Author: Christina LeBlanc
The appeal of going to college in Los Angeles is a big draw to would-be Occidental students. With Hollywood a scant fifteen minutes and the beach less than an hour away, anyone with a car can enjoy much of what L.A. shopping has to offer. But what do you do if you don’t have a car-or the funds to fill it up? Public transportation can be an exercise in frustration, but fortunately Eagle Rock Boulevard provides many opportunities for the fashion-conscious a mere ten-minute walk from campus.
At first glance, Eagle Rock itself looks full of Super-A’s, auto repair shops and small coffee shops, but a closer look reveals that sandwiched between carburetors and cupcakes lies some of the best vintage and boutique shopping in East L.A. Owl Talk, Lucy Finch, Lily Simone and Lady are all located on a two-block stretch starting at the corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado, down the street from Swork. While most of these storefronts lack even an overhead sign visible from the street, they can yield incredible clothing finds.
Owl Talk has been a fixture of the Eagle Rock community for over 13 years. Owned by two sisters, the store offers new and vintage apparel and accessories. With dingy mix-matched carpets and a skimpy silver curtain for a dressing room, the décor may leave something to be desired. But Owl Talk is one of the most affordable stores around, making it the perfect place to shop on a budget. Featured brands such as Velvet Torch have a California beach-bum aesthetic with a particularly attractive selection of casual knit dresses. Of course, the vintage items aren’t all hits-some pieces look as if they just fell out of my grandmother’s closet. But a classic pair of vintage Chanel slingbacks is a steal at under $100.
Up the street is Lucy Finch, another area boutique that will celebrate its two-year anniversary this December. The store sells mostly vintage clothing with some new pieces interspersed. Hand-picked merchandise with a thorough attention to detail gives this store a personalized style catering to the L.A. hipster crowd. And with tons of great finds (such as 1970’s Yves Saint Laurent velour) and a really good collection of vintage tees, Lucy Finch is more progressive than many of its peers. But the best part is the price: the same purchases in Hollywood are easily twice as expensive.
Lily Simone and Lady are further down Eagle Rock Boulevard and present a more upscale boutique atmosphere. Though both are outwardly discreet, each stores’ interior decoration reflects their unique personalities.
Lily Simone, with its pink-and-brown color scheme, has an aspect of vintage femininity to its space. With two adjoining rooms one for clothes and accessories, the other for kitschy home furnishings and an old-fashioned candy counter, the store is open and un-cluttered. While the clothes are pricier, Lily Simone carries well-known higher-end brands such as J-Brand jeans, Ella Moss and Splendid, and is perfect for a buyer with a larger budget and more classic style.
Lady, the newest store on Eagle Rock Boulevard, opened last April. Similar to Lily Simone, the store has a more upscale feel, but the vintage jewelry selection sets it apart as slightly more edgy. The décor also has an understated rebellious edge, with the zebra-print flooring contrasting against classical brown walls. While classic and feminine, most of the clothes have a subtle embellishment that sets them apart from the mainstream. At Lady, however, you will be paying for that subtlety. But if price isn’t an issue for you, Lady is a great boutique.
These local stores offer options for small and large budgets, and have clothes appealing to American Apparel addicts and the Gap-clad alike. With choices like these, who needs Hollywood or Santa Monica? I’ll take Eagle Rock, thank you.
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