Edge and flow from Aritzia, All Saints, and Frye

One Saturday morning I made my way over to Mission Hills to explore M-Theory Music, the neighborhood vinyl store. Before stopping in, I walked to a quirky coffee shack a block away, Meshuggah Shack. It’s was adorned with trinkets and a signature Disco cold brew on tap. There I ran into Mari, who works in Life Science Communications at a Biotech marketing agency in San Diego.

Her flowing, floral skirt (Aritzia, $160) drew me in. It contrasted with the structured, black leather jacket (All Saints, $600) that draped over her upper half. When asked what drew her to the skirt, Mari pointed out, “I love that it’s flowy. I like darkish colors, but I don’t like wearing only black.”

About the cordovan-colored leather boots she was wearing (Frye, $260), she said, “They’re my favorite, and they last forever. I’ve never, ever had to throw a pair of Frye boots out. They’ve been through it all.”

She continued, “Boots are my staple. I wear boots almost every single day, partly because you can dress them up, go out in them, wear them to work. They always really tie an outfit together.”

A plain white blouse (Aritzia, $130) tied at the ends completed her look, complemented by a dainty, gold beaded necklace (Mejuri, Birthday gift) that she wears daily.

Mari frequents the UTC mall to hit up stores such as Rag & Bone, Aritzia, and Revolve for weekend clothing.

When asked what inspires her daily fashion, she echoed the sentiments of her outfit that day: “I like things that are a combination of edgy and flowy. I’m sure that’s a product of growing up in New York and also spending a lot of time in Santa Barbara.”