Issue 16 - What to wear so people know you're on Nantucket

A history of the island's 2 most ubiquitous fashion items.

Did you guys notice the recent influx of mystery/drama tv shows that are set on the Cape/Martha’s Vineyard/Nantucket?

The Perfect Couple was honest about it’s location (it’s based on a book by Elin Hilderbrand, an author known for her 28 Nantucket-based novels), but otherwise Sirens (which I loved) and We Were Liars (unwatchable) both decided to go with fictional places for some reason. Sirens is especially confusing because it has shoutouts to actual places and stores on Nantucket but then calls it “Port Haven.”

The wardrobe in these shows is pretty spot on. I’m reporting from the field this week since my in-laws live on Nantucket, and the summer months really do breed a uniform. So listen up Hollywood wardrobe departments—there are the only two things you need if you want to clearly communicate that you are on Nantucket: reds and lightship baskets. If you have either, you can call your island whatever you want and the people will know.

The wardrobe in The Perfect Couple is by far the most true to life because it includes these two essential elements of Nantucket dress. We know where they are because the outfits immediately give it away in the first few scenes at the rehearsal dinner.

Elle Fanning dressed like an “insider” (note: the lightship basket), while Bono’s daughter’s outfit is meant to communicate that she’s an “outsider.”

Sirens comes in second place in terms of wardrobe accuracy. They lean a little hard on the Lilly Pulitzer but I think that’s meant to convey “I’m trying to fit in,” whereas Julianne Moore’s character (the rich popular lady) opts for quiet luxury. Moore’s character also gifts gold lightship baskets necklaces to the women “in her cult” (hey, hey).

Nantucket reds on Glenn Howerton and the lightship basket necklace.

The rattan hat to rattan bike basket ratio

So on this recent trip to Nantucket I went and did some shopping fashion journalism, first by visiting the Lightship Basket Museum in the Hadwen House (the woman working was like, are you a weaver?! and I was like no I just like baskets and she was visibly disappointed) and then by hitting Murray’s Toggery Shop, the store credited with inventing Nantucket reds. Walk with me.

Lightship basket with lapis and gold lid made in 2019 by Karen Palmer, the seahorse one was made in 2007 by Michael Kane (an apparently famous weaver).

Essential Nantucket Wardrobe Element 1: The lightship basket.

The first basket weaving on Nantucket was amongst the Wampanoag tribes, the first inhabitants of the island. When it was colonized by the English in 1659, they copied many Wampanoag customs—one of them being basket-weaving (and whaling, which turned Nantucket into one of the richest towns in America).

Lightships were floating lighthouses that marked the shallow waters around the island, and a captain of the South Shoal Lightship introduced weaving as a way to pass the time (they were 40 miles out to sea and bored as hell). Eventually he trained other men, and about five hundred were sold every summer by stores in town.

In 1916, too many men on the lightships were “moonlighting” (that means having a second job, aka making baskets) that the government forbid them from weaving on the ships. That’s when they moved their operation on land, but they continued to be called lightship baskets.

Anne, the guide at Hadwen House, with the museum’s oldest baskets. She’s reaching for a piece of rattan (to the right are basket molds).

The lightship basket turned into a coveted island fashion item in 1948, when José Formoso Reyes revolutionized the style by adding a lid with custom ornamental ivory carvings. He called them “friendship baskets,” and from then until his retirement in the late 70s, it’s estimated that he made over 5,000 baskets (they’re very valuable if you ever come across one, here’s one going for $4,800).

The basket purse has since become a ubiquitous element of Nantucket dress. Women who visited or summered on the island brought them home as souvenirs, then passed them on to their daughters, who then passed them on to their daughter-in-laws (me).

They’re everywhere—worn day and night, dressed up and down, vintage or brand new. You can buy them on eBay, Poshmark, Etsy, in stores on Nantucket, and from individual weavers. Here’s a $21,000 antique lightship basket if you’re so inclined.

They have furniture and tools from José Formoso Reyes’ workshop at the Hadwen House. Every part of the basket was customizable from the finishing on the wood base to the ivory piece on the lid.

Modern day weavers make novelty baskets too: the tiny basket on the right is a fucking lighter holder!!!!!!!!

One of many lightship baskets I spotted out in the field—extra points if you have the matching ivory bracelet.

Shoutout to my MIL Kim who gifted me this lightship basket, which I wore a few different ways. This thing holds a ton—here’s what’s in my bag basket.

What’s in my basket: my wallet, Airpods, Aquaphor, Blistex, a pack of gum, a hair clip and a mini YSL Libre. My phone also fit with room to spare.

Jacket is by Mii and I got it at Atlantic Nantucket. Jeans are old JW Anderson x Uniqlo and shoes are Maguire.

Dress is Dr Bloom from Atlantic Nantucket, sandals are Zara and sunglasses are Prada.

Essential Nantucket Wardrobe Element 2: Nantucket Reds.

Reds are a type of light red canvas pant that originated on Nantucket and are “guaranteed to fade” with wear and washing. Philip C. Murray, the second-generation owner of Murray's Toggery Shop, is credited with inventing the style with a distinctive salmon-pink color inspired by the sails of boats in Brittany, France.

The Nantucket Reds section in Murray’s

the sails in Brittany, obviously

Unreal photo of JFK Jr. and Daryl Hannah at Ted Kennedy Jr.’s wedding, where security guards wore reds with blazers.

Reds became official symbols of preppy fashion after being featured as #5 on the approved trouser list in "The Official Preppy Handbook," the now iconic 1980’s semi-satirical guide to prepdom. In the book, reds were described as “de rigueur at country and yacht club affairs with a blazer and club tie.” Today they make everything in reds, from socks and bags to hoodies and dresses.

(My favorite podcast ever, Articles of Interest, has an entire season dedicated to American Ivy fashion and how it morphed into Preppy and it’s so good if this topic interests you.)

I visited preppy Mecca

These slippers are from a Stubbs & Wootton collab with Murray’s and they’re kinda good but they’re $650!!!!!!! I thought, I’m gonna get something, this hat is cute! Turns out it’s $50!!!!! What the heck.

An old ad for a Nantucket art gallery.

The only way to end this issue: a photo that includes both a lightship basket and reds in the wild.