After what felt like eons, the third season of The White Lotus finally premiered on Max this Sunday, marking what might be one of the most highly anticipated releases in modern TV streaming. Set on the island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand, the setting and cast of both new and familiar faces plunges us into a world steeped in mystery, betrayal, and spirituality, all set against the backdrop of the ultra-luxury resort. The series is, of course, known for its exploration of chaotic rich people and the issues they can never seem to outrun, no matter how far-flung their destination of choice is. As such, the style on the show is basically a master class in a wealthy vacation wardrobe.
So when I heard that H&M was partnering with costume designer Alex Bovaird on a collection inspired by the series’s third installment, I was all ears. Filled with airy caftans, opulent beaded jewelry, intricate prints, and capacious beach bags, the collaboration hits on all the highlights that have made the show’s wardrobe become as viral as it is. Of course, Bovaird had this season’s cast in mind when she co-designed the collection—she says she’d put Chelsea in the romantic frill dresses; Chloe in the sarong, bikini, and sunglasses; Belinda in the burgundy dress and caftan; and Piper in all the lace pieces. Yep, I see the vision.
While the collection certainly looks luxe, trust me it fits and feels even better than you can imagine. When I sat down to link out to everything I tried on, I was actually floored that the pieces were so affordable. (Most everything is sub $100.) From a versatile printed pareo to a larger-than-life raffia bag and designer-vibe ruffled chiffon caftan, the collection is dripping with rich-mom-on-vacation-in-Thailand energy. Continue on to read my reviews and shop the full edit here.
Balloon-Sleeved Chiffon Dress + Seashell-Pendant Necklace
My Review: Starting off strong with what is by far my favorite piece from the collection. In fact, if I could only purchase a single thing, this stunning chiffon caftan would 100% be my pick. First of all, the color. It’s a deep burgundy hue that borders on a chocolate brown and is the a flawless base to gold accents, like the shell pendant necklace I styled it with. The dress is the most expensive piece in the edit, and at $109, that’s saying a lot. But I had a chance to style everything before I knew the price points of any of the pieces, and when I tell you I assumed this would have been at least three or four times higher, I mean it. It’s giving designer in every way. Here, I styled it as a beach cover-up, but the semi-sheer fabric would also be fun to wear as an evening piece atop a slip.
The dress also features a closure at the neckline that transforms it from a beach cover-up to an evening-ready piece. Here, I fastened it to show off what an ultra-elegant silhouette it has worn like this.
My review: The bigger the bag, the richer the outfit looks, right? Right. The Straw Shopper is all the proof I need to underscore this point. I think the extra-large shape and elevated brown color speak for themselves, but I will say that this was another piece that I was floored by. I’ve seen and tried on so many raffia bags from both affordable and luxury labels and can say with certainty that this one stacks up well. I can already imagine Parker Posey’s character pulling up to the White Lotus pool with this bag in tow.
As for the Straw Bucket Hat, it’s in the same nutty-brown tone, so it automatically pairs well with the bag for a ready-made beach look. It has more structure than a traditional bucket hat, and the size and shape are what lend it a much more elevated feel than your average straw hat. I popped it on with a few of the outfits here and was delighted with how good it looked with pretty much everything.
