<p>If you've ever been to the East Coast or West Coast, you might have sensed a difference between the two. I know there are already a ton of fashion threads on this forum, but what would you say is the difference between the clothing?</p>
<p>I won't comment on fashion since I'm a Mom but you have all kinds of things to take into consideration, especially weather, if it's a city school, private school, liberal, very conservative, etc. My daughter, who goes to a fairly preppy private midwestern college said that you can always tell the kids from the warm weather states because the first day of cold weather they will be wearing their flip flops and shivering and then the next day they will have their winter coats on and still wear the flip flops. My son is attending a private school in Virginia. In HS he wore t-shirts, shorts and teva's or t-shirt, sweatshirts, jeans and hi-tops depending on the season but his first week at college he asked me to bring his golf-type shirts.</p>
<p>Fashion on the West Coast (LA/OC/SD especially) is generally much more laid back. There's still a huge interest in fashion, but it's usually a more creative interest rather than the formality on the East Coast, especially NY. A lot of the things that are fashionable for Fall and Winter just aren't practical here. I loooove lots of the stuff coming out for Fall, but I won't be able to wear most of it because Fall here warrants little more than a light sweater over the tshirt. I'd look ridiculous walking around in heavy coats and thick fabrics and stuff. Also, I'd be dying of heatstroke. </p>
<p>The thing about sandals is soooooo true though. I'll wear my rainbows year round and in the rain (because even when it's raining its really not even that cold, just wet). Our weather is wonky in that we don't even start to get that rain until late January usually. I'm accustomed to 88 degree Christmases. </p>
<p>At school, jeans and school sweatshirts are usually the year round uniform for most people. Even the girls (and guys) who are interested in fashion just wear more upscale jeans and shirts. It's very, very casual. There's lots and lots and lots of shopping, especially in boutique type stores. </p>
<p>A lot of the wearable fashion here is influenced less by big designers and more by celebrities. So it doesn't matter what's featured in October's Vogue, but it will totally matter what Paris and Lindsay and Nicole and the whole Hollywood airhead crew are photographed wearing. That's what will end up in our stores and that's what influences the trends here.</p>
<p>Well from what I know, East Coast fashion tends to be (but not all the time) more sophisticated and polished looking, even if it is just something casual. West Coast, from what i've seen, especially for girls, tends to involve alot of skin, and by that i mean less coverage of the body = more fashionable. The midwest seems to be the most laid back to me, but still is very similar to east coast fashion.</p>
<p>I think the skin thing is a bit of an overstatement. </p>
<p>Generally, for the vast majority of the public and not for the celebrity types I mentioned above, the less coverage thing is more out of utility than fashion.</p>
<p>from what i've noticed, east coast fashion is more classy and not as trendy as the west coast, which is more stylish and in line w/ the latest fashion trends. not saying the east coast isn't fashionable, but just isn't as conspicuous as the west coast</p>
<p>I live on the east coast, and don't see much difference in clothes unless it's winter/fall. I've been to the West Coast twice(LA and Seattle), and didn't see a huge difference.</p>
<p>West coast does seem to be more casual in general, however that has more to do with the weather than anything else. Summer and spring clothes tend to be more casual anyway, so when your weather is perpetually like that...</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>TRUTH.</p>
<p>Sure, there's a difference between winter fashion/summer fashion.</p>
<p>But East/West coast? Not really.</p>
<p>I mean, there will be things popular on the East coast that aren't on the West coast and vice versa due to distance, but I don't think there's a traceable "trend". A hot, trendy person from California will fit right in with the hot, trendy group on the East Coast...and vice versa for an East Coaster displaced in Cali.</p>
<p>it also depends on what part of the coast. Southern east coast is different from new england, and pacific northwest coast is different from california, both weather wise and culture wise, but fashion is pretty much commercialized and some what homogenous now</p>
<p>This is a gross generalization, but from my experiences, kids on the east coast dress far better than kids on the west coast. More sophisticated. It might have to do with the weather. Colder means more layers means more options so people can really go all out. Can't do much on the west coast other than a t shirt and jeans/shorts.</p>
<p>Well it definitely just depends where you are on either coast. I live in an extremely preppy (not AE, A&F "preppy") area of the east coast so yeah when I go to California everyone is dressed completely differently but in other areas of my state people dress very similarly to those on the west coast (weather permitting)</p>
<p>No, it depends how much money you have. It doesn't matter where you live, it matters if you are rich, poor, or in the middle. That determines how you dress.</p>
<p>^I agree, at least in general. If you're really rich, you'll be wearing designers, and if you're poor(er), you'll be shopping at Walmart or Ross. And if you're in the middle, and you like to be "trendy," you'll go for Abercrombie or Hollister, or something cheesy like that. </p>
<p>But really, if you're shopping at chains, the same stores will have the same or at least similar clothes no matter where in the country they are located.</p>
<p>I think a lot of fashion is how one wears the clothes, not necessarily the clothes themselves. People can buy the same clothes from the same stores, and wear them completely differently with layers, accessories. One article of clothing can be worn a lot of ways.</p>
<p>i would have to agree with needsajob the way the clothes are worn is true..i live on the westcoast but travel to the eastcoast quite a bit and of course there are differences where i live would be considered pacific northwest where as where i usually travel to for family visits, vacations etc is the northeast here on the westcoast casual wear reigns supreme tshirts jeans sneakers are prevalent school wear. when i go to the east coast polos boat shoes seersucker suits khaki shorts pastel colors are really visible to someone who does not see many people wearing these pieces..so yes to someone from a different coast things may stand out i think even dates are different dress is just a tad bit more formal on the eastcoast for example on a dinner date at a nice restaurant maybe a button up shirt and some nice jeans would be fine..but dining on a date on the eastcoast i see much more blazers with ties and such</p>
<p>Blazers with ties??? Only if the girl is wearing an evening gown. Are you still talking about college students? Actually, I haven't seen my husband in a tie except for the Christmas party at his office for years.</p>
<p>at a nice restaurant i don't think it'd be that odd to see men in blazers... around here it's not</p>
<p>I guess I don't get out enough. Maybe a blazer with a button down shirt but sorry, can't picture the tie. </p>
<p>Our area is surrounded by colleges and by the middle of the first semester the kids are all wearing sweatshirts and jeans.</p>
<p>yeah, probably just the blazer and button down would be a lot more common than the tie</p>