Sponsored Post: Coast Apparel Review and GIVEAWAY!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Coast Apparel to write a review of their product here on Style of a 20 Something. After exploring Coast's website, I decided the South Carolina company's clothes are definitely something my readers would be interested in, and graciously accepted the package of clothes they sent me to review. The crab-covered box came right in the middle of finals week and was such a pleasant surprise!

Coast's pullover fleece in Buoy Red only comes in men's sizes, so even the small was a bit large on me, but I'm not complaining--I love over-sized jackets. They're perfect for lounging around the house or layering over bulky sweaters. I'd definitely recommend this pullover to any college student--boy or girl.The bold red color is fun,  the fleece is super soft, and the crab logo found on the back of the collar is so cute!

Tucked away under the bright red fleece was this lime green Winyah polo, again with the cute crab logo. Again, I reviewed a small, but this time the top was much more form-fitting--specifically designed to hug the female figure. I loved the extra-long length of the polo, and the vibrant green will be so fun for spring. As the shirt already fits very nicely, I worry that it might shrink a bit in the wash. I'll definitely let it hang dry.

Sorry for the lack of IRL photos--I had some issues with my camera! I'll try to update once I get my technological issues worked out!
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 Now onto the giveaway portion of this post! I have one small "Barely Pink" Winyah Polo to give away!

Here's how to enter:
--Be a follower of Style of a 20 Something and let me know in the comments, along with your email address so I can contact you if you win.

--Enter before 12:01 AM on January 1!

Leave an additional comments for extra entries:
--one extra entry if you tweet about this giveaway (mention @challemann so I get the tweet too!)
--one extra entry if you blog about this giveaway and leave a link to the post in your comment

If small isn't your size or pink isn't your color, don't worry. I'll have another giveaway after the holidays!

Also-- I have several Coast Apparel crab stickers to give away as well, so shoot an email with your name and address to styleofa20something@gmail.com if you'd like a sticker!

Coast Apparel: Where Taking it Easy is Serious Business

A few weeks ago I was contacted by T.J. DelDuca, southeastern sales representative and lead designer for Coast Apparel, a preppy clothing company founded in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Coast's chic styles are perfect for college students with their relaxed attitude and cute crab logo. DelDuca graciously offered to do a quick interview with me about the company. Check it out below!

What drew you to working at Coast? They always want to think outside the box but not make it a circle. Our competitors might make a buttondown, we find a way to do it a bit more unique or find another product line to differentiate us, like our fishing shirts or fleece.

What was the origin of the crab logo? Crab is versatile on land and see. We try to make our clothes as versatile as possible. You should be able to wear Coast on the boardwalk or in the board room.

What about the motto: "Where taking it easy is serious business!"? In one of our descriptions of Coast, it really stuck out. We all try to have fun in the office and like to play around with each other. Our lifestyle is meant to be fun, not all about business.

Does Coast plan on expanding their women's wear line? At the moment we are going to stick to our roots with the men’s line. We have had success with our newer products like the buttondowns and pants. However, our t-shirts and fleeces have been selling well to men and women. 

I know Coast was involved in a fundraiser for Gulf Coast Relief this summer. Could you tell me a bit more about that? Our Save the GULF campaign donated thousands of dollars to two relief funds to help the people and wildlife affected by the disaster. We had huge support from people all over the country stretching to as far west as Washington state.

How would you describe the Coast Spring 2011 collection? Full of comfort and color! We always try to stress those in our pieces. Adding a few pastels in our core items and releasing our newest item, the Marina Shirt! 

What are your must-have pieces for this winter? Fleece vest or pullover. We already sold out of the vests going into the holiday season and now it’s cold enough to use a full pullover. 3 colors!

What's on your Christmas list this year? Personally? A good holiday sales season haha just kidding. New fishing rods or other fishing/boating gear.

Coast products are available in boutiques across the eastern United States and in the company's online shop.

Check back tomorrow for reviews of a few Coast Products and an exciting giveaway!

Summer Reading

Between class, homework and my social life, I rarely have time for pleasure reading during the school year. That's why summer is so nice-I can finally catch up on all the books I previously hadn't had time for. So far I've conquered three novels: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding and one book that's hard to categorize: The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I'm currently working my way through another of Gladwell's books, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. For a short review of each book I've read, click below.

I'd love some suggestions for further reading--What books have y'all enjoyed so far this summer?

Prep
Curtis Sittenfeld's debut novel is a subtle critique of class dynamics in America told through Lee Fiora's coming-of-age story. Wow, that sounds like the beginning of a boring academic paper doesn't it? In reality, Prep is far from drab. Lee's narration of her high school career is racy, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny. A product of an all-girls prep school myself, I found the novel intriguing and shockingly spot on.



Bridget Jones's Diary
I know, I'm way behind the times with this one, but if anyone is looking for a beach read, look no further than Helen Fielding's modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Bridget's struggles with her love life, weight, career and parents are all trials I can personally relate to, not to mention she is totally hilarious. As an added bonus, I loved being able to compare the original Elizabeth and Darcy with their modern-day counterparts. Yes, I know, I'm a total nerd.




The Help
Am I the only person who feels like the entire world has been raving about The Help? Well, I'm about to join the club. Kathryn Stockett's account of Mississippi in the early 1960's is an absolute pleasure to read. I paged through it quickly, anxious for information. Throughout the day I found myself craving the stories of race relations, proxy mothers and rules of old southern society as told by Aibileen, Minnie, and Miss Skeeter. For a girl raised in the south, The Help was a wonderful education on a period of history often untold, from a perspective rarely seen. I highly recommend it.




Outliers and Blink
I mentioned earlier that Malcolm Gladwell's books,  Outliers and Blink, are hard to categorize. On the most basic level, these books are non-fiction, but more specifically, Gladwell's books are works of close observation, and each dissects of a specific aspect of society.  


Outliers explores those people who, "are so accomplished and so extraordinary and so outside of ordinary experience that they are as puzzling to the rest of us as a cold day in August." (Gladwell) The author's scientific approach to success examines the lives of The Beatles, Bill Gates and some of this century's most important lawyers, geniuses, and hockey players. The author looks at everything about these people that has influenced their successes from their birthdays and hometowns to their religions and cultural heritages. The book was very thorough and had me questioning whether my upbringing will make me successful or not.



In typical Gladwell form, Blink examines a small portion of everyday life under a microscope. This book explores the subconscious and split-second decision making. I've only just begun reading, but it's holding my attention well!






So far, I've had a great summer of reading and I'm looking forward to your suggestions!