I have been shopping vintage clothing in Burbank for years and have a few favorites; Swift, Junk for Joy and many more. But my new love is Playclothes. If you are a vintage shopper you know all to well how these stores can consume you for hours. It can feel at times like you are transported back in time to the period of clothes you are playing with.
There are many vintage shops down this main strip of Old-Town Burbank for the avid shopper. Many studio's shop here for period pieces and donate back after their shoots wrap, so you're sure to find the best vintage clothes and antiques.
There was something different about Playclothes than the rest in my opinion. It stood above the rest in a matter of seconds from walking in the front double doors. It was a shopping experience like no other I had in the past. I immediately was greeted by multiple women who worked there that were pleasant. Which in LA is generally hard to come by these days. All too often I am treated like I will not buy anything or that I haven't the slightest clue on how to shop. These women were that familiar face that automatically emulated they new their stuff! They also read quickly that we were there to have a good time and to not come at us like cattle dogs.
I was in one of those shopping moods, where I knew what I wanted but not the faintest idea what it looked like. Which is generally how I shop for vintage clothes. I go thinking about what the next season's hot ticket items are, with a strategy of how can I find something close to it while setting myself apart from the crowd just enough to keep onlookers guessing... and as always, at a great price.
One can easily get frustrated when vintage shopping; with sizes and colors and fits of eara's past. It can make a girl feel lost, overweight and just plain confused. This is why I bring my friend Jessica, she has been wearing vintage for forever and knows about things I couldn't imagine why they are the way they are. For example; I tried on this amazing LWD (little white dress) Must have Spring and Summer 2012. But the darts we running way up above my breast from the armpit, making a weird puckering on top of my chest line. She explained how we as humans have evolved and our bodies have transformed generations from when these clothes were made. A 5'11" slender but busty woman was not common back when this dress was made, so sure this dress was for a "round" petit gal and the hem would actually come below her knee, not above the knee like it did on me. So without slitting my wrist about feeling like these sizes were really a 10 or not, I moved on... to bigger and better things... literally.
The rooms go on and on in this place, but because each room is not of extraordinary size and is very well merchandised it is easy to move around. Why is it that every other vintage shop feels like if you make any sudden movements and you will break something or step on an old woman you didn't see behind a overstuffed rack? No one wants to shop on a set of "Hoarders", so why do these shops do this to us? Playclothes knows what they are doing, they have just the right amount of seek-and-find merchandising, but without the side of panic like other neighboring stores.
Probably the most stressful part of a shopping experience is the dressing room. Playclothes is changing that experience. When you walk into the dressing room there is not a feeling of panic or small walls closing in on you. It's about the size of an average bedroom! The room was spacious and I felt like I was in the comfort of my own home trying clothes on. Good lighting is key as well and ambiance in these situations. Yet we are always thrown into a sardine-can with horrible lighting and unflattering mirrors and told to go judge ourselves on appearance, and then they expect us to buy something? Again, Playclothes gets a gold star for their award winning dressing room.
What I bought:
The Vintage Advantage is finding something classic, timeless and affordable. Usually I will invest a little more in classic pieces like a LBD, jean's and bags. But when looking at how these above items can be translated into a multitude of categories and mixed throughout the seasons. You really are getting that Cheepway style with quality goods for practically nothing!
For more information on Playclothes visit:
www.vintageplayclothes.com
Located at:
3100 W. Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91505
818-557-8447
Hours: Mon-Sat 11-6 Sun. 12-5
xo,
L
