Wardrobe for LA? (probably one for the ladies, but guys are free to chime in).

[Lovehound]

That is too true Mommy! I recall once shopping for blue jeans at the Northridge mall and I had plenty of time on my hands so I followed what would be the red/female route in your diagram above, ended up at Macy's or Nordstrom's or something and found a really nice pair of jeans, for something like $500!!! I'll admit they were nice but they weren't $500 nice, at least not to me. I've got plenty of pairs of Levi's and Lee's and similar costing $20-$30 and I'm quite satisfied with them.

By the way, I suspect the 6 minutes vs. 3 hours 26 minutes might be an advantage from the female point of view. As nearly as I can figure out the opposite sex, shopping is entertainment for women where for men shopping is a necessary chore. Unless it's at an electronics store or hardware store of course.

[readymade]

Not me. I hate shopping. I could live at Fry's, though. My husband takes a lot longer to shop than I do and therefore we very rarely shop together. He hates shopping with me because I die of boredom. I hate shopping with him because I die of boredom.

I've never even seen jeans for $500. Definately not Macy's.

Also, I don't think anyone buys Old Navy for the label. They have some cute (and CHEAP!) shirts, though, and some decent jeans (for less than $25). I haven't been there in a while, though, so maybe things have changed. I was in a "The Gap" recently and was kind of shocked at the change. I guess it's been a while since I was in one. It's all "Corporate Casual" now! I swear it used to be all about $10 shirts and $25 jeans! - now that's Old Navy.

[Lovehound]

Readymade, you're a woman after my own heart! I sure hope I meet a woman like you some day!

Maybe I was wrong about which store. The store I was in might even have folded by now. That was perhaps 5 years ago. A lot of stores--even big chains--have folded.

My shopping is cyclic. I often get to the point where I have very little clothing that is good enough condition to wear to nice places. Then I go on a shopping binge for a few weeks, buying clothes, taking stuff back, buying more, taking more back, until I have a nice new wardrobe--and then I quit buying or even visiting clothing stores. I'm sure I haven't bought a single article of clothing in over a year, and I still have some very nice stuff I've worn only a few times. (Lack of occasion. I spend most of my time grunging around.) Another guy thing: I know other men do this too. Socks for example. Buy like 20-30 pairs at one time. Guys don't want to be bothered doing laundry every week. Get enough of everything to last a few weeks.

[woodsart]

I work for a nonprofit in LA. Before you go too casual and get rid of formal clothing, make sure you know your employer's dress code. Outside of casual Friday, we are expected to be in business clothes at my work. I like fashion anyway so I manage to go with a bit corporate goth, a bit vintage, etc. so I'm not stuck in boring suits. But except on Fridays, we can't do jeans and we never do t-shirts or other super casual attire. So even in LA, there are more formal venues.

As for non-work time, anything goes. LA is incredibly eclectic, and you'll find everything from those of us who love vintage and wear dresses and skirts a lot, to those who are always in jeans and t-shirts. Personally, I keep a little bit of everything since I need outdoors attire for when I'm horseback riding or hiking (or doing field research- I'm an environmental anthropologist), but prefer more artsy and interesting attire when I go out.

What seems to mostly be different from when I've been on the East coast is that at least among young people (I'm in my early 30s), people don't dress conservatively and formally here. Most people who wear dresses and heels are going with some sort of fashion statement. There is a huge diversity of style here and a lot of subcultural and counter-cultural variety that guides people's choices. I'd say don't worry too much about what other people wear and just buy whatever fits your own personality.

As for warm weather gear, keep it if you plan to spend any time in the winter in the mountains. I currently live in Forest Falls, a tiny mountain town. We woke up to over 3 feet of snow today and the high on some winter days is well below freezing. If you never plan to go to the mountains, feel free to ditch the heaviest winter wear since the valley areas are warm.

I tend to be a "keep all clothes and buy more" kind of gal, so if I were you I'd keep what I have and add once I got here. We have tons of vintage and thrift stores- my favorite. They're cheap and full of interesting attire, you can get great deals sometimes on very nice clothing, and unlike shopping at Target or Kohls, you won't be supporting the environmental and labor rights disaster that is the modern garment industry.

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by WNC2SoCal

I'm early 30's too (with zero fashion sense) and have been worried about this topic. I'm from the South, have always lived here, and I dress in a way that seems normal for here but sounds like it doesn't have a place in LA.

Cardigans, skirts or dresses, flats or boots or sandals... that's my normal daily dress. Some pants, rarely, and very rarely a pair of nice jeans. I'm a country gal, so I can definitely dress down but I feel just as comfortable in the cardigans/skirts. A few expensive standards with lots of cheaper single pieces mixed in the closet.

I have a close college friend who relocated to LA and was coaching me on what to expect but honestly, her circle of friends will be NOTHING like mine. She's in a much trendier/wealthier crowd... so I was just sort of tossing her suggestions to the wind. Sounds like I should have listened though as I haven't heard anyone say (or more importantly, seen photos with similarly dressed gals) that I wouldn't look like a fish out of water in your area.

Thanks for the input. I'll keep checking back... I can't imagine dressing much differently than I do now but I'm sure it will work itself out in the end.

Cardigans, skirts, and flats were a standard work outfit at my non-profit. You'll be fine. I wore skirts (and sundresses with cardigans -- layers are good in LA!) a lot during non-work hours, too. Pretty much anything goes in LA, although what goes in your specific workplace or circle of friends will obviously vary. Skirts and dresses are great for LA weather. I wore them with bare legs (which may or may not be different), or opaque tights in winter. In any case, don't worry about it too much until you arrive.

[woodsart]

WNC2SoCal- don't worry too much. I'd say if you like your clothes, wear them. You don't have to chuck your wardrobe, if you like it, but you might find you want to make small changes so your regular look doesn't look like "church attire." For example, you might choose to keep a lot of your skirts and dresses, but add some vintage tops and sweaters to replace more traditional cardigans, add some scarves or funky jewelry, etc. You can do a lot with accessories.

Also, keep in mind that it's pretty easy here to find second-hand shops that may take your clothing and give you credit or cash so you can buy more. Many of my friends and I are into vintage and couture fashion, and we trade out our wardrobes regularly just for fun. There are cheap ways to do it, and you might find you even get a sense of your own style while having fun!

You will likely want to get more jeans, because jeans are sort of ubiquitous here are pretty much standard So Cal winter attire. Also, not sure if it's like this in the South, but we dress jeans up as well as down. So it's pretty common to see someone go out for a date with a nice dark wash jean, heels, and some sort of nice blouse.

I wouldn't worry too much- get here and see how you feel. Cool people will accept and like you no matter what you're wearing. But if you want some changes for yourself, you'll be in a region with every kind of fashion (so have fun discovering what you might like!) and remember you can do it on the cheap.

[ledabout]

Originally Posted by readymade

A good friend of mine put it this way: "I've found that the thinner I am and the crappier I dress... the better I'm treated."

I've noticed this too! People in developing countries look malnourished and poverty-stricken because they are, and people here in LA spend money to look like that. It's kind of sad.