Elise MontecastroEveryone knows that the Downtown Art Walk isn't really about the art so much — it's more about the crowded bar-hopping and people-watching, and oh how I do love the latter.
L.A. is known for its laid-back, casual style. I noticed tons of jersey dresses on the ladies, and the go-to flannel button-down on the men.
What I was looking for tonight were individual interpretations of “easy dressing,” and that usually meant wearing a favorite item.
Click through to see how L.A. dresses down for a night to “view art” and romp over to Bar 107, or La Cita, or Pete's…
Credit: Elise Montecastro
Look at those pants! Leather pants! Great-fitting, vintage leather pants! This girl, Candice, is definitely dressed-down chic. I love how she paired this pant with a simple off-white, low-back onesie and an army green anorak, which keeps the look approachable and easy. Her favorite item was her trusty Cynthia Rowley purse, but my favorite part about her outfit was the amazing zippers on either side of her pants.
Credit: Elise Montecastro
These zippers are placed along the seams of the hips of the pants and accentuate her curves really nicely. Such a well thought-out detail!
Credit: Elise Montecastro
This is Jacqueline. Her favorite item is this well-loved, well-worn, mustard yellow cardigan, which she got from a thrift shop a while ago. It's got a few holes and is perfectly soft and fuzzy… I'm such a sucker for worn-in items. I also love her woven-knit tunic top, it's a fresh (and decidedly more sweet) interpretation of the sheer blouse + black bra trend.
Credit: Elise Montecastro
Again with the cute pants! Well, actually, culottes to be exact. Culottes during the mid to late 19th century were created for women so that they could ride horseback properly rather than having to ride with both legs to one side. They're such a gem, as they allow the wearer to look as if she has a skirt on but really it's just a pair of wide-legged pants.
Margeaux paired this seemingly hard-to-wear style with great staples: a white tank top, her favorite leather jacket and Mary Jane wedges. Perfect.
Credit: Elise Montecastro
Love how this guy mixed preppy stripes with collegiate argyle socks … and somehow he doesn't look preppy collegiate at all. I think what's working here is the mix of neutral colors — camel, gray, white and black. Throw in his favorite cuffed denim, scoffed suede Oxfords and navy blue fedora and this dapper dude's look is complete.
Credit: Elise Montecastro
I think this guy's favorite part of his outfit was his bike. But his look definitely had an effortless vibe that I personally think was put together with intention.
The denim cutoffs with the rolled-up cuffs pay homage to classic L.A. casual style. The beat-up Asics for optimum pedal-pushing. I also like the sliver of that perfect salmon-pink shirt peeking from under his gray crew sweatshirt — it's so flattering on different skin tones.
Another thing I'm a huge sucker for is purses. I spotted this girl with a vintage Dooney & Bourke purse I've never seen before. You usually spot the classic Dooney & Bourkes in the black/brown, beige/brown or green/brown color combo, but rarely in the solid brown leather color — and with snap closures rather than brass closures to boot! I WANT.
Credit: Elise Montecastro
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