The Jeans Pool : DNA Clothing cuts prices on trendy labels for men and women, including Big Star.
DNA Clothing Co.is so far off the beaten track, you could travel the streets of Los Angel es every day for years and never spot it.
It is worth discovering a place where the fashion-forward, selective shopper--male or female--can find sharp and current apparel at close-to-wholesale prices--without having to plow through stacks of boring merchandise.
Do you find the retail price of $120 for Big Star jeans a bit high? How about $59.99, with a slight flaw somewhere? The Big Star inventory is made up entirely of seconds, but I couldn’t spot one problem.
For women, the jeans come in five styles, ranging from Frisco, a classic Levi cut in a slim style to Western Girl for those with fuller hips. Big Star denim overalls that retail for $190 are sold for $89.99 with an indiscernible flaw.
The rest of the store’s merchandise is first quality and current.
Women’s linen shirt-style jackets with big white buttons and the Joseph label are $39.99 instead of $99. Some dresses are beautifully priced. From Democracy, one $130 dress is discounted to $54.99, while a romantic Bonnie Strauss denim dress with a charming (and slightly medieval) bodice is $54.99 instead of the $110 retail price.
The store is just about evenly divided between fashions for men and women. For men, wonderful Lemon Soda cotton shirts are well-priced at $27.99 (retail $58) for short sleeves and $32.99 (retail $65) for long sleeves.
There were excellent buys on linen shorts from Studio Tokyo, which were $29.99 instead of $80 retail. Matching shirts in a linen-silk fabric for $34.99 are tempting, but the “Dry Clean Only” tag may make you want to pass.
The young dudes go for the “Kramer” shirts (worn by Michael Richards as Kramer on TV’s “Seinfeld”) with the Blue Collar Ethic label. These wash-and-wear polo shirts retail for $58, so the bargain hunter will appreciate the $19.95 tag, or two for $35.
After a price check, a good comparison shopper will probably buy at least two pairs of pants by Blue System. At Theodore’s and Fred Segal, they go for about $140, but DNA offers them from $39.99.
Clothing sizes run the gamut, from petite to large for women, and from small to extra large for men. Head left, toward the corner in the back for such super deals as a $72 Neiman Marcus men’s shirt for $7.
WHERE TO SHOP
What: DNA Clothing Co. Location: 411 Rose Ave., Venice. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Cards: MasterCard and Visa. Call: (310) 399-0341.
