Summer at Sea: Fashion Fit for a Captain

By Ryan Wallace on July 3, 2012

By Ryan Wallace

            Once considered a mode of transportation for the conquistadores, merchants, and explorers, sailing across the sea has come to be a luxurious means of transportation. Whether you’re on a yacht or a cruise, sailing has now come to imply one thing; lavishness. And with it’s newest position on the socioeconomic ladder, sailing has brought with it the evolution of its own form of fashion; no more puffy-sleeved pirate shirts, instead sleek sweaters, shorts, and shoes take its place.

But unlike prepping for any other event, outfits to wear to sea are slightly more contingent on the specific event. Take for example a long-standing tradition of college students: the “Booze Cruise”. The trips out to sea, although sounding like they are complete madness, are quite the structured events. Much like night trips on a yacht, they call for cocktail party attire; the trick is blending traditional cocktail attire with ocean-ready pieces. Gentlemen: Try pairing a blue/black tuxedo blazer with a Louis Vuitton collarless tux shirt, black slacks, and a pair of nautically inspired low-top boat shoes or suede bucks. Ladies: Your outfit choices are much more versatile; try any cute cocktail dress, but pair it with a thick-heel. There are nothing like stilettos to send you swaying when the boats leaves the harbor, so if you want to stay on your feet think about them when you’re putting together your outfit.

For day trips on a boat, like whale-watching or the occasional sailing ride, sportier looks will dominate the seas. There are two approaches to dressing for day trips at sea: 1) Literal, wherein you adopt traditional pieces from sailor men and women or 2) Abstract and colorful; the latter being the bolder choice. If you take the first approach, keep colors contrasting(for example dark blues and light blues, khakis and whites) and stripes are traditional. Khakis and Taupes are staple colors for bases like pants or dresses, but building your outfit with stripes and contrasting colors is a way to elevate your outfit. The second approach builds off of the first, but without the traditional pieces or stripes. Solid pops of colors, known as color blocking, bring all of attention to certain pieces of your outfit. A bold shirt in bright colors, or a drastically bold pair of shorts like the new teal shorts from the H&M Conscious collection, give your outfit all of the spontaneity that it needs. The best approach is to buy staple pieces then build from there. Nautically inspired pieces seem to cycle every 9 months or so, so you’re sure to find some interesting accessories while the season is on.

No matter what your outfit, or what the occasion, however, when going out to sea safety comes first. Because, after all it seems that every film at sea suggests that at any point in time a typhoon or tsunami can hit… So wear appropriate footwear! And no, that does not mean drab and dull, but rather suited for the seas. Heels that are thicker, wedges, boat shoes, and chucks are all sea ready, so you should be set for any occasion. Keep yourself safe at sea, and bold on the boat!

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