Cool Spots

The 12 Flat-Out Best Thrift Stores & Vintage Spots in L.A.

June 23, 2014 by Christina Champlin

Los Angeles is nothing if not a city of style. In fact just take a walk down any number of streets in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or even Santa Monica and you’ll probably be overwhelmed by both the quality and quantity of fashionable folks roaming the sidewalks.

But do you ever wonder how people do it? How they can keep up with the joneses of trends and afford our ridiculous rents at the same time?

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Put aside the super rich for a moment. What about the rest of us regular people?

Well, some pinch pennies and eat ramen for dinner BUT the smart ones… they shop second hand and vintage.

The truth is fashion always repeats itself, right?  This cyclical nature means you don’t always have to buy new if you want to have a fresh look.

With this in mind, we’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of the dozen best thrift stores and vintage spots in L.A. to service your fashion needs, all without breaking the bank. Because even if you’re not made of money, it doesn’t mean you can’t look damn good.

Now get out there and shop!

[RELATED: The Best Way to Find Discount Events in Los Angeles]

 

It’s A Wrap!

This is THE spot for semi used clothes from movies and television shows at a steep discounted price. Scoring pieces from Alexander Wang or Hugo Boss for $80 is completely normal. Sign up for their mailing list they have in store discounts every week! If can’t make it to the location in Hollywood, there is a Burbank store as well.

Wasteland

Where you can sell your clothes and shop for second hand and vintage wear all at once. Since their store buyers are VERY picky with what makes it to their racks you can be rest assured the selections are good.

Slow

They have an entire room dedicated to LEATHER goods. The vintage selection is funky but wearable.

Council Thrift Shop

Also known as the NCJWLA (National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles) Thrift Shops. Pro-tip: although there are multiple locations the best one is on Santa Monica Boulevard if you are looking for high quality furniture. I snagged a Jil Sander coat once for $40 from one of their other locations.

 

Melrose Trading Post

Something for everyone! The variety of goods causes goers to never leave empty handed. The trading post is held every Sunday at Fairfax High School.

Decades

Yes, the Decades that had it’s own reality show on Bravo. The curation on vintage couture and hard to find designers is amazing. When they have their sale people don’t walk they run.

Squaresville

Prepare to travel back into time. Squaresville hosts retro skirts, jackets, dresses you name it all under their small two story boutique.

Rosebowl Flea Market

One of the biggest and most popular flea markets in California is located in Pasadena inside of the Rose Bowl. Yup it is literally THAT big. Held monthly.

 

Out Of The Closet

Funky finds are mixed in with your everyday thrift store items. Their colored tag sales turn something that was already a deal into a steal. Make sure to check for the location in your area.

Sundays Best Thrift Apparel

Worried about the condition of used clothing? Sundays Best takes good care of the items carried in their thrift store. The major bonus points for this place is their very reasonable price points. Prepare to get a full outfit for $30 dollars or less.

Jet Rag

On Sundays they unload tons of clothes onto their parking lot and list all the items for one dollar. Enough said.

Possession Vintage

When you walk into Possession’s instantly you will see the love and care placed upon all the pieces chosen for the vintage store. The owner is super friendly too!

Have a favorite vintage shop or thrift store  you’d like to add? Let us know in the comments below!

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