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Los Angeles is a city built on optimism. “I guess I could be a TikTok influencer/actor/future senator if I really try.” We can imagine a better day, because imagination is in the air and the soil of this place, no matter how cold the winter gets. Actually, believe it or not, it does get cold here. And there is no colder place in Los Angeles than the inside of your apartment.
You’re probably freezing while reading this, bundled up in multiple layers, desperately clinging to your significant other, and running your oven with the door open just to feel something. How many of us are in relationships this Valentine’s Day just so we have someone warm in our bed? If you’re a renter in Los Angeles, your landlord is legally required to provide you with heat, but will we all need to be running our heaters in March? Simply put, L.A. optimism at its most unbridled.
It was optimism (or maybe just being incredibly cheap) that led to many of our residences being ill-suited to cold weather. Before 1974, residences in California were not mandated to include insulation. Los Angeles’ historically temperate weather meant that many developers here didn’t bother. Chances are, you are living in the climate equivalent of one of those popsicle-stick houses held together by Elmer’s Glue and adolescent exuberance. Your apartment’s walls are no match for frigid winter weather, let alone a spring coastal breeze.
In lieu of jacking up your utility bill or sending a pleading letter to the owner of your building, you should prepare as best you can for the months ahead, the time where your feet and fingers feel like they’re stuck in the refrigerator door. A few wise purchases will help you survive L.A.’s second winter — the dreaded Interior Winter.
Missoni Melody Cotton Terry Bathrobe
You will never be colder than the moment you step out of the bathroom. Guess what? You’re wet. Sorry. You must act and you must act quickly. A robe is the preferred method for warming yourself up post-shower — certainly better than very quickly putting on your clothes. You could buy a humdrum, middle-of-the-road robe from various big-box retailers, but a statement robe signals that you are, in fact, the kind of person who wants to be noticed and appreciated for their taste. Even if practically no one will see this robe. Maybe a partner or spouse. Maybe another relative. I suppose you could pull a Tony Soprano and walk out to the curb in your robe to pick up a copy of a venerable newspaper like the Los Angeles Times.
Imagine stepping out in this Technicolor dream coat from Italian fashion house Missoni. The cotton terry material is absorbent and warm. There are pockets for those poor, icy hands of yours. Plus, there’s a hood, if you want to pretend you’re Jake Paul walking to the ring or something. Not sure why you would do that, but again, robe-wearing is a private matter.
The Melody robe is often sold out, so don’t be shy about peeking around the Missoni site or the bricks-and-mortar SoCal store in Costa Mesa’s luxurious South Coast Plaza for another model.
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I do not think you should wear your normal clothes around the house. Trousers, jackets, sweaters and collared shirts are for going places, being seen, living life in public. Loungewear is a vital part of placing yourself in the mental space to exist at home. There is a time and place for every garment, and pajamas have their place during Interior Winter. I don’t care how comfortable your sweatpants are. Sweatpants are for the gym or Trader Joe’s. Pajamas are for your home. Wear them for bed, but also, wear them during your morning routine. I have a pair of monogrammed PJs from English retailer Derek Rose. I’ve also been coveting these very chic joints from Studio Nicholson. But this is Image Magazine, so I will fearlessly match our readers’ freak and suggest this wild set from Brain Dead with a trippy pseudo-camo all-over print. You will need to cop the matching pants to complete the fit. If you need a house shoe to work with these PJs, please consult my earlier treatise on slippers.
My favorite part about Brain Dead pajamas is that they’re weirdly versatile. I wore Yeezys and Brain Dead pajamas to a Halloween party in 2019. When someone asked what my costume was, I said, “I’m 25.”
You must have a blanket. I don’t make the rules. Suay makes a beautiful patchwork quilt from recycled materials in a variety of colors. Suay is a local L.A. shop that has committed to working exclusively with postconsumer waste, deadstock and organically grown fabric. It also runs a community dye bath to encourage the reuse of previously owned textiles.
And please don’t forget our unhoused neighbors who don’t have the option of frivolously complaining about all this. They truly need blankets and you can donate the ones you don’t need to organizations like the Los Angeles Mission that work to provide necessary services to the communities of Skid Row.
DS & Durga Pacific Mythic Candle
No Interior Winter survival kit would be complete without a scented candle to generate a wee bit of warmth but also to keep your abode smelling just right. I am currently rocking the Pacific Mythic candle from the New York legends at DS & Durga. Perfumer David Seth cooked up this particular candle to celebrate the opening of its their first store in L.A., on Abbot Kinney. But now, it has an outpost in Silver Lake for those of you who haven’t yet given up and moved to the Westside like me. The DS & Durga site’s page for Pacific Mythic lists SoCal-vibey notes like avocado leaf, palm, orchid, magnolia and more. It’s the perfect way to go outside without going outside.
And having a candle in your house symbolizes that vaunted L.A. optimism. Candles welcome the visitor and ensure your home smells like something besides takeout and exhaust fumes. I use candles for this very reason. What’s more optimistic than thinking someone might actually come visit me on the Westside?
But even if you can’t extort your friends to come to a party in Culver City, your home still needs to feel like home. In L.A., we like to be inside. We are blessed to live in a city that spreads itself out. Sometimes that can lead to alienation and loneliness, but it also can be restorative. Interior Winter is a chance to reconnect with yourself after the never-ending social obligations of the holidays. A bathrobe, pajamas, a candle and a blanket might not seem crucial, but they’re tools to get you through the time when you figure out what to do with the new year (and the rest of your life). Choose wisely.
Production: Mere Studios
Talent: Marwang
Groomer: Berenz Cornejo
Styling assistant: Julianna Aguirre
Home: Stephanie Libanati
