How to Gear Up for an Assault on Garment District : Shopping: There’s so much ground to cover that it may take more than one trip to find the real deals. Discounts range from 20% below retail to below wholesale.
Makeup artist Rose Librizzihad only minutes to spare. A limousine was waiting outside the Cooper Building, in the heart of the Los Angeles Garment District, to whisk her back to a movie set. She swooped up a $20 silk camisole to wear with a $50 silk blazer she had purchased earlier in the day and raced for an elevator--her black leather bag (a $19 trophy from a previous visit) flapping against her floral baby-doll dress, which, like her leggings, her lace bodysuit and her black cowboy boots, was a discount treasure.
For Librizzi and others born to shop, the Garment District is a paradise crammed with bargains. To the uninitiated, it is part jungle, part mystery. But solve the mystery,and there is every chance of becoming a district devotee--someone who returns again and again for the fun of the chase and the thrill of a great deal.
Doing your homework before your first trip is essential. There are at least two books on the subject, Barbara Moe’s “Guide to the Los Angeles Garment District” (C. Taylor Publishing Co.) and “Garment District Los Angeles” (P.B.G. Publications). Both are available in major bookstores, and Moe’s latest edition, the 15th, will be out in December.
To cover the area, wear comfortable, accident-proof shoes and clothing. Chances of someone treadding on your toes or smearing your blouse with ice cream are excellent, especially on a crowded Saturday.
A fanny pack is the ideal way to transport a tape measure, pocket calculator and acceptable credit cards (Discover is a no-no in most establishments, but virtually everyone accepts Visa and Mastercard; carrying cash is not always safe, and not every store accepts checks). It also frees your hands to feel the merchandise. A woman wearing a bodysuit and leggings will be able to try on clothing without the benefit of a dressing room, which not all stores have.
Basically, what you will find are overruns of current merchandise. But some stores carry apparel produced just for them. To recognize a true bargain, shop your favorite retail stores before heading downtown. And unless you are the no-regrets type, limit yourself on the first few trips.
Trip 1, you might want to look but not buy. Trip 2, you might want to buy only shoes, for example, or slacks. Select carefully because exchanges are usually the best you can expect.
And never buy the first thing you see, unless you are confident or in a hurry. Librizzi advises looking around for the best deals. Many stores carry the same labels but not always at the same price. Some stores discount only 20% or 40% below retail while others actually discount below wholesale. And many merchants are prepared to bargain.
As for the lay of the land: The Alley is where the whole scene began in 1979 when a few manufacturers opened their back doors to the public. Now, it has a flea market feel to it, and you have to sift through a lot of merchandise to find the goodies and the good stores.
Elsewhere, especially in stores along Los Angeles Street between 7th and 9th, you can find known labels--such as Nolan Miller, Nino Cerruti, Esprit, Liz Claiborne, Albert Nipon, Jones New York, Donna Karan, Anne Klein, Gianni Versace and Giorgio Armani--in a retail atmosphere that includes helpful salespeople and fitting rooms.
With so many stores in the area, it is truly a buyer’s market, and merchants are looking for repeat customers. If you don’t like the conditions in one store, find another.
This is especially true for men, because the Garment District is a male shopper’s dream. There are many, many stores offering top-notch apparel. Some even have amenities virtually unheard of for women, such as in-house tailoring and free delivery.
The closer you park to the heart of the district, the higher the price. The California Mart and the Cooper Building have underground garages that are very expensive. For bargain parking, look for outdoor lots around 9th and Wall streets or 9th Street and Maple Avenue. Don’t park on the street even if you find a metered space. Chances are you will shop longer than planned, and one ticket could turn your bargains to dust.
Stores are generally open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Linda Sweeten of the Fashion staff and Aaron Davis, View editorial assistant, contributed to this article.
A FEW ESSENTIALS Wear comfortable, accident-proof clothing and shoes. Take a fanny pack instead of a purse to keep your valuables as close as possible. Pack a tape measure to measure clothes you might not be allowed to try on. Take a calculator, to figure out discount percentages. Use credit cards; it’s safer to leave cash and checks at home. Plan to spend a minimum of $4 a day on parking. The farther from the center of activity, the cheaper the fee. The Cooper Building has clean restrooms on every floor. Avoid the Saturday crowds; if you can’t, arrive by 9:30 a.m. A SELECTED GUIDE TO SHOPPING THE GARMENT DISTRICT Here is a cross section of some of the better bets. Once you have checked them out, you’ll have a good idea of what the area has to offer and you’ll be prepared to make some discoveries of your own. 1. Al Weiss (traditional American and European menswear), 942 S. Maple Ave.; Morrie’s (high-end American women’s wear), 940 S. Maple Ave. 2. Bell of California (glitzy, upscale Los Angeles-designer merchandise for women), 1018 Santee St.; Temptations (trendy, youthful women’s wear), 1006 Santee St. 3. L.A. Fashion Gallery, 305 E. 9th St.: Azar (hand-made hats), Suite 129; Small Time (children’s clothing), Suite 232. 4. Wild West Boots (wall-to-wall cowboy boots), 210 E. Olympic Blvd. 5. Cooper Building, 860 S. Los Angeles St., second floor; Olga-Warner (designer lingerie); Le Club Handbag Co. (designer handbags); Fantastic Sportswear, Ernest of California (suits and separates for women), third floor; Collectibles (big New York names for women); fourth floor; Ian Stewart (big European names for men); A & Y Co. (leather belts, bags, clothing for men, women); Altogether (more suits and separates for women), fifth floor; 860 Club (Carole Little outlet). 6. Ladies Apparel Inc. (better suits, dresses, coats) 840 S. Los Angeles St., downstairs; H & H Jobbing Co. (ski and tennis clothing), upstairs. 7. Ibex (formal wear, including dresses, wedding gowns and hats), 836 S. Los Angeles St.; Studio 818 (Italian menswear), 818 S. Los Angeles St. 8. C & E Fashions (Italian, Spanish shoes for men, women), 839/825 S. Los Angeles St. 9. Nino Ferretti (men’s sportswear and suits), 761 S. Los Angeles St.; Street-Wise, (Melrose-style clothing and accessories for men and women), 720 S. Los Angeles St. 10. Ron Stuart (fashion-forward American and European menswear), 112 W. 9th St., Suite 535.
