DH and I are thinking about a tropical vaca in the middle of this winter, maybe a cruise or maybe a trip to some destination with interesting stuff to do in addition to beaches, and of course I'm thinking about wardrobe already :-).

I own a couple of bathing suits (one-piece) but do not own a single cover-up, and I'm thinking about getting one.

When i go to the beach at home, which is not very often, I tend to wear shorts and a tee because I'm most comfortable in that for a longish drive and then a 5 - 10 minute hike from parking lot to wooden stairs and across the sand to a spot on the beach. (I'm describing the trip to my favorite beach) A lightweight dress would be ok too.

I don't know many people with pools so being invited to a pool party is a very infrequent thing.

The whole sarong/flowy sheer wrap thing just does not feel like me.

A rash guard top is great if you're doing water sports, but that's not really what I'm looking for.

A cover-up in a shirt-dress style (with 3/4 or longish sleeves) seems the most practical to me, easy to get on and off, covered for sun protection, and good for modesty while walking through a hotel lobby or the hallways on a cruise ship. Even better if it's opaque enough to do double duty as a dress, or if it really is a dress to begin with. Also it it's opaque you don't have to think so much about whether it "goes with" the bathing suit.

The find below is Angies cover up from a summer trip to the Amalfi coast a year or two ago...that's the style I'm thinking of although i'd like it to also be wearable as a dress and this one looks a bit sheer for that, although the length is great.

What sort of bathing suit cover up do you like to wear for the various situations where you need one?

p.s. I realize that most cover-ups do not offer much sun protection unless they are made from SPF fabric. I wear sunblock and don't sit out in the sun for long periods.