Alongside the mundane tourist shops shelling out sparkly Ed Hardy, gothic Doc Martens and tiny skirts, there are a few stores worth a trip to Melrose Avenue. Don’t be fooled here, Melrose Avenue is a cornucopia of crap (but is still well-known as a destination). Be prepared to step inside multiple stores to see the same fluorescent jersey, the same shiny gold lingerie, newsboy caps and pleather bags for fifty dollars; I don’t know anyone who lives here that buys into the idea that to buy good, you buy new. Buying designer labels doesn’t make you a fashion icon here, it’s about personal style. Apart from the earlier mentioned ‘Thrift Store’ there are a few other stops along the way that make shopping in L.A. a shopper’s paradise. First stop, Crossroads Trading Company. Vista Boulevard and Melrose Avenue:
The store’s selection usually consists of worn-in vintage tees, designer bags and shoes (from size six to ten), lots of dresses, lots of pants, jackets, shorts and skirts – all arranged according to the color scheme they fit into. The inventory has a heavy dose of seventies glam, but the buyers here seem to know what sells, what’s trending and what’s quality (up to a point). The best assets of the store are usually hanging above the fray (i.e. Marc Jacobs dresses, James Perse tees, etc.). Just ask a clerk to get them and they’ll happily oblige you. Most pieces remain below the $50 dollar mark and the average cost is only $10 – $20. Remember that their inventory is always changing but once you’ve visited, two weeks time until your next visit will allow the store to restock with new inventory.
Second stop: Wasteland. Wasteland is a stone’s throw from Crossroads and on another level. Here, the buyers always select the best stuff, bring in the priciest designers and ensure that their inventory offers original and new pieces each day. It is (of course) more expensive here than any of the other vintage stores, but you’ll still be able to find edgy bags and romantic dresses from designer stock well below $100. Shoes here are also an inviting situation: all sizes, both men’s and women’s, boots, sneakers and heels. The music is pumping, and the store vast, so be prepared to spend some time here.
NO SAINTS IN L.A. 