7 Trends Women Can't Stop Wearing in Los Angeles This Summer

Having lived in Los Angeles for over a decade, I've come to understand hot weather style here as a mixture of the sophisticated and the subtropical. Besides jamming on summer color trends and stepping out in high-waist shorts like the rest of the country, we Angelenos are a little extra—that means including a little bit of flash or funk and a lot of comfort during these long days of beaching, socializing and maybe even a little bit of working. This year, I'm seeing glam trends like silver shoes next to funky bits of crocheted clothing and accessories as well as low-key shorts sets and no-fuss caftans. These trends sound like a leftover soup when you list them together, so I pulled examples from social media to illustrate how the West Coast’s artful insouciance for 2024 can inspire your wardrobe in these warmer months. Now, if you'll excuse me while I throw on some capri pants, tie a crocheted cotton sweater around my shoulders and head to an early dinner on a rooftop downtown, pronto.

I first noticed silver shoes on Zara Tindall at Royal Ascot, then I couldn't stop seeing them everywhere in Los Angeles, from standing on line at Inteligensia coffee to admiring the 'fit of Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder. Makes sense, since a little bit of razzle-dazzle added to an otherwise neutral and/or casual outfit is bullseye L.A. style.

Crocheted hats, bags and sweaters are piled on in colorful outfits that can be added to or subtracted from as the Los Angeles woman goes from a turbo AC-frosty shop or office into a toasty auto that's been parked all day or a on a breezy dog walk around the neighborhood.

The number one way to beat the heat while looking chic in Los Angeles Summer '24? A short smock dress that's got no waistline, short or bracelet sleeves and a V-neck. It's an especially genius choice for day-to-night dressing, since you can keep a pair of cotton leggings or tie-top pants in your car to layer underneath the dress around dusk. (As we Angelenos are well aware, summer's seasonal temperature swing can be 30 degrees in a single day.)

I've seen willowy actresses, tall nepo baby DJs and other assorted cool girls around town sporting this look, but didn't think it was for me. Until PureWow explained the capris trend for short women, that is; now I'm wearing it, too. I especially appreciate it because it allows me to look a little more profesh than walking around in shorts or a mini dress, but a pair of capri pants is way cooler than full-on black trousers.

The Doen Sebastiane skirt—an ankle-grazing tiered cotton skirt that comes in white, black, gingham and pinstripe cottons—started this crazy trend when the Los Angeles-based, woman-owned brand debuted it way back in 2021. Since then, the skirt has sold out seven times, according to the Wall Street Journal. All I know is that I've seen this skirt and its facsimiles at a Melrose Place cafe, on a Malibu beach stroll and at a Studio City farmers market. Angelenos are wearing it with Birkenstocks, flip-flops and Nikes, plus everything from vintage concert T-shirts to Victorian pintuck blouses.

Short sets are the new sundress, at least that's what it looks like in Los Angeles. Loose-fitting, solid-color matchups are wildly versatile, so you can wear them with heels and a status bag to your power lunch with your agent in West Hollywood then swap them out for school pickup in the afternoon. They're also low-volume changes of clothes to keep in your beach bag in case you decide to walk around the Malibu Country Mart after a morning at the beach.

In the heat dome we know as summer, I and many of my Los Angeles friends try to stay as close to wearing a nightie all day. While an actual nightie isn't street apropos, its desert dweller antecedent the caftan is not only appropriate, it's really elegant-looking. I wear a selection as a beach cover-up, after a dip in the pool and days when I just can't be bothered with belts, buckles or zipper. A quick slip over the head and voila, ready for a drive across town.