What do I wear in Florida Keys?

Keturah

Hi all! I have lapsed in posting. Life has been extremely full and exciting!

My husband accepted a job position. It requires us to relocate from the Colorado Mountains to the Florida Keys.

My fur coats, wool sweaters, and other lovely items are going away. Paying to store items I might use on rare occasions doesn't make sense. I also worry about bugs harming the fur and wool.

So my question is...
Warm weather fabbers: what to wear in tropical climates for everyday, real life??

I grew up in Nebraska and am accustomed to hot, humid summer weather. But I have a feeling it might be different there. I'm used to four seasons, though I enjoy warm weather, so I don't think that will be an issue. I have a few sun dresses. I do have some blouses but they are polyester and I wonder if that's going to be uncomfortable in humidity. (Haven't lived in humidity for over 4 years.)

I love drapey fabrics. Linen and cotton are not very exciting to me.

Please give me your thoughts and advice. xo

10 years ago

Off Topic

7 replies

Latest reply was from texstyle

SW Ann

Veteran

I've never visited the Keys, however, we have good friends that just got back from there (last Sat) visiting their son, wife and grandkids. It was a first time visit for both, and they said that cotton, cotton cotton was really the only comfortable thing, at least this time of year. I don't know about the
"winter" months... Jeans become very heavy and uncomfortable with the high humidity, and there is almost daily short rain storms.
The gentleman wore "dri-fit" type t shirts comfortably as well. ....
Hope that helps a little....
I'm with you on the linen and cotton --I live in Arizona and had to get used to the idea over time, and look for higher quality, less quantity linens. And "make peace with the crease" as Angie says....took awhile.
Good Luck!

10 years ago

SarahTheWhite

Veteran

I live in Florida but have never been to the Keys (I hear it is beautiful there!!). I'm in Central FL. I hate to tell you, but it is really hot. And humid. I think a lot depends on what you will be doing and where you will spend your time. My impression of the Keys is that more of your life is spent outdoors than the bigger cities. Where I am, I can get through most days with little time spent out in the heat - just the time it takes to get into and out of the car. The rest of my time is in air conditioning. At home it is nice to have a sweater on hand due to the chilly AC. I actually do wear jeans in the summer as long as I am in stores or houses, and it helps to pair a light weight top with the jeans. But if I spend any amount of time outside I definintely want cotton sundress type clothing. Natural fibers really help, and things that aren't tight and heavy on the skin (thick elastic or wide waistbands can be miserable). I'm not crazy about polyester but I do enjoy soft rayon type fabrics, and drapy things (like light weight jersy or tee shirt fabric).
Something to think about - it might be worth while to keep a few nice winter things. If you ever visit cold climates it is really costly if you have to purchase winter wear to go for a quick visit. I have a wool coat and a few other items I rarely wear, but they just stay in the closet with everything else and are ready when needed. Also, when it gets cold here, it feels really cold. The humidity makes you feel like you're freezing at temps that make Northerners scoff!

10 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Depending on where you will be, there will be at least more wind in the Keys than in central Florida. It will be hot or warm and humid much of the time, but I've spent quite a bit of time in Florida (family there) and as much as I don't like humidity, it's not unbearable to me near the beach - as long as I dress for it. And embrace the curls in my hair. :-). Light weight jeans are okay in winter and even sometimes during fall and spring - but I wear jeans in Texas when it's going to be 90 so I guess I'm accustomed to some heat. Big Star is a brand that works for me. I prefer to wear light weight shorts and cotton is key to me. Cotton blends can be okay too. I was in Key West one January and it was actually cold enough for jeans, jackets and closed shoes much of the time. I don't particularly love linen I've learned - I own many linen blouses and don't tend to reach for them. I do love a light slub weight tee style top and those are easy to come by these days. Shoes are key to keeping cool too - breathable shoes, sandals, etc. And wearing a light weight hat to shade your face can be a fun accessory.

Light weave silk or silk/cotton blends are probably much better than polyester, which doesn't really work for me at all.

I'd be on the lookout for lots of fun swimsuits to wear often and some good cover up tops so I'm "ready to swim" or bike on the beach at a moment's notice since everyone seems to have swimming pools and the beach just beckons for bicycle riding (to me at least).

Now I want to go to Florida again.

10 years ago

abc

Veteran

I think it depends on your day to day life and activities, too. Will you be working? Will you be out in the heat walking a lot? Or will you use a car to get around? All of these are huge factors in how you dress.

If at all possible I would recommend at least one visit before the move to get accustomed to the area. (I've relocated internationally so I know what it's like). I would recommend going down and spending as much time as you can checking out the area, figuring out where you would like to live, the different areas, where stuff is - all of this will help make your eventual move much smoother. Of course you can wait until you're moved, but then you will be dealing with a whole host of other things (movers, moving, setting up a new home, etc). While you are there you can check out the weather and get an idea of how people dress.

I would second Sarah's recommendation not to chuck ALL of your cold weather items. I did pretty much that and when work sent me to MN in Jan I was scrambling to find weather appropriate clothes, shoes, coat, etc.

Good luck and how exciting, keep us posted.

10 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

Light weight dresses--nothing confining in the warm months. Fabrics that dry easily and don't stink when you sweat (some synthetics dry quickly but get stinky fast). My recommendation: Get a couple of inexpensive outfits together for the first few weeks, then buy after you see what does and doesn't work with those outfits. So fun--we had a stellar Keys vacation 10 years ago, and I still long for that soft warm evening air. Hope you love the water! It is gorgeous!

10 years ago

Keturah

Veteran

Sorry to just reply. We have begun packing and between that and my last week of work, I couldn't get on here until tonight.

SW Ann, thank you! I don't mind the creasing with linen. I just don't like the texture. Linen doesn't scream glamorous to me, I guess. ha! I don't have a lot of cotton...so guess I'll have to try that out!

SarahTheWhite, wow that is all helpful! I plan on keeping my good hand-tailored wool coat, and some sweaters I hand knit for myself. We will likely go north for Christmas, and I know it will be nice to have them!

You'll laugh, but at this point I am not even giving up my Lysse coated leggings (they have this crackled, worn leather finish) or jeans -- I'm holding on to see if I can wear them without too much sweat dripping down my back. I'm totally okay suffering some for fashion sake. That aside, I really love rayon and drapey items, so I think that is where I'll begin. I bought a pair of shorts, polyester but softly pleated fronts, bit loose fitting -- they look uber current and cute. Considering I haven't worn shorts in nearly 10-15 years, I'm hoping I won't feel too naked.
So good to know about the humidity in the cooler months. If I'm just sitting around, I find myself getting chilly if it's under 70 degrees (with no humidity). I have some super lightweight cotton sweaters that are going with me.

Texstyle, I'm so planning to enjoy my huge, wildly curly hair down there I have decided not to worry about blowouts and such -- at least if I want my hair to last longer than a few hours. I grew up wearing jeans in Nebraska summers, which from what I hear are similar to Texas summers. I just wear them, regardless of the weather. I really am anticipating swimsuits and coverups! My husband and I have plans to scuba dive, bicycle, etc. I think those might suit me better than anything else, at least for going out and about to do things. Shorts are where I feel uncomfortable. I have some varicose veins. Nothing terrible, but still... I feel self-conscious. However, I also don't want to bake and die in a pool of my own sweat. So I bought one really cute, chic pair to try. I have not seen many shirts or dresses in silk-cotton blend fabric. Where do you find yours??

abc, a visit before moving isn't possible I'm winging it. I plan on working part-time. There will become outdoor activities, but those will be after work with my husband or friends -- mostly working out, walking, biking, beach time, scuba diving, etc. I think right now, it will be two different capsules: nice, dressy casual and then total activewear and beach-wear the rest of the time. Definitely keeping my best and nicest winter things. My husband reminded me we will likely be doing Christmases in Michigan and Nebraska with our families. Those are some frigid winters and require heavy wool to stay warm.

ClaraT, I didn't read your message until now. BUT I kind of did just what you said. I went to Target and found these adorable pair of shorts on clearance for $5, and a couple lightweight poly/cotton shirts. I'm going to try those and see how i feel. It took a lot of restraint to leave all of the cute fall clothes alone. But I did it. I can't wait to see the water and feel the gorgeous evening air!! It sounds so heavenly...

xoxo and thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!! They are all super helpful!! Will keep you updated!

10 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I've found some cotton/silk blends at jcrew that were really nice quality and wash really well. That was last year but it wouldn't hurt to look. I wouldn't worry about wearing shorts just because of some visible veins - we're all human and have these things, right? But the soft, thin material of those Big Star jeans do really make them wearable in the heat (for me at least).

10 years ago

Category