THE GILDED BELLINI

A Los Angeles-based brunch and cocktail blog by Brielle Galekovic.

Asymmetrical Edge at The Rooftop Grill at The Montage Beverly Hills

The Montage Beverly Hills is a five-star resort… meaning, guests should probably prepare to be spending five dollar signs.

If you’re going to be splurging a little (it is totally worth it), dress for the occasion. Just keep in mind that The Montage Beverly Hills has that semi-dressy, semi-not kind of vibe. A lot of times these types of places could be kind of difficult to dress for.

I usually incorporate two dressy articles of clothing and two casual items… and hope that I am somewhat successful in my judgment once I get to the restaurant!

monochromatic

I chose to stick to darker hues - I wore a gray asymmetrical jersey-knit skirt paired with a black leotard. This skirt is one of my favorites because the design elongates my petite 5"1 frame and (I think) makes my legs look a teeny bit longer than they actually are. To pull it all together, I wore my leather jacket (FYI: You will see me wearing my leather jacket with countless outfits very frequently… it’s my go-to and hard not to incorporate into all my looks)! I paired with my black suede peep-toe fringe wedges for that perfect mid-morning appropriate but still looking fab at 11 am type of look. To my fellow regular brunchers, I know you can relate to this!

The Rooftop at The Montage Beverly Hills dress code is trendy casual. From where I sat at my table, it was the perfect spot to people watch and observe what they were wearing.

Some side notes: If you’re lucky enough to have the super popular Dior “So Real” sunglasses, The Rooftop Grill is the perfect place to wear them. I saw a few people with them in passing – Obviously they're the Quays and Ray-Bans of BH…

A lot of the guys there wore button downs, collared shirts, and blazers. All were of springy colors of course. Why would you ever wear a dark color in the transition period from winter to spring, anyway? (Oh, wait... me). 

If you’re heading to The Montage BH and you’re stuck on what to wear, think of the three C’s: crisp, clean, and chic. Here, if you're dressed pretty simple but put together, you'll fit right in. 

Pink Suede at Bagatelle Los Angeles

Bagatelle is always a good idea. The super trendy restaurant draws in high-end clientele, big spenders, and it’s really rare for any guests in the place to not be dressed to the nines.

 

Anyone who is an avid Bagatelle-goer knows that the property is more than just a restaurant – it’s a lifestyle. It’s about the expensive cocktails and champagne, the sparklers, and the DJ spinning for 7 hours…during the day. So, it would only be a sin to don anything casual. In a setting like this, dress to celebrate.

 

When going to Bagatelle, plan to wear something you’d typically wear on a Saturday night out in the city. I promise, you won’t be overdoing it. The whole concept of Bagatelle brunch is to bring a nighttime party to a Sunday afternoon.

 

I wore a baby pink faux suede mini dress with killer ankle-strap nude heels (no really, they actually killllllled my feet). It was a really simple, chic ensemble that was a fun change for me since I usually always lean towards dark hues.

 

Rule of thumb for Bagatelle: always wear heels and don’t be afraid to get dolled up. Plus, there’s a photographer that comes around the entire brunch, so you’ll want to wear something fab when he catches you dancing with your sparkler!

 

The Leather Look at Villa Blanca

If you’re familiar with Lisa Vanderpump’s interior design taste from her restaurants Villa Blanca, SUR, and Pump, you know that it is extravagant and gorgeous in all the right ways. Villa Blanca’s luxe, sophisticated and intricately designed interior sets the tone for those who dine at the restaurant to dress as such. 

Brielle Galekovic at Villa Blanca
Brielle Galekovic on Rodeo Drive

 

While I thought about donning an all-white ensemble to match the décor, I decided to go with a classic outfit of mine that I find can be dressed up or down. My Blank NYC leather jacket, army green asymmetrical dress, and chunky leather heels was totally appropriate because it was dressy, yet not overdone. This outfit is so simple to recreate with really any dress or skirt combo.

Brielle Galekovic at Villa Blanca
Brielle Galekovic on Rodeo Drive

If you’re going to incorporate Vanderpump into your look, I recommend getting a bit more dolled up than you usually would. While Villa Blanca has become a popular Beverly Hills neighborhood restaurant, keep in mind that you’re just around the corner from Rodeo Drive. As mentioned in my VB brunch post, it is a celebrity hotspot (especially for the Housewives of Beverly Hills) and Lisa is said to come in quite frequently. At Villa Blanca, it’s about dressing to impress. And if you happen to come in for brunch and LVP just so happens to be there, I’m sure you’re going to want to look as fabulous as possible in your photo that you will ask to be in with her. ;)

 

Fab Faux Fur at The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel

I am kind of obsessed with researching a place before I go to it - everything from the atmosphere, to the food, to the attire. While the restaurant's website is always an automatic go-to, I frequent on Instagram to the tagged section and see what other people have worn. It always gives me inspiration and it's a more realistic way of seeing the dress-code. You can just tell if it’s more casual, dressy, or somewhere in between.

 

The vibe at The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel is dressy casual. Because the ambiance has such a luxe, mod feel, I made sure to dress accordingly…

 

I wore a fur vest, white long-sleeved crop top, black high-waisted jeans and 6-inch clunky leather boots (don’t judge the height – for a 5’1 girl like me, they are so clutch, even during the daytime). I would definitely recommend wearing some type of heel here.

 

While the beach might be in close proximity to The Penthouse, don’t let that fool you into thinking you should sport a cover-up and sandals to brunch. Embrace the ambiance and let it inspire your attire. I mean... It's The Penthouse. You can just tell by the name. You're going to have to postpone laying in your bathing suit at your usual cabana by the beach for the chic indoor cabanas here. (Although, cabanas by the beach don't sound too shabby...).