a tale of two cities

photo courtesy latimes.com

Some people call Los Angeles the Place Where Trends Go To Die. They might be right, after all, we are the city, I’d wager, with the most Ed Hardy/Christian Audigier, Juicy Couture, Chrome Hearts, and what-have-you consumption. The town where the Fergies and the Britneys and jesus christ the fucking Kardashians are the most-likely-photographed socialites; most likely wearing any number of horrendous items from the aforementioned outfitters. We are also the city where the most affluent among us drive mammoth cars — useless, gleaming Range Rovers and Bentleys (which, I might add, they drive themselves, which never fails to confuse my sense of what’s what).

Like many an Angeleno (this feels like a stretch, but tax return-wise and for the sake of argument, let’s say it’s true), I’ve come to realize that the best part about Los Angeles is its Choose Your Own Adventure quality. See what you want, skip what you don’t; L.A. is like the salad bar at Souplantations: your life, with all the fixins.

That being said, I refuse to be one of the many Los Angeles residents who, while rushing to defend it, also tote the semi-requisite attitude of “Oh, well, yeah, I mean, it’s no New York…”

For while Los Angeles may be the Place Where Trends Go To Die, trend-wise New York is a veritable Hall of Mirrors. In The City this weekend, I noticed the way in which New Yorkers find and reproduce a fad endlessly. If you’ve ever had a flea infestation, you’ll know what I’m getting at here. One year’s cat-eyes and baby backpacks is another’s “it”-bags and appletinis. Eventually, like the Roman Empire, its axis of influence is spread too thin and the trend ruptures and dies.

So suffice to say this year’s (really though, last year’s) baby backpack is the gladiator sandal (which turf wars aside, is what this post is about — don’t you love blogging?). I have personally been struggling with this trend for several months now (Sunshine! Another Los Angeles advantage!) — for every good option, you have to byass 50 hideous ones; my desire to find a pair that is both “daring” and “flattering” is challenged by the fact that these things are pretty much designed to make your legs look as utterly homely as possible (especially the daring ones!). And shall we all just agree that, unless you’re sporting last year’s Balenciagas, the to-the-knee thing is a completely fruitless exercise in looking cool?

Wading through the reflective echo chamber of the island of Manhattan is Loeffler Randall, who, it seems, hasn’t come up with a bad gladiator option yet. Each pair is simple and wearable– no more than one buckle — but each also posses an eye-catching quality and enough design detail to carry you through till fall.  Seriously, collect all 4. I intend to.

Shorter posts coming soon!
Happy weekend-time,

ZE

photos courtesy loefflerrandall.com & lambsearshoes.com