One
of the best parts about going on a beach vacation is picking out your looks for
the trip! Whether you’re going somewhere tropical like Miami or exotic like
Fiji or Bora Bora choosing the right look for your vacation is half the fun.
When traveling I always like to step out of my comfort zone, try new colors, or
take a fashion risk by wearing something that isn’t my norm. This week on the
blog I want you to do the same, and I’m helping by sharing this seasons spring/
summer trends paired with our Caia prints. Love the fashion combos; check the
credits for the fashion and check out the Shop to get your complimenting Caia
Pillow today!
Being comfortable at the beach is truly an art form. Today when you go to the beach whether you're a lay on the sand type of beach girl or prefer the luxe of a lounge chair putting a little thought into your comfort can transform your beach vacation!
Tip #1: Focus on the crown and the rest will follow.
The comfort of your crown is key! Laying on a towel on the sand or against a lounge chair, let's be honest is not comfortable. If you have a comfortable beach pillow whether you choose to lay directly on the pillow or use a towel on top of the pillow it's a necessity to lay your head on a soft, fluffy surface.
Tip #2: Love your beach essentials.
Your beach essentials make leisure on the sand pleasurable. Having a great sunscreen, face mist, and sunnies make the beach cool and enjoyable for a full day in the sun. Share your favorite beach beauty essentials in the comments!
Tip #3: Something for the little things and something for everything.
The way you carry your beach essentials will level up or deflate your beach comfort. A chunky, hard to carry bag will stress you out before you even reach the sand. A small clutch for your personals...think keys, cellphone, jewelry, money will keep you from going on a treasure hunt just to pay for something or make a call. Now your tote bag for your towel and other beach essentials should be sturdy, but also reflect your style and vacation destination. What totes do you love? Share in the comments!
Tip #4: The right company produces the best comfort.
Take your best friend or your favorite book, but being at the beach is a connecting experience. When you connect with the people you're with, that new book you've been meaning to read, or the with the ocean itself you'll hit a space of relaxation and ease.
Tip #5: The menu matters.
Bringing the right mix of food and drinks for your beach day takes the experience to new heights. Starting with fruit, bridging to sandwiches and ending with wine and sweets is the perfect mix for me. What is your favorite menu of items to bring with you? Share in the comments!
I
love beach vacations because of the sounds, the openness, and the
ability to block out reality with the paradise of being by the sea. We all go
to the beach to relax, make memories with friends, and escape…right? But after
my Santa Monica, CA experience with my best friend, read about it here, I decided to not to go back
to the beach without making sure I had leveled up on my comfort! Which for me
started with finding the perfect beach pillow…
How
do you level up your beach comfort? Share in the comments!
Living in Miami I’m completely spoiled by having the
luxury of going to the beach year-round, but I spent my childhood up north in
Washington, D.C. and lived in New York for three years so I know the feeling of
liberation that comes with the Spring/Summer season. The weather is warmer,
clothes get lighter, and the burdens of life seemingly fade away. For me the beach
is the ultimate place to be during the summer. I had the best times growing up
spending family vacations in Virginia Beach and Myrtle Beach and in my twenties
living in NYC taking beach vacations to Miami with friends. But now I dream of
more exotic locales…
Nice, France
Number one on my bucket list is definitely the South
of France. Nothing screams luxury, relaxation, and glamour than soaking up the
sun in Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez, or Monaco. Fashion icons such as Grace Kelly, Brigitte
Bardot, and Jane Birkin have resided or made the region their premier vacation
destinations. But what is all the fuss, why has the South of France been able
to capture the interest of the wealthy for so long?
French Riviera
The region, officially named Cote d’Azur or the French
Riviera became an attractive vacation destination for British Aristocrats in the
late 18th century primarily because of the sun. England has a very
rainy climate with limited sun and the French Riviera in contrast is sunny
approximately 300 days out of the year. The early aristocratic visitors felt
the sea breeze and constant sunshine was good for their health and began frequenting
the region to seek refuge and reprieve from the harsh climate in England. In
the 19th century a railroad was built that made it easier to access
the region bringing more wealthy individuals and royal families and
establishing the area as a luxury destination for centuries to come. In the
early 1900’s many painters and writers came to take in the light and
picturesque view of the Mediterranean from the shores of Nice, Cannes, Saint
Tropez, and Monaco using the landscape as inspiration for their work. Notable
artists such as Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Edith Wharton were all known to
spend time there.
Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier of Monaco
The 1950’s and 1960’s ushered in a new era for the Cote
d’Azur as Hollywood began to settle in the region both by filming movies there
and vacationing there more frequently. In 1956 Brigitte Bardot starred in “And
God Created Woman”, now a classic film, about a young woman who’s an orphan but
manages to seduce her way into the hearts and beds of three wealthy men on the
French Riviera. A tale that inspired Hollywood starlets to visit the locale
off-screen and immerse themselves in the beauty and glamour that was captured
on film. Another event that dramatically enhanced the way the world viewed the
area was actress Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Ranier of Monaco, which
brought in European royalty and Hollywood celebrities alike to the Riviera for the event of the century, broadcasted to 30 million people around the world. This event opened up
the region to “new wealth” and with that came a new taste for in-your-face
luxury transitioning the locale to what it is today; an area populated by
luxury shops, expensive cars, and mega yachts.
Dior Resort 2016 at Pierre Cardin's Palace of Bubbles
In fashion, there have been many events that have
brought celebrities and the fashion elite to the Cote d’Azur. The Cannes Film
Festival became a noteworthy occasion in the mid-1950’s when the Palme D’or
award was given to the director of the best film shown at the festival. Also,
when Elizabeth Taylor hit the red carpet in 1957 with a crown on her head it
elevated the glamour on the Cannes red carpet and today is one of the premier
red carpet events for fashion designers and the celebrities they dress. AmfAR
(American Foundation for AIDS Research) has hosted a gala every year since
1993, during the Cannes film festival. The event is attended by the fashion and
film elite, includes a fashion show as well as an auction that raises millions of dollars
for the organization. In 2010 Karl Lagerfeld staged the Chanel 2011 Resort
fashion show in St. Tropez showing a collection that was as cool and rich as
the setting it took place in and for the past 5 years the company has set up a
summer pop up shop in the town. For the Dior Resort 2016 show, designer Raf Simons staged the show on the French Riviera at Pierre Cardin’s
“Palace of Bubbles”. The show brought Raf Simons into his own aesthetic at Dior
and ushered the brand into a new era with the famed Cote d’Azur as the setting
for its origin.
This region is a fantasyland of luxury and glamour
that has appealed to the tastes of the wealthy for many centuries. I look
forward to fulfilling my dream of visiting the beautiful French Riviera, but until
then I’ll live vicariously through all the beautiful people that keep the Cote
d’Azur lively and relevant. What’s your dream beach vacation?! Share in the
comments!
“For me traveling and living are the same. How you travel is a symbol of
your life”. – Diane Von Furstenberg
The world's sights, landmarks, and cultures of places
near and far are an eternal inspiration for what we see on the fashion runway
and in retail. There is so much more of the world I would love to see, but the
few places I have been to outside of the U.S., Paris and Vienna, and lived in
New York, Miami, and D.C., have each had its own flavor and inspired a unique way
of dressing. Inspirations derived from various locations and cultures are
regularly seen on the runway. The designs aren’t simply a nod to the climate of
a place or a matter of function when visiting there but instead reference an
energy that is expressed in the clothes. Travel is so strong of an inspiration
that some designers have based their entire brand on the ideals of seeing and
experiencing the unfamiliar.
Paris is special to me because it's the birthplace of
couture and fashion in general. The fashion that comes from Paris, especially
haute couture, legitimizes all fashion everywhere else. If it weren't for high
fashion there would be no benchmark in which to measure fashion in other cities
and at other price points. Paris is important because of its history and
traditions, its simplicity, and its commitment to the art and craftsmanship of
design.
“Paris
is paramount for fashion,always was – always will be.” – Manolo Blahnik
The business of fashion
is one that attempts to balance the motivation to make profits and the desire
to create art. The emphasis in today’s retail and fashion environment is more
geared toward achieving the former leaving much to be desired in the creativity and quality of today's fashion. This idea of commerce versus art has been a cloud over the industry for many years and is a
topic I got to pick the brain of Dana Thomas about as well as others, and I am
so excited to share her thoughts in today’s post!
For those who don’t know, Dana Thomas is a reporter for the New York Times, based in Paris, and the
author of New York Times bestseller Deluxe:
How Luxury Lost Its Luster. Her newest book Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of John Galliano and Alexander
McQueen, is an in-depth look at how two highly
creative designers built their careers on the basis of talent and creativity
and ultimately saw their demise because of the increased pace and demand of
profit required by the industry. A big thank you to Dana for being kind enough to send your responses for this post, and for supporting new fashion writers. Without further delay The Interview…
Fashion to me has always been intriguing because of
the way you can transform, escape, or build your confidence through what you
choose to wear. Growing up and even now I would say I am very much so an
introvert. Not to say that I lacked confidence but find that overtly saying how
I feel or expressing who I am wasn’t something I did out loud. However, fashion
provided me the channel in which to express myself without saying a word.
I love travel and
completely appreciate the unique qualities of other cultures, but there is
something very unique about fashion in America. The way we are usually first to
set trends, develop business practices, and lead the industry in creating
events and awards, has made this country the leader of the global fashion
industry. America’s influence in fashion is unmatched creatively and
commercially and I am dedicating this post to America and all that it brings to the industry…
Marie Claire South Africa December 2011 photographed by Ross Garrett
Lately there has been a lot of buzz around Africa becoming
the next continent after Asia to influence fashion in a major way. And, it just
so happens that as I’m writing this post I’ve just locked down plans to take a
trip to Luanda, Angola at the end of the year! Excited doesn’t even cover how
happy I am to be taking a trip to the African continent. I’m going for a friend
from college’s wedding so I am excited to share that memory with her, but I am
an avid jet setter so being able to add another stamp to my passport makes it
that much more exciting!
"Love it or hate it, what we wear is a huge part
of how we communicate with the world. And the messages clothes send are bigger
than just the 'hipness' of the latest fashion. Garments and accessories have
always been a key part of how humans show respect for one another, how
sexuality and gender are established, and how values and traditions are
honored. Not least of all, clothes are central to personal aesthetics and
individuality." - a Brooklyn housewife, in Clotheslines, by Roberta Cantwell, 1981
I love research and fashion. There are so many reasons
behind why things in fashion are the way they are and how they got there and
it’s so interesting to peel back these layers of the industry’s history.
Lately, this past week especially, the Far East has played a major role in the
fashion industry. The week started with two major fashion events first the
Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala whose theme this year was
China Through the Looking Glass, an introspective on how Chinese culture has
permeated American fashion. Then Karl Lagerfeld showed his Chanel Resort 2016
collection in Seoul, South Korea, using many unique Korean motifs to marry
Parisian and Korean fashion in one collection. The fashion industry has a long
history with the Far East, China especially, from manufacturing to retail to
showmanship and today’s post journeys through the origins this relationship.
