The Reluctant Angeleno, A Weekend with Laurel Pantin
Writer and stylist Laurel Pantin never planned to leave New York—until she did. Now in LA, she shares what a weekend looks like (it's full of kids, linen sets, fish and a bag big enough for a helmet).
OK, some necessary backstory: I grew up in Austin, TX, moved to NYC for college and then stayed. And I planned to stay and stay and stay. I had less than zero interest in moving to LA; I didn’t like LA, I didn’t like California. I liked the cold and dirt and rats in NYC—those were my rats.
And then kids, then COVID and now…I live in LA, and I love it. I have two kids, they’re five and seven, and I write a newsletter called Earl Earl about styling, shopping and motherhood. My weekdays are packed. I work for myself, and I really like what I do, so it’s hard to shut it off. But on the weekends, I try to chill and dial into being with my family.
FRIDAY NIGHT
Friday nights are the best. My son has swim team on Friday nights, and we’ll usually have dinner with friends after that. I got really lucky with my kids’ friends and their parents—I love them, and it’s a nice moment for us to sit with our friends while the kids all run off and go nuts together. Parenting is much easier in a group.
I typically come straight from work or meetings and grab the kids, and either head to a friend’s house or get ready for them to come to ours. A linen set like this is an ideal thing for work and life in LA summer; it’s cool and light but looks polished. I’ve struggled with LA style and letting go of the structure and precision I felt defined New York style. Ultimately, I’ve tried to find the balance between those two extremes, and a set like this, which looks tailored but is soft, is exactly that. It’s also comfortable enough to wear from 9am to 9pm, which is basically what my life looks like.
SATURDAY DAY
It feels like there are infinite things to do with kids in LA. This Saturday, we went down to Marina del Rey to go to a sushi restaurant that my kids love (it’s one that requires you to remove your shoes and sit on the floor, which, of course, is delightful for them) and then we went to the marina for scooter rides and shop for a tent and sleeping bags. We’re going camping for Father’s Day with some friends and we need everything.
The weather here is funny; it’s warm where we live in West Hollywood but cool over by the ocean. A pair of wide-leg jeans is perfect for that because they’re light and breezy where it’s warm, but then not too light over by the beach. I also love this bright red cardigan. I love color! It’s bright and kind of orange-y, so it’s not too primary and gives the whole thing a little more pizzaz than a neutral. The gigantic woven bag is also great with kids—I keep snacks, sunscreen, scooter helmets (!!!), everything in it.
SATURDAY NIGHT
It’s pretty typical for us to stay out all day on Saturdays, and this weekend, we also needed to go to Beverly Hills to check out a project I’m working on (top secret!) and get my daughter a dress for a father-daughter dance coming up. UGH! Man, I never thought I would be into things like that for my kids, but boy is it cute. She’s such a girly girl and I’m so not, and I totally love it. I’m powerless against her.
Afterwards, we realized it was really late and we still hadn’t eaten, so we thought we’d try Avra, a Greek restaurant in Beverly Hills, without realizing it’s kind of a thing! It’s not exactly a family spot—it’s a splurgy situation—but the kids were in such a silly mood, and there was a long ice bar with different kinds of fish and prawns and lobster on it; they went nuts looking at the fish. My daughter lost it—she was so excited; my husband and I were laughing so hard. It was kind of a weird choice for dinner, but it was a perfect night and a really fun day with them.
SUNDAY MORNING
We always go to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings. My husband cooks (I don’t), so he’ll run off and get all the veggies and things for the week, and I wander through with the kids, trying all the fruit stalls (we like Arnett Farms and J.G. Berries). We always get a few pastries, a baguette, usually some things for a sandwich and popsicles from Sno Con Amor for the week.
One of my personal pet peeves is seeing people super dressed up for the farmers' market in like a farmers' market costume: flowers and a baguette peeking out of a basket bag, an unnecessary hat, anything too provincial—I don’t know why it makes me feel super weird! So, the same goes for myself: I like to throw on something comfortable—a stripey tank and some wide-leg trousers—and run out the door with my kids.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Sunday afternoons are usually spent at home—we’ll usually swim or have friends over for a little pool party and make dinner with what we got at the market or give up completely and order pizza.
After swimming, I like to put on something comfortable for dinner—a white tank and slouchy pants. Even though we’re just eating at home, it feels good to wear real clothes, not just default to sweats or PJs. I love getting dressed, I love clothing, and even though it makes a mess, I do like a few outfit changes every day on the weekends!
Love that beaded necklace w the white tank 🫶🏻🫶🏻
I have those red sandals and love how they instantly elevate my looks