1. Dress to impress. 2. Dress for success.
3. Posses a little black Chanel dress.
4. ... in case of doubt: overdress.
This is just a selection of a few
commandments of L.A.'s fashion bible.
Fact is, dressing down can be as much
of a fashionable dilemma as dolling up.
Whether to sneak out on a Saturday
morning to take the yoga class in Beverly
Hills, stop by at Gold's gym to lift some
weights, pick up some groceries at Trader
Joe's at twelvish AM or strut the red
carpet at a movie premier party - there is
a perfect outfit and a suitable label for
every imaginable occasion. SPF 50 and
big-ass designer shades protect and cover
dollish visages during sun-drenched days.
But what happens the moment 'She'
swaps her sublime cocktail dress for some
cozy sweats and a hoodie? One would think
the glamour and swank disappears?
Nowhere near! Not in the land of Angelina
and J.Lo.
In order to understand the mysterious 'dress-
down-phenomenon' let's go back in time to
the 50s and track back the emergence of
sportswear in the USA.
At that time, milestones like Macy's and Saks
ruled Seventh Avenue and set revolutionary
trends that gradually involved separate pieces
and rather casual wear. By then, Ready-to wear
was an outgrowth.
In the post-war boom period, the fashion
industry set about to create clothing for a
wider population - women entered the
working world and needed proper attire in
order to do so - in this way sportswear made
it's official debut and ever since became
legendary: "Sportsware was a freer,
easier, less-is-more, more popular way of
dressing, and it embodied, as fashion never
did in this country before, a distinctly
American kind of casualness." - Grace
Isabella, Vogue Magazine fashion editor.
During the 50s and 60s native American
style, was defined and created by Ralph
Lauren, Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene. But
it was Calvin Klein, who was the first to
establish a highly distinctive and unique
American style of clothing and promoted
the lifestyle amid men and women - a
fashion that was filled with a spirit of
mobility and freedom. His designs achieved
iconic status and are must-have basics up
until now: casual pieces, functional numbers,
comfy basics and his famous body linen are
permanent features of every US-wardrobe.
Nowadays, labels that embody the American
way of life and fashion embrace a whole
gamut of differently interpreted functional
sweats, washed jeans, cozy knitwear, all-
weather jackets and boots, oversized hoodies
and wooly sweaters. The usual suspects are:
Abercrombie & Fitch, Old Navy, American
Eagle Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's
Secret, American Apparel, Hollister, Juicy
Couture and last but not least the three major
jeans labels that promoted the wilde-west-life-
style by the iconic Marlboro man of the 50s:
Levis, Diesel and Wrangler.
Sexy styles and slinky cuts: This is what
Abercrombie & Fitch stands for. Get into
the mood for some hot stuff by entering
this casual clothing palace and be greeted
by a topless guy sporting a six-pack and a
seductive smile. Inspiring! The label's
annual collections afford surprises by
presenting elaborate dresses, romantic
tops and girlish skirts. High quality basics,
jeans, hoddies and comfy jackets - it's
basically all about comfort with a twist of
modernity, youth and sexiness.
Less is more, yet more is better: this is what
Juicy Couture fashion epitomizes. An
illustrious interior unfolds when daring a
step inside this chandelier-lit space, all
wrapped up with white striped pink
wallpaper and full-length gold-framed
mirrors. Famous for it's velour hoddie sets
and big bold letters embellishing the
bottoms and tops of snugly pieces, this is a
Glamazons favorite. Aside dressing you up
for the gym and yoga class, this retail gem
also covers fashionistas with super chic
evening gowns, glitzy club-night outfits and
swanky accessories. Some outfits surprise
with girlish lightness and naive playfullness.
Glam girls can score all kinds of bold bling,
like chunky necklace and massive charm
bracelets, big sparkling rings and huge
watches. Exclusive bedclothes serve bed-
linen fanatics with the creme de la creme of
sheets and silky bed fabrics.
Abercrombie & Fitch, 189 The Grove Drive
Juicy Couture, 456 North Rodeo Drive
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