What’s life without a little rivalry. Over spring break, I decided to see what this East Coast and West Coast quarrel was all about. I set off to Los Angeles to scope out the situation in a who wore it better challenge.
So many television shows are set either in L.A. or New York, so it’s hard to break away from the stereotypes that have been reiterated since the days of Clueless and Beverly Hills 90210. Beach bums, celebrities and shopping sprees on rodeo drive, who wouldn’t want to live that West Coast best coast lifestyle, especially when they all look so good doing it.
My mission was to compare the fashion I saw on the street in L.A. to the ones I saw around Florida, but I soon realized that many of the looks have more in common than I thought. The rivalry is just a state of mind. Some of the clothing brands were different, as there are stores like Kitson and Topshop in L.A that we don’t have yet, but the overall looks were similar. When the weather was nice I saw the same high-low skirts, studded shorts and fedoras. When it was cooler out, I spotted similar leather jackets, blazers and infinity scarfs. Depending on the specific area, looks became a little more laid back. For example, Venice, CA embodied that quintessential “California cool” vibe a little more. I even saw a pair of studded wedge sneakers while on the metro that I’ve seen around Gainesville too.
So to me, rivalries happen when two places have more in common than they realize so they fight about whose stuff is better, when it’s the same. It’s all about the trends and what’s “hot” at the moment. That is what really dictates what the masses are wearing. Sure there are trends that originate on the West Coast that make there way over to us, but the same can be said for East Coast trends as well. As long as you feel good in what you’re wearing, East Coast and West Coast is irrelevant. But I must say that I did see one too many Lakers jerseys and hats than I would have wanted it to.
