SHOP-INDIE
Any thrift store buff can only dream of walking into a football stadium filled with the most beautiful vintage clothing from around the globe. If this image conjures the most excited butterflies, then look no further than Pasadena's Rose Bowl Flea Market. The self-proclaimed 'World's Most Unusual Flea Market' takes place the second Sunday of every month. The event boasts over 2,500 vendors who sell everything from the best of the best 1980's crop tops all the way to Grandma's fabriche egg. Above all, it is the flea market's eclectic atmosphere that will make you happy you ditched The Gap and headed down to Pasadena for your newest outfit.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with designer Jill Stuart. I've always been a true admirer of her designs, brand, and fashion sense. For some of you who may not know, Jill began working at the age of 15 designing jewelry which was sold at Bloomingdale's. I find her work ethic extremely inspirational. It's interesting how we can admire certain fashions created by a designer and then upon meeting the designer in person one can actually love their collections even more. At that point, everything comes together and becomes real.
While you can venture everywhere from Barney's to Target to the corner store to get yourself some scented wax, there is one brand that blows all competition...well, out. Kobo soy candles come in a multitude of unique scents, making it so there truly is something for everyone (although we were hard pressed to find a single scent we weren't in love with). Because the candles are made of pure soy wax, they burn longer than the same size standard wax candle. Another bonus? The soy wax used by Kobo is 100% domestically made and organic, creating a clean burn and a strong scent. Seriously, one large candle can work for an entire living room!
We love our loyal Glam Damn It readers, and to show our appreciation, we love to share our favorite things with you! We definitely share a common obsession for shopping, so we know that you love the experience and atmosphere of each boutique and discovering ‘best kept secrets’ is more than half the fun. Here’s a spot that has taken our exclusivity as a member of the girl’s club to a new level. An antidote to the “no girlz allowed” boy mentally of our youth, if you will. We give you Treehouse Brooklyn, indie and local design headquarters. We believe Treehouse to be so special because it’s a collection of things they love, created by people they love, for our discovery of new loves!
Nolita's Poppy Boutique is the store out-of-towners dream of when they come to New York to shop: trendy but classic, hip, but unintimidating, affordably priced, and consistently stocked with pretty garments dabbed with a vintage, boho feel. With autumn just around the corner, the boutique delivers again with fall pieces that'll have you wishing that the chill in the air would hurry up and get here. The bright and airy boutique is already stocked with fall-ready garb like a killer Lauren Moffatt navy cape with oversized leather pockets that give it a decidedly '60s-mod appeal ($385) and a red-and-white striped dolman-sleeved jacket by Myne that has all the sophisticated edge of the hippest '80s lady-who-lunches ($285). They've also got a great selection of comfortably chic Tucker blouses ($250-$285), and adorable tribal-print shorts in fabulous neons ($132) that would look great with tights and riding boots come fall.
Nestled in the heart of Rittenhouse, Arcadia Boutique fills a void for the individual who loves fashion, craft, music and travel, and most importantly, the environment. Not only does it boast a meticulously selected fare of fashion-forward clothing, it embraces an environmentally conscious approach to the fabrication of the garments. Boutique owner, Ali McCloud, provides customers with sustainable fashion crafted by emerging eco-friendly design talent from Philadelphia and around the world.
Beyond womenswear, the boutique is now offering a selection of men's and children's apparel, alongside their collection of eco-minded home decor items, soy candles, lotions and artwork by local and national artists, which is housed on a gallery wall that is updated every six to eight weeks. In addition to supporting local artists, a portion of the proceeds of art sales is donated to the Katherine Alexandra Charitable Foundation that promotes and advances the arts, healing, freedom of expression and education.
We all know them. Those adorable, little boutiques nestled into the cutest corners of cities and towns everywhere. With their unique clothing and accessories, these shops sing a different tune than, say, the ultra-chain brands that can be found in every mall, ever (cough, Forever 21, cough...). Not that we dislike those big name stores, but there's something nice about those little, original boutiques that sends shoppers to paradise. Unfortunately, we all know the dishearteningly sky-high numbers that their price tags tend to bear, too.
Among the racks of Opening Ceremony, a downtown shop known for its mix of contemporary and classic styles, you will find a selection of young contemporary designer's pieces hanging beside pieces from established design veterans. Including Proenza Schouler, Rachel Comey, Mary Ping, Rodarte, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Lutz, Hussein Chalayan, Mario Schwab, Topshop and Vlas Blomme. Opening Ceremony puts a strong emphasis on eclectic and artistic pieces featuring one-of-a-kind vintage finds and hand-picked items from open-air markets. They also launched an ongoing design collaboration with Chloe Sevigny, containing pieces inspired by nostalgia, thrift-stores, and music.
Vintage shopping can be stressful. We brave our LA heat and take the ensuing blast of frosty air con units, to find a store full of three summers ago, Forever 21 purses, bearing the sharpied initials of their previous owner. And how many times have we left stores empty handed, because we were seriously tired of RUMMAGING through mountains of clothing?
All we desire is a great vintage store, with true vintage brands, in a well ordered selection. So we were very relieved to find that new store, "What Goes Around Comes Around' (WGACA) on La Brea, is exactly that. The huge store space, with its polished wooden beamed ceilings and floors, cute and quirky shelving displays and gleaming glass cabinets make for a stress free retail experience.
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