What to Wear Out and About in Wilmington, NC
I recently got asked to do a blog post about what to wear to certain restaurants in Wilmington, North Carolina.
I used to live in Wilmington and not a day goes by that I don’t wish I was still living there.
Wilmington has a handful of wonderful restaurants and sometimes it’s hard to know what to wear to them. You don’t want to look like a beach bum, but you also don’t want to go over-dressed. I get it. However, it’s always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.
My number one rule for men: Try. Women always put in an effort to look so cute.
I’ll never forget the time I saw a woman wearing a floor-length bodycon dress (that means the dress was fitted and skin tight) while the man she was on a date with was wearing a t-shirt, cargo shorts, and sandals. Don’t get me wrong, they were both in the wrong considering this was a brewery. She looked like she was going to go clubbing and he looked like he was going to go play top-golf.
Anyways! Hopefully this blog will help you decide what to wear to local establishments. If this goes well, I’ll do another one for Atlanta restaurants!
First things first. I ALWAYS look up photos of the restaurant because the lighting can often-time be a huge indicator of what to wear. And sometimes, there are people in these photos if it’s from google photo/reviews page. Do those people have jackets on their chairs or are they still wearing jackets? This is BIG for me because I hate wearing my jacket during a meal but at the same time HATE to be cold! However, I’m almost always cold. Since living in Atlanta, I wear a sweater if it’s under 75 degrees. That’s ridiculous, I know.
Today I’m going to focus on 3 of my favorite restaurants in Wilmington.
Oh how I miss Tower 7. This place is tex-mex at it’s finest. Located right off the beach on Lumina Ave. you’ll find the best fish and shrimp tacos that ever existed. Their salsa is some of the best I’ve ever had, and their house margaritas are to die for.
*All of these looks are pulled from Pinterest and if you click will take you to the original source.
Tower 7 is chill, relaxed, it’s essentially beach wear. But be a little more classy people and please wear appropriate clothes when you dine in a restaurant. Yes, during lunch you’ll definitely see the beach crowd come in their sun cover-ups, but at night, at least look like you tried.
Yosake is located off of Front Street in downtown Historic Wilmington and is one of my favorite sushi spots in the south. Their tempura firecracker shrimp is something I’ve tried to replicate at home and it just doesn't hit the mark. Also their happy hour deals can’t be beat!
The vibe of Yosake is so New York. It’s up a flight of stairs and its very dark and speak-easy-esque. You walk in and anime art decorates the walls with hues of red throughout. It’s music is kind of like a steady beat of eclectic-ness. It’s a great ambiance and a great experience.
*All of these looks are pulled from Pinterest and if you click will take you to the original source.
I love to dress up modern to go here because it’s one of the few restaurants that is hip and chic at the same time. You can wear dresses here, but I think the space begs you to dress more modern.
Elijah’s is a classic staple at the Cape Fear Bay in downtown Wilmington off of water street. It’s everything you’d want and expect from a local seafood joint in Wilmington. It definitely serves an older crowd and it’s more of a family setting.
Sink into the idea of wearing your statement jewelry that you got from the Cotton Exchange market or Edge of Urge with some basic items in your closet to really feed into the vibe of a chic casual dining experience.
*All of these looks are pulled from Pinterest and if you click will take you to the original source.
Topsail Steamer is my new favorite thing that Wilmington has to offer. With multiple locations and nationwide shipping, they make it a breeze to get fresh seafood for your own take out service.
As Covid 19 is unfortunately still a huge part of our lives, we should be eating take out and look! What’s better than eating fresh, steamed seafood in your pjs and/or bathing suit? Nothing quite compares to that!
