By Zulay Regalado, 25, reporting from Miami, FL, on the coolest styles for the warmer climates.
For those of us who live in south Florida, with its round-the-calendar sunshine and quick drives to the beach, winter is pretty much a dream. The unforgiving tropical humidity may destroy my chances at frizz-free holiday hair, but hey, I can wear a sundress and lounge poolside New Year’s Eve. While my relatives in the Midwest are shoveling piles of snow off their driveways, I need only worry about vacuuming sand out of the trunk of my car.
I’ll stop now before someone from colder climes comes after me with mitten fists. My point is that here cold is a very relative—and very welcome—thing. I always look forward to our small taste of it in January, where temps drop to 50-60 degrees (silly for many, but rough for us warmer-blooded folk).
Best of all, the days open up a precious and fleeting fashion window. This is when I do some of my smartest shopping. Since I know my winter wardrobe will be shoved into the abyss of my closet due to most Miami weather, I try to stick with versatile styles that I can reuse whenever the next cool breeze happens to pass through.
Here are some of my top contenders for this year’s cool:
Melanie Metallic Detail Striped Sweater, Ruche, $29. This sweater is warm enough to withstand the SoBe winter chill and it looks great with a pair of shorts for a stroll down the beach. Too cold where you live? Layer with a collared blouse and warm leggings.
Floral Scarf, H&M, $10. Pair this colorful scarf with a light sweater (like the one pictured above) to stay cozy and chic. Who says flowers are for spring?
ASOS Pastel Bobble Beanie Hat, $15. Though temperatures in south Florida rarely reach beanie-as-necessity level, this chunky knit hat can be worn with a T-shirt for afternoon coffee (hot or iced) outside or a night at the drive-in theater (car heater on full blast, of course).
Buttoned-Up Knee-High Sock, UO, $14 (or 2 for $22). There are seven warm hues to choose from and, hello—socks with buttons? Definitely a winner.