Must-see shopping in California

  • Le Labo

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    The West Hollywood branch of this noted fragrance lab based in New York offers 15 fragrances, including one you can only purchase here. All are alchemized…

  • Nicasio Valley Cheese Company

    Marin County

    Stop for free tastings at one of Marin County's most renowned cheesemaking shops. Crafted on a ranch started by a Swiss immigrant family, these wheels of…

  • It’s a Wrap!

    San Fernando Valley

    Here are fashionable, post-production wares worn by TV and film stars. What that means to you is great prices on mainstream designer labels, including…

  • Nest

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    An installation artwork that doubles as a store, where bird baths overflow with hand-dyed shawls and ladders are laden with cocktail cookbooks and dessert…

  • JD Redhouse & Co

    Along Highway 101

    Family-owned and operated, this central mercantile is a good reflection of Willits itself, balancing cowboy essentials – boots and grain, tools and denim …

  • Record Collector

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    If you dig vinyl – specifically jazz and classical on vinyl – you must check out this record trader. It's stuffed floor to ceiling and staffed with a…

  • Brooklyn Circus

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    The actual pool hall's across the street - here the green felt table is piled with an array of belts, PF Flyers high tops and retro bandannas, as though a…

  • Room & Board

    Los Angeles

    One of the more popular stores at the Helms Bakery district, Room and Board showcases beautiful furniture and accessories crafted by mainly American…

  • Up, Up & Away

    Coastal Orange County

    This shop specialty is kites in every color of the rainbow and tons of decorative flags: lighthouses, sailboats, sports-team logos, frogs wearing…

  • Chi Chi Larue's

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    If other erotica stores are too tame or hetero-friendly for you, make your way to this (not just) gay-oriented store owned by a legendary drag queen. You…

  • Adams Avenue

    San Diego

    This is San Diego’s main ‘antique row,’ featuring dozens of shops selling furniture, art and antiques from around the world; it cuts across some of San…

  • Gibson

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    If you love vintage interiors, step into this gem of a gallery, where (almost) everything from vintage baseball bats to armchairs and desks to the art on…

  • Trina Turk

    Greater Palm Springs

    Trina makes form-flattering ‘California-chic’ fashions that are beautifully presented in her original flagship boutique housed in a low-slung 1960s Albert…

  • Westfield UTC

    La Jolla

    Mall shoppers: make a beeline for this large mall out of downtown La Jolla and east of I-5; anchor stores include Nordstrom, Macy’s and Sears, and for…

  • Vroman's Bookstore

    Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley

    In business since 1894, Vroman's is a Pasadena institution and claims to be the largest and oldest bookstore in all of SoCal. It's practically a required…

  • Matrushka Construction

    Silver Lake & Echo Park

    Who says fashion has to be superficial? Lara Howe crafts her striking, tailored designs from remnant fabrics personally and locally sourced. The fabrics…

  • Marin Country Mart

    Marin County

    Take the bicycle-and-pedestrian bridge from the Larkspur ferry terminal across the road to this breezy shopping center with upscale boutiques, excellent…

  • Mission Cannabis Club

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    A pot dispensary with a great reputation for customer service and a wide range of products, from flowers to edibles, vapes to tropical rubs. The trippy…

  • Aviator Nation

    Malibu & Pacific Palisades

    If you find yourself getting chilly at Malibu Pier, cross PCH to this chill shop for coastal-chic hoodies, T-shirts and more, made in LA and emblazoned…

  • Americana at Brand

    San Fernando Valley

    If you dig the Grove in Mid-City then you’ll enjoy this set-piece shopping mall, developed by the same folks, that feels like an extended walking street…

  • Hive

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Nestled in a gentrifying stretch of Spring is this seemingly small, but surprisingly deep, artist-owned gallery, where the creative output focuses on pop…

  • Angel View Resale Store

    Greater Palm Springs

    At this well-established thrift store, today’s hipsters can shop for clothes and accessories as cool today as when they were first worn a generation or…

  • Trashy Lingerie

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    Those who worship at the altar of hedonism should check into this cluttered store, stocked with burlesque-inspired corsets, cat masks, school-girl outfits…

  • Bhan Kanom Thai

    Hollywood

    Part of a Thai strip mall called New Hollywood Plaza, this heavenly scented food store peddles all manner of Thai desserts, including candy, dried fruit,…

  • Chocolate Maya

    Santa Barbara

    Personally sourced, fair-trade cacao from around the world means the chocolates on offer here not only taste good but make you feel good about yourself…

  • Headquarters at Seaport District

    San Diego

    San Diego's fairly new shopping center (opened 2013) is also one of its oldest buildings: the 1939 former police headquarters has turned into some 30…

  • Shopaholic

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    While everyone else pays retail at the Beverly Center and the Grove down the street, Shopaholic specializes in sample sales – basically, ways for…

  • Y & I Boutique

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    When Marina girls need an outfit that won't break the bank, they shop Y & I for their cute dresses, priced at $50 to $200, by brands including Everly and…

  • Espionage

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    A fabulous boutique blessed with a tasteful melange of new and vintage goods. Its jewelry is fantastic, as are the chunky vintage perfume bottles and…

  • Giant Robot

    Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood & Westwood

    Fans of anime will find their happy place rifling through the T-shirts, action figures, stuffed creatures, throw pillows and books at this ode to weird,…

  • In Retrospect

    Long Beach & San Pedro

    At 4000 square feet, In Retrospect feels like a vintage department store: clothing, vinyl, furniture, tableware, even Pez dispensers, most from the 1950s…

  • Lather

    Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley

    This Pasadena-based company supplies natural hand creams, exfoliants and other treatments, and at its flagship store you can try them. The bamboo…

  • Great Frog

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    A sterling-silver jewelry company known for its skulls, Great Frog started in London, has a shop in NYC and this is its latest offering. It casts in gold…

  • Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese

    Hollywood

    Bellies rumble like fault lines inside this gourmet providore, where shelves are stocked with elegant wines, craft spirits, artisan cheese and high-end…

  • Afikomen Judaica

    Berkeley

    This store boasts one of the most voluminous collections of Jewish gifts, souvenirs and general tchotckes (trinkets) anywhere. Need something religious,…

  • Espacio 1839

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Steps away from Mariachi Plaza lies Espacio 1839, a concrete-floor boutique and artists' co-op. You'll find books, graphic tees and cool Boyle Heights…

  • Santa Monica Place

    Santa Monica

    The mall at the south end of the Promenade offers posher shops than those on the comparatively dated Promenade. Think All Saints, Juicy Couture,…

  • American Girl Place

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    Little girls go gaga for this make-believe toy land where they can take their plastic friends to lunch or afternoon tea at the cafe or a revue-style show,…

  • McMullen

    Oakland

    McMullen is a mainstay of the Oakland fashion scene, boasting labels like Hozen, Clyde, Staud and Ulla Johnson. The selection of shoes, bags, dresses,…

  • Martinelli's Company Store Tasting Room

    Central Coast

    Drop into Martinelli's for excellent apple juices and (non-alcoholic) ciders, and learn about the company's interesting local heritage. In cooler weather,…