Lena Felton’s approach to West Coast transitional style rejects the autumnal conventions that dominate fashion coverage every September. While much of the country reaches for chunky knits and pumpkin-spiced everything, San Francisco delivers something different: the fog finally clears, temperatures push into the eighties, and summer arrives properly just as the rest of the country moves on from it.
Felton, currently senior director of special projects at POPSUGAR, has leaned into that coastal rhythm to build a ten-piece edit of clothing, accessories, and beauty that she intends to carry through into proper autumn. The list ranges from a $16 lip balm to a $225 pair of sandals, and the thread connecting them is versatility rather than seasonal commitment.
The Products Driving Her West Coast Transitional Style Edit
The beauty picks come first and are perhaps the most straightforward. Felton has been reaching for the Topicals Slick Salve Glossy Lip Balm at $16, after a friend remarked unprompted that her lips looked like they were shining like the sun. The Kosas Revealer Extra Bright in Pink Peach at $32 follows, a concealer she praises for gliding on without leaving any chalkiness beneath the eyes.
On the accessories front, the Bru Eyewear Hudson Sunglasses at $150 satisfy what Felton describes as a Y2K obsession, and she wore them at San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival. The Spicy Dan Bean Necklace at $195 offers a burst of rich green colour against a wardrobe she describes as relatively short on colour. Her earring choice is the Jewels and Aces One & Only Set in Silver at $221, which she found via Instagram and values for its ability to be mixed and matched into different combinations daily.
For bags, the Baggu Nylon Bowler Bag at $54 has been her constant companion through summer, large enough to carry a beach towel, a water bottle, and snacks. The nylon construction means she is not worried about getting it dirty outdoors, and she notes that several of the available colourways transition naturally into autumn.
The clothing picks reflect the same logic. Gap’s Mid Rise Belted Culotte Barrel Pants at $80 have been worn with both boots and flip-flops depending on the temperature. The Rails Getty Workwear Wide Leg in Onyx at $218 are her go-to jeans, a carpenter-style dark wash she describes as dressable either way. The Alohas Nova Studs Black Leather Sandals at $225 came via a recommendation from a style content creator she follows, and she cites both their distinctiveness and their comfort. Rounding out the wardrobe edit is the Free People We The Free Lemon Denim Jacket at $148: thin enough for a warm San Francisco afternoon, oversized enough to feel substantial once the evening wind picks up.
Felton’s Career Before the West Coast Transitional Style Beat
Felton’s position at POPSUGAR is the latest stage in a journalism career that has moved across several major outlets. According to a Washington Post announcement, she joined that publication in 2018. During her time there she served as deputy editor of The Lily, as detailed on her Washington Post profile, before leading a team covering issues of gender and identity. Her personal site records that she joined POPSUGAR as Director of Special Content in 2022.
Prior to The Washington Post, she worked at The Atlantic, InStyle, and So It Goes, among other publications, with a focus on feature writing, editing, and elevating historically underrepresented voices.
The fashion edit reflects a perspective shaped by years of working across American media from both coasts. San Francisco’s September, in Felton’s account, is not a time for retreat indoors: it is the moment the city finally earns its summer, and her picks are built accordingly. The Free People jacket alone is scheduled to remain in rotation well into November.