United States / New
England /
Nantucket
Seeing
Red, Among Other Things
   You
can bet there are some old timers buried in them. They're classic, rugged,
practical, conservative & very stylish. Just like Nantucket itself.
We're talking about "Nantucket
Reds." A type of clothing that epitomizes New England island
fashion style.
Made of red
cotton sailcloth, these pants (and other apparel for men & women) are the brainchild
of Murray's Toggery. If we had to pick our favorite "Reds," they
would be a fairly new addition to the line...the hiking shorts. But only
after they've been washed at least a zillion times.
You don't see
many "Reds" on Martha's Vineyard, although we have bumped-into them
on the Bahamas. But wherever you see "Reds," the look seems to
fit the older generation to a tee. The rest of us look rather stupid in
them.
Of all the New England islands,
Nantucket has done a heck of a job in fashion-branding itself, way beyond "Reds." The island is a summer style mecca.
You'll see some of the same shops here that are found in Palm Beach, the
Hamptons & other trendy resort areas.
What's the look?
For men it's Polo Ralph
Lauren all pressed & pleated. Chinos and blue oxford-cloth shirts,
with sleeves slightly rolled. Ralph has even introduced his version of "Reds," sure to give Murray's a little competition. Sperry Top-Sider shoes
sperrytopsider.com are favored, with no socks...ever, thank you.
Yacht clothes include Stoneisland
and other well-made outerwear for the well-heeled. And when they want to
dress it all up, men don their unconstructed linen jackets. But still no
socks. 
While we were
there, we noticed two style "camps" in what women were wearing. The Lilly
Pulitzer group had on their neon colored sundresses, straight from Palm
Beach, Florida. This group includes young, wanna-be girls all the way up
to very elder matriarchs. Add a lightship-basket handbag, simple pearls & little sling shoes to complete the look. If perfect formula-dressing
is your thing, never was it done more perfectly than Nantucket's Lilly "look."
A remake of the movie "Stepford Wives" would certainly dress the
neighborhood like this.
The other group
is the Breton-classic group. Simple striped boatneck tees, white or khaki pants & casual slip-onshoes. Tailored, earthy & slightly French. And more
outdoorsy. The two style groups do agree on something...their hats. Always
straw hats. And bought at Peter Beaton Hats
www.peterbeaton.com. Most are custom accented & available in many
styles. Check out the flowerpot tote (as seen in the photo), which is a
best seller, too.
 You
can get most of the Nantucket look anywhere, simply by shopping for big
name designers, like Ralph & Lilly. But being on-island, going into
the shops is fun. You may or may not like what you see, but they sure try
hard to impress you. So now you have a least one reason to go, don't you?
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