Florida Fall Conundrum

If you read style blogs, chances are they come from a New York or Los Angeles perspective. Not a bad thing, especially if you’re looking to keep up with ‘the trends’…but the rhetoric and advice isn’t always applicable to those of us in more tropical climates. In Tampa, you subtract cold weather, THEN you subtract high-end taste, and you get basic fabrics, basic cuts, and only a passing recognition of brands and designers.

Brands we know: Diesel, Express, Lacoste, H&M.

Brands we don’t know: John Varvatos, Tod’s, Topman, Uniqlo.

Having lived through countless Florida winters in a mishmash of sweaters, boat shoes, and corduroy pants, I set two goals for myself this year: buy a pair of boots, and buy a winter jacket that isn’t too heavy or too light. No peacoats or puffer jackets. And, spend no more than $600 total for both.

So far, I’ve narrowed my choices down to, for boots:

G-Star Zephyr Havilland Clip Boot, $250

McQ by Alexander McQueen Monkey Hi Boot, $400

Thoughts? I like both, both are similar. One is made in Italy (+). One has a black sole (+), but the other is fun and different too. And one is considerably cheaper than the other. Would leave $350 for jacket purchase instead of $200.

Next, my search for light jackets brought me to…

Diesel Squi Zip Up Sweatshirt, $200 (looks better on, I’ve already tried it)

Diesel Jrunto Jacket (Black), $275

I like the idea of a jacket-styled sweatshirt (first one), but I also like the trim fittings of the second one, and it’s light enough for Florida but thick enough to be another layer on top of a henley or the like.

Thoughts, opinions? Other suggestions?

Photos taken from SSENSE, Revolve Clothing, and Forward by Revolve Clothing