Where DTLA Blogger Brigham Yen Thrift Shops in Pasadena

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Los Angeles has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around LA that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Image via Yelp

Trusty LA realtor and blogger Brigham Yen chronicles the latest residential and commercial developments popping up in Downtown LA on his popular blog DTLA Rising with Brigham Yen. From Urban Outfitters and Sparkle Factory updates to reporting on the next eatery that will soon hit the streets in heart of LA, Yen is always in tune with what's going down in Downtown and keeps us posted with all the juicy details. When Downtown LA's flourishing retails scene isn't keeping him busy, the real estate pro likes to shop. Like many Angelenos, he's a designer denim devotee but prefers the thrill of a hunt. To dig up name-brand treasures he heads to his go-to thrift shop in Pasadena.

I used to drop $300 on a pair of denim jeans without a second thought—then I discovered thrift shops. And not just any thrift shop but Out of the Closet (my favorite one is in Pasadena). Some people have an issue with second hand clothes, but I don't think it's a problem at all, especially if the clothes look like they're in good condition and you give them a good thorough wash before wearing. Why spend hundreds when I can find brands like John Varvatos, Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Theory, Diesel, etc. at a fraction of the cost? Plus, it's fun to bargain hunt. There's nothing more exciting than finding that perfect designer shirt for less than $10.

· Out of the Closet [Official Site]
· Brigham Yen [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked]

Out of the Closet

1726 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91106