IslandIssue.com Articles

7 Tips For a Head-Turning Beach or Island Style

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:10:13 GMT

7 Tips For a Head-Turning Beach or Island Style

By Ugur Akinci
Summer is here. Whether you dress up in fashion jeans or full figured clothes, there is always more than one way to make a sharp fashion statement and be in your element.

Here are seven suggestions:

1) Build on basics. Vibrant colors and eye-catching islands wear is cool but don't forget the pastels and clean white shirts and shorts that go with everything. Establish a baseline of cool grays, whites and blacks and then garnish it up with accessories and colors. A denim skirt or a skort, for example, would be such a "foundation piece" that you can build up or down by adding appropriate tops.

2) Choose cotton, especially organic cotton. Why? Because it breathes well, keeps you cool with easy unimpeded air circulation. Organic cotton is not treated with fungicides or pesticides and thus does not present a health risk. No chlorine beaching is used to whiten organic cotton. That's why it not only looks good and natural but it's safe too.

3) Avoid plastic accessories and flip-flops not only because they reflect the heat and sometimes smell but they look (let's face it) cheap too. Summer time is perfect for open-toed sandals. So get yourself a pair of good quality leather sandals to create the appropriate first image. It goes well with both women's and men's island and beach clothing. Especially in vogue are sandals with straps for that "Roman look."

4) Stick to classic lines and colors with your swimsuit. If you have a model's or body builder's lines you can go for some flair and extravagance. But if your body shape is less than ideal, stay away from bikinis and brightly colored shorts.

5) Avoid risky or stale statements like short-shorts (for women) and vests (for men). Try to refrain from wearing dark sunglasses indoors (although they are a must outdoors). Save your heavy makeup for cold winter days and indoors, not for the beach or the deck.

6) Women can try berets and headscarves. They have a high head-turner quotient and work great to offer an attractive solution to the problem of unruly or unwashed hair. Especially if you spend a lot of time on a windy beach or island resort, have a colorful silk headscarf handy for all kinds of fashion emergencies.

7) Go easy with fragrance. Heavy perfume is more of a winter and indoors idea. Use plenty suntan lotion and moisturizing cream to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. A healthy suntan is the best fashion accessory you can have in summertime.

7 Reasons Why You Should Prefer Organic Cotton Clothing

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:13:27 GMT

7 Reasons Why You Should Prefer Organic Cotton Clothing

By Ugur Akinci
Regardless of your fashion choice, whether you are wrapped in cool island clothing or just stepped out of a fashion clothing store, give organic cotton a serious thought. Here are 7 reasons why:

1) Organic cotton is the environmentally responsible way to raise cotton. A full 25% of all the insecticide used in the world is used to cultivate "conventional cotton." All that poison seeps into the soil and leaks into underground water tables, presenting an environmental hazard for all of us.

2) Organic cotton is not bleached out with harmful chemicals and bleaching agents. It is whitened by peroxide solutions. Thus it is safe for general consumer use.

3) It does not have any residues of fungicides, pesticides, insecticides that can harm your skin and impact your health. Thus it is safe.

4) During harvest time, the leaves of "conventional cotton" are stripped off the plant by highly toxic defoliant agents. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is harvested through natural defoliation methods that include harvesting in cold weather and using water management techniques.

5) Conventional cotton is printed with pigments containing heavy metals in them which eventually find their way to underground water streams and pollute our waterways. The organic variety, on the other hand, is printed with natural pigments with no heavy metals in them.

6) Cotton cloth manufacturing includes a necessary step called "warp fiber stabilization." For the conventional variety, this fiber stabilization is achieved by using waxes with toxic chemicals. Organic fibers are stabilized with cornstarch, which does not include any toxic chemicals, or by using the "double plying" technique.

7) Organic cotton looks good with its natural pastel colors and clean texture. It provides excellent air circulation in hot summer months and soft comfort in cold weather. It is the telltale sign of the environmentally-responsible sophisticated consumer.

7 Islands to Relax, Kick Back and Enjoy Your Summer Vacation in Style

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:14:24 GMT

7 Islands to Relax, Kick Back and Enjoy Your Summer Vacation in Style

By Ugur Akinci
There are some great island vacation options available for hard-working professionals who'd like nothing better than kick back and relax in style.

Whether you'd like to attend evening parties in formal wear or stroll at the beach just in faded jeans, organic cotton t-shirts and sandals, here are seven excellent choices:

1) U.S. Virgin Islands is a proven paradise of natural beauty, pristine beaches and fantastic restaurants. The three main islands, St Thomas, St John and St Croix, are not only just a few hours away by plane from Florida but they also offer a lot in terms of golfing, shopping, and creature comforts. A perfect destination for that dream vacation or honeymoon.

2) Martha's Vineyard of Massachusetts has a well-deserved reputation for providing a world-class vacation package not only for the professionals who can afford the best that life has to offer but for the whole family as well. In terms of sightseeing, boating, fishing and just plain relaxing on the beach, Martha's Vineyard is among the best spots in New England. Shall we also remind that this gorgeous island also boasts a lively arts scene and many antique stores and galleries? Enjoy.

3) Georgia Vacation Islands along the Georgia coast is another island destination that you should consider for your next getaway. The barrier islands are home to quite a few world-class resorts where you'd feel at home just relaxing in your lounge chair by the water, sipping a cool pina colada. Jekyll, St. Simons, Sea, and Little St. Simons Island are some of the options available for all island hoppers.

4) Sanibel Island, Florida is a must for nature lovers and especially for bird watchers. The J.N.(Ding) Darling Natural Wildlife Refuge is a national treasure visited every year by those whose idea of a great vacation includes witnessing nature at its most precious and pristine. The reptiles, birds and mammals living in this refuge are what makes the island so special. A land bridge from the island provides reliable connection to other parts of central Florida as well.

5) Hawaiian Islands are obviously in a special category of their own as far as vacation islands are concerned. Bursting with an astonishing spectra of exotic flora and fauna, and home to some of the best surf and beaches available anywhere in the world, Hawaii should definitely be on your island hopping itinerary. Just rent a cottage for a week or two in sun-drenched South Kohala, for example. Or lose yourself in the big city attractions of Honolulu. Hawaii has something for all budgets and tastes. Aloha!

6) Anna Maria Island of Florida is where Tampa Bay hugs the Gulf of Mexico. It's all about endless public beaches, the generous sun, and warm memories to last for a lifetime. If you love fishing, the City Pier at Bradenton Beach is waiting for you with its Café where you can also buy your bait. The Holmes Beach is another interesting destination salvaged in the early 1900s from a jungle swamp where rattlesnakes, wildcats and panthers used to live. And then there's of course the City of Anna Maria where you can really let your hair down and relax with some great locals who know how to take it easy. The island is ideal for ecology lovers interested in observing dolphins, loggerhead turtles, manatees and other gentle creatures of the sea.

7) Fidalgo Island, off the coast of Washington State in the Puget Sound is an interesting and lesser-known option which is definitely worth your while. If you love whale watching, sea kayaking, or enjoy taking the kids to Anacortes Chocolate Factory where they can watch chocolate being made, Fidalgo Island could be your ideal vacation spot. A part of the San Juan Islands chain, this island is the perfect jump-off point for an exciting boat tour to watch gray, orca, humpback and minke whales in their natural ocean habitats. Other local attractions include the Anacortes History Museum, and the 163-foot steam-powered sternwheeler ship W.T. Preston which was used to clear off the bay from log jams.

Pack up your shirts, shorts, swimming trunks and go!