Big Stripes in Little China

Last weekend I didn't intend to go to Chinatown in Los Angeles, I just sort of wound up there after my plans went awry. You see, I wanted to go to the L.A. Opera Costume sale, which essentially was a huge garage sale for old L.A. Opera costumes. While I didn't intend to buy anything, I thought it would be fun to look around, especially after hearing about the "Diva Rack" that featured elaborate costumes worn by famous divas that were selling for $1000 and up. Well, apparently hundreds of other people thought it would be fun too and this resulted in no available parking and a line going around two blocks of the Arts District in L.A.  C' est la vie!

So, as a back up, I reached into the recesses of my mind to my "to do list" and realized that it would be a perfect day to check out a trifecta of Los Angeles sights that I hadn't seen before, even though they are a bit on the "touristy" side. These sights included: Chinatown, Olvera Street, and Union Station. All of these destinations are situated around the same little area of Downtown Los Angeles, so it was easy to hit them all in one fell swoop. Below you will see the Chinatown portion of my excursion. Like my wardrobe, Chinatown is filled with bright colors and fun patterns galore!

After touring around Chinatown, my husband and I went to the famous Hop Louie for lunch. Hop Louie is a cultural landmark built in 1941. I am not going to sugarcoat anything: the food is pretty mediocre, but at $5.50 per person for the lunch special, which includes soup, an entree, pork fried rice, cookies and tea, I can't really complain. Plus it has a cool, kitschy vintage vibe that makes you understand why some celebrities still sometimes haunt the location and why many films and TV shows have been shot here. 

So that concludes by sojourn to Chinatown. It's a fun place to hang out and get a taste for something a little different. My adventure just goes to prove that sometimes it's better not to have a plan and to improvise with what you've got. Plus, it's great to be able to check a few things off my to do list!

Skirt: Forever 21 here

Top: H&M

Shoes: J. Crew "Evie" 

Bag: Louis Vuitton Speedy in Grenade

Sunglasses: Prada "Baroque"

Linking Up With: Celebrate Southern, Style Sessions, Turning Head Tuesday
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