Dressing for the beach or the dock is really not that different than dressing for a day in the office or even a black tie event. There is no reason fashion rules change once water and sand are involved, yet many people make the same mistakes: too much color, too many patterns… Simply put: simply too much going on. Your beach look is still your look. Wear things that continue to extend your personal brand and style rather than someone else’s.
For this fair-skinned redhead, writing about beach fashion may seem a bit ironic, yet over the 20+ years since my malignant melanoma, I consider myself a modest expert (when you aren’t the quintessential tan blonde). Whether at the beach in Lake Forest or Cozumel with the kids, girls’trips to Miami or Santa Monica, or at the lake house in Northern Wisconsin with extended family and friends, your skin is your most valuable accessory. Protect it however possible. I’ve learned to embrace my “pale chic” with the conviction that I have spared my skin decades of exposure through the use of amazing sun block, hats and cover ups.
A pre-vacation ritual for some may be visiting a tanning bed or a spray tan booth. My redheaded ritual before I go out in the sun is converting my shower into my sunblock spray booth, making sure everything is covered before putting my bikini on. It may seem a tad extreme but it is the most effective way to cover yourself, avoiding the “stripes” above or below your bikini.
The building block in the beach or poolside scenario is your swimsuit. Everything else is predicated upon which option you choose for the day (much like an evening gown for a gala) so choose wisely. As a 40-something mother of three, much like forever resisting driving a mini-van, I just cannot wear a one-piece bathing suit. Some people can pull it off but I am not one of them. Hence, my building block is a collection of classic bikinis in my color palette.
Beach
Fashion:
Through
a
Redheaded Lens
By
Jennifer
M.
McGregor