California Vintage: Hillcrest, San Diego

San Diego is unique as a California city, lacking the pretension of LA and the cold fog of San Francisco. Still, the laid-back nature and temperate climate are only part of why I love it here so much. To me, San Diego is a vintage city, always drawing on its past to create a unique and eclectic future. Maybe I just like my city like I like my closet.

There is something to be said about each neighborhood and borough within San Diego, but the one I keep coming back to is Hillcrest. This is where I find the best food, theatre, and people…and shopping. From the premier vintage at Wear It Again Sam to the fantastic thrifitng at Flashbacks, the thoroughfare of Fifth Avenue represents the best in California style, and San Diego attitude.

Anything goes here. Style is an experiment in the bold, and the attempt is appreciated as much as the result:

Frocks and leggings are good, a trapeze dress is better. A closet staple since the ’60s, their simple silhouettes make them a perfect day-to-night…even better for beach to city.

Shorts are a necessity for the sunny summer days, and can be dressed up, dressed down, or completely customized. A classic casual with a t-shirt or tunic, and a cropped jacket for a bit of texture. Sandals are nice, and so are heels, but I’ve been told they work best as a team; along with big, colorful accessories.

It’s not that any of this is unique, it’s the way it all comes together. Colors and textures take president over cut and silhouette, and more often than not, too much is just about right. The fashion I find in Hillcrest represents the best of what the neighborhood has to offer: diversity, a willingness to stand out, and the perfect mixture between casual and vibrant.

That’s my preview into the best San Diego has to offer. More to come as I begin writing for Avant Gaudy. I’m excited to see what’s to come!

Village Style

The last place I visited on my annual trip to New York City was the Village, my absolute favorite neighborhood. Why do I love it so much?
 
1. Really really good pizza (John’s Pizza—you have to get the house salad and the meatballs in addition to the pizza, they are delicious!).
2. Washington Square Park—I love watching people walk around with their dogs.
3. The fashion, of course.
 
Plaid was everywhere. Shirts, dresses, headbands, even on a pair of leggings. And it wasn’t your normal red and black checkered print. I saw more teals and purples than reds and whites. My favorite plaid outfit was a long purple and black plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves, shiny black leggings, and a thin black belt. Oh, and of course, you can’t forget the Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses (I saw them on literally everyone there). I love this look because it is so trendy, but very easy to replicate.

I also saw a lot of ruffles, something I’ve seen Louis Vuitton incorporate in his fall runway shows.

 

 

Ruffles are such a fun, easy, and affordable trend that even the fashion-challenged can pull off. It is now one of my staples in my closet.

Ruffles by sophie1632 featuring Forever21

A majority of the outfits I saw there were much looser silhouettes than anywhere else. Boho frocks with unique patterns and long necklaces were common.

I also saw jumpsuits—a trend I thought would never be popular. I was wrong. This one from Avant Gaudy looks almost exactly like the few I saw around in New York.

I think Village style is all about looking good without trying too hard. To me, everything seems a little more relaxed and comfortable, which leaves room for more unique, individual styles to shine through. I could tell that a person that loves vintage clothing would fit perfectly in the Village. 

Midtown Style

After spending the day in the Bronx, I decided I wanted to spend a couple hours roaming around Midtown. I love the fact that in Midtown, no one slows down for anything. It’s also a great place to spot fashion trendsetters.
 
Many women wore high-waisted  pants and skirts—a trend I’ve seen both Chloé and Stella McCartney  incorporate into their runway shows.

I also saw a lot of dresses and tops that emphasized women’s shoulders. That doesn’t mean you should dig out old jackets with shoulder pads stuffed inside them. Instead, women are giving the old trend a revamp by wearing puff sleeves and jackets with sharp angles at the shoulders.

Light, summery scarves, long strands of pearls, and belts worn high on the waist are still the go-to accessories in Midtown. I couldn’t walk a block without seeing one of the three. Even finding people wearing all three wasn’t hard to spot.
 
Lastly, and one of my favorite trends,  are men dressing especially classy. I’d like to partially attribute this popular trend to the television series Mad Men. The men in that show are so well dressed! Well, actually, all of the characters are well dressed. (If you aren’t watching it already and you love classic/vintage style, you must watch this show. Oh, yeah, and the acting is good too.) Anyway, I saw so many men dressed in sharp suits, but just like women’s fashion, men were sneaking in pops of color without being outrageous. Subtle pinks, purples and vibrant greens acted accent colors in ties or pocket squares.

Those are the latest trends I’ve spotted off the streets of Midtown. Next time, the Village—my favorite neighborhood in New York.

Bronx Style

Every year, I go out to New York to visit my family. After spending 30 seconds in the city, it’s easy to see why it is one of the world’s fashion capitals. And living between 5th and 6th Avenue doesn’t hurt. But, because New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, it is hard to pinpoint one exact “NYC style.” That’s why, this summer, I really wanted to try and find what makes each borough’s style unique.
 
The first stop on my New York trip was the Bronx. So, after getting up at 4:00 a.m. and watching a man attempt to take a large pipe wrench through security, I arrived in the city and hopped on the subway to Fordham Road. There, I saw a wide range of generations and heritages mixed together to form a community unlike any other in NYC. The highlight of my trip was being seated at a little Italian café behind a table with four big Italian men speaking Italian, but cursing in English. I felt like I was in a scene from The Sopranos.
 
Anyway, back to fashion. I saw that while a lot of people wearing black and white basics, people added a pop of color in their accessories or focal point in their outfit. Neon was very popular, taking hints from recent RTW Fall fashion shows.
 
I also noticed that people chose sneakers over heels. And, keeping with the bright ’80s colors trend, people wore sneakers with bright laces and neon prints along the sides.
 
As for jewelry, I didn’t see a lot of it, but when I did, it was always big bangles and gold hoop earrings.

 The Bronx Fashion by sophie1632 featuring Bullhead jeans

That’s all from the Bronx. Next stop—Midtown and the Guggenheim.