Los Angeles BARGAIN BUYS

High Fashion at Low Prices

By Madelyn Miller

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC:

I DRESSED LIKE A HOLLYWOOD DIVA ON A PENNYPINCHING BUDGET

You can look as glamorous as a movie star without having a million bucks or a studio-sponsored wardrobe.  In fact, if you know the insider places, you can even buy the clothes that stars actually wore on screen in TV shows or movies.

Before you start on this shopping trip , there are a few things you need to have:

1.Patience. You will be scouring the racks and not everything is as well organized or sized as when you shop in upscale places. You might want to go with a friend for a second opinion. Best to choose a friend who is a different size than you so you have no conflicts over who buys which treasure.

2.Comfortable shoes and clothes. You will be on your feet a lot and trying on your finds

3.Good underwear. Sometimes you will be in community dressing rooms if there are dressing rooms at all

A big trunk for your acquisitions

4.Quarters for parking meters. Don’t count on valet parking. In fact it is harder to find a parking space than a bargain in LA

5.You will need a car. I rented one from Budget Rent A Car of Beverly Hills. I chose a PT Cruiser, a vintage looking car by Chrysler that seemed to fit my mission. After all, I love bargains, but I have style. I almost picked a convertible to get a tan while I got my bargains, but liked the roomy trunk on the PT Cruiser. They also have Jaguars, Mercedes, and Ferraris but I decided to rent one of those when I do a story about how to hobnob with the rich and famous of Los Angeles.

BEVERLY HILLS CAR COLLECTION

BUDGET RENT A CAR of Beverly Hills
9815 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, Ca 90212
310-274-9173
800-227-7117
FAX 310-271-3065
www.budgetbeverlyhills.com

STAR CLOTHING

THE ADDRESS BOUTIQUE. This is where I got my best buys of the trip. I don’t know who they originally belonged to, but I am glad they are mine now. I bought a Todd Oldham pieced vest that was priced at $98 at The Address (I am sure it was at least $200 to start) but I found it in the very back marked down to $14. I also found another patched silk vest that was a wonderfully unique. And by buying the second one for $15, I got a third piece free, an Escada blazer with an iridescent finish. Three designer pieces for about $30!! This is more exciting than any movie to me.

This is one of Los Angeles’s best known celebrity resale shops. “In a town where no one likes to be seen in the same dress more than once and no celebrity goes anywhere unless they’re displaying a “label”, stars are clearing out their wardrobes and many pass them on to me, explains owner Maureen Clavin, “ because I donate a portion of the sale price to charity.”

You’ll find clothes by Armani, Versace, Chanel, Valentino, Moschino and Laagerfeld at the Address. Many have never been worn and many have a secret history.  Heather Graham, Sharon Stone, Victoria Principal, Sally Field, Geena Davis, Jennifer Tilly, Stefani Powers and Joan Collins have all passed on their clothes to this shop.

This place is so classy they even offer quarters for your parking meter. I felt very au courrant with my PT Cruiser.

THE ADDRESS. New & Resale Designer Fashions
1116 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-394-1406
www.theaddressboutique.com

IT’S A WRAP. This 7,000 square foot shop resells complete wardrobes from more than 40 television shows and movies. The stock changes almost daily, with new movie and TV clothes constantly coming in.

The stock is well organized and coded by show. If you are a fan club member you might love being able to buy your favorite stars clothing, but the deals here are not terrific. If you think of this as a modern museum of clothing, it is fabulously fun to browse. My shopping buddy was tempted by a lime green Fendi bag for $75 from Sex in the City, but I resisted everything. It was one of my first shopping stops, and is a great place to start to give you a perspective on the market.

Funkier stuff, like period costumes or police uniforms are sold from September through October at the Halloween Costume Shoppee in the back of the main store.

IT’S A WRAP
3315 West Magnolia Blvd on California Street, 4 blocks east of Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA
818-567-7366
open daily

STARWARES. Once upon a time this was a favorite Santa Monica store, but now it is only an internet store.

www.starwares.com

REEL CLOTHES & PROPS. Reel Clothes and Props is a second-hand clothes shop that sells clothing from TV and movie sets. You can buy dresses, jackets or pants that have been worn in movies or TV series. Local love this place.

REEL CLOTHES & PROPS
12132 Ventura Blvd
Studio City
818-508-7762
http://www.reelclothes.com

BABY JANE OF HOLLYWOOD
7985 SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD, WEST HOLLYWOOD
323-848-7080
http://WWW.babyjaneofhollywood.com

JEAN’S STARS APPAREL
12616 VENTURA BOULEVARD
STUDIO CITY
818-760-8872

STUDIO WARDROBE
1125 NORTH HIGHLAND AVENUE
HOLLYWOOD
323-467-9455

SECOND CHANCE. I am not sure I will give this store a second chance. The sign outside said 10 to 90% off—but almost half the merchandise seemed to have no markdown at all. The new things did not seem to be especially cheap and the used designer clothes seemed higher than at other places. I was a little interested in an Escada jacket that had been marked down to $50—but some of the buttons were damaged. And since I had gotten an Escada jacket at The Address the day before for $15 that was in perfect condition, I thought twice and resisted. The brand names were good but the prices were not especially low.

Perhaps an overdose of thrift shop shopping has jaded me. But for $50 I want something in good condition.

Owner Susan Hosta was a bit snooty when I said I would think about the jacket. “You know it is Escada,” she said haughtily as if I did not know who that was.

SECOND CHANCE DESIGNER RESALE CLOTHING
4323 SPULVEDA BLVD.
CULVER CITY, CA 90230
310=915-1527

Generally, prices are cheaper at Thrift Stores than anywhere else. Often they are sponsored by charity with volunteer workers and upscale donors.

UCLA THRIFT STORE. The perfect place for the “educated” shopper to find a treasure. Very good brand names—Dana Buchanan, and DKNY suits were just some of the labels I spotted. Range of good and prices was from moderate to designers and the prices reflected that. Great jewelry—including some real silver (a pin and earring set for $15). Shoes were as low as $1.00 if you picked from the specials out front. I bought some pearls with gold beads for $3. Grade B+

UNITED DIABETES SOCIETY. The prices are especially cheap here and the help is really helpful. I bought a wonderful cashmere melon-colored jacket from Saks Fifth Avenue for $5. The odd thing was that a simple rayon top was $4—still a good buy, but not as great a buy. The turnover of merchandise in this smallish store seems to be frequent and not everything is priced. You ask Leo or whoever is at the front desk and they tell you how much it is.

UNITED DIABTES SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP
4913 SOUTH SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD
CULVER CITY, CA 90230
310-391-0121
FAX 310-391-6652

CLARE FOUNDATION. This charity supports community living for alcoholics by rehabilitation and education. The merchandise was sparse and not well sorted the day I was there but I got a wonderful black wool tweed blazer and an I.B.Diffusion black sweater flecked with silver for $5.00 total. I was sorry I did not find more that fit since the prices were so good.

CLARE FOUNDATION, INC
850 PICO BLVD.
SANTA MONICA, CA 90405
310-314-6241

TIMELESS TREASURES. This is the winner in the category of best displays, best prices and best selection. They even have a children’s section and a children’s playroom with fun toy so the wee ones will enjoy coming there. The best women’s clothes are in the special Gold room and everything I saw there was still under $25. Lots of brand names like Anne Klein and Liz Claiborne. In the main store, jackets  and dresses are $6, sweaters are $4. I bought an all wool hand-knitted tweed sweater with suede trim for $4 that was one of my best buys.

TIMELESS TREASURES

NATIONAL CHARITY LEAGUE, LOS ANGELES FOUNDER CHAPTER, TICKTOCKER THRIFT SHOP
9441 CULVER BOULEVARD
CULVER CITY, CA 90232-2616
310-559-8338

AMERICAN WAY THRIFT STORE. I am not sure I would tell all my friends about this place—I want to be the one to get the bargains. I bought a DKNY embroidered vest for $10 that I am sure cost about $200 new. And since it was distressed denim, it used even better “used”. I probably bought the most stuff here, including a sweater, and some jackets. My shopping companion who resisted most of the day, bought a huge bag of candles for $1. They have specials every day—such as the early bird specials on Tuesday and Thursdays when everything is half price from 9am to noon. Senior Citizens get discounts on Wednesday.

Everyone gets 30% off on Saturday and Sunday—and if you spent over $20 during the week you get $50 percent off. You need a calculator and score card just to keep track of the bargains. Good brands, great prices. The space is a bit overwhelming but well organized. They had more plus size woman’s clothes than I saw anywhere else. Other categories are radios, antiques, books, nick-nacks, jewelry, shoes, furs and furniture. If buying here is patriotic, I would win a medal. I wish they had one of these stores near me.

AMERICAN WAY THRIFT STORE
3226 MAGNOLIA BLVD (CORNER OF CALIFORNIA)
BURBANK, CA
818-841-6013
open 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday
Sunday 10-5pm

BBC Vintage Clothing. I am not sure what BBC means—perhaps “buy better clothes” because you can certainly do that for less here. The displays are so good and the clothes in such top condition that at first I wasn’t completely sure these were used things.  The buyers certainly edit with good taste. Insider tip: new stuff comes in on Thursdays and sometimes on Monday. This is one of several stores with the same owners but the salesperson told me this location got the best stuff. Prices are surprisingly affordable. They had a large collection of cowboy shirts for $8 each and many bowling and Hawaiian shirts. I also saw reasonably priced Kimonos and leather jackets. I bought a black cowboy shirt  ($8) with snaps and a fabulous black sheer crepe shirt ($5) that my fashion forward friend coveted.

BBC VINTAGE CLOTHING
517 SANTA MONICA BLVD. SANTA MONICA, CA 90401.
310-395-1300

AGE OF INNOCENCE. This small but tasteful store has vintage and eclectic clothing, as well as costumes. They also do wardrobe styling, and if the selection in the store is any indication, someone has quite an eye. There were great men’s shirts and fun displays.

AGE OF INNOCENCE
11054 MAGNOLIA BLVD
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91601
818-980-0462

JUNK FOR JOY. If you like vintage 50’s, 60’s or 70’s things, you will jump for joy with the stuff you’ll find here. They have new and used classic Kimonos, formal wear, surplus and what they describe as “silly and ugly clothing of good and bad taste.” You can also find accessories such as gloves, bow ties, junk jewelry and hosiery (which is something I am personally not too interested in buying used.)

Lots of studios use them for wardrobe for period shots.

JUNK FOR JOY
3314 WEST MAGNOLIA BLVD.
BURBANK, CA 91505
818-569-4903
open noon to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday

HUBBA HUBBA. A wonderful selection of jewelry and vintage apparel should bring you to this store. But the high-pressured sales person will make you want to leave, quickly. The woman who helped me told me at least ten times how good her prices were, and that everyone from Melrose and the Rose Bowl bought from her. (this is her version, not mine) I think the owner’s name is Pat and she is probably the person who waited on me.

I bought a nice pair of copper clip-on earrings for $12.  I probably would have chosen more from the large selection displayed on her wall—all $12. But my shopping companion and I both wanted to get out of there fast.

HUBBA HUBBA
3220 W. Magnolia
Burbank, Ca.
845-0636

SLOW. Slow may be the name of this store, but I bet the merchandise moves fast. They describe their merchandise as original clothing and I agree. It seems to have something in all the categories I love, Kimonos, Cowboy shirts, Hawaiian shirts and lingerie. They have some new things, some older things, but not so much that is truly “vintage”. I would put it in the cateogory of stylish. Well organized and a well displayed this is a good place for someone who is new to recycled clothes and needs a gentler introduction.

SLOW LOS ANGELES
7474 Melrose
Los Angles, CA. 90046
323-655-3725

KIMONO-YA is not a vintage store in the typical sense. They sell Kimonos from Japan and since all of them are exquisite and obviously older, I had to include them in this listing. They had just opened in Century City when I wandered in—surprised to find such a unique and one-of-a-kind merchandise in the midst of a mall. Maybe they will be introducing a whole new bunch of shoppers to vintage. This store calls itself the world’s largest vintage kimono store, but I have been to bigger ones in Japan.

KIMONO-YA
CENTURY CITY SHOPPING CENTER #440
BY ESCALATOR #5
310-286-1121

Other locations in Santa Monica Place mall and Westside Pavilion Mall

G. AUSTIN. The best thing I can say about this place is it is conveniently located next to It’s a Wrap so if you are going there, it might be worth a few minutes to peek in. They have new apparel, accessories, vintage fashions, costume jewelry and do jewelry repair. There prices are not cheap and some of the clothes are not in good condition. But maybe you will find a treasure. I didn’t.

G. Austin
3319 Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
818-843-2873

This is a new one for me. You bring in your old clothes and get a credit for“new” ones back. Almost like renting your clothes. A great idea for someone who always wants to be seen wearing something different.

BUFFALO EXCHANGE. A wonderful place for new and recycled fashion that you can buy or sell or trade. I was there near Halloween and a flyer suggested selling last year’s costume, 80s rockin fashion and punk, 70s glam disco, polyester bell bottoms, men’s disco shirts, disco jewelry & wigs, pim ‘n ho, Moulin Rouge cabaret, wedding and bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, ballet, Goth and Medievel, Asian, medical and army. Obviously, they were selling stuff in the same categories.

If you are interested in selling, you get 35% of the selling price in cash or 50% in trade. When I offered them the black Capri pants I was wearing, they tactfully told me they had enough Capri pants. I guess I am vintage.

I saw gap pants for $12 and lots of funky gift items, most of them new. I wonder if you can exchange your gifts here, too.

They had the best selection of shoes I saw and nearly new (maybe once on a runway) Charles David boots were $40. There were more men’s clothes than I saw at most places.

BUFFALO EXCHANGE
131 N. LA BREA
323-938-8604
WWW.buffaloexchange.com

YOU CAN GET IT FOR YOURSELF WHOLESALE sometimes

The California Mart in downtown LA’s Fashion District houses more than 1,000 showrooms in more than one million square feet of space. Although primarily for wholesales, the Mart is open to the public on the last Friday and Saturday of the month.

For people who love the hunt, flea markets are a day’s entertainment. Sunday is the best day and the Fairfax High School Flea Market is my favorite. Some experienced, some virgin vendors (I mean their first time out, you can’t buy virgins here) sell antiques, vintage clothing, crafts and junque in the school parking lot. The last two times I was there, there were bands and some decent food for sale. Admission is $1.00 but worth every penny for the people watching even if you do not buy anything.  I bought stuff from Christi who makes great beaded necklaces. (213-383-3745)

Fairfax and Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles

Other Flea Markets

Venice High School has flea markets second Saturday of the month
Long Beach is third Sunday of the month  8am to 3pm
Rose Bowl is 9am to 3pm

JET RAG. Every Sunday, vintage-a-holics grab for treasures at Jet Rag. Be there sharp at 11AM to get the best stuff. They stay open until 6pm. But the early bird gets the worm or the best old stuff.

JET RAG
825 N. La Brea
Hollywood, CA 323-939-0528

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