Knit for the Heat: Resort Knitwear Worth Packing

There is a particular kind of dressing that happens at the intersection of sea air and golden-hour light — relaxed, but considered. Effortless, but never careless. Resort knitwear occupies exactly that space. Open-stitch constructions, handcrafted crochet, and lightweight stretch knits are the building blocks of a wardrobe that travels well and wears beautifully, from a terrace lunch to a harbour-side dinner without a single change of shoes.

This season, the labels carried at Lola Dré have approached resort knitwear with real craft intention. SIMKHAI works in fine-gauge open-stitch and eyelet constructions that allow air to move through the fabric — essential in warmer climates — while maintaining the structured silhouette the brand is known for. Zimmermann brings its signature romantic sensibility to crochet, hand-tying shoulder details that feel artisanal rather than mass-produced. And LoveShackFancy leans into its vintage-inflected DNA with scalloped hems, bold stripes, and a colour palette pulled straight from the Mediterranean.

Zimmermann's Aster Crochet Tie Shoulder Cami is a case study in the label's approach to handcraft. The cream-and-black contrast crochet is worked in a fine cotton yarn, and the adjustable tie shoulders mean the fit can shift from a delicate, close-worn layer over a bikini to a standalone top paired with wide-leg linen trousers. It's the kind of piece that photographs beautifully but earns its keep through sheer wearability across a ten-day trip.

SIMKHAI's resort pieces this season are built around the idea of considered openness — fabrics that reveal as much through their negative space as through the yarn itself. The open-stitch and eyelet constructions are knitted to hold their shape wash after wash, a detail that matters when you're working with whites and ivories in a sun-and-salt environment.

The Gentry and Fitzgerald tanks from SIMKHAI read almost as companions — both in ivory, both open-construction, but each with its own character. The Gentry's wide-strap silhouette sits closer to the body, making it a natural layer beneath a blazer at a rooftop event. The Fitzgerald's eyelet pattern is slightly more open, with a relaxed hem that tucks easily into high-waisted shorts or sits untucked over a swimsuit as a breezy cover. Together, they make a compelling case for building a neutral resort wardrobe around texture rather than colour.

For those drawn to pattern and print, LoveShackFancy and SIMKHAI's stripe offerings bring the personality. The label's signature romanticism translates into resort knitwear through fringe trim, scalloped edging, and a confidence with colour that feels genuinely festive rather than forced.

The Dessa Cardigan in Marbella Stripe deserves particular attention as the layering piece of the season. Its scalloped crochet hem and cropped length mean it works over everything from a bikini to a slip dress, and the stripe's warm multi-tonal palette — evoking exactly the sun-bleached coastal palette the name implies — makes it one of those rare pieces that does heavy styling work with very little effort on your part. Worn open over the Rowen Sailor Night Tube Top, you have a complete outfit that transitions from afternoon swimming to an early evening aperitivo without skipping a beat.

The Arlan Open Knit Camp Shirt from SIMKHAI rounds out the collection as its most versatile proposition — a short-sleeve, cropped silhouette in a breathable open-stitch ivory that reads as a shirt, functions as a layer, and packs to almost nothing in a carry-on.

Resort knitwear, done well, is one of the most intelligent categories in a warm-weather wardrobe. It offers the breathability of a loosely woven fabric, the polish of a constructed garment, and the tactile interest that separates a considered outfit from a purely functional one. The pieces curated here at Lola Dré span the full spectrum — from the pared-back utility of a fine ivory tank to the festive exuberance of a stripe-and-fringe tube top — but each earns its place in a suitcase through the quality of its construction and the clarity of its intention.

Explore the full Resort Knitwear collection →