The Place

From Andre Balazs, the mastermind behind The Standard hotels, this seasonal, 20-room inn (open through mid-September; doubles from $345) occupies a sunny slice of sand on low-key Shelter Island—just north of the Hamptons, but miles away from the swagger of its more famous neighbors.

The Vibe

At the hotel's oceanfront eatery, it's toes-in-the sand casual, with a Côte d'Azur kick, from its striped awnings and bentwood bistro chairs to an eclectic soundtrack. Order the moules frites and a bottle of local Wölffer Estate rosé ($17), and you might catch Mr. Balazs himself arriving by seaplane.

The Souvenir

Spotted on both guests and staff, Soludos espadrilles sport traditional woven jute soles beneath cotton uppers in a range of colors and patterns. They're a hell of a lot more stylish then filp flops and at $24-28 a pop, you can break them in at the beach without worry. Plus, they're versatile enough to keep in rotation through early fall. In fact, the style dominated the recent Spring '11 collections, so pick up a pair—at the Sunset Beach lobby shop, Steven Alan boutiques or online—and hang onto them.

Postcard from Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach, Long Island, NY