Nautical & Nice

This year’s cruise collections, with their soft, flowing lines and fresh colors, are enough to send one running to the nearest travel agent for a ticket to paradise.

For the vacation-bound, there are long, flowing skirts and palazzos perfect for walking on the beach or relaxing on deck. Cool sun dresses have interesting back details such as cutouts and crisscross straps for showing off the first tan of the year. Shorts are made for strolling on beaches with their relaxed, pleated silhouettes and silky fabrics.

While the sailor look is always welcome aboard cruise ships, this season there’s a twist. The new nautical collections are softer, with less of the elaborate embroidered crests that made one look like a highly decorated naval officer.

Stripes can be found in every port, from stretchy tank dresses to leggings and shorts. Navy and white are still classic cruise colors, but this year there’s an influx of sea foams, creams and sand tones in raw silks and linens--natural colors and textures inspired by sandy beaches.

“We’re seeing unusual colorings for resort,” says Mary Rubenstein, co-owner of Mi Place in Laguna Niguel and Fullerton. “There are lots of soft colors such as khaki and beige or bold combinations of black and white or navy and white.”

Mi Place has walking shorts made of silk that come in warm tropical colors such as orange, melon and turquoise, as well as linen and cotton shorts in white and natural beige tones.

Many colors are borrowed directly from nature. Although brown usually doesn’t turn up until fall, this year it’s being taken out of the closet early. Mi Place, for instance, has a pair of elastic waist pants ($146), halter top ($130) and matching shirt ($190) made of soft polished cotton in a beige and brown batik print.

“There’s also a lot of navy coming into the picture, but it’s not necessarily being done in the sailor look,” Rubenstein says.

One take on the subtler nautical styles: a lean dress with a navy and white striped Lycra top and long narrow navy skirt that laces up the side ($885), or a navy and white striped, scoop-neck top ($121) with white knit leggings ($128).

“It’s a very clean look,” Rubenstein says. “There’s less studding and less ornamentation. Shapes are really important. People want body-conscious things.”

One noticeable change in resort wear is the drop in skirt lengths.

“Everything’s longer, whether it’s long and narrow or long and full,” says Barbara Magness, owner of B. Magness in Newport Beach.

Travelers worried about wrinkled clothing can pack broomstick skirts--long, full skirts so named because they are sometimes tied around a broomstick when drying to get their fine crinkles. B. Magness has broomstick skirts made of sheer cotton gauze in spring-inspired florals and solids ($75); they’re often paired with a tie-in-front camp shirt.

“I prefer the white gauze skirt--it’s real airy,” Magness says.

Sun dresses have also fallen below the knees, with emphasis on fun details that expose the body. One halter-back style comes in solid red or white linen with a long narrow skirt that zips up the leg ($140).

Shorts are longer and fuller, made of soft, flowy fabrics. B. Magness has a short set featuring a Hawaiian-style print of aqua, teal and gold rayon with a coordinating camp shirt ($120).

“Resort wear is filled with softer dressing,” says Sandy Magill Duckworth, district manager of Mondi in Fashion Island Newport Beach and MainPlace/Santa Ana.

“There are little slippy rayon skirts and a lot of softer bottoms. Palazzo pants are everywhere this season.”

One example of the softer looks is Mondi’s short wrap skirt in a navy, white and red scarf print with a sailing motif ($225). The wrap skirts can be paired with a matching scarf print blouse ($250) and double-breasted blazer ($490), red or gold ribbed cotton tanks ($60) or white or gold blouses with sailing flags on the front and collar ($225).

“Nautical prints are a California staple. Red, white and blue are always strong,” Magill Duckworth says.

Denim, a yearlong favorite, loses its washed-out blues for resort, turning up in bright bold colors.

“We have five-pocket jeans in every color you could imagine except blue,” Magill Duckworth says.

Mondi has denim shorts and jeans in vivid gold, red or white ($110). Gold nautical charms adorn denim bustiers ($150) and matching denim shorts ($160).

“Tops are close to the body and somewhat structured,” Magill Duckworth says.

Case in point: Mondi’s array of ribbed cotton tank tops and turtlenecks that cling to the body and sleeveless vests constructed like jackets--just the thing for the heat-seeking vacationer.