Summer Shorts

Photos by Shay McGinnis

It's time to pull out the swim trunks guys - but make sure they've got some personality! I was fortunate to receive these swim trunks from my lovely friends who were traveling through Thailand. Apparently there is some media buzz about this quick drying, quality fabric being manufactured in Thailand for swim shorts. Bonus! Check out Timo Trunks for a whole array of awesome swim shorts. Aside from durability these geometric-colorful shorts were fun to pair with a contrasting funky pattern to make for another quirky outfit. To create a more unique out of the water look I decided to throw on my black slip ons by Opening Ceremony, complete with my LOVELY socks by J.Crew. Sunglasses by Traveler by Toms Collection.

King of Thrift

Photos by Shay McGinnis

Top 5 Favorite Vintage/Thrift Shops in LA

Los Angeles is by far one of the best places for Vintage and second hand clothing, hence why I live here! I started thrifting when I was a kid growing up in the Northwest. Hunting for grandpa shirts and retro prints was a hobby then and continues to shape my styling portfolio today. I am always looking for original and unique pieces to add to my collection...Whether I am wearing it or I am putting it on someone else! I found the shirt pictured here at Raggedy Threads in downtown Los Angeles. Something about this shirt made me think of Charlie Brown. Story book or cartoon related characters often inspire my wardrobe decisions so I had to add this shirt to my archives. Thank you Raggedy Threads! To see some of my favorite spots to shop in town, click below. Lets just hope we don't cross paths and fight for the same shirt...Remember I am the King of thrift, bow down! :)

1. Slow, Melrose Ave

A wide range of outerwear, shirts, pants and boots from several decades - I particularly LOVE their rack of seventies dress shirts for men.

2. Raggedy Threads, Downtown

A beautifully curated collection of American vintage with a Western flair. Every rack is a found treasure. They even have kids stuff!

3. American Rag, Labrea Ave

One of the best spots for Americana and Tiki in town! As one would imagine I love browsing their tropical shirts :)

4. St. Vincents, Lincoln Heights

Far and wide, the best spot for thrifting. I liken it to the Costco of thrift shops in Los Angeles because it's huge. If you have the patience to dig you will find some awesome stuff!

5. Salvation Army Boutique, Santa Monica

This little boutique is curated just a little bit and sits right next the the Salvation Army main shop. They do a great job of selecting the cleaner more restored pieces, so less digging involved.

Cactus Cool

Cactus Cool | photography by Shay McGinnis

I found this long sleeve shirt/sweater situation last week and I felt that it was mandatory to photograph such a patterned piece among cactus and desert terrain. Something about this piece felt very New Mexico to me. It was also necessary to wear these beige trousers from Urban Outfitters and these fun vintage boots I found in Brooklyn on Bedford Ave. With the help of my lovely friend Shay we adventured into a mountainside in the Inland Empire and discovered lots of natural rock and cacti for days - a perfect back drop for this ensemble! Oh how I love Southern Cali... :)

The Color Red

The Color Red | photography by Amber Sterling

This week I spent a lot of time thinking about vintage blazers. I often buy suit jackets and blazers with the best intentions of wearing them out and about but sadly many of them just sit in my closet collecting dust. I found this killer double breasted red suit jacket months ago here in LA and decided this week it was time I cement it into the archives here on my fashion diary.

The color red is often challenging to pull off. It can make your skin look orange and depending on the garment can come across like you're competing with a fire engine or Heinz tomato ketchup. You've got to style the color red selectively. I found that wearing black underneath a red jacket really offsets the brightness. In this instance I threw on a vintage shirt with an abstract pattern found in the OC and paired it with a bolo tie I discovered in Shelton, Wa at a tiny little thrift shop. The culmination of all these pieces may just make me look like a circus conductor from the 1950's set somewhere in Texas or Arizona - but I am okay with that! I embrace the eccentricity of mixing and matching these colors and styles. I hope it inspires you to try something new with your wardrobe!

Aww...CHUCKS

Aww...CHUCKS | photography by Shay McGinnis

Simply put, I love Chucks. I love that they have been fashionable for nearly a century (since 1917), I love that you can wear them with a variety of outfits and I love that their design has remained consistent from the beginning. I found these lovely watermelon inspired Converse sitting on the shelf at my favorite thrift shop in Lincoln Park, near Downtown LA. If you know me you know I love to find a good deal which is why you'll find me at Saint Vincent De Paul more often than Tom Ford (not to worry, I still love luxury.) These shoes were not only clean and cool they were actually my perfect size....which is pretty damn rare when you're a size 11.5, especially in a thrift shop! My fellow thrifters will understand how special it is to discover that the shoe fits. I felt pretty lucky with this find.

For this full look I decided to bust out the floral pants from Joyrich but this time with a new Aloha shirt for a tropical meets urban look.

Keep it quirky, folks.

Chilling in Chinatown

End of Summer | photography by Shay McGinnis

It's the the beginning of Fall which for Angelenos means WE WEAR THE SAME EXACT CLOTHES WE WERE WEARING ALL SUMMER! Perhaps even less given the recent 100 degree weather : / There's nothing to report about seasonal specific dressing today - but I leave you with this: Black denim, active wear and a vintage jacket go a long way.

This look features:

Without Walls active shirt (I'm OBSESSED with their running wear line)

UNIQLO black skinny waxed denim (pssst...the new Beverly Center store opens Oct. 10th)

Thrifted sportswear jacket

TOP SHOP socks

Urban Outfitters Doc Marten knock off shoes