Resort Fashion, Palm Beach Style

January 01, 1998

I am going to Palm Beach in November. What seasonal rules apply in warm weather resort areas like Palm Beach? Is it okay to wear linen and cotton pastels even though it is November? What would be the appropriate attire for a dinner out? I do not want to look like a tourist? (Baytown, TX)

Wherever you travel, it's safe to say, dress in a fabric weight appropriate for the temperature and a color palette appropriate for the season.

Even in this time when appears to have come out of a global mall of style, every city around the world still has its own unique little dress code. There are certain mini-trends that just pick-up where the Gap left off more in one area then the next. The whole idea of resort clothing can be stymieing and obviously Palm Beach is more Kors than K-Mart.

Whenever possible, try to consult a native of that area or someone who has traveled there before. To help you, I've asked Robert Janjigian, fashion editor of the Palm Beach Daily News for his insight.

Robert says, "To avoid the so-called tourist look, I'd suggest that visitors to Palm Beach in November (when temperatures tend toward the cooler) avoid the spring (pastel) tones. Certainly, the no-linen-after-Labor Day rule doesn't apply in Palm Beach and cotton is an acceptable fabric year-round."

If you're on vacation, you'll be having "dinner out" every night, what you wear all depends on the type of restaurant that you are dining at. On any holiday, it's always wise to pack one outfit that can be worn to more cosmopolitan, dressier restaurants, just in case.