

For resort casual, men only need to worry about wearing a shirt and a pair of shoes. (And also make sure their swim trunks aren’t dripping when they go into a restaurant.) That’s it!

My husband is a fan of wearing obnoxious Hawaiian shirts during the day when he’s on vacation.

At night, he usually changes into a pair of shorts and a polo or T-shirt for dinner. However, any shirt, shorts, and shoes are fine for dinner at a resort casual restaurant!

If anyone has any questions at all about the dress codes at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts – please feel free to reach out in the comments section at the end of the post!

If you want a packing list featuring everything you should pack for an all-inclusive resort like Sandals or Beaches, check out my blog post: What to Pack for an All-Inclusive Resort for Both Women and Men

Important Information Regarding Travel to a Resort

Using a VPN When Traveling

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VPN is short for “virtual private network.” A VPN (like IPVanish) sets up a private connection between your device and whatever network you are connected to – so, no one can see your browsing data. It is important to use a VPN anytime you are connected to public Wifi (such as at a restaurant, resort, hotel, cafe, airport, etc.). This is because when you connect to a public network no matter where you are, you run the risk of a hacker grabbing your unencrypted data. Trust me, speaking from experience here…this can put a real damper on your trip if your banking, phone or email get hacked while you’re traveling!

VPNs can also help you save on domestic flights, help you watch Netflix shows not available in the US and more! You can read more about using a VPN in my post “Why I Use a VPN When Traveling and at Home (And You Should Too).”

Need a house sitter while you are gone?

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I, personally, recommend TrustedHouseSitters if you need to find a housesitter/someone to watch your pets while you are away.

How TrustedHousesitters works is they connect home and pet owners with trustworthy, verified sitters who won’t charge to look after your pets, in exchange for a unique place to stay. They have sitters and homes all over the world!

It’s a fantastic way to find trustworthy people to watch your home and pets while you are away. (And on the flip side, it’s a cool way to stay in different areas of the country and world without having to pay for accommodation! I have a friend who literally didn’t own or rent a home for years, and only used TrustedHouseSitters to find the next spot she was going to stay.) 

• Click here for more information on TrustedHouseSitters.

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• Continue reading: Sandals Montego Bay Resort Review – All-Inclusive Luxury Stay With Butler Service
• Continue reading: Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa Review + Photos
• Continue reading: Sandals Montego Bay vs Negril – Which Is the Better Resort?
• Continue reading: Best Travel Dresses for Every Season by a Frequent Traveler