the city of angels: part ii
A follow up to Tavis’ Very Official Guide.
SOME THINGS TO DO IN A CITY THAT IS ALWAYS AWAKE. AND CRAMMED WITH TESLAS.
- Drive up Mulholland, get lost, find the Hollywood Sign Overlook. Realize that the Hollywood sign isn't as cool as all the winding little streets with pretty houses. Keep driving.
- Drive through the Beverly Hills Country Club. Wonder how they get their palm trees so much taller than everyone else's. Wonder if they realize that all of said palm trees are about to fall down & wreck LA up Godzilla-style.
- See a Disney movie at the El Capitan in Hollywood. Because if you have to do the touristy thing, it might as well involve extremely expensive tickets to a children’s film.
- Take your time at the FIDM museum. Their Academy Awards costuming exhibit changed my life. Talk to the blue-haired student giftshop worker and hope she will be your best friend when you move here. Immediately.
- Visit The Last Bookstore downtown. Go upstairs and wander through the labyrinth. Add a lot of books to your reading list but don’t buy anything because you don’t have room in your suitcase. DON’T PARK AFTER 4.
- Window shop Abbot Kinney in Venice. Instagram everything, buy nothing. You’re still paying for the damn plane ticket out here, remember? Ok, one exception permitted for $28 Made in the USA leather mule/clogs. Very LA.
- See the boardwalk & the surfers at Venice Beach and then walk on the sand all the way down to the pretty houses and cars at Marina del Rey. Don’t forget sunscreen.
- Experience the tackiness of the Santa Monica Boardwalk in all its grand glory.
- Then, experience the opposite end of the boardwalk spectrum, the Malibu Pier. If you’re feeling casually fancy and have $8 for juice, eat at the Malibu Farm Pier Café. Beautiful views of granola, eggs, surfer-waiter-dudes, and the ocean.
- If you’re near West Hollywood on a Sunday, walk through the Melrose Trading Post where you may happen to find a lot of beautiful Mickey paraphernalia. Buy a sweatshirt and wear it ALL WEEK because it is colder than the not-to-hot-not-to-cold Goldilocks weather you assumed California just always has.
- Go to Disneyland. Both parks. Stay all day. See the water show and the fireworks. Bring a friend if you want, but if you’re a nerd and a child at heart, solo trips are even better.
- Window shop Melrose with your friends. You need them for this one because it’s too scary to do alone. Start with Nasty Gal and Reformation and work your way up to The Row, Alexander McQueen, and Oscar de la Renta. Walk confidently. Sneak pictures if you can, even though the the Olsen’s stuffy minions “must ask that there be no pictures in the space.”
- Wonder if people really swim in The Row's pool. Why else would there be towels there?
- Later debate whether any of the compliments you received from sales associates were sincere. At least maybe they thought you had the money to be there?
- Attempt to wear all your planned outfits despite the weather. Take some mirror selfies just to make sure everything was documented properly. No shame in the blogosphere my friends.
- When you really get too cold, just make sure you high waisted flares and some fake Dior sunglasses to go with that Mickey sweatshirt. Reassure yourself that in LA, you can survive on one good outfit & juice alone. There are 3.8 million other people doing it, why not you!?
- Last but never least, have a PLAYLIST. Because, like outfits, you have to have one for every major life event. Listen to it a bunch before you go and afterwards too. Steal a bunch of songs from Tavis because he’s cooler than you.
& SOME LEWKS TO WEAR IN A CITY WHERE EVERYONE IS CRAZY. AKA WEAR ANYTHING (OR NOTHING) AT ALL.
xo,
sarah
OUTFIT DEETS
American Eagle off-shoulder crop & peasant skirt.
Vintage Wimbledon windbreaker & Reformation mockneck dress.
Mom's old Hawaiian shirt & Madewell Flea Market Flares
(these jeans are all I wear & on such a good sale rn that I gagged).
Good Vibes dress.
Tommy overalls & American Eagle crop.
Mickey mockneck sweatshirt & Converses / flat sandals all day erry day.
Lucky Brand flowy top, vintage Etienne Aigner purse, $28 clogs from Ananda.
Pretty much all thrifted / from my mom's closet / 3 - 5 years old.