Florida DECO-rations

Florida boasts all types of architectural styles - from bungalows and shotgun houses to Mediterranean-inspired McMansions - there's a little bit of everything in the Sunshine State - yes, even Victorian and American Colonial (looks a bit out of place here, don't you think?).
But, in Miami - deco rules. Praise the lord. To me, art deco - the prevailing style of the 1920s and 30s (punctuated by the abundant use of dramatic curves, sunbursts, chevrons, stainless-steel aerodynamics and other "futuristic" motifs) is the perfect transmitter (translator?) of Florida culture, weather, nature and temperament.

Florida nature is curvy and fluid, bright and vivid: the long sinuous palms, rolling ocean waves, colorful flora of hot pinks, deep purples and lush greens, tie-dyed skies that glow orange and pink and gold and violet. Deco reflects Florida's lines brilliantly - both sensuous and strong, there is no better love affair in Florida's architectural history than with deco.

Deco is Florida at its best - never mind all the rundown trailer parks, polluted beaches and fluorescent-sign lined highways (this is where Florida goes wrong, pandering to fast cash and no style)- and I'm not talking about Miami-Vice imitations either. I mean the real thing, the old gorgeous hotels you can still see on Collins Ave. in Miami. The real deco is like like Elizabeth Taylor in a A Place in the Sun or Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, Florida style operating at the height of its potential.

After looking at some of mine and your photos of genius Florida deco styles, I got inspired to showcase some dazzling goodies that reflect this Jazz-age panache. Let me know what you think!


Neiman Marcus, Art Deco Gold Mirror, $995



Anthropologie, Art Deco Mary Janes, $79.95



Ballard Designs, Bancroft Light Vanity, $49



Dillard's, Art Deco Jewelry Box, $31.08


Havertys, Art Deco Metal King Bed, $499



Restoration Hardware, Deco Optic Semi-Flushmount Light (Brass & Nickel), $139



Target, Deco-style Serving Table, $109



Redenvelope.com, Art Deco Silver-plated Money Clip, $14.95



Ralph Lauren, Art Deco Glass Decanter, $1950



Netshops.com, Shaw Rugs Modernworks Blue Deco, $619-$1209


Tiffany & Co., Deco Pendant, $17,700

Who is the Ultimate Florida Fashionista?

Every Florida native is intimately familiar with the somewhat warranted Florida fashion cliche: tanned, peroxided, frosted-lipstick wearing, wrinkled beach (dumb) babes and their guys, who are - of course - pasty, flabby, tacky, Hawaiian-shirted dudes who drive ugly convertibles.

Sure, spend any amount of time on the West Coast (Clearwater Beach = Linda Hogan-lookalikes aplenty) and you will definitely see your fair share of Lycra, leopard print and pleather, but I assure you, this is a small sampling of the wide range of gaudiness and (yes) truly inspired fashion senisibilities Florida has to offer. Florida actually has a pretty cool style if you can get past the flip-flop formal wear and near-obsession with fake double-d cups.

Floridians - like their northern counterparts in NYC - are not afraid to get funky, look silly or be dramatic. After all, Tampa is the Goth Capital of the continental U.S.

And unlike SoCal, we're more than just our bronzed and buffed abs. We're pretty freakin' freaky. We have all kinds of cultures informing our style - so don't be surprised if you see a Pink Polo (popped collar and all) paired with shorts that bear the Dominican flag. Or if you spy a sluccer mom (slutty soccer mom - low-cut tank top paired with Old Navy jeans); a notsosexual (wannabe metrosexual who thinks Prada shades and Crocs are designer); Bumionairre (bum exterior, but owns "Hooters" restaurants, motels and a tractor rental company so is worth billions).

We're like fashion centaurs. We Floridians don't really care if our top halves and bottom halves match - as long as we look hot and manage to stay cool. We are essentially living in a big swamp, so we figure the rest of the world should be impressed that we have clothes on at all.

So all this leads to the question du jour: Who is the ultimate Florida fashionista?

Is it the Tampa goth/punk/dirt rocker? The Miami model/Latin lover/bronzed beauty? The Palm Beach debutante? The Gaineseville hippie/hipster? The Key West beach bum/sandal slut? The St. Augustine surfer/surferette?

Stay tuned...we're going to hit the streets to find an answer!