Lisa in LA - Handbags Heels and a Passport
Video Playing Now: Handbags, Heels & Passport: LA Bargains
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LA shopping doesn't have to mean breaking the bank. In this week's video diary, Lisa shows us some great tips on how and where to blag an LA bargain.
By Lisa Francesca Nand
If anyone tells you they don't like LA it's because they haven't been there with a local. From the hills of Hollywood to the seediness and citiness of downtown and the astonishing vastness of the pacific coast, I seriously love this city.
If I were a bit more entrepreneurial I would set up an 'LA Like a Local' travel service whereby every jobbing actor/waiter in town could moonlight as a guide, showing you the places where they go to eat, drink and hang out.
Fortunately my brother happens to have lived here for many years and as such I go out and stay with him whenever I can stretch to the air fare. Because of this I even know where you can walk in this city.
And, unlike many Los Angelinos, I have even taken the metro. I love hanging out in juice bars, watching the yoga-mat carrying LA girls sip frappuccinos whilst waiting for their agent to call, I love heading out at night for burritos and cocktails or driving up to the hills and watching as the carpet of concrete and palms gradually flickers into a seething mass of lights.
Most of all I love the fact that you can be anyone and anything in this city and no-one bats an eyelid - something that was well illustrated when myself and companions saw what could only be Jesus, bearded, white-robed and open-armed on the roadside right near both Jim Morrison's and Houdini's gaffs. The locals barely seemed to even notice him as he stared meaningfully at the traffic.
This also means that when it comes to bargain hunting in LA, I seriously know what I am doing. When in town I am usually to be found on Melrose, where you can pick up amazing vintage finds and hang around fabulously quirky cafes, around lunch time I usually head for the Farmers Market which, with wooden food stalls dating back to the 1930s, in LA terms is practically the Colosseum.
Behind there is the Grove shopping mall that for me exists for two reasons - the huge Barnes and Noble bookstore in which I can lose myself amongst the shelves for days and secondly the massive Abercrombie and Fitch, so dark and nightclub-like you have to take a lucky guess at what colour t-shirt you're buying.
However, for the proper bargain shopping experience and all great US and national labels at seriously good prices you need to go to Premium Outlets at Camarillo, just north of the city. Keen eyed diary readers (mum, dad....) might remember me going to Woodbury Common in New York in the winter, well this is it's LA based cousin and in terms of prices, labels and sheer size it is truly amazing. I hadn't been before now and after New York in winter I was very eager to see what the summer season had to offer.
Charlotte Russe turned out to be my favourite chain label and Attitudes (where I am trying on clothes in the video) is a marvellous one-off store with great dresses and jeans. But every good brand is here - Guess, Banana Republic, American Apparel, all your good sportswear people, Gap, Armani, Juicy Couture...you name it. Like all Premium Outlets centres prices are not just half price but sometimes even less than that with additional deals available in advance from the website. Even cash-strapped sterling spenders like us can afford to have a spree. My Charlotte Russe off-the-shoulder T Shirt (just $10!) and $20 gladiator sandals have barely left my person since I bought them.
Premium Outlets in Vegas is the next stop and I can't wait for the road trip through the desert and another fix in the sister outlet in Nevada. Well, I'm not interested in gambling so I feel I am allowed. And I see it as an investment, if I'm going to be hanging around the west coast as often as I want to be I've got to make sure I'm well stocked with sunshine-appropriate clobber. Oh, and if you want advice on where to walk in LA or how on earth you can get around on the train just facebook me.
Next week: Lisa's having a surreal time in Vegas....
Premium Outlets Camarillo
Acre for acre it's bigger than Disney Land and when you splash the cash you get a lot more than a hug from a large talking mouse. Great labels at unbelievable prices. A shopping must.
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