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What to Wear to Florida When You’re Not From Florida
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Recently I’ve been spending a lot of time in Florida, and you might be too. The state is trending as both a bachelorette destination and easy-to-fly-to vacation spot for New Yorkers, and though it’s not without its issues (seriously, DeSantis, give up on the time/money-wasting laws that harm the LGBTQ+ community), you might find yourself headed there in the next couple of months and having absolutely no idea what to wear.
In April, I went to Fort Lauderdale for a bachelorette (just an hour-ish north of Miami, with all the same gorgeous beaches), and just this month I was in Palm Beach for the first time, a town famous for its preppy vibes, that of which I have anything but. I stayed at the gorgeous Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa and felt like a million bucks getting pampered at the spa and sipping Miami vice cocktails beachside, even though I was in a $20 Target bikini most of the time. My point? You don’t have to fit in to the preppy, expensive Florida lifestyles to, well, fit in to the preppy, expensive Florida lifestyles.
Here’s how to dress for a trip to Florida if you’re not into preppy paisley prints, bright turquoise dresses that match the ocean, and anything with a polo collar.
What to Wear: To Dinner
Need help on what to wear to dinner in Florida? First off, it’s likely going to be HOT, which means, you’re going to want something short and sleeveless. Instead of opting for floral prints or bright colored paisley designs, which I truly cannot stomach, I went with this mod, cheetah-print mini dress from Zara. I paired it with baby pink sandals that added a pop of color to the look, and helped make it more “Florida.”
Animal print is a great print to wear that’s bold and the cropped length of the dress helped it look even more beachy. I wore this dress to Eau Palm Beach’s incredible Italian restaurant Polpo and got so many compliments.
Zara Animal Print Dress
Camper Kobarah EVA Heeled Sandal
What to Wear: Poolside
If you want a total beach escape that’s still within the country, you have to try out Eau Palm Beach. This is the view from my hotel room balcony, and it only gets better once you head outside to the pool area (that’s designated as adults-only!) and sit by the ocean view. I kept my look simple for grabbing lunch poolside and also chilling by the pool. And as promised, here’s the link for that $20 Target bikini I’m obsessed with.
My Mum Made It Pillow Tote
This pillow tote I’m carrying was the perfect beach accessory. It’s unique, a stray from my usual black bag (and all black attire), and was perfectly polished for Palm Beach (say that three times fast) while still standing out and looking different from any other bag anyone else was carrying. That’s a win in my book!
Boys Lie Tank
I’m wearing a simple tank from Boys Lie with a powerful message. Although this exact tank is sold out, the brand has so many similarly cute ones on the site.
Wild Fable Diamante Embellished Triangle Bikini Top
I’m obsessed with this Target bikini and even more obsessed with the fact that each piece is only $20. I found that the size guide was true to size.
What to Wear: Coffee Run
For a morning coffee run, I still wanted to stay in my natural fashion element instead of adopting to the Florida culture of beach coverups at all time. I even put an edgier spin on the boxer shorts trend by choosing darker, plaid-inspired prints instead of the traditional light blue coastal-inspired boxers. I made the look bearable in the beating Florida sun by wearing a tube top instead of an oversized tee, but the look would definitely work with both.
Free People Carrie Tube Top
This is the tube top I’m wearing, and it’s been a staple in my closet for YEARS. It looks perfect with shorts, low-rise jeans, and even leggings.
MakeMeChic Women’s Elastic Waisted Plaid Shorts
Definitely size up on these! They run small and come in so many different colors.
Puma Palermo Sneakers
IMO it’s so hard to find a sneaker that looks good with shorts and crew-cut socks. These Palermo sneakers are slim and hug the foot, so I find they don’t take away from the on-the-go look of the boxer shorts.
What to Wear: Out On The Town
I simply can’t do heels anymore, so I wore this above outfit from Outcast Clothing with Doc Marten boots. However! I was in Fort Lauderdale, I understand in Miami a mini dress and heels is basically required to get into clubs. The cut-out pants were perfect for our bachelorette dinner that we had at Mickey’s Downtown Bistro, which was a fun piano bar with plenty of dancing. It felt like dressing up while still being comfortable. If you are going to Miami and want to stand out with a unique mini dress and heels in a sea of plain ones, I dropped a rec for that too.
Outcast Harmony Cut-Out Pants
These cutout pants are everything! And tell me why they fit and feel like the most comfortable lounge leggings of all time while still being sexy AF?
White Fox Time Flies By Mini Dress
On Sale 30% off
If I were to go out in Miami, I’d definitely be rocking this cut out dress that’s under $40. No word yet on if I’d wear it with combat boots instead of heels though…
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