West coast Styles: Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles

Over the past few weeks, I came to observe that each city has its own unique fashion style. Here are my observations from Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. 

Vancouver

I have lived most of my life in Vancouver, BC, a city which was named third worst dressed city in the world in 2011 according to MSN Travel.

This was the list:

10. Jersey Shore
9. Pittsburgh
8. Ottawa
7. San Francisco
6. Seattle
5. Boston (Damn it they beat us again!)
4. Harajuku, Japan
3. Vancouver
2. Maui
1. Orlando

Yes, we as Vancouverites pride ourselves to be the birthplace of Lululemon, the famous worldwide yoga gear brand. Saying that, here's what MSN Travel mentioned about their reasoning to put Vancouver third: "There is one reason, and one reason only, why we’ve decided to include Vancouver on this list of the sartorially damned: yoga pants. We blame you, Vancouver, birthplace of a certain, insanely popular yoga gear brand which will go unnamed, for spawning a street trend dreaded by all women with wobbly bits and fat deposits in the wrong places." (http://www.cbc.ca)

After the release of this ranking, people in Vancouver had an awakening and started to think twice about their daily outfits. I believe, the influence of international diversity, Europe, Middle East, Asia and South America, was also a big help. So many new stores started opening in the city and more are still opening. 

Recently walking on the streets of downtown Vancouver, I do notice so many people who clearly have put so much effort and time into what they wear. Bravo Vancouverites.

San Francisco

The style in San Francisco is in general relaxed and casual. The lower your heels are, the more you fit in. I would say compared to LA or NY, fashion is not a priority to people in SF. This makes sense, since I believe this city is based on new ideas and startups, not style, spending money, and who has the best car and house. And I think that is what makes it a cool city. You can be you in this city and not worrying about who is going to ask you what brand you are wearing or what car you are driving. 

Lack of interest in shopping in this city came clear to me when I started to go to experience it. The shopping malls are almost empty, except for tourists. The stores are mostly quiet with a few visitors hanging around. Now that I think about, the busiest stores I have noticed are the electronic stores. Coincidence?

SF has always been a center of debate for fashion bloggers and fashion stylists. Some of my favorite articles/ blog posts evolve around the conclusion that even though people have high earnings in this city, they want to show off less and dress as casually as possible. 

In 2010 Guy Trebay from New York Times referred to the Bay Area as "...the land that style forgot." (http://www.nytimes.com)

As you see on the list above from MSN Travel back in 2011, SF was voted number 7 worst dressed. When you walk on the streets of downtown SF during the business hours, you see cleaned up business people, but you can not help but notice one style only: dress pants, button up shirts and a wind proof jacket on top. Yes that style is ok, but when you see it on almost everyone, everyday, you kind of want to see a variety of styles. 

In 2013, New Yorker magazine published an article with the title THE POWER OF HOODIE-WEARING CEO, which focused mainly on Mark Zuckerberg and how he always gets away with wearing hoodies and Adidas sandals. The conclusion was: "A really wealthy person, can distinguish himself from the mediums by choosing not to send costly signals of wealth. If he has enough secondary signals of status- a prime address, a high-profile list of friends- he'll feel secure in not being mistaken for poor. Thus, Harvard graduates say only that they went to school "in Boston"." (http://www.newyorker.com/) 

To sum up, the style in SF consists of:

• Flat shoes
• Jeans 
• Flan shirts
• Less Brands
• Fleece jackets, Wind Proof Jackets, or hoodies
• Outdoor vests
• Fashion scarves
• Converse shoes

Los Angeles

When it comes to Los Angeles, you can't really point your finger on one specific style. There are a wide variety of styles across the city, depends on which area you go to. There is no doubt that the year round sunny weather plays a major role in the style as well. You don't have to worry about heavy jackets or warm scarves. 

What you observe is a mix of surfer styles, 80's bohemian styles, lots of brand names, and modern punk rock styles. 

M.