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Surfer Chic

I had planned on dropping another installment of the ex-boyfriend letters (a really sordid one that includes a story about how I got some of the worst rug-burns of my life) but I psyched myself out. So in lieu of more sleazy sordidness, I decided to do a little tribute to some of the fashion trends I saw when I was out in California.

While we were in LA we spent most of our time in Santa Monica & Venice Beach. The vibe there is very laid back, particularly in Venice. The board walk in Venice is home to Surfers, Skateboarders, Stoners, Tattoo parlors, Head shops, graffiti, pubs, hobos, pizza places….its fun, eclectic & a little bit sketchy at night. I really liked it around there because the area kind of dispels the common misconception that LA is a plastic place full of plastic things & people. Walking down the boardwalk for the first time I thought “This looks like the kind of place Jeff Spicoli would hang out”

If you don’t know who Jeff Spicoli is, he is Sean Penn’s character in the 1982 teen movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. If you haven’t seen this movie, watch it. It’s 1980’s Teen movie GOLD. There are so many awkward, cringe worthy moments due to the bad acting and 1980’s fashions. This movie is from an era before Michael Cera made awkward hip and ironic. There are also some good smutty moments. One of the main characters cashes in her V-Card with an older guy who works at the stereo store in the mall, in the back-seat of his car (whoa! Its like someone made a spooky reality show about the year I was 18! Minus the V-card part. That had already been cashed in at an earlier date). Jeff Spicoli is the school’s resident Surfer/Burnout. He seems chronically out of it and says “Dude” alot. His motto for life is:

“All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, an’ I’m fine.”


(wait. Have I dated this guy?)


Jeff’s such a bad-ass that he has a pizza delivered in the middle of History class to satisfy a killer case of the munchies. I think we’re meant to assume Jeff is stoned throughout the entirety of the movie. Yes, Jeff Spicoli would definitely fit in on Venice Beach.

Because of the way my mind works (it tends to move from one random abstract thought to another), I started to think “If Jeff Spicoli had a girlfriend, what would she wear?”. Looking around at the other girls on the beach this is what I came up with.

Here are some styles that I saw trending pretty hardcore in California this spring and hope to incorporate into my spring/summer wardrobe:

1. Boyfriend Jeans. I was surprised to see that this trend is still going strong. I saw lots of girls wearing loose, ripped up boyfriend jeans with sandals. They looked so cute and laid back that I’m going to try this look out. I don’t know if I am going buy and actual pair of “boyfriend jeans”. I think I might just take a pair of my old 7 for all mankind jeans & distress them myself.
2.
Maxi Dresses. I saw tons of girls wearing these! The dress above reminds me of the dress Vibrations of a Vixen was wearing when I met her for drinks. She looked hot so, I’m going to try the look myself. I just have to find the perfect dress.
3.
Cut-Offs. These are back! Or did they ever leave? My uncle has worn cut off Levis & Aviator glasses for as long as I can remember. Apparently my uncle is chic now.
4.
Tie Dye. This is a trend that has the potential to go very, very wrong. However, I think if you do tie dye in a subtle way ie. those gorgeous scarves in the photo would be the perfect way to add color to a simple outfit–it is possible to wear the trend without looking like you’ve been following the Phish tour for 6 months (Unless that’s your thing. If it is then work it)
5.
Flat Sandals. A no-brainer. A great pair of flat sandals works with most summer looks.
6. Tom’s shoes. These babies are comfortable, cute AND ethical. You can read about the Tom’s movement HERE. These are on my shopping list for spring/summer.
7.
Straw Fedoras. I’ll be wearing mine that I bought in California. ALL SUMMER.

With the exeption of maybe Tie Dye, none of these items are “new” trends for spring/summer. We’ve seen all of these things in previous seasons. However, the girls I saw in California wore these looks in such a laid-back effortless way, that I want to try & mix in some of these items into my summer wardrobe. This is all with the hope that this summer, while I’m stuck in Toronto, swimming through the wet, sticky, smoggy air, I’ll feel as relaxed & chill as a Surfer who’s just scored big at the Venice Canabis Club . Its worth a shot right?

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