Laws of Couture: Nautical, But Nice

Wednesday, May 8

Nautical, But Nice

Moving away from the classic blue and white stripe, nautical inspired clothing expands its horizons for Spring '13. If you're looking to sport this year's rendition of the marine theme, you'll soon notice that while all the traditional nautical elements have left the scene, it still feels the same-- just more fresh and modern.

As a distinct Spring '13 fashion trend, the new nautical is accompanied by less obvious patterns and a new color palette including pinks, yellow, red, and green. The new nautical chic is also characterized by a spectrum of stripes (thick, thin, horizontal, and vertical) and contrasting prints and patterns, as well as both lightweight, relaxed silhouettes and crisp, clean elegant ones.

J Crew

Banana Republic

J Crew

Clashing stripe patterns and various prints lend a cool take on the nautical trend that allows you to wear it in a totally unique and unconventional way. So if head to toe breton stripes are not your thing, try mixing and matching them with other prints and stripes.

J Crew

The nautical trend translates best when sported in casual outfits, made of sheer flowy fabrics and relaxed feminine silhouettes. But, the fact that nautical chic can be sported behind the desk in a subtle, less obvious rendering is even more reason to invest in this trend.

Banana Republic

ABS
Saks

The elegant nautical stripe turned into full gowns on the runways this season. Make your glamorous statement by sporting a refined floor length dress for a remarkable lady-like appearance or go for something more edgy, like a sleeveless mirror-paneled cocktail dress in metallic emerald.