Bustown Modern on Melrose.

Mapped! LA's 38 Best Vintage Shops for Retro Treasures

By Natalie Alcala Jul 2, 2014, 2:00pm PDT

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Bustown Modern on Melrose.

By Natalie Alcala Jul 2, 2014, 2:00pm PDT

14 comments / new

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Although we've recently rounded up LA's top independent and consignment boutiques, it's been a minute since we refreshed our master list of the city's very best vintage shops. Although most of our mainstays are still going strong, three newcomers (and one veteran) have entered the mix: Bustown Modern on Melrose, Flamingo Vintage in DTLA, Goodwill Flagship and Outlet Center in Atwater Village, and Luxe De Ville in Echo Park.

To make way for these additions, we've removed A Current Affair (it's a semi-annual showcase), Myrtle (their main focus is modern threads), Gentlemen's Breakfast and Goodwill on Beverly. Stores are listed in alpha order for easy browsing. Didn't see your fave? Send them a shout in the comments or email our tipline for future consideration.

Added July 2, 2014: Bustown Modern, Flamingo Vintage, Goodwill Flagship and Outlet Center, Luxe De Ville

· The 38 Best Places to Shop for Vintage in Los Angeles [Racked]
· LA's 38 Best Independent Boutiques, Spring 2014 [Racked]
· Where to Sell It: LA's 13 Best Consignment and Resale Shops [Racked]

Read More

Bustown Modern

Helmed by stylish eBay vintage dealer Anessa Woods, this Melrose newcomer is a stone's throw away from vintage faves Decades and Resurrection. Expect to find everything from New Look-era Dior, Swingin' Sixties palazzo jumpsuits, flowy boho dresses, printastic disco frocks, '90s-era Chloé dresses, edgy Comme de Garçons tops and more.

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8166 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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Buttons & Bows

Founded by DTLA darlings Karen Marley and Monique Aquino, last year Buttons & Bows upgraded to a bigger, better space after outgrowing its 7th Street digs. (Pro tip: beeline to their shoes immediately upon arrival, as we've scored Prada and Marc Jacobs kicks here for less than $200.)

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548 South Spring Street #112, Los Angeles, CA 90013

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Chuck's Vintage

Chuck's specializes in old-school denim from Levi's and Wrangler as well as really-hard-to-source labels like Can't Bust'em and Boss of the Road. You'll also find vintage tees, cowboy boots, leather jackets and accessories.

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8012 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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Decades

Decades is one of the finest pre-2000 designer resale boutiques in the world and one of the only ones to land its own reality show. With access to celebrity closets, it's no wonder co-founders Christos Garkinos and Cameron Silver consistently have amazing wares.

8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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entre nous

Similar to its eBay store, this designer resale boutique is brimming with covetable gems from Alaïa, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Givenchy and more.

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8430 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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Flamingo Vintage

This DTLA retro wonderland first caught our eye back in August, when Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Larian said its bright and colorful decor "gives you an instant jolt of happiness when you enter." If you're in the market for statement vintage pieces like psychedelic-printed '60s mini dresses, run here. Photo [via]

548 South Spring St. Unit 113, Los Angeles, CA 90013

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Also featured in:

Detroit’s vintage clothing stores, mapped

Flounce Vintage

After 11 years in Echo Park, this April owner Lisa Gerstein moved her tiny vintage treasure trove to East Hollywood. The Shiva Rose-backed haven of lacy Edwardian gowns, frilly boho frocks, chiffon cocktail dresses, vintage knick-knacks and more is a perfect addition to Virgil Village. [Photo via]

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718 North Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004

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Golyester

A Hancock Park must-stop, Golyester hosts an eclectic selection of pre-loved apparel, accessories and footwear for both men and women. [Photo via]

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450 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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Goodwill Flagship & Outlet Center

Back in April, Goodwill opened it's highly-anticipated new flagship retail store and outlet center in Atwater Village. The 135,000-square-foot secondhand shop boasts outlet bins (textiles go for $1.49/pound; hardgoods go for $0.69/pound), a Community Enrichment Center and even a café. [Photo via]

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3150 North San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065

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Gotta Have It

Sustainable style star Shiva Rose clued us in to this eclectic shop, which carries threads from the '40s to the '90s. Gotta Have It upped their cool factor even further when they teamed up with LA brand HB Super on iPod-friendly vintage jackets.

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1516 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291

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Hidden Treasures

Hollywood starlet Kate Hudson tells us that she's been going to this hidden Topanga Canyon gem for years. "It has a really great hippie vibe," she adds.

154 S Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90290

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Hotel de Ville Vintage Eyewear

Equipped with two locations (the other is on Beverly), this glossy favorite offers collectible vintage glasses, contemporary European imports and custom styles.

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7422 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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Iguana Vintage Clothing

Come to Iguana with lots of time to shop: There are three floors filled with racks and racks of clothes, all very neatly organized by decade, color and type of garment.

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6320 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

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Jet Rag

There's a reason why this is one of Gwen Stefani's favorite vintage stops in LA. Known for its unique array of secondhand apparel, accessories and footwear, Jet Rag is every retro-inspired style star's secret weapon. Serious bargain hunters (and those with serious scavenging skills) should hit up the megastore's famous $1 yard sale that goes down every Sunday.

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825 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

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Lemon Frog

Beloved by local rockstars Deap Vally, Lemon Frog is crammed full of women's apparel and accessories from the '50s through the '80s, all hand-picked by energetic owner Micki Curtis.

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1202 North Alvarado Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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Luxe De Ville

Everyone from designers like Clare Vivier to costumers like Trayce Field are obsessed with this Echo Park hangout. Owner Oskar de la Cruz is somewhat of a local celebrity himself, known for styling customers in his latest vintage finds and crafting one-of-a-kind jewelry exclusively sold at the store. [Photo via]

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2157 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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Mister Freedom

French expat Christophe Loiron poured his fascination with selvedge denim, military memorabilia, and NOS (new old stock) fabric into this Beverly Boulevard outpost, a combination retail space and design studio. Bonus: Isabel Marant is a fan.

7161 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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My Ulrika

Shop owner Ulrika Krivanek selects only the most gorgeous gowns, unblemished alligator bags and elegant crystal tableware (among other things) for her La Brea salon. Fans include jewelry director Marcia Firesten and Mad Men star Christina Hendricks.

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353 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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Painted Bird

Painted Bird owners Sunny and Nate Archer started selling vintage in San Francisco in 2005, and opened a Silver Lake spinoff in 2011. Stylist Djuna Bel is a fan of their vintage rock tees.

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4208 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90029

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Sielian's Vintage Apparel

Recently relocated a few doors down, shop owner Sielian and her husband host famous fans like Rachel Zoe on the regular. Beeline here for hard-to-find, to-die-for vintage gems.

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8629 1/2 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Melrose Trading Post

Held every Sunday in the parking lot of Fairfax High School, this weekly outdoor marketplace boasts nearly 200 vendors. Whether you're looking for antique furniture or a perfectly worn-in leather moto jacket, this places has it all.

7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

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Owl Talk

Eagle Rock's reasonably-priced thrift, consignment and vintage shop offers a bit of everything—apparel, accessories, jewelry, hats, handbags, belts and boots—in a cozy space. [Photo via]

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5060 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041

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Playclothes

Jem and the Holograms costume designer Soyon An revealed to us that this is one of her go-to shops for dressing her characters. Specializing in looks from the '40s, '50s and '60s, this Burbank haunt also hosts a small selection of styles for men.

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3100 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505

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Ragg Mopp Vintage

Mad Men costumer Janie Bryant swears by this Sunset shop's stunning assortment of dresses from decades past.

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3816 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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Reformation

Founded by designer Yael Aflalo, this stellar sustainable retailer with a cult-like following is known for producing instantly covetable garments made from repurposed vintage and surplus. This boutique is your best bet for retro-inspired pieces infused with modern flair.

8253 melrose ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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Re-Mix Shoes

Gravitate towards the shoe rack when shopping vintage? Re-Mix has rows and rows of old-school styles alongside the owner's own collection of throwback-inspired footwear.

7605 1/2 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90036

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Resurrection

A top shopping destination for vintage-obsessed out-of-towners, this boutique carries a tightly-edited selection of collectible and historic clothing from a host of stories fashion houses. Be prepared to pay top dollar for jaw-dropping pieces by Halston, Alaïa and Hermès.

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8006 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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reVamp

The recently relocated reVamp isn't exactly a vintage store. Instead, it's a brilliant DTLA resource that offers customized retro recreations as well as lessons on vintage hair and makeup looks.

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818 South Broadway #801, Los Angeles, CA 90014

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Rose Bowl Flea Market

On the second Sunday of every month, more than 2,500 vintage and antiques vendors set up outside the Rose Bowl stadium for thousands of shoppers, some of whom get there as early as 5am. On offer: art, furniture, housewares, clothes, accessories and odds and ends of all sorts.

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1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103

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Scout

Recently moved to a new and improved spot on Melrose, this shop features impeccably-selected vintage from cult-fave labels like Comme des Garcons, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood.

8021 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

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Shareen Vintage

Whether you're looking for something casual or a dress to wear to a wedding, you'll find it in this massive vintage warehouse. No boys are allowed (seriously, leave them at home) so patrons can freely drop trou to try on the wares anywhere throughout the store.

1721 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

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Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store

Diehard vintage vets know all about this Lincoln Heights landmark. St. Vincent is set in a massive warehouse and offers a crazy amount of secondhand items in a host of categories. (Psst: it's also one of our essential spots for home decor and furniture.

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210 N Ave 21, Los Angeles, CA 90031

(323) 224–6280

(323) 224–6280

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Squaresville

This consignment favorite boasts an awesome array of funky retro duds for both men and women. Their coats, handbags and shoes are particularly popular. [Photo via]

1800 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027

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Swift Vintage

This teeny-tiny Burbank goldmine is loaded with dresses both vintage and reworked in-house. Fans also flock here for its wide selection of accessories (sunnies, jewelry and footwear) at affordable prices.

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3216 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91505

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Tavin Boutique

After vending her wares at the Rose Bowl Flea, buyerand stylist Erin Julie Tavin opened her own Echo Park shop in 2009. It's filled with a great mix of glamourous and bohemian garb; vintage pieces hang alongside items from local designers.

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1543 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026

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The Way We Wore

If you can't be bothered with scouring picked-over piles at thrift stores to uncover key designer pieces, let The Way We Wore do the dirty work for you. Frequented by Hollywood stars and their stylists, this expertly-curated haven is the perfect place to nab that chic Chanel brooch, Valentino gown or Yves Saint Laurent blazer that you never won on eBay.

334 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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Virgo

We're huge fans of Virgo's vintage and reworked offerings, much of which skews '80s and '90s. The clothing is priced right: almost all of it is $10-$85, except for the leather motorcycle jackets.

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216 E 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

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Wasteland

Whether you're looking for last-season Marc Jacobs, vintage dresses or just seriously cleaned out your closet, Wasteland is the perfect spot for LA recycling at it's chicest. The kids at the counter perusing your used goods are picky and we wouldn't have it any other way: they ensure that a walk through the racks yields steals and surprises.

7428 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

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Bustown Modern

8166 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Helmed by stylish eBay vintage dealer Anessa Woods, this Melrose newcomer is a stone's throw away from vintage faves Decades and Resurrection. Expect to find everything from New Look-era Dior, Swingin' Sixties palazzo jumpsuits, flowy boho dresses, printastic disco frocks, '90s-era Chloé dresses, edgy Comme de Garçons tops and more.

Open in Google Maps

8166 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

Buttons & Bows

548 South Spring Street #112, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Founded by DTLA darlings Karen Marley and Monique Aquino, last year Buttons & Bows upgraded to a bigger, better space after outgrowing its 7th Street digs. (Pro tip: beeline to their shoes immediately upon arrival, as we've scored Prada and Marc Jacobs kicks here for less than $200.)

Open in Google Maps

548 South Spring Street #112, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Visit Website

Chuck's Vintage

8012 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Chuck's specializes in old-school denim from Levi's and Wrangler as well as really-hard-to-source labels like Can't Bust'em and Boss of the Road. You'll also find vintage tees, cowboy boots, leather jackets and accessories.

Open in Google Maps

8012 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Visit Website

Decades

8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Decades is one of the finest pre-2000 designer resale boutiques in the world and one of the only ones to land its own reality show. With access to celebrity closets, it's no wonder co-founders Christos Garkinos and Cameron Silver consistently have amazing wares.

8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Visit Website

entre nous

8430 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Similar to its eBay store, this designer resale boutique is brimming with covetable gems from Alaïa, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Givenchy and more.

Open in Google Maps

8430 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Visit Website

Flamingo Vintage

548 South Spring St. Unit 113, Los Angeles, CA 90013

This DTLA retro wonderland first caught our eye back in August, when Cult Gaia founder Jasmin Larian said its bright and colorful decor "gives you an instant jolt of happiness when you enter." If you're in the market for statement vintage pieces like psychedelic-printed '60s mini dresses, run here. Photo [via]

548 South Spring St. Unit 113, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Visit Website