Schools out, summer is here and my sailor stripes are on.

It may not officially be summer, but here in the Florida heat, summer starts in May. Arriving with the temperature change are new summer styles and beach-bummin'-it vacations, which is what I'm doing now at Palm Island Resort in Cape Haze, Florida. For the past thirteen years, my Dad's side of the family has met up for a weeklong stay at Palm Island. For me, it's always been the perfect concoction of salty sea, nostalgia, and seclusion. I rarely pack light for these trips, but beings that this is my first Palm Island vacation with the blog, I kind of went a little overboard... Pun intended? So I'm excited to present you Stitch & Strut's "Beach Bum" series to get you ready for the official start of summer with affordable looks that will take you from the beach to a backyard barbecue! I've started this trip off with a punky sailor look from what has to be my favorite photoshoot to date.

As some of you may know, I've worked for Aerie by American Eagle for three years now. When I was preparing for this trip, it was the first place I went for clothes and swimsuits. This striped, crop tank was hanging next to these navy linen beach shorts, so I quickly grabbed both; I loved the Lolita-esque sailor vibe of the combination. The deep arm holes of the tank offered the perfect opportunity to outfit the top with an Aerie bralette. If you haven't tried one, seriously order one online stat. It's the comfiest bra you'll ever own, and unlike most traditional wired bras, is meant to be seen under your clothing. Aerie offers a variety of colors and fabrics with both lightly lined and pushup options. I'm wearing a gray pushup bralette with a j-hook in the back that allows me to convert the classic straps in to a racerback. The three pieces together offer a super casual, laid-back beach bum look. With the right accessories, you can turn this coverup option in to an outfit that transforms from beach to pool party.

The red, white and blue iris pattern of my Peter Pilotto for Target sunglasses paired perfectly with the sailor color scheme of this look. If you want to try to change up your style for the summer, funky shades like these circular frames are a great way to start, a paradox of both retro and fashion-forward appeal. I always like to keep my style a little edgy, so to accentuate the high-neck of my crop top, I paired it with this layered spike necklace from Forever 21. Keeping with the silver theme, I wore my favorite nameplate ring, Hello Miss Apple leopard ring, Forever 21 stretch pyramid stud bracelet, and Pandora charm bracelet.

Leaving my favorite piece for the end, we have to talk about these sandals. So I've been on the hunt for the perfect summer sandal for some time now. I've been pretty anti-sandal for a while; I just see them everywhere here in Florida and they all look the same. I've been pretty keen on the flatform and frumpy/ugly sandal trend, so I sought out both, hoping for a sole with a tread. When I came across these from American Eagle, I rediscovered my love for sandals. The tan faux-leather goes with just about any color pairing, and the slim white tread is very on trend right now. Also, they're incredibly comfortable. They will absolutely be my summer staple.

Like I said before, this has to be my favorite shoot to date, so rather than editing down my photos (which I already did twice), here's a slew of them.