Tropical Punch

Even though it’s hit 80 degrees in the District this afternoon, it feels like the North Pole in my apartment.  (The thermostat is broken; it currently reads a balmy 61 degrees.  I am wearing my ratty, well-loved L.L. Bean “Wicked Good” moccasins and a Patagonia fleece — and am shivering.)  For that reason, when I received an email from my uber-chic NYC-dwelling friend, I instantly (jealously) remembered that she had just jetted down to Turks and Caicos over the Easter holiday, and began to daydream about a little trip to the tropics…

…which quickly turned into dreaming up a breezy tropical-chic wardrobe in a cheerful aqua-and-coral palette.  I think I picked that color combination because I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this fab beaded bib necklace that I found at Tokyo Style Boutique for an affordable $46:

(Word to the wise: if you plan on ordering, I was alarmed to find a hitch in their e-CheckOut function — they listed the shipping as $999.00 rather than $9.99.  You’ll have to call/email and pay through PayPal to place an order.)  I love the tribal-tropical vibe and imagine wearing it with a little white dress or a minimalist outfit of white shorts and a white tank whilst sipping a cocktail at the tikki bar.  If that’s too busy for you, try this lovely solid aqua statement necklace, by Gerard Yosca:

It would look equally stunning against an all-white wardrobe or this breezy little Calypso Celle dress:

For a nice dinner out, imagine sporting this to-die-for guava-colored asymmetrical Halston Heritage dress:

I’d wear my hair up and pair the dress with some super-high-heeled gold sandals and enorma-studs like these (the first by Bounkit, the second by Simon Tu — both available at vivre.com):

I’d pair the same accessories with this I’m-ready-to-party dress by Carmilla and Marc (a steal at The Outnet):

Or, if you’re really dressing to the nines while wining and dining, imagine the stares you’d draw with this Temperley London (read: extremely expensive) dress:

You’d need nothing but a good tan, a structured gold clutch (this one by Kate Spade),

and some unfussy heels (like these Manolo Blahniks, which I bought awhile ago — brand new in box — on eBay):

For day time, you’d need an unchipped manicure in Essie’s coral “One of a Kind” (I might wean myself off of  “Lollipop” for a Turks and Caicos trip…)

some major tangerine-framed shades (these, by Cutler & Gross, are on sale for $164 down from $328 at FarFetch.com), a bright-white little romper (Shoshanna), and a pair of classic gold Jack Rogers:

I love those oversized glasses — they’d look so Jackie O-chic against a stark-white palette and tanned shoulder.  Matthew Williamson also has a killer pair up for grabs (the first shown below; visit Boutique1.com), as does the brand Cheap Monday, whose coral-framed cat-eye glasses ring in at a modest $35 (see Tobi.com).

Alternately, imagine throwing on a bright aqua-green scalloped bikini (J. Crew):

a gauzy white sundress (Calypso-Celle), a floppy straw hat (J. Crew), and an organic-looking straw bag.  It took me awhile to track down just the right straw bag; a lot of them are too boxy and structured for my taste.  I wanted a bag that would almost emulate the straw umbrellas featured in the picture above, as I was striving for casual-chic, not buttoned-up tidy.  I found it in this Serpui Marie Samantha tote (available at Endless.com for $110).

I’m big into cocktail rings, so I’d probably accessorize with coral and turquoise pieces, like this steal by Yochi (originally $45, now $25 at Max&Chloe):

or this happy little mother-of-pearl bauble by Bounkit:

or maybe a bank-breaking Mesi Jilly ring (I die over these rings, but at $1,000/pop, I just can’t bring myself to spring for one of them):

For non-beach daytime activities (shopping? lunching?), I’d love to slip into this tangerine-dream dress from Anthropologie:

Or, on the dressier side, this Temperley frock (once again…expensive!) in bright coral (available at MyTheresa.com):

They would look fab with gold accoutrements — a big gold cocktail ring, huge gold studs, sassy gold gladiator sandals, a statement bangle (like this by Trina Turk)…

…you get the (breezy island) drift.

And with that, I’ve almost thawed my toes with the warm-weather fashion fantasy I’ve been envisioning…