Five Tips for Bringing "Mermaid" Into Your Everyday Style

For mermaid style “flowy” is now your favorite word. Ribbons, skirts, shirts, pants; anything, everything; but at least one thing should be flowy. And this not gender specific; for my mermen, or more masculine merfolk, don’t be afraid of a good old-fashioned pirate shirt! Loose-sleeved button ups are an incredibly versatile article of clothing to have, and if you have some top-tier thrifting skills, you can walk into almost any thrift store and find one - some even have sea-shell buttons!

The two shirts below are actually ones I own - and I frequently wear them both as plain shirts and as layering pieces for other outfits.

Tip One: Go With the Flow

Tip Two: Embrace Some Color

Everyone knows that blue, teal, and purple are kind of the mermaid colors; but they don’t have to be. One of the first things I did when assembling a wardrobe was decide what color palette suited me, year round. It changes slightly with the season; I embrace more pastels in the summer and darker jewel tones in the winter, leaving room for myself to branch out and experiment with different colors, textures, and styles.

Now, I’m not going to tell you to go get a color test done; personally, I believe that color and whether or not it’s incorporated is up to you! But even if you’re a goth mermaid, branching out to some dark purple gems can really take an outfit from “vaguely goth boho?” to “actual mermaid”.

What merperson would go through the day without showing off their treasures? It is, in fact, one of the most important things about a mermaid's OOTD; it can change even a normal dress or shirt into the perfect mermaid outfit. A good way to balance “mermaid” with your normal everyday is to bring the “mer” with some “mer-cessories”. Jewelry is also a great way to bring an outfit together, in general! It can offer an element that brings an entire outfit together.

For a more professional mermaid-look, or for out mer-friends who arent the go-all-out types, some sea-themed, shell, or even simple pearl jewelry is the way to go. You’re bringing the ocean with you, but without compromising your confidence or comfort.

For our merfolk who are ready to go all-out; either as an everyday choice or for a fun night out, body jewelry is the secret to your success. Body-jewelry is a fun and somewhat flamboyant way to express yourself, and it really helps you stand out in a crowd!

Tip Three: Your Collection of Treasures

And for everyone, hair jewelry is your friend. Long, short, cropped, half-shaved; a good piece of hair jewelry is for all hair types, styles, and expressions. For our mer-friends with textured hair, or who keep it braids, it’s likely you’re already familiar with expressing your style with your hair; but use this as your excuse to go all-out!

Tip Four: Layers

Layers aren’t only for the cold. They’re an essential part of getting that flowy, beachy aesthetic. I mentioned layering swimsuit covers, earlier, but layered skirts, shawls, dresses, etc; all of these can be incorporated into a good mermaid outfit.

Remember the pirate shirt from earlier? Leaving it open to expose an underlayer and some body jewelry is a fun way to elevate a white-shirt-and-jeans to full stylish mermaid. Or, adding layered, a-line skirts to an otherwise plain outfit to introduce a little bit of whimsy. The possibilities are endless!

Have fun with color, lack of color, your accessories, and everything else! The point of both mermaiding and bringing it into your every day is so you can enjoy it; so if something doesn’t quite fit you, change it up! See what you like! Check out small businesses, go thrifting, and enjoy building your mermaid wardrobe. Some of these tips might not work for the mermaid style you want to build, and maybe they all work perfectly; either way your merstyle is your own, so own it!

Happy Swimming!

If my pirate blouses are dirty, my second favorite “flow” article for a mermaid outfit is actually a cover-up for swimsuits. They can be worn as normal clothes if you do it correctly, and if you have a collection of crop/tube tops, they can make an excellent layering piece!

Tip Five: Make it Your Own!