LA… the way i see it

I just spent the last week on a short little vacation with my wife in Los Angeles. You could say that I like LA, but I would say “I friggin’ love LA”.   Why wouldn’t I? The weather is always perfect, it’s beyond beautiful with the ocean and mountains, and oh ya… the shopping ain’t too shabby either. Over the past 5 years I’ve traveled to LA lots. I want to try and figure out what I like so much about the place…

The People – I don’t know what it is, but people in LA seem cool. Like way cooler than me. It must be something in the water because they seem to walk with a strut that only people in LA can pull off. These “strutters” know how to pull off casual styles. Like only they can, their outfits seem perfect for the place they live. People wearing beanies and leather jackets all over the place makes it hard to pick out the real rockstars from the average joes.

The other thing I really noticed while away were people attitudes. Here is a good comparison, when I walk into Starbucks back home people don’t seem all that happy. I realize this winter has been brutal for us east coasters, but its written all over everyone’s face. I can’t deny that dark skies and frigid temperatures take a toll on me aswell. Winters can be tough. I’ve spent many hours working and drinking in Starbucks this winter and have seen the winter blues take affect on lots of people. I’ve seen very few smiles, screaming matches over whos seat is whos and more coughing than a doctors office. What a great place to enjoy some java, or not. On the flip side, almost every morning while in LA my wife and I walked to Starbucks for our morning coffee and for me to get my “egg white feta wrap”. PS – if you haven’t tried one, I highly suggest it. Back to Starbucks in LA… I walk in, people are smiling, mingling and seem genuinely happy. I’m pretty sure Starbucks serves the same coffee here in Canada as they do in the US (i’m kidding, i know they do), so I can only assume these people ARE happy. You know what that does for me? Becomes contagious… I can’t help being happy also. I’m not naive, I know there are arseholes everywhere and great people everywhere. I’m just stating what this Starbucks experience brought to my intention. Good weather is good for the soul?

The Weather – Here is a snapshot for you;

Need I say more? You can go snow skiing, surfing and hiking all in the same day!

The Fashion – People in the US refer to their style as either West Coast or East Coast. Whats the major difference? As least in my opinion, the left coast is much more casual. People on the east coast tend to wear things a little preppier and a little more “done up”. Casual style seems to be the fashion of choice for LA natives. Ripped jeans, a button up shirt (with lots of buttons undone), and a baseball cap could be the uniform in the city of angels. I realize I’m generalizing… I myself live on the east coast and if you follow me on instagram (follow me here) than you already know I love anything distressed. Back to the uniform, there is more to this casual outfit than you may think. There is something so satisfying about putting a casual outfit on and making it look well put together… and you know, not looking like a homeless person. There is a big difference from just rolling out of bed and calling that a style. I think I will leave that to the movie stars. For me, I want to pair different pieces to make that casual look feel perfect. I also want to be confident my casual look will be appropriate everywhere I go. My style and outfits may fit in more on the west more so then the east. I don’t worry about wearing my ripped jeans out for lunch or if my sneakers will look silly while in Los Angeles. But, don’t get me wrong, these people also know how to dress up. They just do it a little different then the east-coasters. Fancy dinners are a great place to check out the dressier side of LA. Even though its dressier, it’s still edgy. For example, all dress shoes worn without socks, no need for a tie, and much less formal jackets. I think style is a reflection of you as a person. I think the general sense of the style in LA is laid back.  A little like a surfers mindset, they don’t take life as serious as east coasters and seem to have more fun with their fashion.   I know I am generalizing and I will admit I bought my first beanie in New York City (in the middle of the summer).

So… who cares? Well… I mean if you read this far, obviously you do. But, besides you, I care. I guess I care because I’m learning about fashion everyday. Sometimes the best way to learn about fashion is to experience it and see it for yourself. Its one thing to look at pictures, but much more enlightening to visit and see the fashion firsthand. I love the way people dress in LA. I love to be inspired by styles form the west coast and bringing them home. My individual style is inspired by many different people, places, and experiences. Los Angeles is certainly a place I’m inspired. LA has some amazing weather and the people seem pretty happy in my opinion.

It wouldn’t be a trip to LA if I didn’t address its infamous traffic.  As for the traffic that people cant seem to stop talking about… yea its bad. Commuting isn’t easy and public transit doesn’t offer a great alternative. I guess you could decide if spending longer in your car to get to the beach is better then a short trip somewhere when you have to  scrape the ice off your windows and warm your car up before driving. I wonder if they factor ice scrapping and car warming into the commute times on the east?

SO to wrap things up… in the airport on my way home I tried a cronut. Let me tell you, this experience changed my life. That is all. I’ve gotta warm up my car.