Los Angeles is the city that taught half our floor how to dress. Anine Bing started in an LA garage. L'Agence, Joah Brown, Perfect White Tee and Sporty and Rich all grew out of the same West Coast idea: that the most expensive-looking thing you can wear is ease. So when a customer tells us she is flying to LA, the question of what to wear in Los Angeles is one we answer with real affection, and a fair amount of experience. The trick is understanding that LA is not one climate or one dress code. It is a beach at nine, a canyon at noon, a desert-dry evening on a rooftop, and a car in between every one of them. Here is the Tuchuzy packing edit for the West Coast, built from pieces that are in store in Bondi right now and ship anywhere, including straight to a hotel in Santa Monica.
Understand the LA day before you pack
The mistake most visitors make is packing for California summer and forgetting the marine layer. Mornings near the coast are grey and cool until late morning, afternoons inland are hot and dry, and the moment the sun drops the temperature goes with it. The other thing to know is that LA is casual in a way that is deceptively precise. Nobody is dressed up, but everyone is dressed well. Sweats are worn with intent. A white tee is chosen, not grabbed. The city rewards exactly the kind of wardrobe Tuchuzy has been building since 1995: elevated basics, good denim, one great jacket and shoes that can do a day.
The packing principle is the same one we use for our vacation outfits guide: a tight palette, layers over single-use pieces, and nothing that only works once.
The Anine Bing foundation
If there is one label to build an LA week around, it is Anine Bing. It was born there, it is worn everywhere there, and it happens to be the range with the most depth on our floor this spring. Start with tees. The Cade Tee in washed black and the Shelley Tee in buttercream from the Anine Bing tees edit are the two you will wear on rotation from Venice to Silver Lake. For the cool mornings, the Ivan Long Sleeve in washed blush is the piece to throw on over a tank for the walk to coffee.
Denim is the other half of the foundation. The Roy Jean in Pacific blue is the relaxed straight leg that reads right with a slide and a tee, and the Wyatt Jean in freshwater blue is the lighter wash for a hot afternoon. Compare both against the rest of our jeans edit before you decide. One pair of jeans, two tees and a long sleeve will carry four days.
The sweatshirt is not optional
LA runs on sweatshirts. They are worn to breakfast, to the farmers market, on the drive up the coast and on the plane home. The Harvey Sweatshirt in coral pink from the Anine Bing sweatshirts edit is the one that brings colour without effort, and the Harry Shrunken Sweatshirt in buttercream is the cropped, slightly shrunken cut that sits right with a high-rise jean. If you want to see the full range of crews and hoodies across labels, our sweatshirts edit is the place. Pack one, wear it on the flight, and you have solved the marine layer before you land.
Finish the off-duty look with the Jeremy Baseball Cap from the Anine Bing caps and hats range. In LA a cap is not a sporting accessory; it is the hat.
Dinner in LA: dressed down, done properly
Dinner in Los Angeles rarely asks for a dress, but it always asks for a considered outfit. This is where the Chosen by Tuchuzy edit earns its place in the suitcase. The Asym Mesh Long Sleeve Top in black from Chosen tops with the Roy jean and a slide is a West Hollywood dinner outfit that needs no adjustment. The Satin Bodice in coffee worn with the Satin Strap Midi Skirt from Chosen skirts is the step up for a rooftop or a birthday table.
If you want a dress for one night, the Chilli Twist Midi Dress from Chosen dresses travels without creasing and reads as evening the moment you add a gold earring from our jewellery edit. Layer the Sophia Vegan Leather Jacket over any of these for the drive home with the windows down.
Beach, canyon and the drive up the coast
A day at the beach in LA is a different day to a day at Bondi. The water is colder, the sand is wider and you will spend more time walking than swimming. Wear the Scoop Tank from Chosen tanks with the Deconstructed Linen Pant in white from Chosen pants, and choose your swim from the swimwear edit knowing it will be worn under clothes more often than on its own.
For the Malibu drive or a canyon hike, the same tee and jean formula holds, with a slide swapped for something sturdier. Our footwear edit runs from the Golden Hour Jun Slide for flat days to sandals with a proper footbed. Sunglasses are the most important thing you will pack for LA; the light is relentless and the frame is half the outfit. Choose from our designer sunglasses edit before you fly.
The LA packing list, in one place
Three tees, one long sleeve, two pairs of jeans, one sweatshirt, one linen pant, one leather jacket, one satin or mesh top for dinner, one dress, one swimsuit, one slide, one sandal, one cap, one pair of sunglasses and a small bag from our bags edit. Everything in a palette of black, white, blue denim, butter and one colour you love. That is a week in Los Angeles that works from Venice to the Valley, and every piece of it will keep working when you get home to Sydney.
Tuchuzy is in Bondi Beach, and we ship worldwide. If you are already in the United States, we ship there directly, so you can order the LA-born labels from an Australian boutique and have them arrive before you do. If you are still in Sydney, visit us on Hall Street and we will help you build the edit in person.
Your questions answered
Is Los Angeles dressy or casual?
Casual, but precisely so. A great tee, a good jean and a considered jacket will take you almost anywhere. Save the dress for one dinner. The Anine Bing and Chosen by Tuchuzy edits cover the whole spectrum.
What should I wear in LA in the evening?
Layers. Evenings are cool and dry year-round. A sweatshirt for casual nights, a leather jacket for dinner. See the jackets edit.
Do I need a coat in LA in winter?
Rarely a heavy one. A leather jacket over a knit from our knitwear edit is enough for most nights, though a canyon or the desert can get properly cold.
Which shoes work best for LA?
A slide for the coast and a supportive sandal for everything else. You will drive more than walk, but you will still walk more than you think. Browse the footwear edit.
Can I order from Tuchuzy while I am in the United States?
Yes. We ship worldwide from Bondi Beach, including to the US.