If you want to read what this series of posts is all about, go here.

Disclaimer:

So I thought I’d do a pros and cons for each of the cities (NYC and LA) based on 15 categories of my choosing – i.e the kind of things that are important to me about a place that I chose to live. For example, since I don’t have any children, so you won’t see “education” on the list, but I do love to eat sandwiches, so “food” will definitely be on the list.

Keep in mind these are MY pros and cons…pros and cons that I have come to after living in LA for five years (2000 – 2005) and then living in New York for five years (2005 – 2010).  This is intended to be a fun (and funny) list, and is not to be taken seriously, but I hope some of you, especially those of you who have lived in both places (or experienced them) will enjoy it. Come back tomorrow for Round 8.

07.  CLOTHING

This is a tough one, because I love winter clothes – boots and hats and scarves and peacoats and trenches and fingerless gloves, all of it – and I look much better in winter clothes than summer clothes.

However, in LA you can go an entire year without wearing socks, and I HATE socks.  And I LOVE sandals.

I did once have an unfortunate encounter going to dinner with friends in January in open-toed dress shoes and a shockingly low temperature for LA in 2004 (36 degrees!) but it was one incident in five years – which really – isn’t so bad.

If this category was “fashion” I’d give it to NYC in a New York minute…as far as I’m concerned NYC beats LA at fashion with its eyes closed (is that enough puns?)…but this is about clothing, not “fashion”, so it’s more about what I enjoy wearing, than how great others look.  Also, if I have to compete with the most stylish of New Yorkers I’ve got no shot.  If I have to compete with the most stylish Angelenos…I might be a contender (on a good day).

Anyway…back to socks and sandals…even though you can wear sandals for probably six months out of the year in New York, but a heavy peacoat just about never in LA, I’m still going to have to give this to LA in part because the workplace dress codes in LA are far more interesting and flexible.  And that goes beyond just clothing.  I never had people question my two colored hair, combat boots, sandals, tattoos, or piercings when living in LA, despite the fact that I had a quite respectable job, yet in NYC I run into a lot of pretension and snobbery over those same things (although not at my work, because I work at awesome places).  Lighten up NYC.  Thanks to year round sandals and less pretentious attitudes, I’m giving this to LA, sorry peacoat!  Advantage: LA