The Blogger Union has partnered with CreativeMornings/Miami for a collaborative storytelling marathon. Tune in to read the story of our city told by local creatives, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Each week, a different member of CreativeMornings will take over to post what inspires them about South Florida. Do you want to take over the CreativeMornings/Miami blog and share your take on our community? Email Paola at info@thebloggerunion and we’ll get working on it!

Hi, I am Francesca Belluomini and happy as a clam for taking over CreativeMornings/Miami

What’s in store for you? I will show you how to live in Miami with style. I promise, there are no gilded Lamborghinis, bikinis and rivers of vodka involved, because “luxury is a state of mind”. 

After many years in the Southern Riviera, I too speak Spanglish and drink coladas, however my style is recognized as Italian chic, that is: always appropriate and a bit overdressed.  I will show you how to live in the Magic City with a twist, we’ll call it the Italian way. 

Just bring a smile and “don’t take yourself too seriously”. 

A version of this article was originally posted on chic F.B. 

How do we keep it Haute with this scorcher?

Stay put under the stream of the AC vent and dream of one of our winter days. 

Nothing beats Miami’s winters when the sun is paler, humidity cuts us some slack for a bit and we are the envy of pretty much the rest of the Nothern emisphere dealing with fashion weeks (glamour) and snow blizzards (not so).

So first, fall in love with the idea of “slow time” like a newly married couple I like everything of it like giving back to the community, sustainability, connect with nature, slow food, zero mile groceries, recycling, vintage.

Then choose new ‘hoods, go off the beaten path, in other words, it’s ok to think the Miami Beach cliche’ is a bit passe’. 

Look, Miami Beach still stands to its reputation, bandage dresses, lucite high heels, nightlife limelight and limos, no problem, still there, not going anywhere. 

But Miami is not anymore only that and across the pond you can find answers to the new swagger wave I am talking about.

(image from The Borrowed Abode)

Take Miami’s Upper East Side, that stretch of land that extends from 38ish to 75 on Biscayne Boulevard, the other side from the glitzy lavish life. It has it’s own Wikipedia page that showcases all its zones like Morningside,  MiMo (Miami Modern), Bay Point Estates and their bit of history. 

Its bay was chosen by the artist Christo (who just made a yellow splash in Lago d’Iseo in Italy by having thousands of people walking on water) for one of his art installations when in 1983 he wrapped three of the small islands on the bay in hot pink. 

There’s that ‘hood feel to it, as cozy that it makes me expect the knife grinder to pass by with his cart screaming his lungs out for attention.  No stiffness, uniforms, just commitment and zero waste. Walking the dog to the park is the equivalent of people watching in Lincoln Road.

This is a place where you go to the garage sale for the thrill of the bargain or because you never know who you’ll get to meet. How unusual is the place if I tell you that there are more vintage stores than supermarkets?

It’s the slow living movement response to the luxurious and lavish living across the bay.

(image from The Borrowed Adobe)

Drive down the stretch of boulevard and let yourself be surprised by an eclectic patchwork of street motels with mid-century modern signage, family owned stellar restaurants where you get the surprise of that extra touch of personalized service and customer dedication . 

It’s so eclectic as an environment that it could be Millennial-infused  in slow motion, not gentrified yet, with things like the Saturday’s fresh market or, for the sophisticated palates, the chocolatier boutique across the street.

A general understated new style prevails, international, educated, philanthropic, sustainable, not stuffy nor doctrinal, conscientious, no Normcore nor nouveau riche. It’s something of a new generation, far from LA and from NYC, it has a life on its own.

There’s coolness to it, an unspoken  of breaking the rules, a contradiction in terms that lands in the vicinity of ‘don’t take yourself too seriously’ the n.1 staple of Italian nonchalance. No trace of the dress-to-impress that Miami Vice has left in the collective imaginary, nor shop-till-you-drop, so 2005 and passé. 

It’s a hop and skip away from uniformity and conformism that goes by the idea that life must be savored one bite at a time.

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About Francesca Belluomini

Francesca is a fashion writer, brand consultant and a style buff. Born and raised in Tuscany, Italy, she has been living in Miami long enough not to blink at peacocks crossing the street, yet, too Italian for an American, too American for any Italian.  

Her book “The Cheat Sheet of Italian Style” (September 2016) spells the secrets of dressing the Italian way, the quintessential seal of being pulled together with insouciant elegance.  Because Italian style goes beyond frontiers and encompasses all facets of life, she believes anyone can achieve it regardless of age or location, and she’ll convince you too. 

Meanwhile, you can head over to chicFB.com to read her cogitations on fashion and style.

In addition, Francesca is a contributor for Social Miami with a column called Style Encounter and a featured-to-be author at Trusted Clothes 

Everything else happens on her Instagram profile.