Fashion Insider: Fall into Florida

I drank a pumpkin spice latte recently in a mini skirt and a crop top and it just didn’t feel right.

Starbucks came out with its famous fall drink in early September, marking the unofficial start of fall. Officially, fall started Sept. 22. A year ago, I was gearing up for sweater weather in North Dakota and enjoying the fall colors in my favorite pair of jeans, layering my look with scarves and jackets.

Now in early November, even though it’s finally a little cooler out, I am still rocking the spaghetti strap dresses and flip-flops, making me one confused fashionista.

So as I start my first fall in sunny Florida, I got to thinking: How do I enjoy my favorite season of fashion when it’s still relatively hot outside?

To get some insider info, I talked to local stylish Black Tie reader Clara Reynardus de Villanueva. She’s on the advancement team for CAN community health, but she used to be a fashion stylist at The Met Fashion House + Day Spa. Plus, I’ve seen her at many philanthropic events and can attest to her style.

Reynardus de Villanueva used to live in Massachusetts, but she’s glad to be in Florida where she was able to redo her wardrobe for the warmer temperatures.

“We have an advantage here where we don’t have to put away those pieces for the season, we can just style them differently,” she says.

Below are her fall fashion tips, along with some examples from local boutiques.