FWIW: Cruise Clothes

Here’s the deal: I love having a newsletter. But for whatever reason a newsletter feels like where I go to share my thoughts on several different topics. A blog feels like a place to park some information about one particular topic that’s too lengthy to share on social media. Now certainly I’m not saying that any of this rationale, you know, makes sense, not to mention that the operational side of my blog seems to be pretty significantly broken (I believe technical people would refer to those problems as CODE ISSUES). So I don’t know how long things are going to hold up in this particular cul de sac of the 2007 Mommy Blog Interwebs, but for better or worse, this is what I’m working with, and since I do in fact want to park some information in one place for the sake of linking purposes, I’m going to attempt to use this broke-down WWW vehicle to take us on a little fashion journey.

Cruise fashion, to be specific.

A few weeks ago I traveled to Quebec City, Quebec to do some sightseeing for a couple of days before I left on a cruise to celebrate my friend Jamie’s birthday. Our Holland America ship, the Zuiderdam, traveled from QC to Boston over the course of a week, and we saw some stunning Canadian (and American) sights in the process. There were ten people in our group, and while I would absolutely say the women in our group were hilarious and smart and charming, I would also say that we were really, really loud. There was just no getting around it. We were loud talkers and loud laughers and loud loungers and loud diners, and my goodness we had ourselves a time. Blessings to those who craved quiet in our presence.

When I was growing up, I always thought of cruise clothes as something you could find in your local Steinmart (may she rest in peace) every spring – no doubt with sewn-on / bedazzled anchors and oars and whatnot – and when I was in my early 20s, I embarked on a cruise with my parents while wearing a nautical-themed skirt and sweater (and felt PROUD ABOUT IT, I would add). For my recent trip, however, I just wanted to be comfortable and covered in natural fibers so that I could manage my personal temperature regardless of what was happening in nature. There have for sure been times when I packed for a long trip and felt like I totally missed the mark in terms of having the clothes that I needed, but for whatever reason, on this particular trip I felt like I nailed it. I packed too much, of course – this is apparently one of my core values as a human being – but I 100% had clothes that worked for what we were doing, and I enjoyed the clothes that were with me on Ye Olde Zuiderdam.

Anyway. On the last night of our cruise (Jamie arranged a really lovely dinner for us at North 43 Bistro in Portland, and it was fantastic), my friend Katherine said that I should put all of my cruise clothes in a post / Reel / FaceTokGram, and I have taken her suggestion to heart. After all, I am a woman of a certain age and a certain size (forever a teenager if you’re looking at the number of my dress size, amirite), but I love to feel great in my clothes – and I love to feel like I look cute in my clothes. I recognize that might sound silly considering that I’m in my 50s, but I will never give up on looking cute, my friends. It’s a particular brand of my personal stubbornness that lives deep-down in my bones.

So here’s what I wore (and loved!) on our trip.

Dresses:

It’s no secret that I adore a shirt dress. They’re so easy to wear, and I love a piece of clothing that mainly just touches my shoulders and arms. Plus, a defined waist is my personal fashion nemesis. I took a couple of shirt dresses to wear to dinner on the ship.

Corey Lynn Calter is a forever favorite brand, and this particular dress is knee length on me. It’s like wearing a night shirt.

Melanie told me about this Frank & Eileen dress, and I love it so much that I ordered it in another color. It’s so well-made and such a great deal (70% off)!

I also took a couple of dresses that could double as cover-ups, and double they did. Because they’re sort of a terry cloth / cotton situation, I could hang them up in my cabin if they needed to dry after a trip to the pool, and they still looked great the next day.

This dress has really been my whole personality this summer. My gosh it is the essence of comfort.

And this dress – also from Free People – is actually a light butter yellow color. Will take you straight into fall if you live in the South.

Ship / Excursion clothes:

I’m a huge Aerie fan, and Aerie got ‘er done in terms of the clothes I wore to hang out on the ship or tour the ports we visited.

This sweatshirt is oversized, it’s soft, and it’s perfect if you want a sleeve in the A/C.

I wore the sweatshirt with matching shorts. The shorts are high-waisted and have a long inseam, so they’re great for sitting (I know that sounds weird, but not at all shorts are great for sitting, and IYKYK).

This sweatshirt was also a winner –

– and it’s perfect with either my favorite Aerie cut-offs…

…or some Easel pants that I love.

These jeans are so lightweight *and* they don’t bag out.

I also think that they’re a comfy button down shirt‘s best friend.

And one thing I always pack – regardless of where I’m going – is a denim shirt. Works with shorts, with pants, as a second layer on cool nights – a real MVP. This one is over 50% off.

Travel Days:

At some point over the last few years, I’ve gotten into a routine with what I wear on flights, mainly because I hate having to make decisions when I’m trying to get out of the house without forgetting any of the stuff that’s supposed to travel with me. So for me the Travel Outfit is always a Free People Mari Muscle pullover…

…and a pair of my beloved Aerie crossover leggings.

If the weather is cold, I’ll do a long sleeve sweatshirt instead.

Finally, shoes:

These New Balance 327s are my travel MVPs and have been for a few years.

I also packed a pair of Back 70s so I would have a second pair of sneakers, and they were winners.

And last but not least, when I was on the boat, I lived in my beloved 4CCCCEEs (they’re not on the Gus Mayer website right now, but if you’re interested, DM the Gus IG account and Maggie or Katie will help you).

Hope the rest of your summer is full of time with the people you love!

Love,
SH