For those of you who do not know, I am not a native Arizonan. I was born and raised in a city called Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (The largest city in SD, I might add!) I decided to come home for the summer to try and beat the heat of a scorching Arizona summer!

Falls Park – Sioux Falls, SD

Even though it’s officially summer here in South Dakota, we haven’t had a single day above 80°. The weather adjustment from AZ to SD alone was the most difficult part. People always warned me that if I moved to Arizona my blood would become thinner. Boy, were they right! Parkas seem to be my summer fashion staple here!

Photo by Michael O’Hara

But, once summer truly arrives in South Dakota, our real summer style reveals itself.

I am not going to lie; South Dakota is a little bit behind the times when it comes to fashion. My almond shaped nails seem to scare people here instead of intriguing them. It takes people a minute to realize that my newly platinum blonde hair is in fact not just bleached by the sun, but by my hairstylist at Downtown Phoenix Salon.

Although we may not be close to a coast here, we still have a form of beach style. Our beaches, however, are on the coast of natural lakes rather than oceans and manmade lakes. Although there is a difference in the beaches we lay on, our style is the same.

Photo provided by Chloe Litzen

A majority of our style inspiration comes from the Internet and its magnificent users across the world. Although it takes quite a few years for us to get any major label to create a storefront in our city, we use our resources and online shop.

For how far apart our two states are, and how different they are in climate, it is clear that “fashion is an instant language” no matter where you may be.