Sardella Donato - City of style: exploring Los Angeles fashion from Bohemian to rock

For my family

L os Angeles isnt the easiest place to get dressed. When I was seventeen and working as a model in Milan, Paris, and New York, I wouldnt give a second thought to wearing an Alaa cocktail dress in the middle of the day or high-waist pants, a sharp jacket, and big heels just because. But when I moved to LA to raise my son in 2001, I quickly realized that the tailored, formal pieces that worked so effortlessly in Europe and Manhattan didnt quite work the same way in perpetually sunny SoCal. And I found myself struggling to find a style that truly felt like me.

During this period of searching my style soul, I chopped off my hair and started favoring Converse sneakers, baggy jeans, and oversize button-downs in an effort to channel the old skater I had lurking inside. And thats when it hit me: My fashion sense wasnt lost. I just found a style that this town had birthed in the first place.

Los Angeles isnt just about getting dressed. Its about how you do it.

This is a rich, vibrant city, and it has created many of the most basic fashion trends that today serve as a foundation of style all over the world. Whether its the 1970s sportswear favored by skaters and surfers, the easy-breezy bohemian dresses worn by the prolific songwriters of the 60s while they crafted melodies in our canyons, or the beaded flapper dresses that freed our earliest movie stars from the constraints of their corsets, personal style really did start in LA. And the basic fashion movements that started here can now be seen on billboards, television sets, and runways all over the globe.

Amber Valletta attends the Natural Resources Defense Councils Ocean Initiative Benefit Hosted by Chanel on June 4, 2011, in Malibu.

Los Angeles is so relaxed that it sometimes feels uncomfortable to push boundaries when it comes to our fashion. But, luckily, you dont have to. Here, the sweet lace bra you wear peeking out from under your T-shirt is as important as the killer heels youd wear running around in New York. A pair of perfectly fitting jeans is the equivalent to a structured day dress in Paris. LA has style. Its just very much its own.

And thats why I believe Melissas journey to explore the evolution of style in LA, City of Style, truly is a celebration of Los Angeles fashion for what it isunique. There is an eclectic flavor to this city, with women who embody many aspects of those who inspire themfrom rockers to free-spirited bohemians to the modern, chic movie stars we all try to emulate (Gwen Stefani, in particular, is one style star that kills it in my eyes). In LA you never have to wear one head-to-toe look or monochromatic color. And that breeds a set of stylish inhabitants who arent afraid to mix a Balenciaga jacket with a vintage, label-less sheath to make the look all their own and have a little fun.

LA gets a bad rap for its jeans and T-shirt culture. But, as Melissa explains, theres history and meaning behind the casualness. Youll never find girls in any other city who can pull off such a laid-back look while still remaining graceful. They own it, and thats what makes great style anyway.

Amber Valletta, SANTA MONICA MODEL/ACTRESS

U pon moving from New York to Los Angeles in 2004, I thought I confidently had LA-style figured out as being one of two things: tight and short or beachy and casual. And while some of my expectations were met, the variations on style that started to emerge and become wholly apparent to me were striking and actually a bit awe-inspiring.

From subcultures to golden eras, I began to piece together my observations about several looks that not only felt organic to LA and its residents but also affect the way people all over the world put themselves together. A rare confluence of elements contribute to the LA lifestyle and to the kinds of looks that arise from living in a major city with ideal weather, a glamorous designer retail scene, and a celebrity and entertainment culture that doesnt just exist here: it was born here.

I set out to capture what I saw every day. Between running around designer showrooms downtown to lunch in Beverly Hills and after-work drinks in Venice, the people I encountered brought a vibrant and eclectic quality to what they wore. But an LA look isnt something that can be easily pinned down, and thats part of what makes it interesting, unpredictable, and fun.

LA-style is really like looking through one of those kaleidoscopes you had as a kid: glistening solid colors that when twisted and spun morphed into something more complex and more beautiful. It is colorful, eclectic, and often puzzlingand at its core, rich and inspiring.

The free-spirited energy, colorful sprawl of the city, and glorious sunny weather all undoubtedly inform the unique way LA denizens put clothing and accessories together.

And though LA has become synonymous with several mass-market trends, because of the casual nature of the ubiquitous daily uniform (think jeans, a T-shirt, and boots) there really is no cookie-cutter format, no formula or template to which people adhere. Theres just a strong sense of individuality and creative self-expression that makes the citys style so appealing.

LA-style is ever changing and moving in a direction not solely dictated by whats happening on the runway. It blends the past with current trends and a lifestyle determined by the varied landscape, golden light, and sense of freedom.

In fact, freedom is the word that kept popping up throughout the research, interviews, and shared stories while writing this book. Whether people are rockers, hippies, or skaters, they describe their style as free. They are unencumbered in their clothing and look. Regardless if that means leather pants and boots or a floor-length dress made from old curtains, they feel free to move, make music, and flourish in their little piece of Los Angeles.

But while the past provides a rich history on which modern-daystyle is built, a snapshot of the present is just as captivating.

By profiling stylish women and a handful of men, I got a glimpse of not only their personal looks and motivations, but also of the tapestry that comprises various inspirations coming out of LA. Each portrait offers a sense of discovery and a lesson in creativity and personal style. Subjects cite old film stars, friends, modern-day celebrities, mothers, and grandmothers when they talk about what drives their look. Their styles are nuanced and full of interesting details. No single person is a literal representation of the style under which they are categorized, but rather each manages to incorporate a unifying spirit into his or her appearance.

Walking into the homes and closets of people all over Los Angeles was not only the most informative and intimate way to get to know them but also to start piecing together the variety of styles that comprise this city. The subjects range from glamorous to supercasual, but they get dressed and live with a certain ease and insouciance that feels right for LA, whether thats been absorbed over time or something innate that has now found a place to thrive.