The Official New Yorker’s Guide To Los Angeles

Cars, Clothes, and Armor

In New York, men robe themselves in dark and dapper Italian suits, while women strut the streets in heels covered with sharp metal spikes. For New Yorkers, clothing is armor. It tells other people one’s brand, class, and, generally speaking, to back the F off. [Paris Hilton via] In Los Angeles, people tend to be less interested in high fashion. It exists of course, but it tends to favor sneakers over suits, and t-shirts over tulle. But in L.A., car culture is supreme. Angelenos believe that a car is a reflection of success, and its brand becomes inextricably attached to one’s own. And whereas a traditional East Coaster might view a Bentley or Maserati as a little, well, tacky, the attitude out here is to go big or go home. Which leads to…