Sweater weather with a Floridian twist

By Liz Browning | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Like most Floridians, my wardrobe mainly consist of shorts, tank-tops, and flip-flops. Occasionally, I will wear a scarf, but only to accessorize — rarely for warmth. I bought my first pair of boots when I was 15 and I’ve never owned a pair of mittens or gloves. In fact, the only time I have worn them was when I was 4 years old, in the biggest snow storm in the history of Buffalo, New York.

Since warm weather and the beach is the only kind of weather I had experienced in my short four years of life, I did not understand the purpose of gloves. All I wanted to do was touch the fluffy snow. I would remove my mitten and gather a handful of it. However, when I went to put it back on, my mitten had vanished underneath the snow. When the snow melted in the spring, my uncle found 11 different mittens scattered throughout his backyard.

Although I love being able to wear shorts in February, I love the styles of sweater weather. But when the fashion bloggers dictate the upcoming trends for fall, Floridians are left out of the picture. I wish I could wear a winter coat with over-the-knee boots, but I’d die of heatstroke. It seems that we have created our own sense of style down here. We still follow the same trends, but in a cooler way.

“Winter here isn’t that cold, so I wear leggings and boots with a short-sleeved shirt,” said senior Kaylnn Sermen, from Maryland.

One day last week, I wore a sweater, a pair of denim shorts, with combat boots, and my casual hat to accentuate my own personal style. I suffered through the cold as I walked to class, but by the time I walked back it was already warm outside. If I lived anywhere else wearing a sweater with shorts and boots in February, I’d get strange looks. Yet, here even strangers and tourists were complimenting me on my outfit. I was still able to wear a hat and boots, but not get engulfed by the heat. My outfit was stylish and functional, which is the goal every day.

That same day, I walked around campus and saw people wearing a variety of different of styles. Some were wearing sweaters and jeans, others were wearing shorts, and one guy was not wearing a shirt at all (which is typical for Flagler students, especially if they’re surfers). So, I asked my peers what they consider their winter wardrobe in Florida to be:

“Shorts, tee-shirts, occasionally a raincoat, and flip-flops,” said freshman Allen Renn, a native Floridian

Personally, I get cold when the temperature drops below 60 degrees, but sophomore Britney Forrester from New York, said she loves it.

“I wear everything I’d wear in the summer: shorts, tee-shirts, skirts, and tank-tops,” said Forrester.