Duffle Bag Dreams
From Bunk Beds to Bergdorf, the Camp-Coded Details I Can’t Resist This Summer
Growing up, my summers in Orange County never looked like the movies. Forget Parent Trap. Forget Camp Nowhere. Forget ‘Beverly Hills, What a Thrill’. My parents had other plans.
One year, it was two weeks of theater camp at a strip mall in Anaheim, eight to five under buzzing fluorescent lights, belting Sondheim into the void and practicing endless step ball changes on scuffed linoleum. Another summer, it was three days of Girl Scout camp with my best friend from preschool, both of us slathered in bug spray and earning mosquito bites like freckles with attitude. Or a weeklong stint at Wild Rivers day camp with my sister, both of us slick with SPF 70 and smelling like a vat of chlorine.
My mom always kept the schedule rotating, the lineup fresh, my friend circle wide, and the excitement alive.
By the time I got to college, though, the gaps in my summer résumé started to show. Over breakfasts, my roommates traded stories — Jewish geography, late-night pranks, locking lips behind the canteen. Tales of color wars and secret handshakes tugged at something in me. Though I wouldn’t trade my California summers, I couldn’t help feeling a quiet envy.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always had a soft spot for anything that looks like it belongs in a duffle bag. This summer, those nostalgic details are everywhere — bandana prints, paracord accessories, and patches on everything. Little souvenirs of a summer I never fully had but am more than happy to wear now.
You may not be heading to camp, but maybe your kids are. Or maybe you’re just craving a little adventure of your own. Either way, you can channel the spirit of summer without leaving town.
This won’t be your usual packing list. No hiking socks. No bug spray. Just sharp, camp-inspired pieces reimagined for grown-ups and ready to pull their weight in your wardrobe.
Patterned Roll Call
Of all the nostalgic touches making a comeback this summer, the bandana stopped me first, and it didn’t look anything like I remembered.
A couple of weekends ago, a girlfriend and I escaped the heat and wandered into Bergdorf to window shop. While trying to keep my credit card at bay, a familiar print caught my eye. Then, seconds later, it caught me again. Paisley, often seen around your neck at camp, had a new set of wheels.
Paisley is one of fashion’s most enduring prints. A single teardrop shape, multiplied into infinity. It began as the Persian boteh, a curved symbol woven into Kashmir shawls, then traveled to Europe, where Scottish mills in the town of Paisley made it famous. From Asia to Scotland to Paris runways, it has remained a swirl of contradictions. Delicate yet defiant, old yet somehow always new. Alive through centuries of rebellion and reinvention, and still finding ways to surprise this happy camper.
It’s everywhere this summer, and it’s no mere sentimental throwback. Untethered from bunk beds and campfires, Paisley’s been cleverly upgraded. Draped over cutout swimsuits and tailored skirts, it proves what makes a product story work: it’s not about what it was, but where you put it next.
Knot Your Average Camper
At first glance, paracord looked like a mistake. A scrap of rope, nothing more. But even the simplest material can tell a compelling story when styled with intention.
Short for parachute cord, it started as military gear. Lightweight nylon rope engineered to hold its weight under pressure. At camp, it was currency, braided into bracelets, lanyards, and keychains that swung from backpacks. Strong enough for soldiers, colorful enough for craft time, and now elevated enough to catch the attention of luxury designers.
I first clocked it at Miu Miu’s Fall 2024 show in Paris, where it was merchandised into the collection with real precision. Woven through sandals, knotted onto bags, and styled to outshine everything else on the catwalk. Since then, others have built on the idea, proving there’s still runway (and rack) for its second life, especially across a range of price points.
The smartest brands know how to turn history into desire. They take something utilitarian, functional, almost forgettable, and shift its context. Style it somewhere unexpected. Let it catch the light differently. Suddenly, it earns a whole new chapter — not because it changed, but because someone, even on Etsy, made you see it differently.
Badges of Honor
Last on my summer packing list? The humble patch has aged with surprising grace.
At camp, they marked every small victory. A perfect dive. A fire sparked without matches. A bunk so tidy it gleamed. Proof, stitched in place, that you’d earned your spot. Now they’ve returned with sharper edges and brighter colors. Marching up cargos, scattered over denim, pinned to canvas totes and baseball caps.
On a girls’ trip to St. Michaels last weekend, I spotted them again at The Bench. The shop was full of witty, vivid emblems ready to be claimed. Some cheeky, some nostalgic, some so finely stitched they deserved a frame. No longer badges to earn, but quiet declarations you can wear wherever you want.
Since The Bench keeps its charm offline, here are a few patches that earn my seal of approval.
Adventure Ready
Whether you’re roasting marshmallows over the stove or weaving through city streets with Google Maps in hand, these pieces balance rugged charm with polished style. Ready to carry you through every summer adventure, duffle bag packed, camp spirit intact.
Check out these fellow Substackers mastering summer camp vibes, nostalgia, and the power of detail like nobody else:
- ’s Camp Fleurish story brings grown-up creativity, good food, and joyful play to the table. Her recipes and reflections remind us it’s never too late to rediscover fun.
- totally nails the paracord trend outside of camp — effortless style with smart, simple ways to wear it. Her secret? Start small with subtle accessories that let the trend shine without overdoing it.
Big shout out to
for her clever take on camp-inspired fun, including pitching a tent right in your living room.
I'm starting to realize that summer dressing is about incorporating as much nostalgia as possible into what we're wearing without ACTUALLY looking like I'm headed to Outward Bound. I would like to plead the case for hiking socks tho :-)
The summers between college I was a camp counselor for middle school girls; the only people locking lips behind the canteen were me and my boyfriend 😏
This gave me all the nostalgic feels!! Also, the patches! I love that so much. Recently while virtual window shopping I found a pair of men’s pants with patches and I was immediately smitten. You are on to something!!