Wilder

This is my lovely friend Wilder and she was kind enough to let me snoop through her closet and ask her some questions about LA style.

How would you describe “California style”?

A lot of it is taken from celebrities, especially young celebrities like Kaia Gerber, Amelia Hamlet, and Delilah Hamlet because we were all kind of friends with them at a certain point. One week you will be friends with someone and the next week you won’t know them because they have gotten big so you end up following a lot of people on Instagram. A lot of girls look at influencers and celebrities on Instagram and pull their style inspiration from them. You obviously have Brandy Melville which changed a lot of people’s perspective on style. LA is kind of a melting pot since you have people coming from every other state. I have seen a lot of people coming from different places like New York and they have a very different take on style. I don’t think Los Angeles has its own style but I do think we dress differently than the rest of California.

Describe your style.

I took a lot of stuff from my mom honestly; she introduced me to a lot of young people in fashion that she had encountered like Alexa Chung, Pam and Gela, just people that dress very outside of the box. The stuff that I have worn in recent years has been almost an act of rebellion. I don’t want to dress like all of the Brandy Melville girls, so I will go to the Melrose Flea Market to find pieces that no one else is going to have. I do a lot of thrift shopping and I don’t hesitate when i find that unique piece. like to have something in my closet that represents every one of my “moods”

What is your favorite thrifted or second hand find?

I think it would have to be my camo coveralls. I got them at the Melrose flea market at an army surplus stand. I was actually looking for army knick knacks and then I saw them hanging on the side and knew I had to try them on. It is so hard for me to find clothes that fit really well but when I’m shopping vintage, it is easier because many of the pieces have already been tailored. The coveralls ended up fitting really well and I wore them every single day after I bought them. At school I would wear them tied around my waist with a tank top and if it got cold I would zip them up.

Why don’t people wear pieces that are from the stores?

A huge part of it is that everyone wants to be an individual. The kids in LA, or at least the kids at my school, have a shit ton of money and don’t know what to do with it and so they try and dress in a way that makes them seem more approachable and less “expensive”. You also have the annoying kids that only buy things for the brand.We try to buy pieces from brands that no one has heard of. No one is going to ask me what the worn out tag on my shirt says.

If people do buy designer clothes, what are the brands they gravitate towards?

You have a lot of guys that will wear their Levis with a t shirt and then they will pop on a Gucci or Louis V belt which is kind of rough. A lot of girls wear Kate Spade and Tory Burch at the all girls schools. It varies from school to school but the people who wear uniforms will try to accessorize by wearing really nice shoes or bracelets. I think because they are kids, if their parents do buy them something expensive it will be an accessory that they can have for a long time. Not as much now, but last year especially Supreme was really big along with Bape and Stussy- basically all of the hype brands that are on Melrose. They have the Melrose Trading Post on Saturday and that is when everybody started going. It has a lot of hype brands but the kids will try to buy them second hand, like an old Supreme Tee. A lot of people I know will save up and buy one Supreme piece and then resell it and make a huge profit and use their profits to continue the cycle of buying and reselling.

Are there any cool online platforms that you use to find unique pieces?

I recently discovered Depop and use it a lot. I got into it is because I saw this girl, Ali Michael. We have kind of the same style. She posted that she had a Depop and I was like “What’s Depop?” so I clicked the link. She was selling all of her clothing that I had seen in pictures that fit really well so I ended up buying a lot from her. I got these really cool leather pants from her.

If you are going to spend money on one piece, what would it be?

Probably shoes. I worked at a law firm this past summer and I was going to buy myself a pair of Gucci loafers with the money that I made because I saw Alexa Chung wearing them and had to have them. My mom bought them for me because she didn’t want me spending my money on them.

Who do you admire and how do you incorporate their style into yours?

Ali Michael and Alexa Chung. I like people with a more “boyish” style who dress for themselves. I really enjoy Phoebe Tonkin’s style as well.

What will you not buy full price?

The tiny dresses you can buy at places like Reformation- I am not gonna spend 80 bucks on a dress that is barely there. And I won’t spend a lot on t- shirts. I would rather buy more of something than one thing that is super expensive. But, if you find something that fits you really well and you love it, then go for it.

Thank you so much Wilder for giving me a taste of LA style! Follow her here.