A Guide to the Best of Southern California : SHOPTALK : Fashioning Characters

COSTUME DESIGNERS are reputed shopaholics. In addition to shops reserved primarily for them, including Western Costume and Palace Costume, they have numerous favorite haunts for both inspiration and garments among local stores that feature vintage clothing and accessories.

Repeat Performance (7264 Melrose Ave., (213) 938-0609) is a regular stop for Academy Award-winning designer Milena Canonero; Repeat Performance’s prime vintage suits, blouses, dresses, shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry have made appearances in “Tucker,” “The Cotton Club” and “Dick Tracy.” And costumer Ruth Myers did a lot of business in connection with Paul Newman’s “Blaze.”

“When word got out that we helped costume ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ we were swamped with designers looking for ‘50s clothes and props,” says Esther Ginsberg of Golyester (1356 W. Washington Blvd., (213) 396-7429, and 7957 Melrose Ave., (213) 655-3393). “Beaches,” “The Last Emperor” and “The Two Jakes” further verify Golyester’s enormous selection of period clothes.

Designers often can be seen on ladders, searching for character-defining treasures, at Charlie (115 N. La Brea Ave., (213) 931-2486). Marlene Stewart, one of Madonna’s costumers and the designer for Oliver Stone’s upcoming movie, “The Doors,” recently was reaching into the rafters for such finds.

And American Rag Cie (150 S. La Brea Ave., (213) 935-3154) is a major stop for “thirtysomething” costumers and for a number of stylists for rock stars, including Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul.