Saturday, September 24, 2011

Ahoy mateys!

The other day I posted about Spring florals and now, I am flipping to another Spring trend - this time, the chic, clean lines of nauticals.

Nautical seems to be a perennial favourite - rolled out each Spring to the delight of everyone who likes to recycle or shop their wardrobe. Not that it makes the style boring. Au contraire: it's classic, stylish, simple. I have a number of pieces in my wardrobe already which means I don't have to invest vast amounts of cash I really don't have to feel on trend this season.

Nautical doesn't have to be about just wearing a striped dress or top - you can include a canvas bag in red or navy, a pair of French style espadrilles or loafers or a well cut navy blazer to be on trend.

Having said that, the epitome of the trend really is the striped or themed dress. Let's take a quick look at how a few labels are taking the trend and putting a twist on it this Spring:

Charlie Brown has a sensational Maxi dress which has a great twist on the nautical theme. The shape of the halter and cinched waist give it a 50's twist and help it rise above the regular maxi on the hanger. A great pair of wedges would set this dress of beautifully.

One of my favourites, La Leona, has this offering of a beautiful nautical themed dress as part of the Summer collection. The nautical knots have a touch of playfulness while nodding thoughtfully to the 70's. Very sexy indeed.


A modern take on the trend can be seen at Howard Showers - with three different knee length options available, in addition to a strapless maxi and a tank maxi in pink, white and coral.



Us preggo ladies can also embrace the trend with a vengeance. Queen Bee has a black and white striped shift dress which smartly veers away from the standard boring black or patterned dresses. A chic option, pair the dress with a pair of thongs or sandals (if you are like me it's probably all you can get your feet into) and a denim jacket on a slightly cooler day. Gorgeous. But a quick tip - skip the hat.

Me? I have bought a black and cream striped jersey dress from Ojay ($99.95 with 20% off) with a gorgeous draped cowl neck which hopefully will be great for breastfeeding once the baby comes. I plan to wear it with a great pair of wood, leather and elastic wedges I bought in the US and my silver Oroton handbag.

I also have a great top I bought at David Lawrence with cap sleeves and an asymmetrical neckline I bought last summer which I hope to team with black wide leg trousers, ballet flats and silver and black bangles. Chic!

Speaking of accessories, why not break out the nautical theme here too?

Mimco has some great options, including this nautical rope headband.


This cuff is great, on trend and very casual - from Hippieknots on etsy.

Longtime readers of this blog will know I have a soft spot for the marvellous Ikabags on etsy. This chic Parisienne makes top quality canvas bags in a range of fabrics and materials. Her Stockholm Nautical collection is fantastic. I have this one with a red strap and am seriously tempted to buy more. I love that Feyza now makes nappy bags as well! Practical and chic!

Moving on to shoes, I love these wedges from Nine West - the rope sole and blue colour make the shoe a perfect nautical option.


For those who want a flatter option, Country Road has a great red loafer for $69.95. Affordable and on trend - what's not to love?

So, how are you embracing nauticals this Spring?

Kitty

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I lalalove the Charlie and Leona dresses! I'm always a fan of red, white and navy together and a maxi for summer, so these might be on my to-buy-ASAP list!

Also, I wrote a response to your post on cakes but thanks to Wordpress not playing nicely with Blogger, I couldn't post it. I wanted to say that I totally empathise with the disappointment when something like that goes wrong (it's a small thing but you worked hard to make sure it was right and then someone messed it up anyway!) but absolutely loved your shower cake - and what a happy day it looked. You are rich with friends!