Best second hand in L.A.

In L.A. you make better deals with second hand items compared to Finland. More people, more stuff to get rid of, so it's obvoious. At second hand stores in L.A. you can always see people lining up to sell their treasures to the store. That means they get a LOT of stuff to sell every day.

Based on my shopping experience in the city of angels, my recommendations for the best second hand store chains are:

1. Wasteland: Wasteland sells both second hand and new stuff, designer and generic brands. I've visited Wasteland in Santa Monica and Studio City. Shopping here is breathtaking both mentally and physichally: first, they play good music, rock and grunge, and the selection is amazing. Second: it is hard to not go through all the items, so it gets exhausting! :) Wasteland is a bit more pricey than other second hand places, so what you go here for are the edgy and personal pieces you can't find everywhere. They also have the best selection of second hand designer shoes, I found 2 pairs of beautiful Jeffrey Campbell's here. They also sell Unif, which has lately become a brand to drool over for me.

Footnote: the clerk in Santa Monica is a Kurt Cobain look-a-like ;).

 2. Crossroads: Second hand and new stuff, both designer and generic. I've visited Crossroads in Santa Monica and Studio City. For general brands and shoes Crossroads is a bit less pricey than Wasteland, and especially Santa Monica seems to have reasonably priced Marc Jacobs clutches on display almost every time I walk in. (Got one for myself, too, check the last photo of this post). You are not likely to find as unique pieces as you are at Wasteland, but then again this place is full of surprises. One good example is a pair of amazing hippie flare pants.

 3. Buffalo Exchange: Second hand stuff, both designer and generic. I've visited Buffalo Exchange in Santa Monica/Venice and on La Brea Ave. Pricewise this place falls in between the upper two. Perhaps BE is not that good for finding designer items, but definitely a place worth visiting. I spent 2 hours at the Santa Monica store and got a parking ticket! If you like Converse sneakers, you will most likely find a nice, cheap pair of them here.

P.S. Am I the only one who didn't know Converse All Stars are generally called also as "Chuck Taylors"? I've never heard anyone call them that in Finland. My American pals sophisticated me with this fact and told me a basketball player Chuck Taylor used to wear and promote the brand. I guess I've never taken a closer look at the All Star logo, or I'm just blind, but somehow I've missed his signature around the star. :S

Party in the U.S.A.!

PART(Y) 1

4th of July was on Wednesday, so the party went on from the 4th throughout the weekend. On Wednesday we went to Hermosa beach and a BBQ party afterwards.

Patriotic outfit no. 1: scarf turned into a top,  Zara jeans, Converse sneakers, RayBan shades.

PART(Y) 2 

First Fridays take place in Venice (Abbot Kinney Boulevard) on every first Friday of month. We went to see what it's like. All the stores are open late and people sell their handwork on the streets. The street sides are filled with food trucks and people lining for them, which makes the sidewalks sooo crowded. But anyhow, Venice First Fridays is a go!

After Abbot Kinney we headed to Lauren's house party nearby. Her place is amazing! The party was a great fun: traditional good ol' American house party with a dj and a beer pong table! :) 

Patriotic outfit no. 2 (apologies for the bad photo quality): Love Culture blouse, American Apparel denim shorts, vintage belt, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, Via Spiga wedges. 

She's into shoes

Some of my recent shoe purchases. Most of them are second hand. Or should I say second foot?

Jeffrey Campbell clogs from Wasteland.

Jeffrey Campbell curved heels from Wasteland. 

Sam Edelman wedges from Crossroads.

Black heels from Crossroads.

Via Spiga wedges from Crossroads.

Wedges from Crossroads. 

Bonnibel wedges from a store which name I already forgot :).

Studded flats from DBShoes. 

Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers from Buffalo Exchange (black) and Crossroads (blue).

Vintage shopping and sushi – love at every sight

Yesterday almost turned out as a perfect day, unless we hadn't had a parking ticket while shopping at a vintage store Buffalo Exchange. Santa Monica parking regulations are strict: after 6 p.m. only the ones with permission can park. In Finland it goes vice versa, you pay for parking on the street during the day, but it is free during the nights. So besides what I paid for the things I got, there's also a 60 dollar extra bill waiting, yay! Ok, I spent 2 hours in the store, so perhaps this was a wake up call for me to control my inner shopaholic.

Gina Tricot lace top, Sandro shorts, RayBan shades,
second hand hippie bag, Urban Outfitters sandals.
I found this hippie bag at a flea market in Helsinki (Valtteri).
All Maya inspired designs seem to attract me right now.