Does it feel like festival season is upon us a little too soon? That's Coachella for you - the LA festival that starts this weekend and makes everyone feel like they should be in fringed crop tops before they've even graduated out of tights. So, if you are going to Coachella, you are in luck - as I've dedicated this instalment of Changing Room Selfies to SoCal lady dressing, American Apparel style. If you're not, just put these tips in your high-rise back pocket till summer strikes.
It's worth noting now that American Apparel sizes are crazy. I have to admit that I sized up by at least two sizes in almost everything I tried on and it was often still tight. Also, beware - they do not do refunds. That aside, the changing room chicas were very lovely and I feel really bad about fooling them into thinking I was going to Coachella.
Bodywork
Ahhh, the body. Reminds me of being 10 years old and thinking it was genuinely fun to fiddle around my crotch, doing up the poppas wrong everytime I went to the loo. Anyway, this stripey Spandex Bra Body Suit, £50 is super cute, very American Apparel - especially with a stonewash High-Waist Denim Mini Skirt, £48. Just find yourself a beer can with an umbrella sticking out of it and your tropical 90s kid look is complete. (Alternatively, take this get-up down Notting Hill Carnival way. The sun is always shining.)
Fortune Teller
Feel super zen and bohemian in this printed tent, sorry button-down Mint Biba kaftan dress, £75 by Nathalie Du Pasquier for American Apparel. It's actually a unisex nightie (get that) but add a silk scarf to cinch (my own) and feel like a total easy breezy festival matriach.
Cher Horowitz
She's the original Southern Californian girl. And whilst admittedly SoCal style has come a long way since cropped mohair and yellow checks; but at American Apparel, it's still in. And hallelujah because who doesn't want to look like Cher Horowitz? Forget all the girls in slip dresses and studded boots and forge your own path like Beverley Hills' heroine of '95 with this Fuzzy Cropped Tee, £50 and Plaid Basic Tap Short, £38.
Onesie 2.0
Dungarees are the new jumpsuits; didn't you hear? This spring is all about practicality (some would call it 'normcore', we call it er, stress-free dressing) and I'm a big fan of white dungarees as an antidote to the usual denim blue. American Apparel have tons of options, but try these Cotton Denim Overalls, £88 for when the wind whips around your calves. Looks ace with a cropped ribbed tank top underneath.
Triple Denim
Oh no I di'int. Yeah, OK, I did. Why not whip out some denim x 3 for festi_vuhhhl_ themed summer dressing. It's actually not too bad in different colours and vibes. For e.g. an indigo bomber jacket (Angeleno Denim Jacket, £78) with a white waistcoat (Crop Bull Denim Vest, £45) and stonewash bloomer shorts (Acid Wash High-Waist Jean Cuff Shorts, £58) is a medley that can muddle along happily. I'm big into sleeveless denim; looks great slung over a little dress when you feel just a bit too naked.
The Summer Jacket
American Apparel have done a nice little update of the wool varsity/Letterman jacket for the summer, rendered in pastel shades. This lilac Unisex Wool Club Jacket, £145 (c'mon, it's always going to happen on some days) is a lot more palatable when it's sorbet. Wear with some vintage jeans, like these Medium Wash High-Waist Jeans, £75 for when the sun goes down and you can't be bothered to bust out bare limbs for a moment longer.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.