San Diego Reader

Thursday afternoon I met my friend Hope in the Gaslamp for a late lunch. I grumbled over her location choice. I find parking to be a hassle and the whole scene down there a tad cheesy.

"Hillcrest has some great restaurants," I pleaded, but she was persistent.

I gave in, and I'm glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised over the laidback feel of the daytime Gaslamp crowd. Parking was a breeze and I even managed to get a little Christmas shopping done

While walking back to my car on 5th avenue I ran into Gabrielle Pizzarro, whose hat I covet.

"Almost everything I am wearing is from Urban Outfitters or Forever 21. They are my two favorite stores." She told me.

Pizzaro's hat is a recent UO purchase. It's made by Staring at Stars and retails for $38. Her necklace is from forever 21 and her Merona ankle boots are from Target ($34.99).

"I'm really into vintage styles. I like anything that is mod and 1960's inspired. My least favorite style is neon. It's not cute," Pizzarro said.

I found Daniela Tripic in front of the Reading Cinema. Tripic is an exchange student from Switzerland. She is studying in the U.S for six months.

Tripic's lace-up boots are Steve Madden Camarro's from Nordstrom. They retail for $149.95. Her purse was purchased in Florence and her Aztec sleeved denim jacket is from Urban Outfitters.

Tiffany Lizardi, 29, and Ryan Waugh, 28, are co-workers at H&M. Lizardi wore Zara boots and an H&M jacket. Waugh had on H&M jeans and a Levi's denim vest.

When asked what their biggest fashion pet peeves are, Waugh said, "I don't like Aztec prints,"

"Really?" Lizardi responded, "I do. I don’t like when guys wear white sneakers."