While living in California, without a doubt, blue was the dominant color I was wearing. It came in different prints (think gingham, florals, etc.), but mostly, I was wearing blue and white stripes.

Blue is my favorite color, along with red and white, but lately, I have been attracted to and embracing bold and colorful prints. So it got me thinking.

Of course, the place we live in plays a big role in our style. California, while stunning in the landscape, is, inarguably (IMO) more subdued in its colors and tones than Florida.

I’ve been associating California’s landscape with calm, therefore, I’ve predominantly worn the color blue when living there, while Florida’s is wild, literally, and figuratively. So it is no surprise that I have been drawn to bolder prints and colors since moving here. That’s not to say that I’m turning away from stripes, or my beloved blue - I’ll continue to wear the dresses I have for years to come, as I’m careful to buy only those I truly love and see myself wearing a lot.

My style has evolved over the years for sure. While I was always drawn to dresses and feminine style, living in colder climates made it easier to throw on jeans and a sweater for every day, leaving dresses for special occasions (remember those?), or “moods”.

As we moved to warmer climates, i.e. California, and now Florida, I found it more comfortable to wear dresses year-round. When it got colder, I added tights and cardigans and kept wearing dresses. This, soon enough made wearing pants on warm days uncomfortable, and so dresses became a part of my everyday life (yes, even at home), while pants and jeans are now worn occasionally - I reach for them when it gets cold, and that’s about it.

As I have written in this post years ago, I do feel the most comfortable in a dress, specifically in maxi and midi ones. I avoid wearing short dresses just for the mere fact that I don’t have to worry about showing more than I intend to when out, especially on windy days. And if shorts come to your mind for that, I’ll just say that don’t like wearing them. Yes, some are feminine and cute, but not for me. The simple truth is that I have fully and irrevocably fallen in love with dresses, and they’re all I want to wear.

With all that said, when I saw this dress online, it was love at first sight, and every time I wear it, I get compliments on it from absolute strangers.

I say that about all my dresses, but I truly am in love with this one. Sadly, as I purchased it a while ago, it’s not available any longer, but if you’re looking for bold colors and tropical prints, check the dresses I found above. Because after a year of sweats and joggers and isolation, you might as well stand out, or, embrace who you truly are, no matter what that involves.

While my style is definitely focused on “easy” - what is easier than putting on a dress? - it certainly isn’t boring.

Earrings here; Sunglasses: old, similar here and here; Bag: similar here and here; Wedge espadrilles: old, similar here;

Does your style change based on where you live?

Until next time.

xoxo,

Em