Ocean Inspired Fashion #ThisisStyle

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Sears #cbias #SocialFabric #ThisisStyle
Believe it or not, friends, the Artsy Family is already starting to think about and prepare for our annual trip to Myrtle Beach!  We like to go slightly off-season because the weather and water temperature are still great, but the hotel rates are about half of what you pay in July and August!  Last year we went in September, but a certain Little Crafter will be starting school this fall, so we decided to go a little before the summer rush instead.  Our trip is coming up rather quickly…and of course, that’s as good a reason as any to pick up a new beach-y outfit, right?

When I’m at the beach {and really all summer long, I absolutely love wearing skirts.   I love them because they can be dressy or casual depending on how you style them, they’re comfortable and usually hide my “mommy pooch”, and they really keep you cool. My preferred beach style when I’m not actually in the ocean or pool is something sleeveless and fitted, paired with a flowy skirt.  I also tend to gravitate toward colors that remind me of the ocean, like blues, teals, whites, and browns.  See?  Here are photos from last September, and from the year before. 

So it’s no surprise that those are the kinds of things I was drawn to when I was browsing this season’s styles at Sears.  I found a great deal on some adorable sleeveless shirts that you can tie at the bottom, which is always a chic look for the beach.  A top like this looks equally great paired with a skirt for dinner out or paired with cutoffs and thrown over your swimsuit during the day.

As soon as I saw this teal Laura Scott skirt, I loved the color…then I noticed the accompanying belt.  The shades of brown reminded me of sand, and the wooden beads even resemble seashells!  And, like the top, it was 50% off!  Um, yes, please!  Another selling feature for me was the midi-skirt length; it’s short enough that I can walk with my feet and ankles in the water and not get the hem all wet, but long enough that if when it gets caught by a strong ocean breeze, it won’t fly up and reveal more than I want it to.  Ask me how I know that can happen…

I also picked up a few coordinating accessories…I mean, what outfit is complete without shoes?  Granted, when I’m walking on the beach I go barefoot, but the restaurants won’t let you in without proper footwear.  Like I always tell Little Crafter, “No shoes, no service!”  When I saw these boating shoes with sequins, I practically fell over.  I may or may not have drooled a little.  What’s more nautical than boating shoes or more stylish than sparkles?  Nothing, I tell you.  And they even worked with my wide feet, whew!

You all know I love me some good fashion, but I’m also cheap and don’t like to pay an arm and a leg for it.  So I was pretty proud that I got everything for just $77.34!  And since I’m a member of the Shop Your Way Rewards program, I earned 730 points, which means money back for a future purchase!  If you want to see more from my shopping trip and feel like you were right there with me, be sure you check out my Google+ Album for the full scoop!

Here’s how the outfit came together: 

Just what I was hoping for.  Summery, crisp, and stylish.  What do you think?  I’m thinking I may spice it up even more with a colorful clutch and earrings when we go out for dinner.  I showed my guys and they both approved.  Hubby loved the shirt/skirt combo, and Little Crafter {who shares my penchant for glitter} heartily concurred that the shoes were the best part.  I must be doing something right.

Now all I have to do is try and find ways to be patient and wait for our vacation to arrive!  And in the meantime, if you’re looking for me in a crowd, I’ll be the one wearing the sparkly boating shoes.  Probably every day.
Hugs & Glitter,
Connect with Sears on Facebook and Twitter.

Similar Posts

15 Comments

  1. I’m so glad you were able to find clothes that feel fashionable and make you feel comfortable. One of my good friends has those same boat shoes and she adores them! I hope you have a great time on your family trip with your new finds!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.