Shopping in Los Angeles

As someone who has traveled all over the United States, you can believe me when I say, LA is the best place for shopping. Whether you are into hype, high fashion, or vintage, LA is the place to be. It is especially best in the Fashion District.

Hype

Hype fashion includes brands like Supreme, Off-White, Bape, and Travis Scott. Hype fashion is mostly in the male teen group. These items release at a low price for retail, sellout, and resell for much more than the original price.

In LA there are retail stores where kids wait in line outside for hours and even days. They buy the item and quickly sell it for more than they paid. They do this using platforms like eBay, StockX, Grailed, and more. They also have consignment shops where they can sell to. The stores then raise the price even more and sell it at the store.

Some of these stores are Cool Kicks, Round Two, Cookies n’ Kicks, and Flightclub. They are all within walking distance and are street boutiques. A big problem is the location: the center of Melrose. It is very hard to find parking.

When I went to LA last year, I visited Round Two and Cool Kicks. They were both respectful and gave me some offers on my shoes I wanted to sell. I ended up keeping them but it was still cool. Coming from Michigan, it was pretty interesting seeing all of these brands that you can’t see here. In Michigan, there are no stores like these except for one in Detroit.

Overall, the hype fashion scene in LA is great for shopping and selling.

Vintage

Vintage is huge in LA and there are many stores and markets all over. Some of the biggest stores, markets, in the world take place here. Some vintage stores include Round Two Vintage, Wasteland, and Unsound Rags.

There are also big flea market events where people search for vintage clothes. The main one is called the Rose Bowl Flea. This event happens every 2nd Sunday of the month.

When I was in Los Angeles, I visited Round Two. I was going to buy a few things, except the prices were very high. For instance, a vintage, worn, and distressed Harley Davidson t-shirt was about $80.

Unsound Rags was closed when I went to LA, but they have a great assortment of vintage Levi’s, Carhartts, and varsity jackets. But like most vintage stores, the prices are very high.

Designer

Is also the capital for designer fashion. They have stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Burberry, and more. And just like hype fashion, there are consignment stores that buy and sell used designer clothing.

I didn’t go into any of the retail stores but did go into some consignment stores to look at Dior, Maison Margiela, and Helmut Lang. It was cool to see so many valued items for discounted prices.

The consignment shop I went into was called Second Street. They had all sorts of designers including Japanese Americana. It was very cool to be able to see brands like (N)umber Nine, Undercover, and Hysteric Glamour.

What you Need to Keep in Mind

When you go shopping in LA, you will need to bring a water bottle, wallet, and good shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and good shoes will keep you comfortable. Also, in LA it is very hot and a water bottle will keep you hydrated.

When you find something you like, it is always possible to offer a lower price if it is a consignment store. When I went to Round Two, they offered me $100 for my shoes and I asked if they could do $200 and they said the highest they could do was $160. That is $60 higher than their first offer.

Time to Shop in LA

The best time to shop in LA is in the summer in the morning. You want to get there before there is a rush and it gets super hot outside.

When I went, I arrived around lunchtime and it was already packed and very hot outside. It made shopping a little less enjoyable and I felt like I was in a rush. I think wearing long sleeves and jeans may have contributed.

Summer is not the only time you can go there, during holidays and colder months some clothes in stores have deals/discounts on their products.

For instance, in summer you can buy winter clothes for a lower price because of the low demand.

Who Should Shop in LA?

Anybody that is into fashion would enjoy this experience. They have all different kinds of clothing, different genres, and different prices. If you do not want to spend a lot of money you don’t have to. If you have money to waste, you definitely can.

For hype fashion, it is mostly worn/interested in by teenagers. For designer style, it is mostly adults/young adults. And for vintage, it is basically everybody.

Why You Should Shop in LA

You should participate in this activity, because it gives you a great chance to sell some old clothes, and buy some new ones. It is always a good thing to reset your wardrobe for more interesting outfits/things you want.

Also, LA is the best place to do it. New York is pretty good too but it’s a huge busy city while LA isn’t crazy packed. There are busier stores but also just little shops they are very interesting.

You may find things you never knew you wanted. I know I did.

LA is a very unique place and should be experienced by everyone. Even outside of shopping, there are so many things to do if you take a break. Beaches, restaurants, pools, and many other activities.

In conclusion, if you are into fashion and like to shop, you must go to downtown LA and check out all the stores. It does not matter what type of clothing you are into, they have it.