What to Wear in Monterey & Pebble Beach Outfit Ideas

The first of many Pebble Beach recap posts is here!

By the way, I took the photo above on the very first day we were there and does it not look straight from a postcard? Monterey is stunning – no filter needed!

I so wanted to share with you in real time last month that we were in Monterey, California for a few days! I’m one of those crazy people who waits until after I’m back from a trip to share, just in case of OTHER crazy people, haha. I will share each day in a recap post of its own, but first, I thought it would be really fun to share with you what I wore on our trip!

While I’ve been to California before, I had not visited this particular area before – so I did a lot of research on temperatures there in October and what I should wear.

If you’re heading to the Monterey coastline — including the iconic Pebble Beach — here’s exactly what to wear to stay comfortable, stylish, and prepared!

What Clothing/Accessories to Pack for Monterey

Being on the pacific coastline, it’s a whole different animal when it comes to packing! Pack for cool, breezy days and chilly evenings. October is one of the most beautiful months on the Central California coast, but the coastal wind can be surprisingly brisk — especially near the ocean, on the 17-Mile Drive (we drove a good bit of it!), or during morning outings. You can expect anywhere from high 50s to mid-to-high 60s.

• Pack Sunscreen, friends! I didn’t and looked like a tomato after three days (yes, really, haha!)
• Long Sleeves
• Lightweight Sweaters
• Dress Pants (if golfing/just wanting a dressy casual look)
• Jeans are perfect for shopping, dining, beach-hopping
• Windbreakers, Puff Vests, or Pullovers
• Collared Blouses (if golfing)
• Bring a hat or two (helps with the wind and lots of people wear them there)
• Comfortable sneakers or flats for walking and consider shoes just for the beach too!

It will depend on where you’re going, but I found that most people we saw wore a mix of dressy casual clothing and that’s what we were in too. I hope this quick little list helps you decide what to wear in Monterey!

What I Wore in Monterey

Now that we’ve chatted about the overall climate and some general things to pack along with you, I’m excited to share with you the exact pieces I wore! When shopping for this trip, my rule was simple: only buy pieces I could see myself wearing over and over. I didn’t want single-use outfits; most of what I packed are staples I’ll reach for all season long.

Compression Long-Sleeve Shirt

True to size, very comfortable, and thick enough that you don’t have to worry about wearing a camisole underneath. I wore this under a button-down at the golf courses as well as by itself tucked under the paper bag pants.

Basic White Tee

It’s probably hard to believe, but I didn’t have a solid white t-shirt in my closet until I purchased this one! It is very comfortable and loose-fitting, so I tucked it into my jeans and wore it with my pink cardigan. It is just barely see-through so I wore a white tank underneath, but it’s not bad!

Adjustable Full Slip

I packed a navy-blue dress that has a gold zipper in the back and a small gold buckle detail around the waist that I’ve had for years, but it’s just a little thin so I decided to purchase this full slip for it! It’s very comfortable and made my dress seamless!

Grey Stretchy Straight Leg Dress Pants

I know Carrie is going to get a kick out of this, she was dealing with me texting her about this pair of pants because I sent them back THREE times to get the right size, haha! I am a normal size 4, but it was a size 8 that actually fit me which is so strange, but they are super comfy and look very tailored. Definitely expect a size or two up though!

Beige Paperbag Wide Leg Dress Pants

These are SO comfortable and cute. I love high-waisted dress pants and especially with this removeable bow! Super flattering wide-leg too.

White 1/4 Zip Pullover

If you’re golfing or like me and just walking/riding around with your husband who is golfing, a pullover is a must! You look put together and it fits the proper attire since it has a collar, but it’s also wonderful because you can take it off if you get too warm. I sized up to a medium because it fit a little too snug in my normal small.

Lightweight Slip-On Sneakers

I kid you not – I had never purchased these up until this trip and wore them nearly the entire time (walking all four golf courses) and they were the most comfortable shoes ever! For this price and not even having time to break them in, they are incredible! They did get dirty walking the golf courses and since I couldn’t wash them until I got home, it kind of stained them. But at this price, I can just buy another pair!

ZESICA Long Sleeve Sweater Dress

This is my new favorite dress! I wore it to a group dinner at Roy’s at Pebble Beach and it was perfect! Since I’ve been home, I wore it to my BIL’s wedding and got lots of compliments on it. I love how comfortable it is and it’s very flattering!

Pink Oversized Cardigan

The star of the show! I wear this all of the time, I absolutely adore it! I loved this so much that I even bought one for my best friend Stephanie’s birthday, but in green! If you love soft, stretchy, cozy cardigans – this is THE ONE, you will not be disappointed!

Pebble Beach Outfit Ideas

While not all of these are the exact pieces I wore, I recreated the looks I wore each day on the golf courses to give you some ideas! The bonus is even if you’re not going on a trip to Monterey, all of these outfits can work on the daily when you’re leaving the house! Also, I’ll try to get some of the evening and travel day looks put together soon too, they were fun and pretty!

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

That’s a wrap on what to wear in Monterey, sweet friends! I really hope you enjoyed reading what to pack and wear if you’re planning a trip and even if not, maybe you got some new outfit ideas or found a must-have to add to your Christmas list! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!