Sailing with J.McLaughlin

J.McLaughlin churns out preppy, playful attire ideal for a clam bake or a weekend in East Hampton. It's an aesthetic akin to a more mature take on J.Crew. "It's the Hamptons with a sense of humor, New Canaan with nerve, and Palm Beach with passion," says design director Kevin McLaughlin whom we sat down with recently. "It is all about tradition with a twist." The McLaughlin brothers have been twisting classic American sportswear for 33 years now.

Amidst the long hours, manning their Greenpoint, Brooklyn headquarters/factory, and new store openings, Jay and Kevin McLaughlin do manage to stay near the water. The guys recently sponsored a new M65usa sailboat and invited us and some friends out for its inaugural sail. We stopped by J.Mclaughlin's Sip & Sail cocktail fundraiser (benefiting Newport Hospital) Thursday night with Kiel, Sarah, and Hannah. It's hard to say no to an open bar. Amy, who runs J.McLaughlin's Newport store, outfitted us in some of our favorite pieces and we set sail the next evening before sunset. Our skipper, Ryan, not only ensured we had plenty of Newport Storm on board but had us ducking, dodging, and leap-frogging all over the deck with them in hand. Sip and sail indeed.