Laguna Beach has a different energy to the rest of the Orange County coast and you feel it the moment you get off the PCH. It’s more village than beach town. More art galleries than surf shops. The cliffs are dramatic, the coves are tucked away, and the people who live there have a very specific quality of style – bohemian but not chaotic, relaxed but clearly considered, California coastal with something a little more individual about it than the beachside strip further north. Laguna Beach outfits should match that energy. Warm, artsy, slightly more personality than pure Malibu white-on-white, but still completely coastal in its ease.
Seven looks that capture that specific Laguna quality. All of them wearable for the actual rhythm of a Laguna Beach day – morning coffee in the village, time on the beach, afternoon at one of the galleries on PCH, dinner somewhere with a patio and a view. Here’s what works.
Our Favorite Laguna Beach Outfit Ideas
The Warm Earth Tones Set
Brown crop tank, brown swirl print midi skirt, gold spiral necklace. This combination reads as exactly the kind of thing you’d see someone wearing walking along the main beach in Laguna – warm earth tones with a print that has real character, finished with one piece of jewelry that ties into the visual rhythm of the pattern. The swirl print has an artsy, almost painterly quality that suits a town with as many galleries per block as Laguna does. Comfortable, beautiful in the afternoon light, and distinctive enough to be interesting.
The Light Blue and Tiered White Maxi
Light blue halter crop top, white tiered cotton maxi skirt, flower hair clip. The tiered white maxi skirt with a light blue halter is breezy and feminine in the way that Laguna mornings feel – not quite warm yet, the light still soft, the coves still mostly quiet. The flower hair clip is the personal touch that makes it feel like someone with a real aesthetic rather than a generic beach outfit. This is the look for a slow Laguna morning that involves good coffee and eventually the water.
The Linen Co-ord and Raffia Tote
Beige linen shirt, matching linen shorts co-ord, raffia tote. A matching linen set in warm beige is the Laguna daytime uniform done perfectly. The co-ord approach removes every decision – grab both pieces, add a raffia tote, and you’re done. It reads as very considered without having required any thought at all, which is essentially the goal. The shirt and shorts proportion also works beautifully for Laguna specifically – the village is walkable and you spend as much time in the streets and cafes as on the actual sand, so a full linen set handles both contexts gracefully.
The Red Sarong and Straw Hat Beach Look
Red bikini top, red geometric sarong wrap, wide-brim straw hat. This is the beach outfit – specifically for the actual beach time, the coves, the time in or very near the water. The geometric red sarong is a bolder choice than the pale coastal looks, and it works because Laguna’s aesthetic supports color in a way that purely bleached beach towns don’t. A wide-brim straw hat provides real sun protection on the cliffs and open beaches. The red-on-red is confident and completely right for a bright Laguna afternoon.
The Olive Ruffle Top and Linen Trouser
Olive ruffle tie-front crop top, beige linen wide-leg trousers, green headscarf. The olive and beige palette is warm and earthy in the best possible way – it photographs beautifully against both the canyon landscape and the coastal light. The ruffle tie-front detail adds a bohemian quality that fits Laguna’s artistic character perfectly. The green headscarf is the specific detail that takes the whole look from beach-casual to genuinely considered. This is the outfit for the afternoon stretch – gallery-hopping on PCH, or dinner on someone’s terrace looking out over the water.
The Wide-Leg Jean and Navy Top
Navy three-quarter sleeve top, ultra wide-leg light-wash jeans, brown belt. The most grounded, everyday combination in this roundup – and the one that most honestly represents what people actually wear in Laguna when they’re just going about their day. A navy top with ultra wide-leg light-wash jeans and a brown belt is comfortable, flattering, and reads as effortlessly put-together. The ultra wide-leg silhouette is very current and works beautifully on the breezy coastal streets. The brown belt is the one detail that keeps it from looking like a default outfit.
The Eyelet Wrap Skirt Evening Look
Black tank top, green eyelet midi wrap skirt, black flip flops, pearl earrings. The green eyelet midi wrap skirt is the most Laguna piece in this entire roundup – the combination of the artisan-quality eyelet fabric, the wrap silhouette that moves beautifully, and the specific forest green color all feel deeply suited to this town. Against a simple black tank with pearl earrings, the skirt is the whole outfit. Black flip flops keep the shoe choice completely relaxed, which is exactly right. This is the dinner outfit – casual enough to be comfortable in the warm evening air, interesting enough to feel genuinely dressed for the occasion.
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My Best Tips for Getting the Laguna Beach Outfit Right
How to dress for a town that’s more artsy, more individual, and more characterful than your average California beach destination.
Laguna Beach dressing is coastal California with more personality. The palette is warmer and more varied than bleached-white beach towns. The fabrics are still natural and flowing. But there’s more room for a print, a color, an interesting detail – because the town itself has that kind of creative confidence. Here’s how to dress for it specifically.
The Laguna Palette – Warmer and More Expressive Than Pure Beach White
Laguna’s palette draws from the town’s landscape – the warm sandstone cliffs, the deep greens of the canyon, the terracotta of the rooftops – as much as from the beach itself. It’s coastal but richer than pure white-and-sand:
- → Warm beige and sand – still the foundation, still everywhere. Linen co-ords, wide-leg trousers, simple tops. The neutral base everything else builds from.
- → Olive and earthy green – the canyon color that appears constantly in Laguna style. More grounded and characterful than the pale coastal tones.
- → Warm brown and terracotta – in prints, in accessories, in accent pieces. The warmest part of the palette that gives Laguna outfits their earthy, artsy quality.
- → Deep red and rust – the bolder accent colors that Laguna’s artistic character supports. Used as a strong statement piece (a sarong, a print) rather than a background color.
- → Navy and white – the more classic coastal combination that also works well here, especially for the more everyday Laguna looks.
Your Three Laguna Outfit Formulas
Three approaches for the three main moments of a Laguna Beach day:
The Village Day
A linen co-ord or wide-leg jeans with a simple top + raffia tote + flat sandals or flip flops. For the time spent in the streets, the galleries, the cafes. Comfortable enough to walk the hills, considered enough to feel like an outfit rather than just practical clothes.
The Beach Time
A bikini or bandeau underneath + a sarong wrap or tiered skirt + a straw hat. Specifically for the coves and the actual sand time. A color or print is very welcome here – this is where the bolder Laguna palette comes out.
The Dinner or Evening
One statement piece (the eyelet wrap skirt, the print midi, the ruffle top) + a simple base underneath + one quality accessory (pearl earrings, gold hoops, a good necklace). Laguna evenings are warm enough to stay light but a bit of care in the outfit signals that the evening has arrived.
Laguna vs Malibu – The Style Difference Worth Knowing
Both are California coastal towns but they have genuinely different aesthetic energies – and the outfit that’s perfect for one doesn’t always translate perfectly to the other:
- → Malibu is bleached, pale, almost ethereal – all white and cream and open-knit, effortlessly minimal. Laguna has more color, more print, more bohemian character.
- → Malibu is more celebrity-adjacent, more fashion-magazine. Laguna is more artist-adjacent, more craft-market, more genuinely community.
- → A deep red geometric sarong or an olive eyelet skirt reads as Laguna – it has personality and warmth. That same outfit in Malibu might feel slightly too loud for the bleached-pale aesthetic there.
- → Both value ease, natural fabrics, and an effortless quality. The difference is: Malibu’s effortlessness is pale and minimal, Laguna’s effortlessness is warm and characterful.
The Fabrics and Textures That Work Best
Like all coastal California dressing, Laguna outfits live and die by fabric. Here’s what belongs to this specific aesthetic:
- → Linen – the foundation fabric. A full linen co-ord is the most versatile Laguna outfit piece. Breathable, moves beautifully, looks more considered than it is.
- → Eyelet fabric – the artisan texture that is most specifically Laguna. The punched pattern references craft and handwork in a way that suits the town’s gallery culture perfectly.
- → Tiered cotton – for maxi skirts and wrap skirts. The tiers create movement and a feminine quality that works beautifully in the coastal breeze.
- → Ruffled or tie-front details – the boho-coastal detail that adds character without going too far into full festival territory. A ruffle tie-front crop top is very Laguna.
- → Raffia and natural fiber accessories – totes, hats, bags. The handcraft element that runs through the whole aesthetic.
Accessories With Personality – More Than Just Practical
Laguna Beach’s artistic character shows up in the accessories more than anywhere else. Here’s what belongs:
- → A wide-brim straw hat – practical on the beach and the cliffs, genuinely beautiful in the afternoon light. The wider the brim the more coastal it reads.
- → A headscarf in a warm tone or print – the bohemian detail that Laguna’s aesthetic supports in a way that more minimal coastal towns don’t. Green, brown, printed.
- → Pearl or gold jewelry – pearl earrings with a casual outfit is a very specific Laguna move, quietly beautiful and a little unexpected. Gold hoops or a spiral necklace for the warmer earth-tone looks.
- → A flower hair clip – the lightest possible personal touch that reads as genuine rather than costume. A single natural flower or a well-chosen hair accessory is very Laguna.
- → Raffia or woven tote – the bag that handles everything the day requires and still looks like part of the outfit. Large enough for beach things, textured enough to add to the aesthetic.
Shoes for Laguna Beach
Laguna is walkable but hilly – the shoes need to genuinely work for the terrain while still looking like part of the aesthetic:
- → Flat thong sandals or flip flops – the most common Laguna shoe. Simple, practical, honest about being at the beach. Black flip flops with a beautiful skirt is a very Laguna kind of contrast.
- → Simple leather flat sandals – a step up for the gallery walks and dinner. Something in tan or brown leather that can handle a few hills without complaint.
- → Bare feet – for the actual beach time in the coves. Laguna’s beaches are varied and some of the smaller coves are very much a take-your-shoes-off situation.
- → Avoid anything with a heel for daytime – the streets are beautiful but the hills are real and the cobblestones near the galleries are a commitment in anything other than a flat.
Packing for a Laguna Beach Weekend
A long weekend in Laguna doesn’t require a large wardrobe – it requires the right pieces that work across the different moments the town produces. Here’s the actual list:
- → A linen co-ord or wide-leg linen trousers + a simple top – the village-day uniform that works for everything from morning coffee to afternoon galleries
- → A swimsuit or bikini + one sarong wrap for the actual beach time
- → One statement skirt or dress for evenings – the eyelet wrap skirt or a print midi
- → A wide-brim straw hat – for sun protection and the whole aesthetic
- → A raffia tote large enough for beach things
- → Flat sandals or flip flops – one pair that handles everything
- → Gold hoops and pearl earrings – two jewelry options that cover every outfit. That’s genuinely all you need.
The cheat code: A beige linen co-ord with a raffia tote and flat sandals covers every daytime Laguna scenario – village walks, gallery visits, lunch anywhere, the transition from morning to afternoon. Then one statement piece (an eyelet wrap skirt, a print midi, an olive ruffle top) for the evenings. Those two things plus a straw hat is genuinely all you need for a full Laguna Beach weekend. Keep it warm, keep it natural, keep it characterful.
Copy-Paste Laguna Beach Outfit Template
- ✦ A warm neutral base – beige linen, wide-leg jeans, or a tiered maxi skirt
- ✦ A top with character – ruffle detail, halter crop, simple tank, or the linen shirt from the co-ord
- ✦ One personality piece – a print skirt, an eyelet wrap, a bold sarong, or a statement top
- ✦ A natural accessory – straw hat, raffia tote, or headscarf in a warm tone
- ✦ Pearl earrings or gold hoops – one or the other, not both
- ✦ Flat sandals, flip flops, or bare feet depending on where the day takes you
- Warm, artsy, coastal, and completely at ease. That’s Laguna.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear in Laguna Beach?
Laguna Beach dressing is coastal California with more personality and warmth than purely minimal beach towns. A beige linen co-ord or wide-leg jeans with a simple top for daytime village walks and gallery visits. A sarong and straw hat for actual beach time. A statement piece – an eyelet wrap skirt, a print midi, an olive ruffle top – for evenings. The palette runs warmer than other California coast towns: olive, earthy green, warm brown, terracotta, and deep red all work alongside the standard white and cream base.
What is the Laguna Beach style?
Laguna Beach style is bohemian coastal California – warm palette, natural fabrics, more character and color than purely minimal beach towns. The town has a strong arts community and it shows in how people dress: more print, more texture, more willingness to let a statement piece have a moment. Linen co-ords, eyelet wrap skirts, ruffle tie-front tops, raffia totes, straw hats, and pearl or gold jewelry are all very Laguna. The overall quality is relaxed but distinctly individual – not generic beach casual, but genuinely personal coastal style.
What shoes work best in Laguna Beach?
Flat sandals or simple flip flops handle most of the terrain – Laguna is walkable but hilly, and anything with a heel becomes a commitment on the cobblestones near the gallery district. Simple leather flat sandals in tan or brown are the most versatile option for both beach time and village walks. Bare feet for the actual coves and smaller beaches. The shoe choice in Laguna is almost always the most casual element of the outfit – a beautiful eyelet skirt with simple black flip flops is a very Laguna kind of combination.
What’s the difference between Malibu and Laguna Beach style?
Malibu style is bleached, minimal, and almost ethereal – white on white on cream, open-knit textures, effortlessly pale. Laguna Beach style is warmer and more expressive – olive and earthy green, warm brown prints, deep red sarongs, eyelet textures, ruffle details. Both are coastal California and both value ease and natural fabrics. The difference is that Malibu’s character is more fashion-forward and minimal, while Laguna’s character is more bohemian and artsy – which allows for more color and personality in the outfit choices.
What should I pack for a Laguna Beach weekend?
A linen co-ord or wide-leg linen trousers with a simple top for the village days. A swimsuit and one sarong wrap for the beach. One statement piece for evenings – an eyelet wrap skirt or a print midi dress. A wide-brim straw hat, a raffia tote, flat sandals or flip flops, and two jewelry options (gold hoops and pearl earrings). That’s genuinely the whole Laguna Beach weekend wardrobe. The town’s warmth and the natural light handle the rest.
