When you hear the phrase nautical style clothing, your mind probably drifts to navy blazers, sailor collars, or even the classic navy-and-white stripe. And that’s what our minds thought, too, but we had to tailor it to our hot summer days.
Quote of the day: “Just because you fail once doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything.” Marilyn Monroe
The idea of nautical style clothing was brought to you by my Thrifty 6 group. It’s not a style that I think about much, living in the desert, yet many of our “normal” clothing items can work.
While you might think of nautical as outfits for the boat or marina, we landlocked women are showing how it works even in our environment.
The nautical style clothing idea is not something we have styled in the past, yet I have styled stripes during the fall months, as well as I have shown stripes with a variety of prints.
Cathie: Blue & White Striped Dress
Cathie’s look is what I call “effortless summer chic.” Her linen dress may be striped vertically (a great choice if you’re not a fan of horizontal stripes), but the vibe is pure nautical freshness.
Blue and white is the most recognizable color pairing for this prompt, and she makes it her own with her fabulous accessories.
Details:
- Dress: As an Arizona native, Cathie realizes how dresses are much cooler in our summer heat. The fact that this one is a linen blend is even better. And it’s still available at Old Navy.
- Purse: Cathie opted for a crochet handbag, which feels perfect for summer.
- Jewelry: A gold “C” necklace and tan earrings complete the look.
Jodie: Skirt-Turned-Top
Yes, you read that right. I took a striped skirt and gave it a second life—as a strapless top! This is one of my favorite ways to rethink pieces already in your closet. Let’s start calling it fashion origami.
I wore this striped skirt in the normal way for my daily looks (on Friday), just so you could get an idea of how I changed it up.
Since the skirt has snaps that are functional down the entire front, I took advantage of them.
I used a self belt (from who knows what, since I keep them all hanging together and not with the items they came with) threaded through the belt loops and tied a bow to hide the snaps that I tucked under and to give it some decoration.
The ends of the front of the skirt are tucked behind me and secured with a safety pin.
Details:
- Headband– I found this nautical style clothing vibe scarf in my collection and used it in my hair.
- Sweater– I always take a sweater or jacket when we go places in the summer for the inside. I coordinated the red from the scarf with my sweater and some accessories.
- Earrings– I painted the outer band of the earrings red. I used fingernail polish and it’s stayed for over 4 years.
Style Tip: Don’t be afraid to transform your clothing into what you need. Just like I’ve shown ways to wear a long sleeve blouse in summer by twisting and tucking, you can do it with skirts, dresses, pants, and scarves.
If you like the material of an item, it might be able to be origami-ed.
Charlotte: Boatneck Stripes
A boatneck top is nothing if not nautically classic, right?
If you appreciate outfit repeaters, then you’ll love to see this same pairing back in 2019 with different accessories.
Even though my mom doesn’t have any anchors or rope details, it’s the color pairing that gives you that nautical vibe.
Details:
- Top: A white and blue striped long-sleeve boatneck top. This is a staple in any wardrobe and ideal for cooler summer nights or overly air-conditioned places.
- Pants: Her straight-leg red pants add a bright dose of color, nodding to the classic red/white/blue palette.
- Accessories: She carried a clutch with a blue palm motif (not nautical per se, but very resort-chic!)
Style Tip: Boatneck tops are a great way to show a little skin (because skin can be a great style element).
Thrifted and Creative Choices
Since these nautical style clothing outfits were styled for our Thrifty 6 group, many of our pieces were thrifted or preloved.
-Cathie’s dress? A thrift store find that came “new with tags”.
– My skirt-as-a-top moment? Thrifted as well as my shoes. The red cardigan was preloved (handed down from a friend).
-Charlotte’s striped top? Thrifted ages ago, yet it never goes out of style.
Nautical style doesn’t have to come from designer labels or coastal stores. It’s about the vibe, not the price tag.
I think that’s the biggest takeaway we hope to achieve with our Thrifty 6 group.
As much as I love my site, Jodie’s Touch of Style, I enjoy putting together my daily emails. I consider my emails an extension of my blog that is chock-full of positive inspiration that one friend calls a “Variety Show.”
I include articles, videos, and posts that strike my fancy, and since I have no siblings to share with, I share with you.
Insider info: If daily emails are too much, you can opt into getting them only on Saturday. I appreciate any support.
Thrifty 6
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this group to focus on second-hand items. I feel like there is no shortage of crochet items to be found at the second-hand stores.
Insider tip: Don’t forget to check out the men’s and kids’ sections of the store because you might be surprised.
- Emma of Style Splash
- Sally of Within a World of My Own
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie (and crew) of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 group for all kinds of ideas.
Insider tip: If there aren’t many wonderful secondhand shops near you, I have included a list of online shops that I love at the end of this post.
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“I probably had a few preloved pieces in my wardrobe with nautical vibes but I decided to go on a thrifting adventure instead. I started at the dress rack and very quickly found this adorable madris plaid sundress by the brand Nautica. How perfect is that for a nautical theme? It fit perfectly so I bought it and layered it under an old thrifted white blazer for a super summery vibe. I accessorized with my most nautically things…rope sandals, a floppy straw hat, a navy blue striped neckerchief (it has a high heeled shoe print but you can only see the stripes), red and white beaded earrings (they remind me of ocean buoys!), and a Viking ship necklace.”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I wanted to take photos with a red top and jeans, but couldn’t resist this one. I mean, does anything else scream more Nautical Vibes than this blazer! Look at those cute sailing boats! It’s a King Louie blazer, which means perfection. Bought on Vinted years ago. And even the jeans have something nautical, look at the cord in the jeans. Espadrilles in navy. A real nautical holiday vibe looks to me!”
Emma of Style Splash
“When I think of nautical style, navy and white is the colour combination that immediately comes to mind. These high waisted wide leg trousers with decorative gold buttons fit the bill perfectly. I’ve teamed them with a striped tee, rope necklace and wedge espadrilles. I think I’m ready to set sail now!”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“The T6 crew have gone all ‘nautical’ for June…
…could have gone with my vintage sailor dress but it felt too obvious, so here’s a more subtle approach instead…
This pattern clash navy ensemble has a hint of the high seas but to make the message extra clear, I’m standing near some boats! 😂
These military bandsman pants have a slight bell-bottom, and the exaggerated shoulders of the shirt resemble an epaulette – is this nautical enough?…”
Sally of Within a World of My Own
“Nothing says summer style like an outfit with Nautical Vibes, and nothing says Nautical Vibes like a navy and white striped boatneck top (retail, Lands End) and an anchor motif scarf (thrifted). I paired them with a textured white skirt (thrifted, Talbots) and red buckle flats (retail, Me Too) for an easy, breezy work outfit. To finish off the look, I made a pair of earrings that repeat the striped from the top and the anchor motif from the scarf as well as a coordinating memory wire bracelet that will work for all the US patriotic summer holidays with its red, white, and blue color scheme and its stripes and stars beads.”
Online Thrift Stores
If you don’t have great secondhand stores near you, then another great option is online thrifting. These are the ones I’ve used more than once (except Swap, but it comes highly recommended by a friend)
thredUp—this link gives you $10 (and me in return).
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Preworn–10% off with code JODIEFILOGOMO
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
Thank You
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Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my crew. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
