GEAR | Woolrich Footwear

You may be familiar with Woolrich because it has been the longest continuously running woolen mill in the United States. From what began in 1830, a woolen mill built in Plum Run, Pennsylvania that created fabrics for loggers, trappers, miners, and rivermen and then sold out of a mule cart, has grown and evolved over eight generations. This season the heritage brand launches its very first footwear collection for men and women with the same ethos and dedication to authenticity as they did 180 years ago. The wool fabrics that line Woolrich shoes start out in the same way as they always do, as simple bales of raw wool. The new women's footwear line includes several micro-collections, but the one that drew me in first was unsurprisingly their Tomboy Collection, including the Dead Eye Boot ($300) which I took for a test spin this weekend. Comfortable, functional, sturdy, and warm—a good solid pair of kickers.

ACE | Megan McIsaac

Megan McIsaac is a fixture in the creative scene of L.A., the founder of the community Inspired Women of Los Angeles, and a force in the photography world. McIsaac reminds us that there are photographers who can frame a well-composed shot, and there photographers that are real artists who can capture something with a camera that's hard to describe. I was combing through her portraits (many, if not all of them, shot on film) over the weekend and lingered there for what felt like all Sunday morning.

SCENE | Julia Leach's Guide to Los Angeles

Photos by Andrew Southam.

Designer Julia Leach launched her label Chance right around the same time when I started Tomboy Style. We found each other as kindred spirits on the Internet and quickly became e-mail pen pals, comparing notes as two Midwestern tomboys living on the coasts sussing out the style and definition of the 21st century tomboy. I did that by writing a blog, Julia, by designing a collection of timeless items anchored by a fresh interpretation of the striped t-shirt. Chance marries classic aesthetics with a modern point-of-view on the world, and I can't tell you how many things I've found from her posted discoveries on the Chance site—from bands to artists to key chains. It was a prefect thrill to collaborate with her and photographer Andrew Southam for a Condé Nast Traveler story that outlines Julia's guide to Los Angeles. She lives here part time with her boyfriend, so knows the city well, but still has a visitor's sense of discovery—an insider/outsider. This unique hybrid that Julia envelopes allows for a guide that doesn't overlook the classic staples that make L.A. so L.A. but also includes the lesser known and harder-to-find beacons of Los Angeles culture. The entire guide is online here (or if you're into print, you can find it in the September issue on stands now). Below are some unpublished photos from a day spent driving around town in a chocolate brown vintage Benz.




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