what i wore in LA as an anxious traveler

4 style tips, starting with emotional support flats

Oh, It feels so good to be home.

I was just in LA for my sister’s birthday. I hate how laborious packing feels…but it’s something I bring upon myself, I guess. It’s a chance to wear pieces that don’t hit as hard at home. And I don’t want to squander that opportunity! So I spend hours deciding what to bring for a mere 72 hours. Wearing a polka dot halter dress is more satisfying in the Southern California heat, sitting with a bottle of chilled sparkling water on the plastic sidewalk stools. Topaz silk pants glow more vividly in feverish glow of CO2 sunsets.

But, I am trying to be more ok with not being in control over everything all the time. I might regret what I packed. I might miss my flight. I might get food poisoning. I might get stranded by the LA River with no cell reception. Relinquishing control is inherent to travel (which is probably why I am such an anxious traveler who should do a better job of taking her gabapentin).

The silver lining is that travel dressing can often lead to joyous styling moments you’ve never tried before. It stems from what I call the “bottom of the suitcase” scenario: your shirts are a pile of wilted spinach, moist and limp with day old sweat. you’re painfully bloated and cannot deal with tight pants. you just want something clean and cute but everything is filthy and ugly. so you end up throwing on some odd combination that actually looks…kind of cool? It’s like how the most innovative food is often thrown together from the “bottom of the fridge” ingredients. They say creativity is borne out of constraints, and I believe that applies to the constraint of a suitcase.

The other magical thing about being Somewhere Else is that you feel more experimental with your clothing, hair, makeup, personality, etc. You won’t see anyone at this Highland Park karaoke bar ever again. It’s the freedom of anonymity.

Here are some outfit + styling tips that helped me have a less anxious time while I was away from home.

First, I want to talk about these wonderful T-bar flats I wore stomping up and down Sunset Blvd. They were cuter than my Keens but still so comfortable, and surprisingly light: