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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
