This weekend, and all summer long, I have been making a two and a half hour-long pilgrimage to my cottage in the North Kawarthas. And even though I might spend 80% of the time on a deck suntanning (or attempting to…), swimming, or reading, I still like to be comfortably, casually chic. While cottage style might be dominated by preppy staples like Sperry Top Siders, shorts and plaid and denim, I feel just as comfortable in a shorts and blouse combo with layers, depending on the weather.
This look in particular was inspired by the decor inside my cottage. Most of it is natural wood, with cream-painted furniture mixed with blue accessories. While this outfit might look too dressed up for the cottage, I can easily swap the heels for a pair of flip flops or flat running shoes. The shorts were an inexpensive find at Sirens so I won’t cry over them if they get dirty while I’m sitting dockside.
I absolutely adore this chiffon blouse because it can be layered under a sweater on cooler days, and can be dressed up or down. Because of its breezy kimono shape, you can also move around in it easily.
I know a lot of women have issues with wind messing up their hair, so I decide to forgo this issue with a romantic braid. Bring on boating! This time, I tried to experiment and created this french & fishtail braid hybrid. Here’s how I got the look:
- Comb hair so it’s neat and tease the roots to create volume at your crown.
- Start french braiding (here’s a how to) but keep it loose and messy.
- Once you reach the nape of your neck, separate the three pieces of hair into only two pieces of hair, this will prepare you for completing the fishtail braid.
- Take the two pieces of hair into your hand, keeping them separated by your fingers (with practice, you will see what feels the most natural for you).
- Simply take a thin strand from the outside of the left section and cross it over to the right section and pull it tight.
- Repeat the last step with the right section of hair, and keep alternating and keeping the braid tight.
- Once you reach the end of your hair (be patient if you have long hair, mine takes nearly 10 minutes), secure with an elastic.
- If you want a looser bohemian look, use your fingers to loosen the braid and blend the transition from the french braid to the fishtail.
This look is pretty easy to complete, especially if you’re doing it on yourself, since perfection isn’t the objective. If you need more help completing the fishtail, take a look at the diagram below.
