20 Outfits To Wear In California This Fall California Outfit + Packing Guide
As you know, I traveled to California for my fall break and spent last week frolicking around West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Laguna Beach. It was the best week of my life getting to see new sights with my content creating besties. Of course, we shot tons of photos and looks throughout our trip to give you a little (okay, a lot) of outfit inspiration.
I’ve never been on the west coast, let alone in the middle of October, so needless to say I was blindsided on what to pack. I lucked out and had plenty of looks for each occasion. It’s still very hot during the day—seventy-five degrees and not a cloud in the sky. It was the kind of weather you want to bottle up forever. However, at night it does get chilly so long sleeves and jeans are also a must.
Pack layers and all your funky fashion favorites and you’ll be just fine. In the meantime, I’m breaking down all twenty outfits I wore throughout my trip including direct links to shop + directions to each spot I shot photos so you can recreate them on your trip!
(click pink text for links)
CHECKING IN
Keeping things casual for my first leg of the trip in a basic white tee + jeans. These are some of my current favs—with huge rips in the knees and a low-rise waistband, they are so on-trend. For shoes, I’ve got on my new favorite platform sneakers from Steve Madden. I wore them a ton throughout the trip. They are the perfect mix of comfortable yet trendy. However, these do run a little small so definitely size up! Tying a flannel around my waist for when it gets chilly and an extra layer is needed.
tee // jeans // flannel // sneakers
photo location ✈ Sonder Beverly Terrace Hotel
GROOVY GIRL
My favorite part about California is that you can wear this to lunch on a random Wednesday and nobody thinks anything of it. I grabbed this funky skirt from Dolls Kill and it’s definitely short but my gosh is it adorable. I’m pairing it with a basic white tank from Express’s Body Contour line. I bring these on every trip because they truly pair with everything.
It was a little brisk so I popped on a brown blazer over top and slipped into my new Franco Sarto boots. I have these in two colors now and they are some of the best. They are definitely a little bit pricier but they are real leather and therefore incredibly comfortable for walking distances in heels! I wore them numerous times throughout the trip and cannot recommend them enough.
blazer // tank // skirt // boots // purse
photo location ✈ 8814 Burton Way
NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Off to Pump for dinner + drinks which called for something a little sexier. This Whitefox Boutique top is a staple in my college closet and looked awesome paired with these Princess Polly pants. They aren’t quite leather but aren’t quite silk—a unique mix that’s so comfortable. They have a straight leg fit that hits just at the ankles so a pair of heels is a must.
top // pants // heels // earrings
photo location ✈ Sonder Beverly Terrace Hotel
RIGHT ON RODEO
Off to Rodeo Drive to do a little window shopping. This is one of the richest areas of California and there are well-dressed people on every corner. Definitely felt out of place without a designer bag and although self-conscious of what I looked like, I was pleasantly surprised by the dozens of compliments my outfit received.
This two-piece set was another Dolls Kill find. The pieces are sold separately and run super tiny since this is a thicker tweed material. I recommend going up a size in both top and bottom. With a pair of heeled boots, this was the perfect outfit for the occasion.
blazer // skirt // boots // purse
photo location ✈ Rodeo Drive
PRETTY BY THE PALMS
Feeling all the good vibes visiting Hermosa Beach in this 70s inspired outfit. As I said, it does cool down a bit in the evening. Luckily, this dress was a knit sweater material so I was able to go without an extra layer over top. However, a turtleneck underneath or a cardigan popped over top would be adorable.
To go with the flower details I’ve popped on the same boots and a simple white bag! Fun yet simple and I scored tons of compliments from the locals.
photo location ✈ Hermosa Beach Pier
HEART EYES FOR YOU
If you thought the floral boots were good, wait until you see these babies! After receiving so much love on my floral pair in new York City, I knew I needed to grab a fun “token” piece for California. I stumbled across these heart booties on Dolls Kill site and freaked out. Everything about these were fantastic.
Now can we give this dress a moment of its own too…. I mean come on! How fun is this?! Between the shift silhouette, the billowing one shoulder, and the tie belt this piece is everything I could have hoped for. I’m truly obsessed.
photo location ✈ Beverly Hills
ROOFTOP VIBES
I’ll admit, this outfit was a little out of place for Hermosa. There’s a twenty-something beach town vibe here so this dress and heels would have been better suited for a dinner in Beverly Hills but oh well, it was adorable nonetheless. This green wrap dress is from Princess Polly and is one of my favorite pieces ever.
It’s an incredible jersey material that hugs your figure beautifully + is incredibly comfortable. With nude heels and a chain-link bag, you’ve got a simple yet sexy combo for a night out.
photo location ✈ Details Rooftop
COFFEE SHOP CUTIE
A sweet sweater and jeans were perfect for morning coffee outside of our hotel. Something light and cropped is all you’ll need for a brisk morning in California. This cutie is from Beginning Boutique and paired well with my favorite cropped flare jeans from Express. I slipped into mules and a matching hat to add a little something fun to the look.
sweater // jeans // mules // hat
photo location ✈ Sonder Beverly Terrace Hotel
GOING IN GO GOS
These floral go-go boots made their debut for New York Fashion Week and the amount of love I received on them was unreal. Of course, I had to bring them to LA. Truly anything goes here so an outfit like this isn’t anything out of the ordinary, trust me. For morning photos I paired a simple white turtleneck with this green courdoroy skirt. This is about as “fall” as it gets here, lol.
Of course, the center of the show are my Dolls Kill boots. Surprisingly, these are super easy to walk in with platform heels and a chunky wedge. I couldn’t love this outfit more. Simple yet so not…
sweater // skirt // boots // purse
photo location ✈ Sonder Beverly Terrace Hotel Rooftop
SCREAMING STREET STYLE
Throwing a little bit of street style at ya with this look. So many of you ordered this cropped long sleeve from SheIn! It’s super short but matches perfectly with this mini ruched skirt. I’ve been seeing these all over my Pinterest feed recently and had to give one a try.
Pop on sneakers, a pair of sunnies, and gold hoops and you’re good to go. Oh, and we can’t forget about my new necklace stack. These Gorjana necklaces were my only purchase of LA and I haven’t taken them off since. I bought them from @detailshb and am already planning on grabbing the bracelets to match.
top // skirt // sneakers // sunglasses // necklaces
photo location ✈ 115 N Carson Road
SASSY IN SILK
Feeling like a million bucks in this combo. This top was handmade by a sweet girl I follow on Instagram. It can be tied four different ways so the options are truly endless. The quality + stitching is incredible and I love the bright pop of color. I chose to leave the woven side along the front, however, it’s super cute worn along the back as well.
I finally found the *perfect* straight-leg jeans. These came hours before I left for my trip and I packed them without even trying them on. Luckily, these fit my waist beautifully and are the perfect length. They are very stretchy + high waisted enough to wear with tiny tops which is a plus.
top // jeans // heels // purse
photo location ✈ N Swall Drive
MEET ME BY THE WATER
Off to see the California ocean for the first time in this incredible crochet set. When I saw this on Princess Polly’s website a few months ago, I instantly added it to my cart. I’d been saving it specifically for this trip and pictures just don’t do it justice. It’s the cutest cropped long-sleeve with matching shorts. It could totally work as a beach cover-up or on its own as you watch the waves roll in + grab lunch by the water.
photo location ✈ Malibu Beach
FITTING FOR THE FAIR
Here’s my Santa Monica pier fit for ya! This funky floral dress is giving me all the retro vibes. I’m obsessed with the halter neckline and the cute tie-front detail along the skirt. I paired it with boots, however, I would have preferred sneakers for this occasion. This is a very touristy area with tons of attractions, games, and rides so something a little more mobile would have been better!
photo location ✈ Santa Monica Pier
BASKING IN BLUE
I do like to clean up nice for dinner with my ladies! This blue dress was a recent Beginning Boutique find and my gosh did I feel incredible in it. Similar to that green mini dress, this is that same jersey material that’s super stretchy, hugging everything. It makes your booty pop and is so comfortable (especially after a three-course meal, lol).
I wore my hair up partly to show off the cowl neckline but mostly because my hair hadn’t been washed yet. Heels and a bag are all you need to finish off this outfit.
photo location ✈ EP & LP Rooftop
HIKING THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
Even “hiking” has to be done in style when you’re as extra as me. On a real note, I am obsessed with exercise dresses recently. They are so easy to slip on and go in + they are crazy comfortable. Not to mention, you instantly look like the best dressed one. My go-to sneakers for actual physical activity, not just leisure, are the Adidas ZX Boosts. I’ve linked them below—I have the mens and just went down two sizes!
dress // sneakers // sunglasses
photo location ✈ Hollywood Sign
FAB IN FLORAL
These boots were too good, I just had to break them out again. This palm-tree-lined street was the perfect photo op ever. My green dress is a towel-like material that absorbs sweat and is super soft. The ruched detailing along the center accentuates your curves making your waist look extra tiny and your booty pop. I’m obsessed!
My friend Jules ended up wearing this exact outfit to the Santa Monica pier and everyone loved it.
photo location ✈ 115 N Carson Road
DINNER + DRINKS
Had to break those straight-leg jeans out again. They were the perfect “elevated” denim for dinner with the girls. It was a bit chillier for our outdoor dining situation so a long sleeve was a must. Of course, mine was still cropped lol. This top is a jersey material that’s so stretchy + comfy. It made my boobs look amazing + it comes in a bunch of different colors. I know my friends will be borrowing this for a night out at school too!
top // jeans // heels // purse
photo location ✈ N Swall Drive
FROLICKING THE FARMERS MARKET
Off to the farmers market for a wholesome Sunday morning in this adorable knit dress from Showpo. They have so many cool pieces right now and really killed it with this. It’s a light sweater material with buttons along the left leg and a high neckline. It hugged my curves just enough and was the perfect weight for the California temperatures.
I wanted to keep things a little more “fall”, or at least try to so I slipped into tan mules. Of course, no outfit of mine if complete without that Lack of Colors hat! It’s truly my saving grace for every incomplete outfit.
photo location ✈ Beverly Hills
POPS OF PINK
The heart boots make one more appearance for a last-minute outfit photo! Keeping things very simple since these shoes obviously already speak for themself. This white mini dress is perfect for just about any occasion and could easily be layered with a cardigan over top or a turtleneck underneath.
photo location ✈ Beverly Hills
LOVING THE LEATHER
I wore this outfit for our “last supper” in California and sadly didn’t get any good photos in it. Leather pants have been dominating my mood boards + Pinterest feeds so I finally got my hands on a pair. I love the straight leg fit of these + the chocolate brown is so on-trend.
As I said, it was a bit brisk at night so a long sleeve bodysuit tucked into these bottoms was a must. This top is another Express Body Contour piece and is the best. Layering on gold necklaces and a cute chain belt to spice this look up.
top // pants // belt // heels // purse
photo location ✈ Beverly Hills
Phew, twenty outfits! I can’t believe I was able to photograph so many looks throughout my trip but am so glad I was able to make it happen. These were some of my favorite outfits and I really enjoyed being pushed out of my style comfort zone to put these looks together.
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I hope to be back soon to explore more areas (preferably Laguna Beach + Newport area)and hopefully can style some beachier fits. In the meantime, stay tuned for my LA travel guide coming very soon. I have plenty of restaurantweird recommendations, spots to share, and a hotel review coming your way.
With love, McKenz
Latest Post: Weekly Wrap Up #43 2021
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