Fashion + Beauty

OK, it's probably not the obvious thing to seek out a Danish designer for tips on summertime dress. But Day Birger et Mikkelsen's Marianne Brandi has a trick up her sleeve when it comes to heat- and humidity-resistant casual luxury: She splits her time between Denmark and St. Bart's, where she and her husband/business partner have spent the better part of the past few years putting up one of the nicer houses on a very nice island of very nice homesteads. The Day line's current collection of easy, elegant apparel has brought a bit of island style to cities across Europe , making it a snap to look neither underdressed nor overdone. To help out Americans, for whom access to Day clothes is more limited, Brandi agreed to spill the secrets of June-September chic.

 

Her essentials:

1. Sarongs—and lots of 'em: "A must. They're so versatile and easy to wear, either over shorts or a bikini, or tied as a skirt or dress. Go for colorful prints."

2. Bangles: "I always have a stack of Indian metal bangles, in all kinds of colors, and I wear them with everywhere—even in the water."

3. Panama hat: "A favorite of mine. A black-ribbon panama always makes me feel elegant. And it keeps the sun out of my eyes."

4. White cotton: "Classic. I love a long white cotton dress—you can wear this out during the day with flip-flops, or dress it up for evening with a great pair of gladiator sandals and a bit of jewelry. Another trick is to borrow a man's button-down—oversized looks great, and it's super-comfortable. Plus, the white looks great with a tan."

 

 

By Maya Singer

Photo: Courtesy of Day Birger et Mikkelsen

 
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