22 Clothing Items That Will Make You *Feel* like You’re on a Tropical Vacay

Like most of us, instead of workin’ on your tan, you’re stuck in your cubicle working the nine-to-five grind. Beautiful blue skies and scorching temps aside, your office, as you know it, might as well be an igloo. While a spontaneous getaway to the tropical destination of your dreams isn’t in the cards (right now, anyway), a beachy wardrobe is. To channel instant island vibes no matter where you are, allow these 22 clothing items and accessories to bring the beach to you. Sand and surf, unfortunately, not included.
1. Alaia Short Beach Dress ($142): Could’ve fooled us! Business in the front, fringe party in the back. This coral slip-on dress calls for a backyard tiki hut shindig. Or, better yet, wear it as a bikini cover-up for a spontaneous jaunt to the park.
2. Poppy Flamingo Fling Bikini ($89): Just because you’re not vacationing in the Hamptons doesn’t mean that you can’t don the most coveted bikini of the season. Triangl, we’re looking at you and your oh-so-colorful sets.
3. Geo Brushstroke Short ($70): Could we, or couldn’t we, get away with showing up to work in these painterly brushstroke shorts? We’re voting for the former by dressing them up with a classic white button-down and nude flats.
4. Paul Andrew for J.Crew Fringe Flats ($398): The redeeming factor of putting in all those extra hours at work? More money for your “fashion emergency” fund. While these vibrant blue-fringed sandals don’t come cheap, they’re definitely worth the splurge.
5. Tropical Gangster Pouch ($65): Don’t let our professional attire fool you. Deep down inside, we’re really all just #tropicalgangstas 4 life.
6. Taurus Dress ($198): One Moroccan-inspired tassel dress coming right up. The effortless fit + plunging neckline will have you channeling lazy days spent soaking up ALL the rays.
7. Smoking Slipper Embroidery ($65): Pineapples FTW! If you can dig it, these coral smoking slippers — adorned with our favorite tropical fruit of choice — are guaranteed to elevate any #ootd.
8. Pineapple Express Studs ($18): …because your everyday studs simply won’t do. Start sporting these gold pineapple studs to work and watch the compliments roll in.
9. Crochet-Trimmed Maxi Dress ($33): Wear this easy-breezy, summery maxi and you’ll transform into a beach goddess for the day. This sheer, ivory option would be perfect for any summer soiree or candlelit dinner. Gold gladiators sandals are non-negotiable.
10. Pineapple Box Crossbody ($34): #SorryNotSorry, but we’re riding this pineapple infatuation for as long as we can. Just when we thought that pineapples had reached their limit, this see-through crossbody box enters into the equation.
11. Barbados Bikini Top ($108): Got neon? This lime racerback bikini top with rad cutouts on the back is most definitely Barbados-bound. Can you feel the sand between your toes yet?
12. Quay Cha Cha Sunglasses ($50): We can’t explain it, but there’s something uber rewarding about investing in a new pair of sunnies. These are pretty far out.
13. Zinc Linen Wedge Sandal ($239): Too much color… said no one ever. If you’re not sporting these color block espadrilles — in electric blue, no less — then you’re really not doing it right.
14. Island Ribbon Panama Hat ($60): Fake it until you make it with this straw Panama hat that practically calls for a margarita in hand. Beach waves on fleek.
15. Tunic Dress in Tropical Toucan Print ($189): When major FOMO hits, you do the next best thing and throw the most epic luau of the summer. As you reprise your hostess-with-the-mostess duties, only the most tropical shift dress (and lei) will do.
16. Antiqua Tassel Bib Necklace ($48): Get ready for the summer hack of the century: Be it a halter top or a maxi, this bib necklace will instantly inject some serious island appeal to any look.
17. Palm Pom Cotton Scarf ($149): A frigid work environment gives you an excuse to cozy up to this playful tassel scarf with palms. #Winning
18. Festival Leather Gladiator Sandals ($64): Oh yeah, now we’re talking. You simply can’t be summoning beach vibes while parading around in pointed-toe pumps. Try on these lace-up gladiators and a pair of denim cutoffs and you won’t be trailing too far behind.
19. Tropical Print Workout Leggings ($23): Negative energy begone. After a looong day of work, these palm-tree-printed leggings will bring out your inner peace and serenity.
20. Cutout Maxi Dress ($298): Leave it to Mara Hoffman to cure all of our wardrobe woes. We asked for the beach at our fingertips, and she proceeded to conjure up the kaleidoscope dress of our dreams.
21. Green Stripe Baby Doll Dress ($64): Give this baby doll dress a twirl and you shall not be disappointed. The bold color block design + groovy bell sleeves invoke visions of a Caribbean paradise.
22. Tropical Navy Romper ($203): Why anyone would romp around town in anything besides this tropical playsuit is beyond us. With fringe sandals on and a straw tote in tow, the only thing missing would be a fruit smoothie.
Which of these tropical-inspired pieces will you be rocking this summer? Tell us in the comments below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures