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Los Angeles's close association to the rich and famous has long made it a major shopping destination, but in recent years the city has grown beyond just a locale for luxe clothing and accessories—although high-end goods will always be a cornerstone of L.A.'s retail scene. With a wealth of stellar vintage spots, purveyors of affordable on-the-pulse products, and an ever-growing number shops selling local, artisanal goods, there is truly something for every type of spender here.
No matter what it is you're shopping for, L.A.'s consistently sunny and warm weather also means you can often hunt for wares in the open air, whether it be at a flea market full of hidden treasures, or a street lined with boutiques to explore. As you stroll, good eateries are never too far away, and you can always find somewhere delicious to dine and covertly star-watch.
If in fact you are in the celebrity-studded city to catch a glimpse of a famous face or two, you may want to start at their mecca, Beverly Hills, where a bevy of major designers' outposts and impeccably curated stores cater to upcale clientele.
After getting your fix there, you can hop into your car and absorb the city’s other varied offerings, including down-and-dirty bargains in Downtown, dozens of well-designed boutiques lining Venice's famed Abbot Kinney Boulevard, or mint-condition vintage fashions in Los Feliz.
Owner Carrie Hauman of Coutula (a portmanteau of "Couture L.A.") travels around the globe to hand-select the clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home furnishings sold in her light-filled, airy Abbot Kinney 1930s cottage. Nab anything from a $10 bracelet to a $6,000 necklace here, along with floaty sundresses that look much more expensive than they are, handmade Cut n Paste leather handbags, and bliss-inducing Tyler candles.
Right at home in the beachy, bohemian neighborhood, this well-curated shop is a decidedly contemporary take on the concept of general stores. The very definition of "California cool," General Store offers beauty and bath products loaded with organic natural ingredients, handmade ceramics, linen tea towels, and a spot-on selection of art books. Featuring an impressive number of local makers and designers, the boutique also sells modern, minimalist clothing and has a kids' section that will wow even the hippest moms and dads.
Owner Nilou Ghodsi has admitted that she stocks her Westside shop like an extension of her own closet, which in her case means keeping the focus on floaty, modern-yet-classic pieces as opposed to trendy ones. The airy boutique offers elegantly edgy separates from American designers like Nili Lotan and Ulla Johnson, as well as from hard-to-find French and Italian designers like Faliero Sarti.
Anyone who's looking to get a leg up on the hottest new designers will want to make this Lincoln Boulevard boutique a stop on their Venice shopping spree. The clean, modern space features cool, contemporary clothing by the likes of Ryan Roche, Sandy Liang, and Assembly New York, plus beauty loot from Verso, bags and eyewear from beloved local labels, and so much more for fashion followers to fawn over. The owner has a background in the music industry, and it shows.
Finding your signature fragrance at this sleek Abbot Kinney boutique won't come cheap, but perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis takes creating her scents as seriously as a seasoned winemaker—and they're just as nuanced as a well-balanced glass of vino. Essences for the perfumes are organic, wild crafted, biodynamic, and bottled locally. Highlights from SI's core collection include the cacao-spiked Dimanche and leathery Black Rosette.
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