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!

Always Aloha

Always Aloha | photography by Shay McGinnis

It's no secret that I love prints...especially TROPICAL! Having Hawaiian heritage certainly attributes to my passion (obsession) for these retro Aloha shirts. I remember as a kid having to wear Aloha shirts for family portraits and they never seemed to fit me right, always too boxy. After years of thrifting I've finally found a rhythm in finding the ones that fit me just right - not to mention better, brighter, funkier colors.

For this shirt I thought it would be fun to pair with a beat up pair of denim trousers to really bring out the blue hues all around. The shoes were recently discovered while seeing my parents over the holidays in Washington. I used to frequent a thrift shop called "Treasures" when I was in high school and it is STILL going strong. Hence these lovely brown leather vintage Clarks. A bit worn, but they felt oh-so right. Throw in some blue shoe laces from Aldo and voila - you've got an undeniable Tiki-Urban-Streetwear look.

Pink Friday

This look features:

Denim - Uniqlo, True Blue Japanese Collection

Boots - Urban Outfitters

Shirt - H&M

"White for Winter, groundbreaking."

White for Winter | photography by Shay McGinnis

Featured in this look:

Top - White Neoprene FEATHERS Collection by Urban Outfitters

Pants - Levi's Original 511 Skinny Fit

Sandals - Marshall's, YES that is right! I think these were intended as an orthopedic comfort sandal for Seniors...

L ! V E

Lacoste Livin' | photography by Shay McGinnis

It's Fall and the living and dressing is pretty easy in Los Angeles. After all it is mid-November and we're still enjoying 70 degree weather, which means we are also still embracing our warm weather style. As a native of the Pacific Northwest and a lover of layers and outerwear I get a little bummed when the temperatures don't drop in the Fall/Winter. I'll be creating some Fall style stories to pretend I get to live in the cooler weather but in the mean time there's still time to wear my ASOS sandals. I'm still getting great mileage out of the Feathers collection by Urban Outfitters as seen here: the black mesh top and the super comfy track pants. I "topped" off this look with a Lacoste Live hat to seal my sporty look. I could LIVE in this outfit for days, that's how comfortable it is. But alas I'm a believer that one should not wear active wear seven days a week... so I'm forcing myself to start putting together some serious colder weather outfits. Thanksgiving in New York happens next week!

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.

Black Feathers

Black Feathers | photography by Shay McGinnis

Back to black.... I could not help but bust out these casual pants by the line Feathers at Urban Outfitters. I might be wearing them a bit too much these days! They are SO comfortable and work dressed up or dressed down. I had some fun pairing them with a vintage, silk, black button down for a dressy-casual look. I thought it would be fun to style them with these Italian dress shoes I found at Tani in NYC complete with funky pink shoelaces. Again it's about the mix up of casual and classic pieces that really make me smile. Black leather backpack by ASOS.

OBEY the Jacket

Obey the Jacket | photography by Shay McGinnis

Do you remember that feeling as a kid when you walked into a gas station candy store and set your eyes on that Charleston Chew...or the Snickers bar...or the entire row of Jolly Ranchers flavors? Mind blowing excitement! This same overwhelming emotion now hits me as an adult, when discovering the leather jacket of my dreams. I mean lets be honest we all want more than one amazing leather jacket in our wardrobe but finding that one that makes your heart skip a beat is pretty damn special. Enter stage right: this black leather jacket created by Obey clothing. The fit. The feel. The detail. It's all happening with this jacket. Check out the zippers, the construction of the shoulders, arms and waist. IT FITS LIKE A GLOVE.

Obey Clothing was formed in 2001 as an extension of Artist Shepard Fairey's work. The clothing is known as more of a Skater/Surfer clothing brand but they have really taken their design to a whole new level over the last couple years, appealing to a wider audience.

"The clothing is heavily inspired by classic military design, work wear basics, as well as the elements and cultural movements Shepard Fairey has based his art career on. Through designers Mike Ternosky and Erin Wignall, Shepard works to create designs that represent his influences, ideals and philosophy."

As a Stylist (and as a human being who loves amazing design) I'm always on the lookout for well structured outer wear. Granted, us Angelenos aren't wearing jackets all year long but a nice leather jacket is perfect for the moderate warm weather. Aside from the perfect fit the details of this jacket are what sold me. The inside is lined with a colorful, surf-tiki print which as you know by now, anything "Aloha" or tropical and I'm sold. The arms are long and slim fit which for a tall lanky guy is like winning the lottery. The leather is soft feeling and creates a nice juxtaposition up against the hardware of the zippers and buttons. I could go on and on but for fear of sounding like an obsessed fan I'll leave the rest to the images above. My hope is that you also find a killer jacket to enjoy through the Fall/Winter season...

Man on the Mix

Man on the Mix | photography by Shay McGinnis

This pink wall downtown (nope it's NOT the infamous Paul Smith wall on Melrose!) was a perfect spot to capture the boldness of these patterns. As I'm sure you've already picked up on I enjoy styling mixed patterns and prints...of many kinds. This look features pants by Zara, top by Without Walls, shoes by Converse and socks by J. Crew. Sometimes (always) you've just gotta mix things up.

Monochromatic Mondays

Monochromatic Mondays | Photography by Shay McGinnis

It's another Monday and I am trying to find a reason to feel motivated... So I figured I'd post this recent black and white look I threw together for the weekend.

Look 1:

As I've mentioned before a clean white t-shirt goes a loooong way when you live in a sunny climate. I am not usually one to wear mesh BUT this white mesh shirt spoke to me at my local Urban Outfitters downtown... They've designed an in house line called "Feathers" which is very minimal and clean. I thought it was a nice twist to the classic white T-shirt I would normally wear with jeans. The black leather jacket is a secret...will be sharing soon in a future post!

Look 2:

Another thrifted sweater find! I am a huge fan of the bold white stripes, ala tartan design. Now ask me how many times I've worn it in 95 degree weather....<sad face> #missingfall

Perennial Style

Perennial Style | photography by Shay McGinnis

Let us stop and reflect upon the rare season-less city I live in - Los Angeles. Though it means I don't get to enjoy Fall/Winter layers or amazing outerwear, getting ready for the day can be as easy as throwing on a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. In this case I give you a "simple" pair of contrasting floral jeans and floral print shirt - total flower power domination. I am clearly a fan of the floral print whether it be an accessory or an entire outfit. It is no new trend nor is it out of style. In my opinion it is here to stay thanks to Designers like Dries Van Noten. But since we can't always afford designer prices I threw this look together for under $30, yep! How? You might ask...

This look features:

Shirt - Vintage find at Slow on Melrose Avenue, crazy cool detailing on this shirt - digitized needlepoint flowers.

Pants - Joyrich (gifted to me by my lovely roomie)

Shoes - Nike Airforce 1's

Shoelaces - discovered at Belmont Army shop in Chicago

Sunglasses - Top Shop (they are Women's but...shhhhhh)

Surf's Up with Pendleton

Pendleton | photography by Aaron Sawyer

Spending the weekend on the Oregon Coast is relaxing...Spending it with your family is absolutely priceless. This weekend my brother and sister in-law flew into Oregon from Hawaii with my nephew Luca, joining myself as well as my younger Sister, Mom and Dad. As kids we grew up visiting Cannon Beach, Oregon almost every Summer. It's been over a decade since we have all had the time to come out for a visit together as one family so this weekend was extra special.

As a native of the Northwest it seemed appropriate to stop in at the Pendleton outlet just down the street from our cabin. To my surprise - among all of the Aztec printed blankets, fleeces and button downs - my eyes went straight to a tiki printed shirt and short suit hanging on a rack in the back of the store. Surely this wasn't Pendleton I thought...But it was! I was looking directly at their Surf Pendleton line that actually started back in the late 1960's. Apparently the Beach Boys (originally called the "Pendletone's) sported these classic, wool button down surf shirts on their album covers. After all of these years in Los Angeles how did I NOT know this!? Initially I was tempted to buy the matching blue top and bottom pieces but instead decided to buy the blue shirt and the red shorts for contrast. Thanks to my lovely brother and spur-of-the-moment photographer Aaron we grabbed some snaps of this beachy-king look. SURF'S UP!

To read more about Surf Pendleton CLICK HERE.

Socks & Sandals

Socks with Sandals has always been a debatable trend but when in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Oregon, all footwear-fashion rules go out the window. I remember being fascinated with my first pair of Tevas as a young boy traversing sea rocks and sand and am still a fan of the strappy-fabric-velcro man sandal.

Blue Sandals by Fit Flop (sold at Marshalls - YEP I shop there for a bargain now and then)

Socks by Men21

Pants by Tropicalia (sold at Urban Outfitters)

Aloha - Bolo!

Aloha - Bolo | photography by Shay McGinnis

I'm going to start getting personal about things... My name is Levi and I have a weakness for bolo ties. Yes it's true. All shapes, all sizes, all kinds. I really like them. I might also have a slight habit for buying vintage Aloha shirts. I blame it on my childhood in Hawaii. All of those trips to Hilo Hattie left me longing for more abstract palms and plumeria prints, turning my leisurely thrifting into a witch hunt. I was recently inspired to throw a bolo tie together with my Aloha shirt for a Southwestern meets Island kinda vibe. No special occasion just felt like changing things up a bit. Thats one of my favorite things about styling - mixing and matching.

This look features:

Thrifted Aloha shirt - found in Andersonville, Chicago

Vintage Bolo Tie - found in Austin, Texas

Levi's 511 Slim Fit Denim in Lime

Urban Outfitters Boots

Brass rings - found in Brooklyn at the Fort Green Flea Market

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