I’ll never forget the first time I visited Miami.  I was only thirteen years old, but I was seriously awe-struck.  Something about the city just spoke to me.  It’s art deco buildings, tropical landscape, and bright, colorful lights – it was all so unique.  It was truly unlike anywhere I had ever been.  

When it was time for me to choose colleges, I decided to visit the University of Miami, and I was sold- immediately. I mean, not only was there a pool in the middle of the school, the pathways were lined with palm trees, and tropical birds (I’m not kidding, there were Toucans) flying around in the sky.  On top of that, warm weather year-round. Okay, I know I live in Southern California – but you can’t wear bikinis and sleeveless shirts here in the winter!

The four years I spent in Miami really shaped me into the person I am today.  The city gave me more than just an education in the classroom, it gave me an education in life.   Its culture had a direct impact on my tastes and style – including my fashion choices.  Miami really has a vibe of its own- bold, vibrant, sexy, and flashy!  A majority of my college days (well let’s be honest mostly nights) were spent on South Beach, partying the night away.  I embraced everything about the city and its colorful diversity in my wardrobe.  My closet was filled with all white outfits, tight mini-dresses, and bold print bikinis. 

I’ve toned down my look since then, but my Miami roots still inspire my style to this day 😉 Whenever I go back and visit, I like to take the opportunity to relive my glory days and whole-heartedly embrace my inner Miami diva.  I took a trip back this weekend and had myself a mini vacay.  I had some fun playing dress up and shooting some quintessential “Miami” looks for you guys. If these two outfits don’t scream MIA, then I don’t know what does!

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Miami Look 1:  South Beach Art Deco Babe

I got this mod-printed halter crop-top from Forever21 about 6 years ago, and it’s STILL my favorite top in my wardrobe.  I love the bright, bold print – I think it totally plays off the South Beach Art Deco vibe which is probably why it remains one of my favorites.  It’s definitely a summer top, but sometimes I can get away with breaking it out in the winter – like during this recent trip.  It goes well with both white and regular denim jeans, but I decided to pair it with a white denim jean skirt this time.  Probably because jean skirts were all the rage during my first year of college and well, I was digging deep into the time capsule.

I love this particular white jean skirt because it’s cut short at an angle in the front which helps give the illusion of longer legs since I am petite.   To add a little more flair, and keep the look modern, I added this gold chain belt I recently got from the Australian retailer, Princess Polly Boutique.  I am really into Australian brands and designers right now – they have a lot of unique styles and pieces that are affordable and on-trend.  Gold chain belts are super-hot right now and it’s a great accessory piece you can use to spice up almost any outfit.  Lastly, I decided to go big with these orange heels with the cut-out details.   I got these from Aldo a few years ago and I am still obsessed.  I remember eyeing them in the window and snapping a pic of them to my friend, asking if they were too extra.   Her response was “BUY” and before I knew it I was swiping my credit card!  Normally I avoid heels like this because they can cut you off and the cut-out detail can draw too much attention making someone as short as me appear shorter.  However, these ones are great because they are angled down with a U shape in front that elongate the legs.  Also, the cut-outs show enough skin to help give the same effect.  Most of the pieces in this outfit are no longer available since I got them years ago, but I linked similar pieces so you can create a similar look!

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Miami Look 2: Bringing the Heat to the MIA

Okay, this shot is so extra, but I love it.  I saw this Ferrari parked in front of Burberry and I was like, okay nothing gets more Miami than this.  The perfect place to shoot these badass pants from Zara.  As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, leopard print is SUPER trendy right now, and there are really no rules on how you can wear it.  What does that mean? Red leopard print is fair game!  A lot of times I have trouble with Zara pants being too long, but this pair is an XS and I had NO problem with the length.  I mean seriously, how fun are these?  They have a cool side zipper with a silver circular detail that’s hard to notice in the picture, but it gives the pants a cool punk-rock vibe.  They are on sale right now for $19.99 so snag them while you still can!

I decided to go big or go home and added these red heels with the circular detail.  I’ve had these ones in my closet for years that I pull out for fun looks like this one.  Similar to the orange heels in the previous outfit, the downward angle of the heel combined with the exposed skin in the circular detail help give a leg-lengthening effect for my petite stature.   The pants and heels are enough detail to carry this outfit, so I went with a tight plain black tank on top.  Even though I had already completely raided the Zara sale a few days prior, the night before I shot this look, I was walking down Lincoln Road and accidentally found myself perusing through the store again (oops!). I came across this clear bag with the black buckle detail on sale and snagged it.  I had been wanting a clear bag for a while, but hadn’t found the right one.   I like this one because the black buckle makes it versatile enough to go with a dressed up or dressed down look.  I thought in this case, it was a great accessory to round out the outfit. Simple, yet stylish enough, to go with a flashy look like this one.  Anyways, here I am!  Flashy and vibrant as Miami itself!

Miami will always hold a special place in my heart.  It’s essentially the city where I came of age and entered into adulthood.  It’s the city where I first truly discovered love, friendship, heartbreak, fear, anger, sadness, and joy. It taught me how to view the world differently, people differently, and myself differently.  There really is no place like it in the US, and I’d even argue – the world.  Its rich, diverse melting pot of a culture is the fabric of the city – and the fabric of who I am.  For that, I will always be grateful.  I love you Miami. Xoxo

Do you have a city that holds a special place in your heart?  A place that has helped inspire the person you are?   Let me know in the comments below!