Boulevard Chic for Those Who Are Born to Shop

Shopping is an all-American sport, especially around the holidays. And in Los Angeles, those who are into it dress for it.

Along Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks comfort is the common denominator. Denim and fanny-packs provide a functional style. Once in awhile, however, a full fashion statement appears: a complete aviator look on a man, or a very hip hat worn with big earrings and high-heel shoes on a woman.

On the other side of Mulholland Drive, on trendy La Brea and Melrose avenues, there is a steady fashion parade that spins with imaginative details: Gypsy colors, berets a la Francaise , rock-inspired denim, and customized cowboy boots. And, of course, there’s the dress-black brigade.

These streets are the mirror image of Paris and London shopping streets this fall. Ideas about dress seem to be cloned from such icons as Madonna, James Dean and the Rolling Stones.

For something original, one Melrose shopper wore a voluminous ruby jumpsuit and a T-shirt for what looked like avant-garde Japanese fashion. It turned out that the jumpsuit was a coveted thrift-shop find.

The best hair in town has a fresh-cut crispness, and it is worn at chin-length or in a boyishly short style. Hats and sunglasses are a signature; makeup is minimal. Although everybody is terribly turned out to shop this season, it’s crucial to look haphazardly thrown together.

Farther west in Brentwood, fashion affects a country theme. Denim is king but it has a different personality than in other parts of town. Faded denim shirts and jeans are teamed with brown instead of black for a more rugged statement. Brown cowboy boots are a must. Suede pants and cozy sweaters are also part of the scene, which often includes a background of Jeeps and Range Rovers. Hair tends to be worn long, loose and wind-blown. Especially in Brentwood Gardens, the open-air shopping mall, there’s a slick undertone to the typical dress style, reflecting the somewhat slick shops. (ModaSport, Leon Max and Silver Feet for shoes are part of the lineup.) Men sometimes wear ties with sweaters, women might wear shorter skirts and heels.

All around town, shopping this season is a fashionable art, as well as a social sport.