Since moving to Los Angeles a few months ago, I have often felt as though I was melting, especially here in my apartment with its mostly broken air-conditioning. California has been suffering a drought for years now: temperatures are rising, water is running out, and the Los Angeles river is the most pitiful body of water I have ever seen, a trembling little creek at the bottom of a concrete ditch. Unsurprisingly, then, all of the city’s inhabitants have an idea of how to dress under the baking sun. And now with the UK experiencing a heatwave of its own, here are 10 ways to dress like a Californian.
Dressing ‘young’
There are more Spanish speakers in the United States than in Spain these days; it’s a hugely influential culture and this look in the vein of Larry Clark’s idea of Dressing young – billowing bright white T-shirts like sails, massively baggy shorts, pulled-up white socks and sneakers – is fairly ubiquitous among teenagers on my street. It’s a sharp outfit that reflects away sunshine like Wimbledon whites, also a very airy one, and is considered quite a tough one, too; although the shorts are so preposterously oversized that in the United Kingdom, they might well be mistaken for a maxi skirt or sarong.
Get the look
Basics Cradley T-shirt in XL, 3 for £30, Size?
Nike basketball shorts, sale price £11.99, Nike
Nike Air Jordan Son of Mars trainers, £109.99, Nike
White socks, 3 for £8, Asos
The golfer
Another popular and athletic look – especially among the dapper, middle-aged men who populate Koreatown where I live – is that of the golfer. Basically, this is what my Japanese grandfather wears, and it keeps you cool in the sun: smart shoes, pressed check trousers, a crisp polo shirt, tan shades and a visor. For a more traditional feel, swap out the visor for a straw boater or similar; there’s never a better time to wear an unusual hat than at the height of summer.
Get the look
Stretch check trousers, £39.90, Uniqlo
Gant Rugger shirt, sale price £36, Mr Porter
Blue visor, sale price £8, Asos
The hiker
One of the best things about living in LA is all the hiking. So much hiking. Or at least I’m told (obviously I am far too busy working to head to the Hollywood Hills when temperatures hit 32 degrees). Still, a cursory wander shows that the look - sandals and general practical stuff – is also permitted on the street. Who knew?
Get the look
Teva sandals, £50, Asos
Radarlock sunglasses, £245, Mr Porter
Nike Miller t-shirt, £12.50, Sports Direct
The hipster
Times are hard for the hipsters of Silver Lake and Echo Park. Skinny jeans are now totally unacceptable; not only are their chimney forms out of fashion and unsuited to the furnace-like heat, but also, as you’ve probably heard, they might cause you to lose your legs. However you can still stay cool under a floppy cowboy hat, with your shirt open very wide, a look which is inexplicably finding feet in certain parts of the city. When it’s so hot that you feel as though you’re riding through the desert on a horse with no name, dressing like a cowboy is often a good idea.
Get the look
Jaxon Tombstone cowboy hat, £42.95, Village Hats
Blue check shirt, £32, Topman
The fashion designer
Also, you can just wear less clothes. When I interviewed fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm, who moved his studio away from Paris and into a Hollywood house, he was wearing short shorts and a skimpy vest. “Of course the body is more important here,” he told me, “because you show more of the body.” While there is certainly a cult of the body in Los Angeles, as the LA uniform of vest and shorts proves, I never see anybody walking around topless, apart from my spaced-out neighbour who is usually tripping on who-knows-what; I’m told that in London lots of men are walking around topless in the street, which is completely uncalled-for.
Get the look
Sateen Slater short, sale price £32, American Apparel
Waffle mesh vest, £24, American Apparel
The vegan
Obviously sandals and flip-flops are more prevalent in hot weather, and much healthier for your feet, too (if worn without socks). Recently there has been a craze towards microfibre Birkenstocks, which are far comfier than the leather models and don’t necessitate the harming of any cows. Obviously, these aren’t exclusive to vegans, I’ve just met a fair few over here who wear them.
Microfibre Birkenstocks, £64.95, Birkenstock
The power agent
Power agents are always in suits – it’s their uniform, and never can they take it off – so whenever they step out of their offices, for instance to scream down the phone at a stranger, they are instantly soaked in sweat. Which goes to show that you can stay formal, just as long as you can take the heat. Presumably because of the air conditioning, lots of people (celebrities, such as Justin Theroux above, included) also go for all black, and it’s not at all unusual to see somebody walking around in a thick hoodie in the sort of fiery heat you would usually associate with a dragon’s belly.
Black speckled shirt, £55, Cos
James Perse Jersey sweatpants, £195, Mr Porter
The comedian
Successful Hollywood producers favour what is known as the “Larry David look”: a dressed-down combination of battered cap, long-sleeved shirt, loose trousers, and large trainers. The bigger the trainers, the more important the wearer. according to my mate, Warren Beatty wears the biggest white trainers he has ever seen, and has to drive an extra-large SUV just so that they fit on the pedals.
AMI baseball cap, sale price £39, Matchesfashion.com
Long-sleeve baseball T-shirt, £26, American Apparel
