How To Survive L.A. Style As A New Yorker (And Vice Versa)

It never fails. The plane touches down in LAX, I walk out of the airport into the blazing sun, and I realize, shit, I've done it again: I'm dressed in black head to toe.

In New York, black is my uniform, while only those in mourning wear head to toe black in L.A. I've also forgotten my sunglasses in my apartment back home because it's gray in New York and I haven't thought about sunglasses in over a month. In L.A. sunglasses are a permanent fixture, worn either over ones eyes, or perched atop the head like a tiara. Being caught without sunglasses is like being caught walking out of a public restroom with toilet paper stuck to the soles of your shoes. So I'm in black, no sunglasses, looking tired (most New Yorkers are perennially tired) and I've got black circles under my eyes the size of which most only see in the NFL.

From the airport I went directly to a luncheon with a large group of women I don't see very often, and to look around the room I wanted to cry; these women were utterly beautiful. In contrast to my black pantsuit, they were all in feminine little dresses that showed off their figures. They glowed. They were goddesses. Their skin shined, their eyes shined, their hair shined, they looked like they got plenty of sleep, their breasts were full, their knees were bony, their feet were tan, and their toes were perfectly pedicured.

I used to live in California, and when I was 18 years old I made my first trip to New York City. I knew I wanted to live here, but I had to see if could I really do it. I was on my first subway ride ever, and I sat across from a woman. She was well-dressed in a corporate suit, but she looked tired and haggard, completely worn-out, and I succinctly remember saying to myself in that moment, "I will live in this city, and I will be successful here, but I will never let myself look like her." Well, on this day in L.A., after 15 years of living in New York, I looked a lot like her. I felt like I had aged in dog years compared to these women.

There are surely as many busy, successful women in New York as in L.A. I was sitting around a table of them at that luncheon in fact. Do the women in L.A. actually do a better job of taking care of themselves, or are they just more skilled at looking like they do?

It's certainly easier to wear the four-inch Louboutin's when you drive your own car (with your own cup holder for your own soy latte) door-to-door instead of the usual daily combination of a New Yorker's commute which is usually a cross between walking, running, dodging slush puddles, hailing a taxi, or taking a subway... all while padded by four layers of clothing and juggling a cup of tepid watery coffee from a corner deli.

These two cities seem to operate on such totally different frequencies. In the fashion business we see big differences in the consumer coast to coast. Season after season, I have consistently seen marked differences in what is considered fashionable in L.A. vs. NY.

L.A. Stats:

-Clothes generally tend to be more girly and feminine.

-Hemlines can be slightly shorter.

-Color is important, and can be vibrant.

-Tops and dresses should have either a defined waist and/or cleavage.

-Show some skin... and due to mild temperatures it's usually called for, which means it's easier to be sexy in a casual, unassuming way.

-Obviously the consistency of climate requires fewer layers and lighter fabrics. It's possible to wear cotton year-round.

-Sweaters are still a necessity, but are best when not too heavy.

NY Stats:

-Black is usually a best-selling color of any item in New York City.

-For color, neutrals such as beige, brown, and ivory are the way to go.

-Clothes require slightly more structure and formality than in la la land.

-The concept of layering garments is more common, thanks to arctic temperatures and sharp, cutting wind tunnels.

-The play between masculine and feminine ie, A men's trouser with a chiffon blouse is chic and easier to pull off in this truly urban city.

-Sweater knits are critical to any wardrobe in a variety of weights and colors.

So, if you're like me and travel coast to coast on business or pleasure, these tips might help streamline your packing next time you pick up and go.

If you're NYC-bound, go slightly harder on your look. You can still look feminine with a slight edge.

If you're LAX-bound, by all means... leave the black suit at home. It will still be there when you return.

What do you think it takes to be a bicoastal dresser? We want to hear about it in the Comments below.

Come back every other Tuesday for more from Claudia Cividino.

Comments

[WILLJLA]

We love LA !!!!!!!!!!!

[zagyzebra]

I'll take L.A.'s traffic over NY's subways and taxis anyday. Mostly I breeze along at 80 mph, but I've learned how to structure my life to avoid rush hour. And never soy lattes. We women in L.A. keep our figures by drinking lemon and water -- very refreshing when it's hot. As for style? Go as you feel. If it's girly today and grunge tomorrow, whatever. There are no dictums here. Apparently there are in NY.

[wagadog]

Well. In engineering school in NY, I never bothered shaving because I always wore pants. Same for graduate school in Chicago -- it's even colder there.

I had a medical emergency in my first week of a postdoc at UCLA (full medical coverage, the best). But because I didn't shave, they started out by trying not to admit me -- on the assumption that I was homeless.

When I showed my credentials for the umpteenth time (bleeding like a stuck pig) they finally pointed at my legs and said "So what's THAT then?!?!"

I couldn't figure out what they were talking about. "There's nothing wrong with my legs, it's this..."

"Don't you SHAVE?!?!?" Like it was the crime of the frickin' century to have hair growing on my body. UN believable.

UCLA medical center? Philistines, to a man.

Anyway, THAT'S how important appearance --and in particular, playing up on your girly-girly looks--is to those wankers in LA.

The moral of the story is, when in LA, dress up and shave; your life may depend on it.

Oh, and if you're female -- that's ALL that counts: your appearance.

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT PhD in PHYSICS.

[rmetz74]

I grew up between NY and NJ, and have lived in LA for 10+ years. I'm proud to say I (and most if not all of my friends) am plastic-su­rgery-free­, and in no way big on frilly dresses or skimpy silhouettes. I still wear my Doc Marten 10-holers and army surplus jacket, and no one givesme a second glance. Don't let the stereotypes fool you. (Though you're totally right about the sunglasses.)

I have added a lot more color to my wardrobe, as well as more adventurous and feminine accessories, which makes me feel more well-rounded, without compromising my East Coast roots. A cute little purse and pair of girly, strappy shoes goes a long way toward lightening up a black ensemble - and you can get away with it out here, where you're not lugging around a day's worth of crap and preparing to walk 5 miles. And I've traded my great heavy coats for lighter wraps and jackets. A fabulous wool cape just doesn't get you very far in LA.

I was back in NY for a few weeks in August, and most people I crossed paths with were dressed pretty much like I was. (I was mostly in and around Union Square/Lower East Side, maybe hipsters are hipsters eerywhere you go.)

[SILVANUS]

Fun, chatty column, but..

Style? Cities? We are running out of water and resources and we are still so concerned with style?

Now in N.C. I miss the weather of L.A. big time after having lived there for 14 years.
I don't miss the traffic or the bad face lifts, or the exclusive focus on bodies, status, possessions and irrelevant bad movies. That wore my spirit down.

Maybe I will move to Ojai one day, but L.A.? No. Too many people, and too much desire, too much rage, , and too many f*cked up, unhappy people who feel entitled to make you feel less than happy.

New York: the people are more "real," but you can't smoke there anymore, it's insanely expensive, and what is the point of a vertical city without a cigarette or an espresso? You have to pay someone for everything you do and everywhere you go. Screw that! Bloomberg and Rudy ruined the place; all the magic is GONE and only sort-of persists with the aid of adverts and shows like Sex in the City that try to maintain NYC's old Travis Bickle-glamour. But the fun is gone, replaced by mechanical drudgery and numbers. Cybil Shepherd took that last taxi out of town. NYC might as well be called EpCot Center.

Cities are very, very yesterday. Perhaps glamour is very yesterday. Perhaps it all was just a dream.

[Economike]

I live in LA and I always wear black. Yeah sure it's hot in the summer but sometimes you have to make a commitment.

[hollyo]

The driving makes a big difference. You're never worn out from the subway and everything you need is in the trunk of your car. A New Yorker need only bring her 'spring' clothes to LA and the look is always more casual. Women's suits always look out of place in LA.

[JScott]

Jeez there much less difference that these folks make it out to be. Women dress sensibly in both places. As for black what is it-either classic or opressive (aka Saudi Arabia). Shoes my ex eastern living aunt remarked how here boots in LA are fashion whereas you wear them back east because you HAVE to get thru the snow.
And wow the HORN honking traffic in NYC is just too much, LA you hardly ever hear it and it's mostly considered rude.

[Meah]

I was born in L.A. and am amused by the sort of silliness associated with how people are supposed to live are supposed to live and dress here. First of all, it just does not get that cold. Clothing is casual here, and worn according to the temperature, as in New York. But really, most women do not wear sun glasses like tiaras. The sun can be bright, but they generally are worn not for fashion as for comfort for the eyes. The purified glitz of the West Side here in L.A. is not that real.Spoiled people drive like they own the road with their big SUVs, etc. Besides, it is not that much fun driving everywhere in this damnable traffic even if the cars hold ones coffee. I haven't ever had soy latte, and I never plan to. The traffic is unremitting and really crazy.
So it sounds like you come here and are thrown into an unreal world for a while, and then you go back to New York for regular old living.
I can only speak for myself when I say that I am uncomfortable in Beverly Hills and environs mostly because it is not real. Things are planted and trimmed and perfect. Not like more natural settings that can be found here. I do not like the constant insistence of people who are not from here that Los Angeles is somehow a place that borders on some sort of bizzare fashion movie capital. The truth is this city is teeming with diversity, poverty, wealth, immigrants from all over the world, and the native born, and then there are the unreal places which actually takes away from what this place is really about. Lots of different people living together in one huge area. Just as the Hamptons do not New York make, so too does some glitz does not Los Angeles make. This place is just too big for that.

[AAnon]

I have always said......LA and NYC are two different planets.

Why don't you do a piece on the fly over states....they have a very defined different look.

[arcangelica]

la is orange sherbert, new york is fudge with a little cherry flavoring mixed in. i perfer the sharp edges of new york style than la's softer, frillier looks. besides, when you're over 40, who wants to be caught wearing a baby doll dress with overflowing triple ddd's, furry uggs and a pair of 500 dollar rhinestone sunglasses? does that sound like a sophisticated look to you? this is mostly what you see around town....
regarding who takes better care of themselves? la is built on envy and insecurity. does that answer your questions?

[cktirumalai]

On my first visit to LA more than 20 years ago I saw the palm trees (apparently transplanted rather than native) and knew I was no longer in the East. Hollywood is an international influence but I am sure more immediately so in LA. An inveterate Easterner could no longer take Los Angeles after three or four years of residence there. Why? Because he missed the changing pageant of the seasons, and winter in particular. But I knew a denizen of that city who seemed permanently nostalgic for LA after having to move to Philadelphia.