It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And by that, I mean it’s the most wonderful time of the year to gift your favorite Caribbean traveler (or yourself) a little something to enhance those tropical trips, in 2026 and beyond. As a black-belt international shopper I’m on the lookout for useful and stylish items all year long. And here are some of my favorites.
THROWING SHADE In my book, practicing “safe sun” doesn’t only mean slapping sunscreen on our skin; it means protecting your eyes, too. And this Caribbean-blue pair from Vontelle is just the ticket. I love that the lenses are dark enough to shield you from the sun but also light enough that I can get away with wearing them indoors (because I’m cool like that!). $299; vontelle.com
CHARMED, I’M SURE I’ve had my eye on JetSetCandy’s line of travel-themed charms and jewelry since the company came on the scene about a decade ago. Now they have more than 100 Caribbean destinations in their lineup of sterling silver, gold vermeil and solid gold charms, which will look fab dangling from a necklace or bracelet, and tell the world where you’ve been in a most stylish way. From $58; jetsetcandy.com
WELL-SUITED Has the Caribbean-loving guy on your list got a cabana suit? If he hasn’t, he should! Because the coolest dudes are dressing in coordinates like the ones I love from Tombolo. Made of soft terry toweling fabric, the shorts-and-shirt sets feature playful designs and work equally well for mornings by the pool as evening beach barbecues. From $128; tombolocompany.com
DYNAMIC DUO If you’re a carry-on only queen like me, you know how important it is to have a reliable, TSA-approved way to tote your travel-sized toiletries through Security. I cracked the carry-on cosmetics code this year with two items. First, capsules from Cadence (from $15; keepyourcadence.com), which are made from 50 percent recycled material and hold from .56 to 2.75 ounces of gels, creams, serums or liquids securely. They all fit neatly into this Calpak cosmetics case, which is double-sided to hold all my lotions and potions; transparent so I can easily see the contents; and has a handle I use to hang it from the towel hook. $75; calpak.com
CLOSET MVP In my opinion, the perfect travel tote is simultaneously capacious, durable and stylish. Aussie brand State of Escape’s Escape tote ticks all those boxes—so it’s little wonder that I have four of them in my closet! Made of neoprene, the totes are machine-washable and transition seamlessly from street to sand (I carry my laptop in it on travel days and use it as a beach bag at my destination). It also comes in more than a dozen colors, including a slew of neutrals and seasonal bold brights. $370; stateofescape.com
