This summer I will be taking the quintessential East Coast vacation and living up the WASP lifestyle in the Cape. This will be my first trip to the land of sand, lighthouses, and Lilly Pulitzer-print everything. Needless to say, I can't wait. As a West Coat native, I have been to the beach hundreds of times, but from what my Wikipedia research and obsessive Google-imaging tells me, the beaches of Cape Cod are quite different than the West-- they are filled with Sperry Top-Siders, J Crew whites, and Seersucker suits. Now, I know I am taking the stereotyped Cape Cod description to heart here, but I hope it's all true. I mean, I already have my J Crew whites on order.
Depending on where you're staying at the Cape, it's not all JCrew/Banana Republic. The islands (Nantucket/Martha's Vineyard) are pretty different than the mainland Cape, and within the mainland, the outer Cape is different than mid Cape, which is again different than the lower Cape. There's a lot of surfer-culture/Jack Johnson, chill maxi-dress/hippie vibe as well.
Either way, Cape Cod is fabulous! Enjoy!