topic Re: Regional Question in Fashion

Regional Question

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:16:03 GMT

My new home will be in a beach city. Although I am not on the beach or next to the water, I am in the city known as a beach city. Central coast of CA. Now, some ladies I've run into have told me that "we are the beach", and "it's the beach". So they dress casually, very beach casual. Okay, that's their thing.

My apprehension is that my clothes are dressy casual and I like to wear boots in the colder/cooler temps. I am wondering if I will appear completely uninformed as to what one wears in a beach city/community. What's your take?

(I know I should do as I desire but one has to sorta realize a thing or two).

Re: Regional Question

Ms X — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:20:07 GMT

I live in a beach community and haven't noticed any particular way of dressing. Maybe it's a California kind of thing. If you like the way you dress, why not just go with it? You will stand out from the crowd. You could always get one or two things, such as a particular style of jacket, to add to your existing wardrobe if you really want to fit in.

Re: Regional Question

tansy — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:20:54 GMT

My DIL may live in your coastal town. She wears boots and dusters (I call them dusters; she calls them kimonos).

i would invest in some pretty sandals.

Re: Regional Question

jaxs mom — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:28:16 GMT

I've never had anyone try and enforce a dress code on me based on where we live. Unless we were coming or going from the beach IE on the sand and in the water, I wear my regular clothing as does everyone else.

Re: Regional Question

jaxs mom — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:30:52 GMT

@Ms X wrote:
I live in a beach community and haven't noticed any particular way of dressing. Maybe it's a California kind of thing. If you like the way you dress, why not just go with it? You will stand out from the crowd. You could always get one or two things, such as a particular style of jacket, to add to your existing wardrobe if you really want to fit in.

It's not a CA thing, I grew up in So CA beach communities and lived in both northern and southern CA. I'm not sure what's with the OPs peeps. We don't go everywhere in cut offs and bathing suit tops.

Re: Regional Question

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:31:13 GMT

@jaxs mom Always look forward to seeing your Avatar. It's a beautiful pic of a beautiful animal.

Re: Regional Question

jaxs mom — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:32:05 GMT

@Puzzle Piece Thank you, I was just petting Puccini ( my avatar pic).

Re: Regional Question

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:33:24 GMT

@jaxs mom wrote:
@Ms X wrote:
I live in a beach community and haven't noticed any particular way of dressing. Maybe it's a California kind of thing. If you like the way you dress, why not just go with it? You will stand out from the crowd. You could always get one or two things, such as a particular style of jacket, to add to your existing wardrobe if you really want to fit in.
It's not a CA thing, I grew up in So CA beach communities and lived in both northern and southern CA. I'm not sure what's with the OPs peeps. We don't go everywhere in cut offs and bathing suit tops.

Maybe it's the neighborhood. Even my husband has noticed how some of the females appear like princess housewives. I'm just me. Not a slob but not a glamour puss.

Re: Regional Question

Rocky Kat — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:39:52 GMT

I live on the central coast of CA., born and raised. If you live in Santa Cruz, the dress, all year, is very casual, in San Francisco, all different types of dress. I would suggest the longer you live in the area, know what the weather brings each year, you will determine, for yourself, what you are comfortable wearing, boots/heavy coats/sweaters may not work for you due to the weather conditions as most of the time the weather is mild, except, in the a.m., when it is usually foggy. Good luck, enjoy your new home, visit the beach and the coast line.

Re: Regional Question

jaxs mom — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:43:17 GMT

It is more casual if you literally live steps from the beach. When I was in HS I lived one block from the beach and used to walk down in the mornings before school to watch the guys on our HS surf team practice. But we still wore regular clothes to school and out to eat. Although yes, the little walk in places on main street saw lots of people in bathing suits that had stopped in walking home from the beach.

But yes, I wore sweaters and closed toe shoes even on the beach in winter because it gets pretty chilly with the wind and fog.

Re: Regional Question

SharkE — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:43:38 GMT

I moved to Tx and if you want to wear boots(I don't) this is the state. LOL

I got one pair of UGGS that's my boot collection.

Re: Regional Question

151949 — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 18:05:40 GMT

I live in a Florida resort beach area on the Gulf Coast. Every once in a while we will see someone wearing boots and it always looks very odd and out of place. The dress in our area is , in fact, very very casual. Often in restaurants we will see ladies dressed in a swimsuit with just one of those sheer skirts tied over it or a beach cover up on and that fits right in. Most people where we live either wear shorts or capris and a t shirt or tank, or they wear a maxi dress and sandals or flip flops. On those rare cool days - jeans and a sweater or hoodie or at home - sweats. The one time we do get dressed up where I live is church - we still dress up for church then Sunday breakfast out or Sunday dinners out you'll see people are still dressed up.

Re: Regional Question

Trix — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 18:39:03 GMT

I would never dress just so I had the same style as others. That's limiting oneself as if there's a uniform law and some kind of fantasy fashion police issue tickets. My personality just does not permit me to march that way.

Re: Regional Question

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 19:35:47 GMT

@jaxs mom wrote:
@Puzzle Piece Thank you, I was just petting Puccini ( my avatar pic).

Your cat loves Opera? Nice.

Re: Regional Question

Andreatoo — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 19:42:43 GMT

@JaxsMom

You don't?!

Mind blown LOL

I too live in a beach community but on the opposite side of the country. With the exception of little opportunity to wear all my cute jackets I dress as I please not as someone tells me (which they don't)

Re: Regional Question

chrystaltree — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 19:55:47 GMT

Well, if you aren't on the water or a few minutes away from the ocean. You aren't in a beach town. I live a little south of boston, about a 20 minute drive from the beach. We can't walk to the beach and no one in town can see the water from their house, we aren't a beach town. Having said that, if you want to blend in with whatever the other women in town wear, walk around and see what they are wearing and dress accordingly. It's not about being uninformed. iIt's just a matter of how secure you are in being an individual. Some women feel more secure blending in with the masses while others feel more secure by standing out from the masses.

Re: Regional Question

islandgrrl — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 20:15:46 GMT

@Puzzle Piece

I think this sounds like a wonderful new chapter to your life. Congratulations on your new beachy world. I say embrace it all. You have your dressier style that you like so no reason to abandon that (except maybe when actually walking on the beach). But now you get to see new styles and add different pieces to your wardrobe as your enthusiasm and budget allow. Have fun with it!

Re: Regional Question

perfumera De La Luz — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 20:18:20 GMT

love roses you will probably stand out so just be sure YOU feel good w/ you and how you look.

I live near the coast a little further north were the uniform is hiking clothes... now I only wear that when i'm hiking and getting a sweat etc....

I do stand out so whatever I do I'm sure that I feel the outfit is flattering- I'm regularly told I'm the best dressed person around and people often think I'm a tourist. I don't care! I wear what I want, when I want, how I want.

Re: Regional Question

SaRina — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 20:19:39 GMT

"Now, some ladies I've run into have told me that "we are the beach", and "it's the beach". So they dress casually, very beach casual. Okay, that's their thing."

I say forget the beaches and do your own thing.