Top 5 Vintage Clothing Stores In Los Angeles
Vintage shopping has always existed, but nowadays it has become a phenomenal sensation among young girls, vloggers, influencers and almost anyone actually. Once forgotten but now brought back to life by millennials, vintage shopping is the new guilty pleasure. I mean, how can we resist if the prices are so good and the clothing is even better! Vintage shopping is like entering another dimension where all the most famous decades mix, you’ll hear music from the 80’s, see jeans from the 60’s and maybe even some band tee’s from the 90’s. It’s up to you to find which era your fashion style belongs to. It’s so confusing, yet so addictive. If you live in the City of Stars, it’s time you check out these top 5 vintage clothing stores in Los Angeles that will give you a run for your money.
1. Iguana Vintage Clothing
When you think classic old-school vintage store, this is it! Iguana Vintage Clothing looks like something pulled out of a movie, with endless rows of clothing racks that go up to the second floor, accessories, costumes and shoes included. This store certainly has a retro vibe to it, and it looks (and smells) like it’s stuck in the 80’s, something that makes it feel even more legit. Once you step inside you will enter a dimension with no time, since they offer original stuff from the 90’s, 80’s, 60’s and some of the items might even be from the 50’s! Although everything they have is amazing, one of their greatest collections is their coats section hidden in the back of the store. Here, you’ll get lost in a sea of coats that are in perfect condition, but that belong to a time when probably most of us weren’t even born yet. Yes, you can easily get coats actually worn in the 60’s for a great price, and no other store in town has a bigger and better retro coat collection than this one. You can find Mad Men vibes, somber WWII looks, furry coats from the 60’s and much more! Iguana is also known for their funky costumes section, which is half updated and half truly vintage. This store actually has three locations spread out around the L.A. area so there’s no excuse to not make a quick trip and find your new favorite item.
2. American Vintage
American Vintage is located just a few blocks away from Iguana Vintage Clothing in Sherman Oaks, creating an electrifying rivalry that never ends. Although this store is as famous and well-known as Iguana, American Vintage has a much more modern and relaxed vibe, offering contemporary items like old band tees, vintage jeans, ugly sweaters from the 80’s, real cowboy boots, plaid shirts from all the boyfriends’ pasts, a plethora of statement sweatshirts and all the bandanas and handkerchiefs you could possibly imagine. When you think you’re done purchasing the entire store, you get to the cashier and have to start all over again, since they offer a rather unique collection of tiny vintage treasures like pins, coins, jewelry, buttons, sunglasses, stickers and many other things you definitely do not need but totally want to get. American Vintage is a rather tiny, normal and affordable place for the vintage lover who doesn’t want to spend more than 1 or 2 hours shopping. It’s a place for the trendy vintage clothing lover, instead of the old-school fancy vintage wardrobe connoisseur.
3. Buffalo Exchange
Buffalo exchange is a mixture between your local Goodwill and a classic vintage store. Offering a rather eclectic mixture of clothing and items, it’s a fun place to visit but this doesn’t guarantee you’ll always get your hands on coveted vintage pieces. Be mindful that although really good, Buffalo Exchange is not your typical vintage clothing store that only offers original items from the 90’s and older. This store does sell a few vintage items, but it’s mostly concentrated on gently used clothing from all eras and times, vintage and contemporary as well. It is precisely called Buffalo Exchange because you can bring your unwanted clothes and sell them or exchange them for store credit. This is why most of the times the pieces are amazing, but sometimes you’ll find quite an interesting and confusing mingle that won’t make sense at all. It’s still worth a visit since their prices are out of this world, and their accessories section is fantastic.
4. Crossroads
Crossroads is another store that finds itself on the twilight zone between gently used clothes and vintage pieces. Most people love it and actually refer to it as a vintage clothing store, however we can leave it up to you to decide. Crossroads offers a wide variety of items such as clothing, hats, bags, jewelry, sunglasses, shoes and coats. All of these have been previously selected so they guarantee you’ll find a great piece for a great price. The pot of hidden gold at Crossroads is located on a glass case behind the register and it contains all kind of vintage treasures such as old, rare and one-of-a-kind designer bags, jewelry and shoes. Although you’ll majorly find contemporary pieces and designers, you can still consider Crossroads as your go-to for vintage shopping.
5. Wasteland
Even though the name doesn’t sound like it, Wasteland is actually a land of dreams. Dreams brimful of vintage clothing, unique designer purses and rare sneaker editions. Once you discover Wasteland, there’s no going back. This store is rather unique as it can be described as the perfect combination between all the stores listed above. Wasteland is special because it sells vintage clothing as well as gently used contemporary pieces, offering a collection of extremely trendy and highly-coveted pieces. Here you won’t just find plain old clothes, you’ll find items and staples that are fashion-forward and in high demand. In other words, if you want to dress like your most favorite fashion blogger and have the most trendiest style, Wasteland is the place to go. The clothes sold here go through very thorough examinations and quality checks in order to guarantee the client an original and distinctive staple. Pricing is a complicated threshold here since they usually offer very affordable clothing, but sometimes certain pieces that are very rare have higher prices due to their uniqueness and age. A good way of quickly knowing which items are a bit more expensive is looking at whatever is inside their locked glass cases, like old Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Fendi stuff. Be warned: you won’t ever leave Wasteland empty handed. There’s always something you’re gonna want to have in your closet.
