Feeling Nauti

Last week was my spring break, and I spent most of the week visiting my fiance at his place, and then we went to Wilmington, NC for the last weekend of the break. My fiance lives one town over from Swansboro, a very small and cute beach town in North Carolina. It's at the very southern edge of the Outer Banks, and it's not nearly as popular as most of the major beaches and towns in the Outer Banks, but it's a cute place to spend a day or an afternoon. I just love being on the coast and getting nice views of the water, so I appreciate that he lives so close to a beach town even if it's small and not too popular of one.

We went into town one afternoon to get drinks and appetizers after he got off work. There are a couple restaurants with patios that overlook the water, and I was really hoping to be able to have a drink outside with a view, but it was just so windy that I'm pretty sure our cocktails would have blown away! Even though it was sunny enough to be a nice day, the intense winds just made it so cold that we had to sit inside. The wind made it a perfect day to wear this sweater though. It's a great sweater for a cold day at the beach. The stripes give it a very nautical vibe, which makes me almost want to only wear it when I'm near water, but it's also a pretty warm sweater. This would be a great sweater for a somewhat chilly summer night on the beach, paired with navy shorts and boat shoes. It's a pretty relaxed fit, and it's very comfortable.

The wind was so strong that I actually needed a jacket it addition to a sweater. I've written about this jacket before. It's a great spring and fall jacket, it's light but warm, and the neutral color goes with almost anything. For me, it's a more casual alternative to a trench coat.

With an outfit like this, I would usually wear a pair of boat shoes or loafers, but I decided to try something new for me, and wear sneakers. Outside of my running shoes, I can't remember the last time I bought a pair of sneakers, but these ones caught my eye as I was browsing the Nordstrom shoe section. They have gold thread woven into the cream top of the shoe, which gives it a subtle sparkle without being too glittery or over the top. I wear mostly gold jewelry, so the shoes play well off my jewelry. The scallop details are what really sealed the deal for me though. I love scallops, and these help make the shoes feel more pretty and feminine, instead of just being basic sneakers.

Jacket: Madewell, also available at Nordstrom.

Sweater: KJP.

Jeans: Madewell.

Sunglasses: Sperry from a few years ago, similar available this season.

Earrings: Kate Spade.

Bracelet: KJP.

Purse: Kate Spade last summer, similar available here and here.

Shoes: Jack Rogers.