Fashion by the Sea

Fashion by the Sea Contributed By Amanda Converse of the Current Quarterly

itizens Bank Pops by the Sea not only presents a unique opportunity for locals and visitors to hear the Boston Pops perform on our sandy soils, but also to C have a little fun with fashion.

In recent years, both women and men have used the occasion to play with styles, apropos to the seaside setting where it takes place.

For the ladies, think light summer sundresses and a little nautical flare; and this summer season it’s all about bright colors, little white dresses, and bold florals.

For the guys, it’s an ideal time to lighten up a little - literally toss off the suit jacket, roll up the shirt sleeves, and throw on a pair of dressy shorts. Luckily there are plenty of options to show some personality with patterned button-downs, quirky bow ties,

Nantucket Reds or a Panama hat.

If you’re struggling to find something in your closet that fits the bill, the Pops presents a chance to shop locally for the perfect outfit. Shopping locally is vital to Cape Cod because more of the money spent in small local shops gets recirculated back into the community than money spent elsewhere. And local businesses give the area its unique character, in part, by supporting the arts so the

Cape can remain a vibrant place year-round.

To demonstrate how easy and worthwhile it is to shop at local boutiques, The Current Quarterly - the Cape’s only dedicated shopping and fashion magazine - partnered with the Arts Foundation to outfit two willing Board Members with hip, stylish wardrobes for this year’s Pops.

We took Jim Saben to Puritan Cape Cod which has some of the best selection of men’s clothing on the Cape. There, we built his outfit from head-to-toe with a brightly colored shirt and dress shorts by Peter Millar, Trask loafers and a Miguel Bellido leather braided belt. We couldn’t resist topping the look off with a Bird Dog Bay shark tie from Black Eel Outfitters to go right along with this year’s shark theme.

For the lovely Jennifer Dooling, we found an easy-breezy dress by Clara Sun Woo that conjured up thoughts of the sea and topped it off with a coordinating tassel necklace both from Oz in Barnstable Village.

Fashion is a form of art, and the Pops by the Sea is the perfect occasion for this kind of self-expression –while supporting and celebrating the rich arts and culture scene that exists in this section of the state.