Over the past 10 years I've seen SO many changes happen to L.A. One of the biggest ones is the La Brea shopping district. In the past 5 years or so they've taken a once desolate street populated with random Persian rug shops and the occasional antiques store and made it into a serious shopping and dining destination. Some of my favorite shops and eateries can now be found in this area of Hollywood which is amazing! Going to District La Brea and shooting this post was such a fun day because it was actually just taking you along a normal day I would have in Hollywood.
My outfit of the day was slightly Parisian with a rocker twist. I found this Chanel vintage boutique worker's shirt at a thrift shop. The skirt I'm wearing is from ShopWantList which is an online boutique that features only black, white, and grey gradient clothes. I was really drawn to this skirt because of the graphic stripes and the tassles on the bottom of it that move with me while I walk. They have a bunch of great stuff at a really affordable price point so definitely check their shop out here. My jacket is by Cameo the label, bag vintage Coach, and shoes Dolce Vita (last season but I'll put similar ones in the shop gallery).
Our first stop was for lunch at The Sycamore Kitchen, which has incredible food. I don't often talk about eats on here but it's a big deal for me. I'm a HUGE foodie and this spot definitely has my stamp of approval. Being a coffee addict, it's also a big plus that they stock Stumptown cold brew (my favorite- try the nitro tap if you ever get a chance). For lunch I had the Mediterranean salad which has blue cheese, dates, hazelnuts, and kale. SO GOOD you guys. Brian, who shot the lovely pictures for this post, decided on The Fried Egg Tartine which was also incredible. Fried eggs, arugula, pesto, and avocado are things I will NEVER turn down. We washed it down with some Stumptown coffee and were amped for the day's shopping adventures.
The Sycamore Kitchen's fried egg tartine
Lunching at The Sycamore Kitchen
My first stop for shopping landed us at Garrett Leight. To be honest I had never tried on his sunglasses before this day and I was blown away how all of the frames fit my face so well. Being the son of the creator of Oliver People's (one of my other favorite sunglass lines), he has good sunglass genes you could say. I love that all the frames have a throw back vintage feel and it's a Venice Beach brand (like me!)
Garrett Leight makes me WISH I needed corrective glasses.
For clothes and other accessories I headed for Steven Alan which really nails the whole minimalism chic meets luxe materials thing. Mansur Gavriel is one of my favorite handbag lines, and they frequently procure their coveted purse collection as well as carry other modern designers like Building Block. While I was there I tried on their own label's Dunham Motorcycle jacket and simultaneously fell in love with it. It's the kind of boyish jacket that I love to wear over a silk dress or with jeans when I'm feeling more cool girl.
Trying on Steven Alan's Dunham motorcycle jacket
We ended the day at A+R Design, which is the kind of store I always wind up in. I used to frequent their location on Abbot Kinney, but now they're just focused on La Brea. Working briefly in interior design, home decor is something that I take seriously. This place has one of the best collections of European designers and stuff you just don't usually find on the beaten path. Some favorites include their Edward Wohl bird's eye maple cutting boards (I bought one), these copper bar stools (that I really want for my kitchen), and this clock I've been coveting since I saw it 3 years ago whilst eating dinnner at Capo in Santa Monica. That's just the tip of the ice berg. They really have some cool stuff in this store.
My dog Ladybug peeking out behind a table at A+ R Design, you can follow her on instagram here.
All in all, it was a great day of shopping and eating. I'm curious to know what are some of your spots to shop and eat in L.A?? Let me know in the comments!!! I always love to check out new places!
Post shopping with my loot.
All photos in this post courtesy of Brian Gove, Copyright The Style Sauce, 2015.