The Debrief: How To Travel in Style This Summer, The Bags Actually Worth Investing In, And My Trip to Japan

0:02Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Let's Get Dressed. It's your host Liv Perez. Hi from Japan. I am currently in Kyoto. We have been in Japan for about a week now and still have a few days left of our trip. My husband Alex and I came here to celebrate his birthday. And also it was a just a massive bucket list trip for us that we were so excited and grateful we finally got to do. So I am just so happy that we've been able to check it off the list and experience this part of the world. We kicked off the trip with five days in Tokyo. And I have to say, it's so funny. We spent weeks working on an itinerary for this trip and it pretty much all went out the window when we got here.

0:46I feel like when we told our friends and family we were going to Tokyo, everyone was kind of being nice and not telling us how bad the jet lag would be. But wow, it was quite literally the worst jet lag I think we've ever experienced. I'm used to going to Paris a lot for work. So like that nine hour time difference, I've kind of learned my way through it. Alex and I were waking up every day at 3 a.m. and it was difficult to keep our eyes open past 6 p.m. So little pro tip, if you are coming here, book your dinners at like grandma hour, like 5, 6 p.m. So at least you can like actually make it. There were a few dinners that we very much skipped out on.

1:24I think we actually ended up celebrating Alex, like the night of Alex's birthday, like in the hotel, having room service because we were just honestly a little delusional. We were so tired that I think there was just no way we were stepping out of the hotel. It's just such an uncomfortable jet lag where like that afternoon slump hits you so hard because it's 2, 3, 4 a.m. in the morning in Los Angeles. So there was no way that we were sane at that hour. It was also interesting because we just got so excited walking around the neighborhoods and exploring new things and walking into shops and restaurants that a lot of the places that we had booked for lunch or wanted to go to, we ended up just not even hitting because we were just having such a good time wandering, roaming, like, oh, that place looks good.

2:10Let's pop in there. So it's interesting. While I say have an itinerary, maybe for the must-do things, the things you absolutely want to hit, the rest of it, I really would just recommend exploring. There is so much to see and so much that is so interesting and amazing that you really just kind of want to be free to do as you wish and what you want every day. So yeah, there was definitely a point where we stopped consulting the very well-crafted itinerary, which honestly maybe was the whole point to just kind of have fun, get lost, and have an adventure in Tokyo. I would say my favorite part of the trip so far was exploring those smaller neighborhoods We visited one on the last day of our trip.

2:54It's called Omete Sando. And that was really lovely. It was like kind of quiet and quaint, but had some of the most unbelievable vintage stores that I have ever been to in my entire life. I've traveled the world and shopped in so many places. And I can safely say that my shopping experience was the most unique I've ever had in Tokyo. And I knew, you know, coming here, I knew that the vintage stores were crazy, but I definitely didn't expect it to be that level. In Omotesando, there's a store called Amore Tokyo, which is probably one of Tokyo's most famous vintage stores. And there's not one, there's five.

3:37And every single one of them is dedicated to a specific designer or a specific era. So my favorite of them all was a like blush pink location that was dedicated to all Chanel vintage ready to wear. There was an entire wall of Chanel tweed jackets. And that just absolutely blew my mind. Another one of the locations was just Chanel bags. Every single flat bag you could ever imagine and then downstairs below it, there were more like rare pieces. And then there was another location that had literally a room just full of Hermes Birkins and Kellys. It shocked me. Genuinely shocked me. I actually remember looking at Alex and being like, hey, I just saw all this for the first time.

4:21We need to go have lunch and sit down. I need to like collect myself and then we can come back and I can decide what we need to do. But I cannot look at this and decide at the same time. It was so overwhelming. Alex was like, are you okay? I was not okay. Overall, I think as a fashion lover, like looking at that, I came away with two things. Like one, if you are wondering where the archive of the fashion industry is, it's in Tokyo. There was so much fashion history that I had not seen IRL that was just such a joy to look at. And secondly, I've never seen so much pristine vintage in my life. In America, I feel like there's often the discussion of buying things off the real real, the authenticity or the quality.

5:06There is no ounce of me that when looking at this site was like, oh, quality control. It just was all in immaculate condition. We ended up going to lunch and I ended up deciding to go back to the ready-to-wear Chanel Amore and get myself a tweed jacket. I have been kind of on a jacket hunt lately. I feel like a lot of the jackets that I have are really oversized and I've been craving something a bit more form-fitting. I'm 5 '4 and so it is really hard to find jackets that kind of hit right at my waist versus like lower hip. And tailoring jackets can be really difficult and expensive. So I thought, you know, let's try and find something here that you'll get a lot of wear out of.

5:46Overall, Tokyo itself was just really fun. We had lunch one day and it was conveyor belt sushi. I literally was ordering on a screen and then the sushi would slide down this conveyor belt and land perfectly right in front of me. And I had maybe 10 pieces of sushi and a roll and my meal was$11. And then another day we went to the most like popular ramen chain and we had ramen behind a window. Like you walk in, same thing. You kind of order on a screen. You give them your ticket. You sit at like an individual booth where like you're not talking to anybody. There's like a sliding screen in front of you.

6:23The ramen just like appears by a person who you don't even see their face or talk to them at all. You have a little water stand. There are like stickers if you want something so you don't actually have to say it, kind of an introvert's dream. So overall, just the experiences felt so unique. Those moments have really made the trip for me. They're things that I haven't experienced anywhere. Those things, I think, are really the moments that I'm going to take away from this trip. My favorite part of the trip so far has to be the Ryokan we just left. It is 500 years old, an incredibly traditional Japanese onsen.

6:58Family run and owned for 500 years, passed down. Traditional, our beds were on, separate futons on the floor, which by the way, I really loved. Super comfy. And I loved kind of waking up on the floor every day and opening up my window to my view. It was really peaceful. I can't even, there aren't words to describe how beautiful this place was. I think you might just have to go to my social media accounts to see it, but there was nothing to do all day, but relax, kind of be our room was so beautiful that we just kind of wanted to relax and be there. And if you have the opportunity to go to a ryokan while you're here, I couldn't recommend it enough.

7:32There are so many little traditions and etiquettes to being at a ryokan that really opened my eyes to the culture of Japan. And I loved getting to like engage and interact with the people who were there and be at this place that was 500 years old. It was really a highlight for me. Japan definitely gets a stamp from me. So beautiful, so much to explore and do, and I can't recommend it enough. If you are looking for shopping recs, there will be a Tokyo guide on my sub stack this week. And I also posted a lot of content on my TikTok of more everyday activities that Alex and I did from restaurants we went to, shopping experiences.

8:11On my Instagram, you'll see more highlights. But if you're looking for specific recommendations, I would check out my Substack or my TikTok. I will have both of them linked in the description of this episode in case you're not following me already. Obviously, when you're going on a big trip like this, the like two weeks before you leave, you're kind of all about prepping for this trip. So May has been all about that. So while I'm so happy to be here, I'm also really excited to get back into my routine this weekend when I'm back home. Speaking of routine, I haven't been doing my AMAs while I'm here just because of the time difference.

8:42And when you guys are awake, that's kind of when we're able to go and explore the city, so I haven't been able to get to them. But I will be doing them on the weekends moving forward, and I wanted to take an opportunity today to answer some of the questions that I haven't answered in my stories that I think are really timely and great to chat about on the podcast. So let's dive right in. First, what bags are actually investments these days? Epic question, especially because I think I just was in the perfect opportunity to be able to answer this for you guys. Being in Tokyo in the vintage stores gave me a perfect insight into what will actually stand the test of time and what bags from what designers are the most desirable.

9:23I think when you set out to buy a designer bag, you need to think of two things. You're either going to buy it to keep it forever and pass it down through your family. So it needs to be classic enough to do that. Or you are truly thinking about it as an investment bag. I think both of those can intertwine, but those are the two things that I recommend everybody thinks about when they're going into buying a designer bag. There are four brands that I think will 100 % continue to thrive and you'll get a return on. Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton. The fact that there are vintage stores here that are dedicated to all Chanel really indicates to me that there will always be a return on Chanel items.

10:03One, I think if you're getting a classic tweed jacket, any color, I think that's a great investment. And then the biggest bag that I think I saw pretty much everywhere was the classic Chanel flat bag. I have never seen so many flat bags in my life. Obviously goes without saying, but I also think anything from Hermes is definitely an investment. I think any size, any color, any hardware, they're highly coveted. And being able to get one from a store directly to begin with is already an incredible investment because you can resell it. And obviously not everybody has that access, but there's such a demand for it.

10:40And I think also if you keep it in great condition over time, you can definitely look at it as an investment. I also saw so much Louis Vuitton, especially items from any special collaborations that they've done over the years. I saw a lot of bags, but I also saw a lot of ready to wear. I think the classic Louis Vuitton monogram is iconic for fashion. So I think anything that has the LV monogram is going to persevere and stand the test of time. And then, of course, the Fendi baguette. I think Sex and the City really made this such an iconic bag that I really saw a lot of it in the vintage stores.

11:17And then real honorable mention, someone who I think is a somewhat newcomer in comparison to, you know, the Chanel's and Dior's, I think Jonathan Anderson's Loewe will be the thing that people really want in 20 to 30 years from now. I think it will be the most searched thing on the RealReal. I think the puzzle bag will be there up next to the Chanel flat bags. I think it will be a highly coveted era of fashion. So if you have it now, happy for you. And if you're on the fence about it, I do still think that it's a worthwhile bag, especially now that he's not at the house anymore. I think it will continue to be this staple item of an iconic time in fashion.

11:56Also, in case you missed it, last week on the podcast, I had Gab Waller on. She is an unbelievable fashion sourcer based in Los Angeles. And I like to have her on once a year to kind of tell me what's blowing up her DMs. She works with clients like Lori Harvey, Khloe Kardashian, Sophia Ritchie Grange, and helps source them either sold out or hard to get pieces in the fashion industry. So I always love her insight into what is most in demand. And I asked her what the bag of the summer is going to be. And she said the Chanel 25. Currently sold out everywhere. Really hard to get. If you are able to get your hands on one, I do think that that's a great investment buy.

12:34Also, of course, you will have the it bag of the summer. But I think it's one of those pieces that also is going to be an iconic piece for Chanel. If you missed that episode, go check it out. We talked about so many great pieces from Jelly Flats to Chloe Boho revival to what everyone's going to be wearing this summer. Speaking of summer moments, I've been seeing a lot of questions come through about what my summer basics are. Like what's my go-to linen? What shorts am I wearing? And since I've been traveling, I have really been leaning into my basics for my wardrobe and kind of those like foundational pieces that I can layer on top of while I've been traveling.

13:10So I figured this is a great question to answer, especially as we're really close to summer. For starters, there's one brand that I bought a lot of before my Tokyo trip because I was like, okay, I'm going to be walking around so much. This is like an adventure trip. This is not a beach trip. I want to be really comfortable. I want pieces that are going to take me from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and I'm going to feel really good. So the brand that I bought a lot from is Enzacosta. I know I've talked a lot about this brand on the podcast before and I've shared it a lot, but I really kind of test drove it this trip and can say that it is my new go-to for elevated basics.

13:45I'm probably going to use the word elevated a lot when I talk about these pieces because for me, the stamp that I want on a piece that I consider basic is something that's very well tailored. The fabric is nice and allows me to wear a really simple piece, but look incredibly put together. And I think that's the secret to finding a good basic. I got a pant from them. I think it's called the Everywhere Twill Pant. And I got it in black and white. I have worn this pant every single day in Japan. There aren't belt loops, so it's a little bit more of an effortless style. There are pockets, which is nice.

14:25They are so comfortable. They wear so well. They fold so nicely. They're very light. And it's one of those pants that you can honestly wear every day. You can dress it up with heels and a nice top, or you can wear it around your house with flip-flops and a t-shirt. I'm so glad I bought them because they were the perfect solve for a quote-unquote summer trip. It's been 80 degrees and humid here every day, and being able to wear those, which are quite light with a t-shirt, has truly saved me. So if you're looking to invest in a good pant for summer, really recommend those. They have them on their website, but they're also on Revolve Forward Shopbop.

15:00They're$300, which I think for a pair of pants that you will literally wear every day and are as elevated as they are, I think is a great price. I also got a lot of great tees and long sleeves from them. I feel like that brand really gained a lot of popularity last year with their twist top. It comes in like a tank and a long sleeve style. It has like these beautiful, kind of rouging drapes at the front. So it instantly kind of elevates anything you're wearing. If you're wearing jeans, it's just kind of a better alternative than just a standard tank. So highly recommend checking out this brand because it's really just been my go-to and will be all summer A lot of you were asking about great shorts And I know i've said this in a couple past episodes But i'm always someone who is going to recommend something other than a denim short I'm, not a denim short hater But I am someone who will always recommend something that again looks a bit more elevated Maybe like a black poplin short or a white short I think it gives the exact same laid back, effortless effect, but looks a little bit more tailored and put together.

16:00I actually get a lot of my favorite shorts from Jenny Kane. You guys know I'm such a big Jenny Kane fan. I have so many pieces from their collection in my closet because they've just become my like everyday go-to pieces. They have great light sweaters, amazing summer dresses, so many good sandals right now if you're on the hunt. And then as I was saying earlier, great shorts. There's a linen set from them that I love and I have in two colors. It's called the Linen Logan set. The set is a short and a button down, and I have it in the dark moss color. It's like a brown olive-y color, and I have been wearing this set non-stop.

16:39It's really become my spring and summer uniform. It's really pulled together, really polished as a set, and so good. I've actually been wearing it styled with a pair of loafers that I also have from Jenny Kane. They're called the Dylan Loafer. A lot of you were asking about those since I posted them. I was wearing them in Japan and a lot of you were like, wait, loafers for warm weather. And I was like, absolutely yes. I love a loafer in the summer with a little short sock and a set like this. I think it's so cute, so chic, and so much fun. And a really easy way to bring these items that maybe you buy for different seasons and make them year round.

17:14I've been getting a lot of good spring and summer pieces for my spring uniform at Jenny Kane. And you guys know you get 15 % off your first order when you use my code LIV, L-I-V at checkout. 15 % off your first order at J-E-N-N-I-K-A-Y-N-E.com. Use the code LIV, that's me. Because honestly, we should let getting dressed be one less thing to worry about this spring summer. Hope you guys enjoy the pieces from there as much as I do. Okay, moving on from spring and summer basics. What places, people and things have inspired your style over the years? This is such a good question because I feel like in the past I might have answered like travel and Instagram and following other creatives.

17:55But I think I've taken such a big mental shift in the last year in an effort to like really hone in on what feels like me. And I actually feel like I've done less of like external searching and more internal searching on what it is that I want to wear every day that isn't influenced by what I'm seeing every day. I think I had a very big turning point after like the quiet luxury era where everything was really pared down and sleek and kind of chic. And while that is a foundation of my wardrobe, I definitely am a bit more of a fun dresser. Like I love color. I love print and I love kind of taking risks.

18:34And that quiet luxury era definitely like pulled that away from me. And I definitely was someone who became very like susceptible to that. I was heavily influenced by it. And I remember coming out of it being like, wait, what do I actually love to wear? Like, what are the things that I am excited to put on every day? And like, I miss wearing this piece that feels really fun and like different. And so I think the answer to that question is maybe when I was younger and I was trying to find my personal style, I was searching outwards. I was looking at other people and what I should be wearing or, you know, being in Paris and being like, oh, like I want to dress like this.

19:09And while we do a lot of talking about like trends and things we're seeing out in the world on this podcast, I always want that to serve just as inspiration to have fun in your fashion and not be the foundation of it. I love a trend as much as the next person, but I always want it to be this auxiliary thing that I can easily bring in and out of my closet and isn't who I am as a person. It should be like the cherry on top of what you already feel strong in on a day-to-day basis. So I think now more than ever, my baseline is how I'm feeling, how I want to show up every day, how I want to make sure I feel my best for the people around me.

19:46And maybe that's different than what everyone's seeing on Instagram right now or different than what's quote-unquote popular. But I want it to always feel like me. I want it to be an expression of how I'm feeling that day and how I want to show in the world. I would say a good tool to helping me get to that point was Pinterest because, again, Pinterest is not so prescriptive. It is more inspiration. So, you know, curating mood boards and sifting through things I like and then being able to go in my closet and find my own version of those things has been really helpful. So if you are kind of lost and looking for a tool, I recommend Pinterest.

20:21Next question, which again is really perfectly timed and probably perfectly time for you guys that are going on summer trips this season. What shoes are good for being a tourist? I have been asked this question so many times and never really had the right answer until this Tokyo trip because a lot of my trips are, you know, beach or vacation trips. I haven't done a good like let's walk 20 ,000 steps a day trip in a while. So I never like to answer things if I haven't experienced them myself. And now that I have, I'm here to help. Off the bat, I have to say that if you were going on a trip where you are walking 20 ,000 steps, the real unsexy answer is you should be wearing an athletic sneaker.

21:03If you followed me for a while, you know I've suffered from herniated discs. I have two and those really come in and out in my life. I do my best to prevent a flare up, but I will say that like it did come up in Tokyo when I wasn't wearing the best shoes. So I just have to be honest and say the unsexy athletic sneaker is your way to go if you are doing that many steps a day. I don't care if it's in Rome, in Tokyo, in Paris, wear the athletic sneaker, take care of your body. And also it will help you have the most fun day. So whether it's like a New Balance 990, a great walking shoe, a Solomon, really try and find that athletic sneaker that feels fashion forward to you, has arch support, and will protect your body as you're walking that much.

21:47I know it's probably not the answer you guys wanted, but it's my honest dancer as someone who suffers from an issue that could easily flare up if I'm wearing the wrong shoe. I will actually work on an edit for the summer of shoes that I think are good to walk around, and I will try to make them as fashion forward while also being athletic as possible. I did mention too earlier, I think the New Balance 990, I think a Solomon, Asics are great. I would definitely lean into those. I would stay away from shoes like Sambas, which I actually did wear, but I put an insole in them, which helped a little bit with support.

22:24That's a good pro tip if you're traveling. Bring a little arch support if you do want to wear your fashionable shoes but need a little bit of extra oomph. I would stay away from anything that basically leaves you flat-footed with zero support. I did take a few risks on this trip just to test drive. I did wear my Chanel ballet flats. I wore the soft ones that I have that have like the clasp over the arch of my foot. And I believe that since they're soft and I've worn them in a lot, they were a nice choice. There's also a little bit of support on the arch in those. It's kind of like a built-in padding.

22:58And that I actually did pretty well in for like a leisurely day. I think we took about like 13 ,000 steps that day. And those I was okay in. Again, I wasn't my best. I did feel a little bit of back. But if you're someone who doesn't have that and you're willing to kind of take the risk, I will say like a soft leather shoe like that was totally fine. The other shoe that I wore was the Dylan loafer from Jenny Kane that I spoke about earlier in this episode. And I've actually been getting so much feedback like, oh my God, Liv, you wore loafers in the summer. Like, what's that all about? Again, I really think that a loafer can be worn year round.

23:33We also talked about this on the episode with Meredith Hayden. She was wearing her new Miu Miu loafers and was like, oh, I have to put them away for summer. And I was like, what are you talking about? Wear those with like a cute little white linen short, like I said earlier, and they'll look so good. If you're looking for a good loafer sock, J.Crew has a great one and Comsi, I think, has the best one. I think at the end of the day, the thing that you want the most is that like sole support and protection that's really going to like get you to go the long way. So I'm all for, you know, a soft flat and a sneaker.

24:05I think that's your way to go. If you're like in Europe and you're looking for like a sandal, that's a hard no for me. I think you're going to be really uncomfortable and probably get some like gnarly blisters from like the straps wherever they are on the sandals. Look out for my edit. I'm going to work on it for you guys because I know we all want to be looking good and feeling good while we're exploring this summer. And last but not least, this is a great question for anyone looking to get into fashion. I've gotten asked what my best piece of advice is for standing out in the fashion industry in 2025.

24:35It's interesting. I've been in this industry for almost 12 years now, and I've seen so many different eras and things that are working and things that are not and trends and ways of creating content. And while I think like consistency and, you know, creating quality content are really important things, I think the number one thing I'm seeing right now from creators that I love that have 10 ,000 followers or 2 million followers is having a point of view. And I mean that in many ways, like knowing that I can go to a certain creator and know that they're going to give me something that I'm looking for, I think is really important and is key to standing out right now.

25:11Like I think of Izzy Elaine, who's a friend of mine who's been on this podcast before. I know if I want to go see the most like if I'm looking for like the most viral, cool things in fashion right now, I'm going to go see that she's probably styling it. Javiana's just did a collaboration with Gimgwas and they sold out immediately. And it's basically a flip-flop with like kind of not staples, but like round staple heads in them. And Izzy was like, well, if I can't get them, I'm going to make them. She went to the hardware store, got them and literally made them in a reel. And it's stuff like that, like the DIY, cool edgy things that I know I'm going to go to Izzy for.

25:47I also love following Tezza Barton, another person who's been on the show. If I want really good inspiration or to learn something new about how to take a photo, how to edit a photo, a really cool new visual that Tezza is going to give me that because she is at the forefront of that, leading that. She's such an incredible creative. She's an artist in my mind. So I know that I can go to her to find those things. So what is it that you love to study or learn or you're out there in the world obsessed with? What are you obsessed with? I think that's the question you need to ask yourself is what are you obsessed with and how can you share that obsession with the world and also make other people be equally as obsessed.

26:27It has to come from a genuine place of passion and love. You have to live and breathe for that thing because that will come across in your content and resonate with people who equally want to know more about it and know more about you through that thing. I hope you guys are loving these debrief episodes. Please let me know what you think about them. You can always give me feedback, whether it's through Instagram DM or, you know, I love hearing what you guys think in the reviews. So you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify too. If you are wondering how to submit a question for these, I host AMAs every weekend on my Instagram.

27:00They usually go live around Saturday morning. So go catch those if you want to submit a question. If you specifically want them answered on the podcast, you can let me know and I will try to have them answered in the episodes. As I mentioned at the top of this episode, if you're looking for my Japan guide and things I did, go follow me on Instagram and TikTok and my sub stack we'll have a full comprehensive guide of everything we did this week. Thank you guys for listening. I will see you next week. Bye.

27:49Thank you.