Two Weeks in LA

Back in February, a work trip permitted me to fly to Los Angeles for two weeks with my team. I was ecstatic to be flown to LA and experience the land of basics (you know its true!) Being an ardent binger of LA based YouTubers I was feeling adrenalized by the fact that I get a glimpse of what living in LA would be like – obviously I was all up for it. Couldn’t wait to hit up Nordtstrom, Target, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, Cheesecake Factory, Chiptole, Taco Bell….(could I get more basic?)

Although I’ve been to LA twice before, this trip was for surely going to be different. A) it was a work trip, duh and B) it wasn’t going to be a family holiday! So I packed my suitcase for the two weeks and off I was!

After an eight hour long flight and 45 minute car ride from LAX to our rented house we reached our home-away-from-home for the next two weeks. We rented a gorgeous house via Vacation Rentals by Owners (VRBO) in Beverly Hills. As soon as I got to my room, I unpacked my suitcase, hanged all my outfits, lined up my shoes and organized my makeup and toiletries – just to avoid any crazy mornings the following days – and then jet lagged kicked in.

So, when you think of LA what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Year-round blooms? Captivating street murals? Avocados for days? Endless options of vegan and vegetarian food? Hot summery climate?

Well the latter was definitely not true. Having this preconceived knowledge that LA was going to be super warm, I was wrong, very wrong. Having not checked the weather while packing (very bad on me), none of us were prepared for LA winter. Funny enough the temperature was the same as in Tokyo! All I carried with me was my Uniqlo bomber jacket and my thin Zara shawl leather draped jacket to keep warm. It was an uncharacteristically cold and windy two weeks that we spent in LA. However, we made use of the intermittent sunshine we came in contact with during the day and froze away at night.

In today’s blog I’m sharing with you some of my #OOTDs and places I visited during my time in LA. Let’s say a major part of the trip consisted of witnessing some of the prettiest sunrise and sunsets I’ve ever seen!

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Okay, enough of rumbling, onto the outfits!

I kept my airport look quite simple and comfy because I knew I had a long day of travel ahead of me.

Bomber Jacket / Denim Joggers Pants / Plaid Shirt: Uniqlo | Flats: Tory Burch | Handbag: Zara

Not to be fooled by the weather – bright blue skies but super cold. Took this photo minutes before I started shivering in my blazer.

Velvet Pants: GU | Top: H&M | Shoes: Rubi | Watch: Swatch

One of my most favourite purchases this season has to be my navy knitted maxi – so comfortable and chic. Luckily, this was one of my only warm piece of clothing I brought with me. Also, can we just take a moment to observe the size of a slice of cake in the U.S. is!

Knitted Maxi Dress: Uniqlo | Flats: Rubi | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Stumbled upon this “Global Angel Wings Project Wall” completely out of the blue while I was taking a stroll around our neighborhood. Was so happy to find one of the many “Instagrammable walls” in LA – yes I’m guilty of this.

Bomber Jacket / Denim Joggers / T-Shirt: Uniqlo | Flats: Old Navy | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Exploring Rodeo Drive after finishing off a meeting nearby. Was one of the nicest days in LA but got super cold right after!

Top: H&M | Skirt: Cotton On | Jacket / Flats: Zara | Bag: Stella McCartney | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Choker: Forever 21

We headed over to Huntington Beach during one of the days to catch the sunset. It was over an hours drive away but completely worth it!

Jacket / Tops / Pants: Zara | Lace-Up Flats: GU | Bag: Stella McCartney

It was just one day before the Oscars and we dropped by the Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the Pre-Oscar mayhem. Caught a glimpse of the preparations and TV interviews that were taking place.

Tops / Skirt: Zara | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Lace-Up Flats: GU | Watch: Dior 

We were passing by Wilshire Boulevard and so we decided to stop by Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (LACMA). Another highly Instagrammed place is this large-scale assemblage sculpture by Chris Burden, called Urban Light. And of course, me being me I had to capture this moment!

Top / Flats : Zara | Velvet Pants: GU | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

This was quite the foodie day in LA. We had a lunch meeting at The Ivy. The interiors and color palette of the restaurant were so dreamy and lovely! For dinner, I met up with a friend in LA and had my very first In-N-Out experience – those animal fries were the bomb dot com!

Top: H&M | Bomber Jacket: Uniqlo

My first work trip to LA was a wonderful experience, meeting so many people, networking and seeing this side of the industry up front has been truly insightful. While I boarded by flight back to Tokyo, I could’t help but have Iggy Azalea’s song stuck in my head,

“I’m so fancy
You already know
I’m in the fast lane
From L.A. to Tokyo “

(So extra, I know).

Hope you’ve enjoyed this rather long blog post about my trip to LA. Definitely let me know of places I should see during my next trip to LA (that could be happening soon!).

Follow me on Instagram @riaparikh to scroll through my LA pictures.