Thrift shopping for vintage treasures is easy when you know where to find them. Here are seven of our favorite thrift shops in Los Angeles.

With all the celebrities, stylists, red carpets and generally stylish people that crowd Los Angeles, it’s no surprise the city offers some of the best vintage shopping there is to be had. There are loads of thrifty options where you can really score great bargains, but where this west coast city really shines is in the high-end vintage department – with gowns, sequins and old-school Hollywood glamour galore.

Vintage shopping is part skill, part luck and part perseverance, but you can stack the odds in your favor by hitting up stores known to always stock good stuff. Here are seven of our favorite thrift stores in the city of angels. For those of you located elsewhere, many of these also have online shops.

Rose Bowl Flea Market
Not a store, but a classic LA weekend destination, the flea market at the Rose Bowl is held every second Sunday of the month, rain or shine. Frequented by celebrities and Hollywood stylists, the 2,500 or so stalls here feature a great selection of everything vintage. Admission is on a sliding scale ($8-20) depending on how early you get there. This is definitely a place where the early bird gets the best bargains, so aim to be there early. Bring a cart, lots of cash and don’t be afraid to haggle.
Rose Bowl Flea Market, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena

Council Thrift Shops
There’s nothing fancy about this chain of thrift shops, it’s classic rifle-through-the-racks-for-hours thrifting. With a bit of patience and luck you’ll be guaranteed to come out of here with something incredible. The National Council of Jewish Women has locations peppered about the city, but two favorites are the one on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City and the one on Pico Boulevard in Mid-City.
National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shops, nine locations throughout LA

Jet Rag
This Hollywood store is fueled by rock and roll music and bargain-hunting hipsters. It’s fairly affordable and organized and you can surely score good finds in the store, but much of the appeal of Jet Rag is their Dollar Sundays. Be prepared to sharpen your elbows and really fight for the good stuff at this parking lot clothing sale bonanza. Once the bags are opened it’s a free-for-all – grab the good stuff and hold on to it because it gets crowded and crazy. Everything is a dollar, so good bargains are sure to be made. Bring lots of dollar bills and arrive early to find parking.
Jet Rag, 825 North La Brea Avenue, Hollywood

Shareen Vintage
No boys are allowed in this store, due to the fact that there are no dressing rooms. Here, clothing is tried on right in the store, so remember to wear nice underwear. There are also no price tags, you walk up to the register with the items you want and they are appraised on the spot. This may seem counter-intuitive to bargain shoppers, but most of the items are in the $35-$80 range. Black velvet hangers and red dot tickets are used to indicate that an item is over $90. Owner Shareen is a vintage expert and will gladly offer advice. Look out for the occasional $3 sales, that’s where the real bargains are.
Shareen Vintage, 1721 N Spring Street, Los Angeles

Flounce Vintage
This cozy little shop in Echo Park is filled to the brim with well-preserved, reasonably priced vintage finds. Some of Flounce’s specialties are beaded evening bags, 50s cardigans, floaty 30s chiffon dresses, 40s rayon swing dresses, atomic print skirts, and accessories like gloves, bags, hats, jewelry and shoes. Owner Lisa is highly knowledgeable about all things vintage and is more than happy to answer questions and, if you can’t find what you are looking for, find it in the back for you. Look out for sale racks on the sidewalk from time to time for really good sale scores.
Flounce Vintage, 1555 Echo Park Ave, Echo Park

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Redefining the West Coast hostel in the age of the savvy travelette.

Artful lodgers have long sought after the ultra cool hostels of Berlin, Lisbon and Copenhagen, which clearly defy the dingy dorm image of sharing bath and bunk with questionable hobos. Travelettes, one of a number of websites now catering to the new hostel traveler, tells us the gap between these low budget accommodations and certain boutique hotels can be very slim, while “providing you with a high quality stay and a full wallet.”

The trend in locating those quality, $35- a -night pads and pods is spreading to the West Coast as backpackers in high heels and urban minimalists in Olukai flipflops take advantage of the sexy year-round rates as globetrotters grapple with the broken economy.

Here are a few favorites on the coast rounded up by thrifty city nomads on the go:

Stay on Main, Los Angeles, CA

Considered the hippest hostel in downtown L.A., the Stay on Main hostel is a hotel within The Cecil Hotel and renovated from a bare bones dorm to mod Scandinavian style in 2008 to attract a wide range of travelers. A short walk to the jewelry district and flower mart and a short bus ride to Hollywood, USC or Santa Monica beach, it boasts a menu of accommodations including: continental breakfast and complimentary wifi in public areas, flat screen TV’s in the rooms , a community kitchenette and rentable lockers.

(Runs $35 for dorm beds for backpackers to $65 for a twin or queen with shared facilities and $85 for a private queen or twin.)

“We offer the best value in the city,” offers sales manager Hosselyn Castro, who adds you can book months ahead or on 24-hours notice. How do you know you won’t have to bunk with eccentric strangerss? “We have our way of screening,” Castro assures.

636 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014: 213.213.7829

USA Hostels, San Francisco, CA

A recognized award winner in the world of hostel awards or Hoscars  (yes, this is a big deal in the industry), the USA Hostel in San Francisco is a happening hanging spot due to its groovy atmosphere, plush duvets, free popcorn for munching in its 50-seat theater and featured add-ons like wine and cheese, karaoke and quiz nights. Of course, the free all-you-can-flip pancakes and oatmeal and coffee keeps hungry travelers coming back for more.

(The 4-bed dorms go for $37.50 per night with shared baths. Located on Post Street with plenty of public transportation to get to Union Square and other destinations.)

711 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94109: 415.440.5600

The Pod Share, Hollywood, CA

Not to be a Hollywood hostel elitist, The Pod Share crowd insists they are not running a hostel but “a platform, an incubator, a globalization stimulation.” More apt, these nightly nooks are coined “Bento Boxes of goodness.” Safe, private and easy are the buzz words attracting guests to the property which holds ten at a given time. Situated at Hollywood and Vine, The pods feature three walls to wrap around your Tokyo-scale 90″ long x 50″ wide x 5 ft-high nest feathered with a foam mattress and pillows and chalk board moldings for marking your stay. Flat screens in the rooms, a slick, modern kitchen and wifi/computer access keeps it real, but guests must follow the four rules of pod politeness: no crumbly chips, awkward sex or outlawed smoke in your pod.

(At roughly $35 a night depending on which box you hole up in, it truly delivers as the pod for the mod squad.)

1617 Cosmo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028.213.973.7741

USA Hostels, San Diego, CA

Bright doesn’t quite cover it when it comes to this USA Hostel San Diego, earning ratings in everything from character to security to sand and surf location and cleanliness. This plus the lure of the new privacy pods with reading lights and the hot surfer dudes congregating on leather settees in the distinctive South of the Border mezzanine. This is the Gaslamp district’s best kept secret for communal lodging plus Tuesday $2 Tacos and Margarita nights and Saturday Tijuana tours.

(A private bedroom with shared bath is only $40 per night on the weekend; If you can take a bit more chatter, a 6-bed female dorm is $32.)

726 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 1.800.438.8622; local 619.232-3100

Elements Hotel,  San Francisco, CA

Touted as gay friendly and emerging pretty flashy as hostels go, the renovated Elements is clean and modern, situated in the indie foodie Mission District of San Francisco, walking distance to ethnic eateries, shops and nightlife – and for venturing out, it is smack in the transit corridor between Bart and three major bus lines. A major attraction is the rooftop lounge with a 360 degree view of the city, along with the mezzanine lounge and balcony. Guests may partake in free movie nights and high speed internet.

(Functioning more like a reasonably priced boutique hotel than hostel, it offers private spaces, starting at around $75 per night.)

2515 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA; 415.647.4100

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, CA

More earthy- crunchy than the new pack of haute hostels, at least this one is on the sustainable track and rated one of the hippest of the greenest  by Treehugger. Hey, at least they can get away promoting “the most spectacular hot tub on earth.” Scenic beyond the panoramic views of the Pacific from its perch on a cliff on the central coast (a mere 50 miles south of San Francisco), the shared or private rooms are found in the restored lighthouse keeper’s quarters. The green certified hostel offers the usual good stuff, from cozy indoor/outdoor lounges, fully equipped kitchens to satellite Internet, free WiFi and free parking.

(Rates start at $25 a night and when you aren’t gazing up at one of the tallest lighthouses around, you can whale watch in season or explore the Pescadero Marsh.)

210 Pigeon Point Road, Pescadero, CA 94060; 650.879.0633.

Main Image: StayonMain

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The Plankton Series by Maria Moyer – a collection of matte white ocean-inspired porcelain vessels benefiting Oceana – are introduced at West Elm.

NYC-based artist Maria Moyer is obsessed with plankton. Combine that with a deeply rooted love of white, organic shapes and the ocean and you have all the ingredients for her recently launched collection for West Elm. The Plankton Series is a collection of matte white porcelain vessels and highlights the intricate structures of the foundation of the Earth’s food chain, and 5% of the purchase price goes toward helping non-profit Oceana protect the world’s oceans.

Artist Maria Moyer at the launch party for her collaboration with West Elm and Oceana

In-store display of the Plankton Series at West Elm in West Hollywood

West Elm threw a pre-Earth Day party at their West Hollywood outpost on Thursday in celebration of the collaboration and I got to chat with some of the people involved in making it all happen.

I always wonder how these collaborations come about, so I asked Maria Moyer how it all started: “Most of my work is in one-of-a-kind sculptural pieces that I build one at a time. I started a body of work over a year ago that was ocean inspired. It included several references in texture and form to plankton – a lifetime love. Around the same time, West Elm asked me design a collection for them. While I don’t usually make things that are functional, I saw the opportunity as a great learning experience in a new role as a designer and I was moved by the idea that the West Elm audience could reach a significantly larger population than my one-piece-at-a-time creative process.”

The scene at West Elm in West Hollywood

“We look for artists we like and respect, who are creating interesting designs that we think our customers will respond to,” said Abigail Jacobs, Vice President, Public Relations & Brand Marketing at West Elm. “Collaborations add to the diversity of our product mix and make our product offering richer. They allow us to bring in new and unique points of view, and experts in techniques that we might not be able to produce with our in-house design team. Nature, and the sea, is such a meaningful and constant place of inspiration for us, and yet we’d never seen a collection inspired by plankton,” says Jacobs. “Maria’s work is first of all stunning, but the collaboration also gave us the opportunity to educate our customer through the story of her process and inspiration. The partnership with Oceana made that connection even more real.”

Moyer with her cousin

“The great part about partnering with Maria and West Elm,” says Jessica Champness, Manager, Major Gifts at Oceana, “is that the inspiration – plankton – are such a fundamental component of healthy oceans and are inherently connected to Oceana’s overarching campaigns, which include mitigating impacts from climate change, promoting responsible fishing and protecting habitat. West Elm has a compelling and authentic design story to showcase and, in doing so, they not only raise funds but help promote Oceana’s work to a new group of potential activists and donors who can start creating conversations about important ocean conservation issues within their own unique communities and encourage people to get involved with Oceana. Any new supporters gained from these efforts translate into a stronger base of support for Oceana to engage in grassroots advocacy, recruit volunteers and raise critical funds,” says Champness.

The visual inspiration is apparent – the amazingly intricate structure of plankton

“I’m grateful to West Elm for giving me what I have been calling a Plankton Pulpit, as I hope to spread the news about the little guys,” says Moyer. “If it doesn’t grab you that these microscopic plants and animals give us half the world’s oxygen (which, by some accounts, is more than our forests), you might also like to know they feed most of Earth’s creatures: from shrimp to whales and the 3 billion humans who depend on fish and seafood. Add to that, the startling and exquisite beauty of plankton – from diatoms to algae to microscopic animals. I’ve found a universe of aesthetic rapture that I want people to know about.”

It’s a beautiful, synergistic collaboration that lures you in with pure aesthetics but forces you to look deeper at the inspiration behind it. Plankton are the trees of the ocean and without them we would not be where we are today. Every time I place a candle in one of my gorgeous new tealights, I will thank them for all the great work they do while I watch the small rays of light dance across the table.

Photos courtesy of Maria Moyer and West Elm

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A weekly roundup of EcoSalon’s top stories.

We like being single but we also like companionship. In Abigail Wick’s weekly column Sex By Numbers, she tackles the topic: Can I Stay Single But Commit To One Man? Wick decides to address the issue penning it as an open letter to her dear friend and in truth, as much a letter to herself.

Dude, are you astrocartographically correct? In her article The 20 Best and Worst Cities for Your Astrological Sign, Shelter editor K. Emily Bond says: “Whether you actually buy into planetary politics (we’re reserving judgment), the cosmos are a fun and convenient foil for a range of bad behavior and bum luck.” Check out the story to see if your sign matches where you live.

Every city has a bevy of sustainable designers and L.A. has hurned out a fair share of them. In Sustainable Los Angeles: The Pioneers and Emergents, writer Kelly Drennan tallies up the best and brightest from shoe designers to ready-to-wear.

We have a lot we could be learning from the great north, especially when it comes to being truly environmentally friendly. In her story 7 Lessons From Canada’s Environmental Pragmatism, writer Senior Editor Luanne Bradley says: “According to the Vancouver Sun, the city is now moving ahead in 10 key areas that range from greening the economy by securing the city’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise, improving food production, cutting greenhouse gases and making walking, cycling and public transit the preferred transportation option for its citizens.”

Once a month, The Green Plate harvests the most interesting, biggest, weirdest, and puzzling recent news stories on food politics, the food industry, eating trends, and edible discoveries from around the web, and shares them with you. This month’s focus was on the latest food safety stories which are both shocking but fixable. Columnist Vanessa Barrington writes in (Shocking) News From the Food World: “This month, intentionally mismarked Chinese honey contaminated with heavy metals and illegal antibiotics is being shipped to the U.S. through India, preventing the U.S. from collecting tariffs and endangering your health, yet the FDA doesn’t want to inspect the honey entering the country. What gives?”

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