Shopping Guide: The Best Places To Blow Your Paycheck In LaLa Land
Posted by: Leonora Epstein
Filed in:
style
8:00AM, Tuesday May 26th 2009
There’s no denying that in Hollywood, you are what you wear. In fact, everyone is so well styled that it’s often hard to tell the normals from the celebs (okay, that size two girl being followed by paparazzi? Yeah, she’s famous).
Yet, we gotta love LaLa land for its diverse and plentiful shopping areas. Hit up Beverly Hills for super luxe labels, Robertson for start gazing and fancy boutiques, or Melrose for funky thrift shops. Whether you’re looking for California-cool style or the latest celebrity trend, our list of Los Angeles shops will have you covered.
Malls and Department Stores
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Fred Segal 8100 Melrose Ave. (323) 651-4129, FredSegal.com In Hollywood, Fred Segal is a bit of an institution: not only is it the place for celeb-spotting, it's also the store where trends hit the shelves first. The original Melrose location may seem small, but it's packed with womenswear, menswear, home goods, and has separate shoe and beauty shops. As for the goods, you'll find California cool staples like C & C shirts and the luxury denim "it" brand du jour. On the fancier side, check out Graham and Spencer dresses and colorful Twelfth Street tops. |
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The Grove 189 The Grove Drive (323) 900-8080, TheGroveLA.com When you're in Cali, you, like, totally have to go to the mall, hello. Head to The Grove, an outdoor shopping center that's landscaped with pleasant trees and fountains. Here you can hit up all your faves like Forever 21, Kiehl's, Nordstrom, Barneys, Coach, and J.Crew. |
Independent Boutiques
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Milk 8209 W. 3rd St. (323) 951-0330, ShopAtMilk.com Milk features a well-rounded collection of East and West Coast designers, European labels, and just-catching-on indie collections. Things we want include color block Leyendecker tanks, multi-strap Loeffler Randall pumps, and a Myne cocktail dress with pearl buttons down the front. With books, gifts, and beauty products in the merchandise mix as well, it's doubtful you'd walk away empty-handed. |
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Sirens & Sailors 1104 Mohawk St. (213) 483-5423, SirensAndSailors.com Tucked away in a little house in Echo Park, Sirens & Sailors is the place to go if you're looking for emerging Los Angeles designers like Seneca Rising and Dawn Sharp. The rest of the merch ranges from established labels like Grey Ant, Mara Hoffman, and Vivienne Westwood to vintage Halston pieces and quirky trinkets. |
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Oou 1764 N. Vermont Ave. (323) 665-6263, OouShop.com Vermont Avenue boasts a great stretch of boutiques and vintage shops, but our favorite is Oou, which is aptly named because it's impossible to not exclaim "Oou!" to items by Fig, Le Ciel Divine, and Cosabella (plus there's always a selection of vintage pumps and sunglasses). Upstairs is the "Fab-oou-less shop" where all items are less than $100. |
Vintage and Secondhand
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Squaresville 1800 N. Vermont Ave. (323) 669-8464 Get your hipster on with vintage silk '70s blouses, lacy sundresses, and cowboy boots that aren't completely overpriced like so much of this stuff these days. There's a good balance of old-school goods and unwanted designer duds like Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes and DvF dresses. Complete the look with a costume broach or a pair of oversized sunglasses. |
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Polkadots & Moonbeams 8379 W. 3rd St. (323) 655-3880, PolkadotsAndMoonbeams.com You won't find any worn-in tees or cliched track jackets here...when you shop at Polkadots & Moonbeams's vintage store, you step back into time as you cruise stuffed racks of pale-colored taffeta dresses from the '50s, houndstooth coats from the '60s, and smart blazers from the '40s. |
Design and Home Decor
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A+R 1121-1 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (310) 392-9128 APlusRStore.com Headed by a former filmmaker and a pop culture journalist, it makes sense that a couple with style and appreciation for design is responsible for this Venice shop. Specializing in home accents, products range from the hilarious (wine glasses molded after red plastic beer cups) to high-end (Tord Boontje light fixtures). We also love some of the more functional pieces like sleek self-watering pots and cable box organizers. |
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Zipper 8316 W. 3rd St. (323) 951-9190, ZipperGifts.com Need a gift? Zipper's filled with all the latest in design from brightly colored ceramics to kitschy kids' toys and and sleek serving utensils. Some of the items are incredibly specific (and slightly useless) like a stainless steel tequila server designed by sculptor Ernesto Paulsen or aluminum boxes to serve Chinese takeout food in. |
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magz
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 11:39 am: [report]
I’m gonna have to add some of my favorite places to shop…
Swift
http://iloveswift.com/
3212 w. magnolia blvd. burbank ca 91505
Yeah, ok, it’s in the valley, but this little shop’s worth the trek. It’s full of reasonably priced remakes and vintage wares. Some really gorgeous stuff.
While you’re in the Magnolia Park area of Burbank be sure to hit:
American Way Thrift
3226 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank CA 91505
It has to be one of the BEST thrift shops in Los Angeles, I’ve found some great stuff there. Even their furniture is great.
In Hollywood for Vintage clothing without the need for thrifting there’s Jet Rag!
Jet Rag
825 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
They have a $1 parking lot sale every Sunday, and plenty of awesome finds in the store. This is THE place to grab your vintage digs, in my opinion. They have EVERYTHING, in terms of vintage clothing, you could want.
Those are my faves that aren’t listed here.
As far as malls go, I’d actually recommend the Americana over the Grove. It’s slightly larger than the Grove (it seems anyways), it was designed by the same developer as the Grove was so it has a similar feel and has great stuff for bargain hunters. Forever 21 has the biggest store here, with 2 stories full of every one of their off-shoot brands, including Heritage 1981, and Twelve by Twelve. H&M;also has a large store here, though beware this location doesn’t validate parking…minor annoyance for 2 stories of shopping here too. The Urban Outfitters here isn’t great, but it’s there. If you can’t get enough shopping done here, across the street is the older Glendale Galleria, which has Coach, 2 Bebe Stores, Nordstroms, Macy’s, A Target, the Gap, among other notables. It’s one stop shopping in Glendale.