Even before her magazine editor days (at titles like Lucky, InStyle, and TeenVogue), Laurel Pantin — now the Fashion Director at Large for luxury fashion and lifestyle store ByGeorge — always nailed down an uncommon kind of cool. Somehow she makes head-to-toe neutral always feel interesting, menswear-style jumpsuits look effortless, and simple button-downs read glam. Then, there’s the flawless skin (which she attributes to good genes and a simplified skincare routine).
Naturally, when we caught up with Pantin, we knew we’d learn a thing a two about beauty and style. The New York City native moved to L.A. last year (via a stint in Austin during the height of COVID-19): “It took me a solid eight months to come around, but I love it now,” she says. So, of course, we had to get a taste of her favorite spots in her new hometown. Here, the style editor and mom of two shares her idea of the perfect Sunday in sunny L.A.
In our new series, “A Perfect Sunday,” we spotlight our favorite tastemakers and their ideal Sunday vibe, life advice, and beauty and style must-haves. Here, Laurel Pantin shares her weekend routine.
As told to Christa Lee
Wake-Up Ritual:
“I wake up whenever my kids get up, so usually between 6 and 7 a.m., and the first thing I do is go and get my daughter, Phoebe, out of bed. Sometimes she and my son, Ellis, and my husband and I all play in bed for a while. That’s the best. I love having both kids snuggling around on me in the morning! With two kids under five, we spend a lot of time on weekends going to parks, playgrounds, and children’s things. Weekends are generally, and ideally, all spent together — and my kids are too young to have sports commitments or too many things like that, so we usually do a fun thing altogether in the morning and keep the afternoons looser.”
Getting Ready:
“I wear mostly the same things all the time: I like comfortable jeans or men’s pants (lately, I’ve been living in Uniqlo Wide-Fit Baker Pants in Black, a button-down, or a big cashmere sweater. I work remotely, so when I’m not physically in Austin at ByGeorge or on buying trips, I dress comfortably, but not too comfortably. I don’t wear sweats or leggings while I’m working. I try to get truly dressed to some extent, even if it’s just baggy pants and a nice knit. I’m very minimal; I like nice materials and classic, masculine pieces.
“I love Maria McManus’ button-downs and blazers, and I just got my first pair of High Sport pants, and I’m addicted. For shoes, I’m either in Birkenstocks, gray classic New Balances, or a pair of black-on-black Hermes clogs, which I searched for forever in my size. I love them. For jewelry, I also pretty much wear the same pieces every day — a wedding band from Taffin or Bell & Bird, my Sherman Field bracelet, locket, yellow sapphire strand, and pearl pendants, along with a vintage chain I bought in London, which was my first major self-purchase. I also wear a vintage Cartier Ceinture watch, which helps me look at my phone less. On the weekends, I like to leave my phone at home the whole day. It’s very helpful to have a watch. My jewelry is very fancy, but I wear the same pieces every day, and each purchase is very considered. I like that my collection goes with a T-shirt and vintage men’s work pants as well as it does with a more formal suit or dress.”
Morning Beauty Routine:
“I don’t wear any makeup, so I try to take very good care of my skin. Depending on how much product I used the night before, I’ll either wash my face with Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser or just splash it with some cold water on a clean washcloth. Then I use Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid for a gentle exfoliation, followed by Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream. I let each layer soak in for at least a minute, so I’ll usually brush my teeth and put my jewelry on between layers. Once I feel like the moisturizer is dry, I use Supergoop Glow Screen Primer, which evens out my skin tone and gives me a nice glow. Living in L.A., I spend a lot of time in my car — I’ll also sometimes use sunscreen on my forearms and chest if I’m wearing a button-down. I like Dune The Bod Guard for my body.”
“My hair is really easy. I get Keratin treatments fairly regularly to make it a little calmer, and for the most part, I can just wake up, brush it, and be ready. If it’s lumpy or weird from sleeping, I’ll put it up in a little bun — my hair is too short to pull it all back. Again, I get Keratin, so I don’t have to screw with it — I really try and keep everything streamlined and quick.”
Mid-Morning:
“After we get up, get dressed, and make the kids breakfast, we walk to the Brentwood Farmer’s Market. I don’t love to eat breakfast, so I’ll usually make my kids some oatmeal (the only meal I cook), and then I’ll pick up an oat milk flat white from Alfred on the way to the farmer’s market. I take the kids through and show them different types of vegetables and fruits — we like to sniff everything — and then I get them an Agua Fresca and a pastry. I love to test out the different peach, Asian pear, and apple varieties, and then I split a biscuit from Topanga Grain Company. We sit on some steps nearby and have a snack while my husband does all the shopping (and later, cooking).”
“Once we get home from the farmer’s market, my husband has usually planned an activity for us — it might be going to The Hammer or The Broad or just to the beach. My perfect Sunday morning is a fall trip to Malibu. It’s warm in the sun, cold in the shade and breezy from the ocean. It’s heaven. My kids will dig or play together, so my husband and I hang out and lay on a blanket. I love living so close to Malibu — we go to Point Dume, Zuma, or Leo Carillo a few times a month. We’ll also usually eat lunch somewhere out there, usually in Trancas at Krystie’s or Malibu Brewing Company. There’s an excellent little grassy lawn over there that the kids run in before and after lunch. The last time we went to Malibu Brewing Co., we shared nachos and fish tacos, and a beer. It was perfect.”
Afternoon:
“My daughter still naps, so we have to head home for that. She sleeps for about two hours and during that time, I’ll usually play with Ellis, read books with him, or read my book while he plays near me. Sometimes we do a little art project together or run errands. He loves to go to the hardware store!”
Evening:
“We usually eat out Friday and Saturday nights and then Justin will cook something he got at the market on Sundays, but I love to go out with the kids. We go to Tallula’s a lot in Santa Monica and Golden Bull. Birdie G’s is another favorite, along with Cassia, Forma, Margo’s, and, if we’re celebrating something, Locanda Portofino. All are pretty family-friendly. Locanda Portofino is a bit more polished, but they’re always pretty sweet when we show up with our kids.”
Bedtime Ritual:
“In true L.A. mom fashion, I love an edible. I don’t drink at home, but I usually eat one gummy while the kids are in the bath, so once they go to sleep, I’m just feeling the tiniest bit stoned. I always say I’m going to be productive at night, but I’ve fallen into that really lovely routine, and it feels so luxurious. I put on my nightgown, get into bed, and watch 30 minutes of something silly or read. I love to read — but my ideal night ends at about 9 p.m. There’s nothing better, in my opinion, than a full night of sleep.”
Nighttime Beauty Routine:
“My evening routine is even more involved than my morning one — if I’ve been at the beach, I’ll do a deeper cleanse, usually mixing NatureofThings Clarifying Face Polish with my Ceramic Slip to make a paste. I wear a ton of sunscreen when I’m by the water, and I usually need a light scrub to get it all off. Next, I use the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel Pads. I love them for a bi-weekly deeper exfoliation. After that, I spray with Sunday Riley Pink Drink Firming Resurfacing Essence and pat on some Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. Again, I try and wait a bit between each layer, so I’ll brush my teeth, put in my retainer (chic!), take off my jewelry, and take my meds while I’m working on my skin. After the oil feels soaked in, I sometimes gently rub my face with a cotton round to get any excess off, then I use the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream again. I also use it on my neck, chest, arms, hands, knees, tops of my thighs, elbows, and belly. I go through a ton of it, but I don’t want to neglect every other part of my body! The very last step is Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner. I use it religiously, and it makes my eyelashes so long that I don’t need mascara.”
Laurel’s Favorites:
What’s the one accessory or style item you can’t live without?
“My Sherman Field locket. The founder, Danielle Sherman, is a very close friend, but I loved her jewelry before I met her. It was a bonus that my first purchase came with a buddy! My locket has pictures of my kids in it along with a special, secret engraving from my husband. I wear it on a regular clothesline string along with a pearl pendant from Danielle too. It’s super personal jewelry and speaks to my personal style — as much as I’d love a Sherman Field chain, I like wearing these super precious pieces on my regular old string — and the locket always reminds me of my kids. And it looks incredible.”
What are you binge-watching or reading right now?
“Right now, I’m reading Malibu Rising, which is fun. I read a lot of heavy novels over the summer, I loved To Paradise especially, and it’s nice to read something a little lighter now. But because of my little edible routine I can only get through like five pages before falling asleep (heaven!) or watch half an hour of TV. I’m watching The Patient and Tell Me Lies on Hulu — and White Lotus on HBO.“
Do you have any side hustles?
“Yes! A few, actually — I consult for brands on content, strategy, creative direction, styling, and branding, and I also co-founded a jewelry consultancy, The Stax, with Victoria Lampley, who is now running it so beautifully. I help brands with content, positioning, branding, and creative direction — and I write a newsletter (somewhat irregularly), so I also take stock of what I have going on in that part of my life and how I can fit it in.”
“My background is so varied. I bring a lot of different types of experience: I’ve worked in beauty, accessories, fashion, styling, digital media, print, and now retail. I can draw on all those different chapters now to basically help with any aspect of storytelling and branding.”
What always makes you smile?
“Even when they’re driving me nuts, my kids can almost always make me smile. I love watching them interact with each other. But, aside from that, getting into bed at the end of a long, perfect weekend — clean sheets, just showered and hair dried — it’s so good!”
What inspires you lately?
“Lately? Everything. I’ve been on a tear of buying vintage photography books and just poring over them. Also, going to museums has made me want to start making things again — I like to always have an art project going on. Beyond that, I have an amazing team at ByGeorge, and it’s so satisfying to build up ideas together. They’re all tuned into different wavelengths than I am, but we can all bring those points of view together for our campaigns and editorials.”
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