Little Navy Blue Dress - Resort Style with Designer Nora Gardner, NYC

Office to Beach - Alyssa Dress by fashion designer Nora Gardner, NYC

Resort Style means being ready for everything with a dress that packs well yet has a bit of structure for just the right amount of "polish". My go to designer is Nora Gardner, NYC who understands the needs of the professional or corporate woman who is in Manhattan at a board meeting in the afternoon but attending a resort event in the evening.

Easy to Pack
This is a feature I look for when choosing an outfit. I can pack this dress along with all of these accessories you see here and quickly hop a flight to The Hamptons. It is really very wrinkle resistant and fits inside of my pink tote you see here below in the room at Montauk. This is important to me because the last thing I want to do is iron once I arrive at my destination. The Alyssa Dress was lightly folded, packed and required little or no ironing before the cocktail party.

Yes, this dress plus accessories all arrived in that tiny pink tote----------^

I also specifically choose shoes and accessories which are lightweight. This is important when traveling by private plane as weight is going to be a major issue. Get even more helpful resort packing advice by reading "What's in My Day Bag?"

A shell necklace, jeweled sandals and a sea-themed clutch complete this resort look.

Accessorizing for the Occasion

As you can see here, I am on the beach at the Bridgehampton Surf & Tennis Club for the annual Party Under the Stars charity event. My accessories and even the dress in Navy Blue are a nod to the obvious nautical and ocean resort themed beauty.

Statement Necklace - Pearls would also work here but I wanted to go with the warmer golden tones of my evening clutch. My necklace is made from Mother of Pearl and shells native to the island of Maui, off  Hawaii.
  
Clutch - My evening clutch is by Loeffler Randall and has a beautiful sea coral bow on the front. Easy magnetic closure, a zippered inner pocket and stow away wrist strap made it the perfect cocktail accessory.

Sandals - My sandals are by Fergie (Fergalicious) and have sewn on gold-silver beads. Very comfortable suede foot-bed makes them a wear all day sandal. As you can see, I've kicked them off to enjoy the delicious surf and sand!

Bracelet - This is one of my resort favorites from the Horizon Collection in white calf leather with a rose gold icon (Natural Frequency Technology) by watch luxury designer Philip Stein.

RAPP Black's Lady Angry Dragon in Rose Gold

Watch - My lovely RAPP Black Lady Angry Dragon Timepiece is done in rose gold with an interchangeable pink patent finish strap. It has a chic chronograph or seconds sub-dial with Japanese quartz movement. This is a bold, yet chic statement watch that adds a pop of color and a bit of interest to the outfit.

Easy care, easy wear Alyssa in Navy.

The Alyssa Dress shown here in NAVY is made of a three season machine washable fabric and is a wardrobe essential. I also have this same dress in black and it's my go-to Little Black Dress. The V-neck is very flattering but not too deep and the hemline is just right. The Alyssa also has two pockets, is fully lined and has a generous zipper in the back. The dress does have a little stretch as well for total comfort. 

A beautifully sound investment for your business to pleasure wardrobe! See Nora Gardner's complete collection of elegant professional-wear at NoraGardner.com

Hamptons Chic

Dress c/o Nora Gardner, NYC
Watch c/o RAPP Black, CA
Bracelet c/o Philip Stein Watches
Hair by Christo 5th Avenue