Lake Style Beyond the Beach Bag

By Laura Cinotti – When I think about summer style and the Fourth of July on Lake Norman, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t buying a new cover-up. In fact, one of my favorite summer styling tricks is breaking that fashion rule altogether.

I have always loved playing dress-up. My family would probably tell you I never quite grew out of it. At any given moment, you may find me doing just that. Some people meditate; I style outfits and “accidentally” lose three hours.

Then, inevitably, from the far-off distance of one of my sons’ bedrooms, I hear the dreaded sentence: “What’s for dinner?” And just like that, I’m reminded my children need to eat … again!

Somewhere between styling outfits and figuring out dinner, I realized lake fashion might actually be the ultimate excuse to keep playing dress-up. I love looking at a bathing suit and asking myself, “What if this wasn’t a bathing suit at all?”

Hear me out.

Instead of thinking of your swimsuit as something hidden underneath layers, think of it as part of the outfit. Think of it as a top, a bodysuit or even an accessory that helps build the look. Suddenly, your closet becomes a lot bigger, and your “lake wardrobe” isn’t limited to a handful of cover-ups hanging in the back of your closet.

Life around Lake Norman usually doesn’t stop at the boat dock. One minute you’re heading out on the water; the next, you’re grabbing lunch, stopping at the grocery store or running ragged trying to get one child to a sporting event and the other to a playdate. Around here, our outfits need to multitask almost as much as we do.

One of my favorite ways to style a swimsuit is by leaning into its personality. If your suit has a nautical feel, think navy, crisp white, stripes or gold details. Pair it with white linen pants, an oversized button-down, gold jewelry and oversized sunglasses. Suddenly, you look less like you’re headed to sit in a beach chair and more like you’re ready to take on the day.

If your suit has bright colors or tropical prints, treat it exactly the way you would a favorite patterned top. Pull a color from the suit and build around it with a cute pair of shorts or a skirt, a woven bag or easy sandals.

Swimsuits in black, white or neutral shades practically do all the work for you. Have a favorite flowy skirt you’ve been dying to wear? Pair it with a solid swimsuit, throw on a lightweight button-down and tie a knot at the waist. Suddenly, you’re ready for both the lake and lunch.

And while we’re rethinking fashion rules, let’s flip the idea around, too. Sometimes my favorite “cover-ups” don’t even involve a swimsuit at all.

That oversized linen button-down you wear over a bathing suit? Pair it with denim shorts and sandals for brunch. A flowy cover-up dress suddenly becomes a casual summer dress with layered jewelry and a woven bag. Even a matching set that started as your “lake outfit” can become a dinner outfit with a simple shoe swap.

I think we sometimes put pieces into little categories in our closets — beach clothes, dinner clothes, vacation clothes, everyday clothes — but some of the best outfits happen when we stop giving them labels. Some of my favorite styling moments happen when I look at a piece and think, “What else could this be?”

As a stylist, I always tell clients fashion should work for your life, not the other way around.

We are busy people. Our days rarely follow one plan, and our closets shouldn’t either.

This summer, think outside the box — or the lake bag. Wear the swimsuit as part of the outfit, wear the cover-up without the swimsuit and don’t be afraid to play dress-up a little.

Sometimes the best lake outfit is the one you never intended to wear to the lake at all.