The Route to Resale : Shops in Pasadena’s Old Town offer designer gowns to home furnishings.
One of the best destinations for a day of treasure-hunting is Old Town in Pasadena, where a cluster of upscale resale stores are within walking distance of each other.
First, a word of warning about Pasadena parking meters: Take plenty of quarters because you only get 15 minutes for each one. If you’re going to be more than two hours, the public parking structures are cheaper.
The American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop is a good place to start for some excellent deals on family apparel and home furnishings. All merchandise is donated, either by manufacturers, retailers or private citizens, and the quality is way above thrift-store fare. Whether your budget will allow $8 or $1,800, the pickings are good.
Four good sources for consignment goods are around the corner on Union Street. Silent Partners, a small but well-organized shop, was brimming with good buys on women’s designer clothing.
The focus is on apparel for the professional woman, and a large selection of suits by Adolfo, Escada and Ellen Tracy reflects this. But there also is dazzling evening wear--some by designers we rarely see in resale stores. We found an elegant yellow chiffon gown by Greek designer Stavropoulos. This one happened to be new, and was priced at only $189. (In a department store, it would probably be $500.) You’ll find a wide selection of accessories here, as well.
More than three years ago, I wrote about the great buys on men’s designer apparel at Bailey’s, next door to Silent Partners. The deals for men are still terrific, and a new department has been added--designer resale for the larger woman, with such names as Tamotsu and Criscione on the racks at $80 or $90, when they generally sell for around $300.
Next door to Bailey’s is Resale Madness, which has the largest space of any store on the street. When we visited, it had only been open two weeks and the selection was slim. Owner Becky Ramey said the furniture “flew out of here” the previous week because prices were so low.
Cross the street to Clothes Heaven, where top designer apparel is crammed onto the racks and tagged at about one-fourth of the original price. We found enough never-worn haute couture treasures to make the whole day a success.
Where to Shop
What: Discovery Shop.
Location: 77 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Cards: MasterCard, Visa.
Call: (818) 793-3004.
*
What: Silent Partners.
Location: 99 E. Union St., Pasadena.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Cards: MasterCard, Discover, Visa.
Call: (818) 793-6877.
*
What: Bailey’s.
Location: 109 E. Union St., Pasadena.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Cards: American Express, MasterCard, Visa.
Call: (818) 449-0201.
*
What: Resale Madness.
Location: 111 E. Union St., Pasadena.
Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Cards: None.
Call: (818) 792-3331.
*
What: Clothes Heaven.
Location: 110 E. Union St., Pasadena.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Cards: Discover, MasterCard, Visa.
Call: (818) 440-0929.
