(Secondhand top, Forever21 pants, FCUK wedges, Mango purse, American Apparel sunglasses)
I got this top at
Painted Bird one of my favorite thrift stores in San Francisco and the pants are a greyish-light blue pinstripe that I fell in love with and just had to buy. At first I felt a little hippie-ish, but I hardly ever wear pants and I can't tell you how much taller I felt in these but my friends said it definitely added length to my 5'1'' frame.
Anyway, we had lunch in
Little Tokyo, located in Downtown LA and while you're downtown make sure to check out
The Fashion District. This place is unbelievable with a 90 block span making it the hub of the apparel industry on the West Coast. Saturday's are usually the busiest days, as many stores that are wholesale only sell to the general public and on the last Friday of the month they have sample sales galore. You will find lots of good deals here but get there early and be prepared to walk!
(Bayo top, Topshop shorts, Mango purse, FCUK wedges)
We had lunch at
The Ivy, one of LA's celebrity hotspots, where the paparazzi lines up outside the white picket fence on
Robertson's Blvd., a trendy shopping district. I would recommend making reservations in advance as we did and request to sit on the patio as this place gets packed. I wouldn't say I'm dying to go back again but I enjoyed the experience and people watching.
And after we ate, we got an Iced Coffee from the
Coffee Bean- which by the way has
the best ice- (i
love the texture) and we strolled down the street and enjoyed a ton of hip shops like the trendy
Kitson,
Lisa Kline, and my all time favorite
LF Store.
(Bayo Top, Topshop shorts, FCUK wedges, Mango purse)
Beverly Hill's is known for it's world class shopping like the renowned
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Blvd., and Wilshire Blvd. that boasts famous designers and fine stores. But if you're looking for a one stop spot that has a little bit of everything then the
Beverly Center, one of LA's premier retail destinations is the perfect match and carries some of my favorite stores in a mall like
Aldo,
Bebe,
Bloomingdales,
The Body Shop,
For Love 21,
Forever 21,
H&M,
Heritage 1981,
M.A.C.,
Macys,
Sephora,
Steve Madden, &
Victoria's Secret.
(bikini top & bottom from target)
If there is one place I would live right now, Santa Monica would be it. I love it here. From everything to the beaches, the pier, thrift stores, shopping, restaurants, people... I could go on and on and rave about all the reasons why I love it.
It is home to Third Street Promenade, my favorite shopping destination in Los Angeles. It's a similar feeling I had when I was on Granville Road in Hong Kong because the moment I set foot on this outdoor pedestrian-oriented shopping district, I literally was in awe how it holds a lot of my favorite stores in one street!
There's Aldo, Anthropologie, Barne's & Noble, bebe, Crossroads, Forever21, French Connection, Goodwill, H&M, MAC, Mango, Miss Sixty, Sephora, Steve Madden, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, Wasteland, Zara, Z-Gallerie.
Not only does that make it a breeze to walk through, but the actual stores carried everything I wanted- making my shopping experience that much better. It's the convenience of all the stores you like in one strip like a shopping mall but the outdoor experience and feel of shopping in an open air environment like in downtown, minus the trek to get to point A to B. And to add to this shopper's paradise, the thrift stores that fill around this town make this place heaven.
And there's a ton of restaurants to choose from but my favorite spot is Buddha Belly located right on Broadway at the heart of Santa Monica. It's an eclectic and wholesome Pan-Asian menu that offers one of the best Pad That's I've had and an amazing zucchni dish and garlic fried rice.
Then there's the world famous Santa Monica Pier that offers a variety of entertainment, dining, and shopping experiences including a thrill of rides, a historic carousel, and an interactive aquarium. You can enjoy the performers across the planks of the Pier, watch the best sunsets along the California Coast, or hop down underneath the boardwalk and lay out to catch some sun on the Santa Monica Beach.
