A big thanks to Vineyard Vines for supplying some of the clothing featured in this story and to Flytographer for shooting the photography.

Founded in 1998 in Martha’s Vineyard by brothers Shep and Ian Murray, Vineyard Vines is a brand that brings back a lot of memories for me. I grew up in Southern Connecticut and some of my favorite vacation spots growing up were Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and tucked away spots in Rhode Island, like the Ocean House in Watch Hill. Vineyard Vines’ clothing to me, always embodied that laidback summer vacation vibe, and I’ve recently rediscovered the brand along with my family.

Though I now call California home, the east coast is in my blood and I go back home to Connecticut multiple times a year but especially every Memorial Day weekend to (unofficially) kick-off the summer season. Although founded in Martha’s Vineyard (the brothers started off selling neckties in a parking lot), the company opened their headquarters in Stamford, CT and recently opened a new west coast location in Manhattan Beach, where we live. The brand always makes me think of carefree summer days growing up and every time I see their pink whale logo, it gives me good vibes.

What I love about Vineyard Vines clothing is that it’s casual and comfortable but doesn’t look sloppy. My wife is always on my case about ill-fitting clothes and makes a point of commenting when I’m wearing Vineyard Vines items because she says they fit nicely and look good. What I care about is comfort and love that many of the men’s items are wrinkle-free or wrinkle-resistant (making them great for travelers) and that they are airy and stylish without looking stuffy.

I also love that many of their clothes are vibrantly colored. I grew up in a family of men who weren’t afraid to wear color (my 93-year-old dad can be found wearing pink pants or a purple sweater any day of the week) and Vineyard Vines clothing is colorful and happy.

Suffice it to say, I was happy to partner with Vineyard Vines to try out some of their new clothes for me and my family and share some of our favorite picks with you. We packed up our bags, hit the road and checked into the Beach Bungalow at the Del Mar Beach Hotel, just 22 miles north of San Diego, for a mini getaway and rocked some new Vineyard Vines outfits while we were there.

Below are some of our favorite Vineyard Vines picks. All photos were taken by the very talented Ella for Flytographer. And if you don’t know about Flytographer, I highly urge you to check them out. Flytographer is an amazing professional vacation photography company with friendly, local photographers in over 380 major cities around the world. You can hire a local photographer for a vacation shoot and come home with incredible photos of your travels. We have used Flytographer in cities all over the world and the photos are our most prized memories of our travels. Read more about Flytographer here and click here to book and use the promo code JOHNNYJET50 to get $50 off your first Flytographer photo shoot.


A Vineyard Vines staple is the Shep sweatshirt, which is available in a variety of colors and styles for men, women and kids. We’re all wearing a variation of the sweater in this photo and it’s pretty much perfect for any casual day out and especially when evenings get chilly on the beach. I’m wearing the Edgartown Shep Shirt, which is great for travel because it’s long sleeve but it’s so lightweight, it doesn’t make me hot. My wife, Natalie, is wearing the Dreamcloth Relaxed Shep Shirt and also loves it for travel because she always gets cold on airplanes and it’s soft and cozy with a relaxed fit. The kids … well, what is there to say? They’re cute, comfy, colorful and cozy!


Vineyard Vines’ kids clothes are high-quality and wash well, wash after wash after wash. The clothing is definitely more expensive than what you’ll pay at Target or other similar stores for kids clothes, but there’s no comparison when it comes to the quality. When shopping for kids clothes, my wife always buys everything one size bigger than the kids need so they get an extra year or so of wearing it, making it more of a bang for your buck. In this photo, our son is wearing the Garment-Dyed Vintage Whale Short-Sleeve Pocket Tee. TIP: Vineyard Vines often has sales and frequently offers promo codes for shoppers to enjoy discounts on their clothing.


In this photo, our daughter is wearing the Chevron Geo Pintuck Dress and it is so adorable. It’s got a fringe and pompom detail at the neckline, pintuck detailing and a double layer skirt. Perfect for the summer and she’ll be able to wear it next summer, too.


I like wearing bright colors and the Bradley Stripe Sankaty Polo, which I’m wearing above, comes in a variety of fun, bright shades. This shirt is soft with a relaxed fit, it’s moisture-wicking and wrinkle-resistant, making it one of my favorite shirts in my closet and ideal for travel. FYI: The Murray brothers say that this polo was named for one of their favorite places on earth—the Sankaty Head Golf Club and Sankaty Lighthouse on the eastern end of Nantucket.

Natalie is wearing the Linen Pintuck Dress, which she loved but had to iron because … linen …. so maybe not the most travel-friendly item but light and comfortable, she said. She also said she loves its versatility: “Pair it with flip flops for a casual day look or add heels for the evening.”

Vineyard Vines makes it easy to upgrade your vacation vibe and we especially had fun dressing up in matching sweatshirts for our fun Flytographer photo shoot. Visit Vineyard Vines to shop and Flytographer to book a vacation photo shoot.

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