Another from my time at SheerLuxe...
Hailing from Los Angeles, I’ve always admired the chic sophistication of the East Coast and, more specifically, New York. Even though the cities share a country, when it comes to style, the similarities stop there. Each destination offers their own take on fashion and style, largely determined by the industry that dominates in each.
In LA, to work in “The Industry” means to work in entertainment: the struggling actress complete with her predictable Juicy Couture tracksuit and Venti iced skinny latte from Starbucks (with two Splendas), the artsy film maker who prowls the vintage shops of Melrose to increase his indie-cred, the director who favours classic Calvin Klein tailoring in order to impress potential producers.
The key to style in Los Angeles is to dress to impress as many people as possible, because just like a movie needs to be liked by a large and diverse audience in order to be popular, so do the people making it.
Location and climate also play a big part in expanding the divide between East and West fashion, a fact that can easily be witnessed while rummaging the wardrobe closets of two guilty TV pleasures: The OC vs. Gossip Girl. In The OC, midriffs and flip flops were the staple, while the high-maintenance characters in their East coast equivalent would never be caught dead in either.
But don’t let the appearance of the effortless style in California beguile you. Both the LA girl and NY doll put in comparable amounts of time into getting ready, it’s just that the New Yorker is proud to flaunt her effort and the Los Angeles local tries to hide it.
Both the effortless look of the West and the deliberateness of the East can be traced back to the influences of their industries: walk into Vogue looking like you just rolled out of bed, no effort whatsoever, and you’ll end up on the streets, walk into a movie casting doing the same and be praised for your low-maintenance tendencies and unpretentious nature.
If it’s the flair of Manhattan that piques your interest and you want a polished look that would impress even Anna Wintour, pair this statement making skirt from Preen (or the more affordable Francois skirt courtesy of Reiss) with a blazer in either black or navy (a new neutral), tailored white blouse, and these Alaia booties, which add something tough to the look. Now all that’s needed is a chignon and some attitude and you’ve got yourself one impressive ensemble.
Looking for something less planned and more relaxed? Then the style of the West coast definitely more closely aligns with your fashion ideology. Try the carefree look of the Love Story J Brand in this subtly distressed wash matched with a bright white hippie inspired blouse, like this smock top from See by Chloe, to make you the envy of all the Kate Hudsons out there. Leave your hair loose and imperfect, ready for a day of shopping in Santa Monica or a dip in the Pacific.
While I may be an LA girl by birth, I’m a New Yorker by nature. Something about the energy of Manhattan is much more alluring to me than the beaches of Malibu. And even though I’ll give accolades to anyone who can spend hours getting ready only to look like they just fell out of their shabby chic quilt and actually pull it off, for this Cali girl, it’s the style of New York that triumphs in this fashion war.
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