Los Angeles, along with many food-centric and progressive metropolitan areas, has become saturated with vegan restaurants and festivals in the past few years. Of course, this is a stellar phenomenon for the plant-based movement; it demonstrates the increasing interest and demand for vegan food. However, many have found these events to be much of the same. People crave variety. Like it or not, city society is constantly on the prowl for the newest, latest, most innovative “thing” to buy or experience. Circle V, a Mercy for Animals event, has revived the festival scene by combining live music, celebrities, vegan food, and activism into one not-to-miss event.

The third annual Circle V will be held at The Regent in Downtown Los Angeles on November 18th. Attendees can expect a few celebrity sightings, guilty pleasure vegan food, rocking live and DJ’d music, as well as inspiration from the leaders of the plant-based movement. Although entertainment is at the forefront of the event, the goal is to raise awareness and funds for animal rights issues. The profits from ticket sales will benefit Mercy for Animals’ mission to save the animals that are mistreated and destroyed by the animal agriculture industry. This non-profit welcomes all to attend, vegan or not. They stress inclusivity in hopes of introducing the vegan lifestyle to the masses and creating a positive change for farm animals.

The lineup of speakers has been thoughtfully curated to support this mission. Over thirty prominent vegan CEOs, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, social media influencers, chefs, and activists have been invited to speak. Active attendees may find interest in the athlete’s panel, which includes ultra endurance icon Rich Roll and Olympic Silver medalist Dotsie Bausch, among others. Business leaders include Bruce Friedrich (The Good Food Institute), Dominique Barnes (New Wave Foods), Ethan Brown (Beyond Meat) and Kat Von D (Kat Von D Cosmetics). Kip Anderson (What the Health, Cowspiracy) and Mark Ching (Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation) will also share their unique perspectives. The list goes on; you can find all the speakers and their bios on the Circle V line up page.

One of the factors that sets this festival apart is the live music. A longtime supporter of Mercy for Animals, musician Moby was charged with securing the musicians and DJs. In addition to performing himself, Waka Flocka Flame, DREAMCAR, ANML, Raury, Reggie Watts, Moon Honey, and DJ Valida will entertain the crowd from the early afternoon until midnight. This is not just a food festival with music. People come for the music.

Of course, exceptional vegan food is a major draw. Thanks to its growing popularity, many people are new to the vegan diet and the festival scene. For this crowd, their primary goal is to taste, sample, and discover all the vegan options they can get their hands on. By providing over a dozen different sweet and savory food vendors, Mercy for Animals and Moby hope to convince non-vegan attendees that plant-based foods are just as exciting, comforting, and delicious as any animal product out there. Like the music line up, the vendor list is extremely diverse. There will be multiple cupcake and Mexican options, as well as Soul Food, doughnuts, brownies, savory stuffed croissants, ice cream, and more. Moby’s fine dining, non-profit restaurant, Little Pine, is also participating. Although the menu has not been released, everyone is hoping he brings back that creamy, bread-crumb-topped mac-n-cheese.

To accompany some of the best vegan food in Los Angeles, a beer garden will serve brews from the top vegan-friendly beer companies in the area, along with non-alcoholic kombucha options for those intending to drive home. Wether you are a connoisseur of ales, stouts, or ciders, Circle V will provide.

It is not too late to purchase a ticket. Although General Admission has sold out, VIP options are still available. VIP is recommended, as it includes early admission to skip the lines and entry into the exclusive after party. Even those bored of the festival scene will find a renewed energy and engagement at Circle V. Its not just the food, or the live music, or even the A-list speakers and celebrities. Circle V cultivates an environment of shared passion, excitement, and community.

Find Tanya on Instagram and The Vegan Potluck Podcast. 

Related on EcoSalon

5 Chic Festival Backpacks
Why Animal Sanctuaries Matter
Mercy for Animals Finds Perfect Balance Between Entertainment and Activism

The post Disrupting the Festival Scene: Circle V is the Triple Threat of VegFests appeared first on EcoSalon.

Although solving global warming is complicated, all of us can do small things that make a big impact.

And one city that’s doing a seemingly small thing that could have a large, positive impact  is Los Angeles.

Heat islands

Cities are hot spots for more than entertainment and food. They also are significantly warmer because of something called the Urban Heat Island Effect. This “effect” means that cities tend to get warmer than other towns. Cities also tend to suffer from higher temperatures during heat waves.

So, what’s a city planner to do?

Get to a hardware store and buy a lot of paint, apparently.

Put on a fresh coat of paint

LA Street Services workers are taking to the city’s streets and painting some of them a light, off-white or grey color. This may seem strange, but according to an Environmental Protection Agency report, covering 35 percent of a city’s streets — specifically LA’s streets, in this case — with “reflective surfacing could cause air temperatures to drop by one degree Fahrenheit on average,” Curbed Los Angeles reports.

And so far, it appears that this resurfacing scheme may work. Encino recently completed a similar project. The project helped reduced surface temperature in a city parking lot by 25-30 degrees.

Other city cooling tricks

Although this resurfacing project is a great start, off-white paint alone won’t reverse climate change. So, we’ve done a bit of research to see what other city-cooling tricks are out there.

• Urban tree planting: “Urban forests,” areas, like parks and streetways that are lined with trees, can help reduce air and water pollution by “capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis”, and alter heating and cooling costs, the U.S. Forest Service reports.
• Cool roofs: Cool roofs are made from coated materials that help the roofs reflect sun and heat away from a building.
• Green roofs: Similar to cool roofs, green roofs are “coated” with a vegetative layer. These plants help reduce roof temperatures and manage stormwater.
• Reclaimed parking lots: Some cities are “depaving” some of their parking lots. For example, Depave, a Portland-based non-profit, “promotes the transformation of over-paved places to overcome the social and environmental impacts of pavement,” the organization explains. “We engage communities and reconnect urban landscapes to nature through action-oriented projects, education, advocacy and stewardship.”

To follow the resurfacing work LA Street Services is doing, check out the city’s Twitter account.

Related on EcoSalon
15 of the Best Responses to Trump Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
3 Eccentric Mission-Driven Food and Wine Festivals Only in Los Angeles
You’re Not the Only One With Insomnia: City Trees Don’t Sleep Well, Either

The post Why LA’s White Streets are Actually Green appeared first on EcoSalon.

American driving habits are changing, with more people choosing transportation alternatives that could mean we see fewer cars in the future. City policy makers across the country have taken notice and adopted transportation plans that make room for bikers, walkers, and transit users. Los Angeles made headlines recently for jumping on the bandwagon.

The new policy in Los Angeles, called Mobility Plan 2035, aims to improve safety for other modes of travel and reduce the number of drivers by adding “hundreds of miles of new bicycle lanes, bus-only lanes, and other road designs,” according to the LA Times.

Ken Bernstein, principal city planner for Los Angeles, said in an interview that the long-term plan “creates new choices for Los Angeles residents.”

“Transportation policies pursued in recent decades aren’t working,” he said. “We cannot build our way out of our mobility crisis any longer.”

American Car Culture is Changing

Millennials and those coming up behind them are less concerned with driving cars, research in LA shows. They put off getting a driver’s license for years and some have joined the crowd of bike commuters. Between 2000 and 2010, LA saw a 56 percent increase in the number of people biking to work.

After years of saying the number of drivers in the U.S. would rise dramatically, the Federal Highway Administration majorly adjusted its estimated trajectory in January, saying that, actually, the number of drivers will stay pretty flat over the next three decades.

The adjustment “is important because excessively high estimates of future driving volume get used to justify wasteful spending on new and wider highways,” according to Streets Blog USA.

For communities improving their policies, the standard seems to be “Complete Streets.”

Complete streets is a city planning philosophy that prioritizes roadways that are safe for people of all ages and abilities, balance the needs of all road users, and “support local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments,” according to the National Complete Streets Coalition.

That translates to roads that make room for your bike with more than just a symbol on the pavement. It also mentions longer walk signals and shorter crosswalks. No longer must you wait at the mercy of a car to cross the road. In 2013, Chicago established a “pedestrian first” hierarchy that says, “All transportation projects and programs, from scoping to maintenance, will favor pedestrians first, then transit riders, cyclists, and automobiles,” according to a city statement.

Across 30 states, 712 communities have complete streets policies.

By walking, biking, and bussing, creative travelers can reduce air pollution, cutting back on the environmental and health impacts attributed to driving.

In California, 38 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. Reducing smog could be as easy as walking or biking with your kids to the park or to the market – those little trips that take five minutes that wouldn’t be much worse if they took 15 and included some outdoor exercise.

Almost half of all trips in greater Los Angeles are less than 3 miles – within biking or walking distance. Currently, 84 percent of those trips are done by car, according to the city.

Walkers, Bikers Need Safer Streets

Opponents of the new plan in LA argue that there won’t be fewer cars in the future and reducing car lanes to add bike and bus lanes will create even more congestion for drivers.

“They feel that it is trying to force people to abandon the automobile,” Bernstein said. “That’s not the intention but that’s the perception.”

In reality, the city is trying to add choices “that don’t exist today,” he said.

But you can’t be expected to bike or walk if the streets aren’t safe, just like you don’t use the bus when it’s consistently late.

According to the LA Times, pedestrians represent only 10 percent of people involved in car crashes but more than 35 percent of overall road deaths in Los Angeles County between 2002 and 2013.

“Reducing all types of crashes, experts say, is possible if the city is willing to dramatically reshape streets by adding medians, widening sidewalks and putting in dedicated bus and bike lanes, at the expense of car lanes,” the Times reports.

Four U.S. cities are making major strides in protecting bikers at one of the most stressful points during an urban bike ride: intersections.

Just a few days before city officials passed the new plan in LA, Davis, California, opened the first protected intersection – a redesigned intersection that is hard to explain but apparently easy to use. The method is modeled after Dutch infrastructure.

Davis narrowly beat Austin, Texas, Salt Lake City, and Boston, which will open their own protected intersections soon.

Recent research by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities upholds the commonsense that more people are willing to bike in lanes that are separated from cars either by curbs, medians, or parked cars.

As cities of all sizes add infrastructure that makes biking, walking, and bussing a serious alternative to driving, we’ll see the effect of fewer cars on the road, less smog in the air, and healthier, happier people.

Related on Eco Salon

How Walkable is Your ‘Hood? 4 Benefits of Pedestrian-Friendly Communities

The Last Time Carbon Dioxide Levels Were This High, Humans Hadn’t Evolved

How Paris Reduced City Smog for One Day (and How You Can Reduce Air Pollution)

Bicycle photo from Shutterstock

The post U.S. Cities Embrace Transportation Alternatives, Imagine Fewer Cars in the Future appeared first on EcoSalon.

Labor issues in the garment industry are widespread around the world, and an investigation in Los Angeles has revealed it’s rampant among Made in the USA products as well.

More than $3 million in back wages are reportedly owed to more than 1,500 garment industry workers based in the Los Angeles area, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The investigation found that the back wages come out to $1,900 per laborer, “the equivalent of five weeks of typical pay,” reports the Times. “The cases revealed Los Angeles workplaces with ‘all the features of a sweatshop.’”

The situations were shocking: Some of the work environments included “shaky elevators with flickering lights” and the sewing employees “were paid 9 cents per piece of clothing stitched — a rate that often falls below minimum wage,” the Times reported, and some of the employees’ pay stubs “could be redeemed only at check cashing stores that charged fees.”

With much of the garment industry moving its labor to countries like Bangladesh, China and Vietnam, Los Angeles’ garment factories have dramatically decreased in the last two decades. But it’s still employing more than 46,000 workers, making it the second-largest manufacturing industry employer in the area, behind transportation equipment, and the wages are almost half the countywide average of $1,161, reports the Times.

The contractors cited for owing back wages work with some of the nation’s best known brands that boast their Made in the USA products, including Macy’s, JC Penney and Kohl’s, and according to the Times, “The Los Angeles garment industry runs on a system in which retailers order from manufacturers, who rely on a network of subcontractors to cut, dye, sew, trim and finish items. Profit margins are slim and competition is intense.”

Many of the contractors are willing to pay the penalties over labor issues because paying the penalties is cheaper than paying the people what they’re rightfully owed.  And even when the issue is identified through an investigation, workers aren’t guaranteed payment. According to the Times, a report released earlier this year by the UCLA Labor Center and the National Employment Law Center “found that it is very difficult for workers to recover unpaid wages, even when the state rules in their favor. From 2008 to 2011, workers recovered only 42% of about $390 million in unpaid wages verified by the state, the report concluded.”

Since 2009, there have been more than 1,600 Labor Department investigations of the garment industry in Los Angeles, with 89 percent of those investigated resulting in violations.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

Vietnamese Garment Industry Shows Cause for Major Concern

Wage Wars in Cambodian Garment Manufacturing Industry Escalating

Can Fast Fashion Brand H&M Change the Textile Industry in Ethiopia for the Better?

Image: marissa orton

The post ‘Made in the USA’: Sweatshop Conditions Rampant in Los Angeles Garment Industry appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Center for Food Safety has launched an incredible video series called “Hollywood Food Voices.” First up in the series is Moby, the prolific songwriter, DJ, outspoken vegan…and now, you can add BBF, as in Bees’ Best Friend. Just watch Moby explain about the bees on his property and why protecting them is so important. It’s really heartwarming.  

Check out the Center for Food Safety’s website here.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Related on EcoSalon

A Song for the Oceans that Will Change How You View Water Forever [Video]

OMG! Russell Brand’s Rant About the iWatch is Priceless [Video]

The Muppets Beastie Boys Mashup Has Arrived [Video]

The post His Name is Moby and He Speaks for the Bees [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

As if Los Angeles needed another reason for bragging. It’s now home to the nation’s largest urban rooftop solar energy program, and it could make you money while helping to support clean energy initiatives in the state.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the program, called Clean L.A. Solar, makes it possible for Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power to now pay its customers if they generate solar energy via rooftop solar panels.

The Los Angeles Business Council is the driving force behind the program, and hopes that it will generate 150 megawatts of solar energy, “enough to power about 30,000 homes,” reports the Times. “The council hopes to attract investments totaling $500 million from a growing list of companies that want to invest in L.A.’s push to go green by setting up large clusters of rooftop solar panels.” And the solar energy program hopes to expand, rapidly. “Clean L.A. Solar proponents have their sights set high, aiming to expand the initial 150-megawatt goal over the next several years to 600 megawatts.”

The move comes as a result of the state’s mandate to generate 33 percent of its electricity through renewable resources by 2020. If everything goes smoothly, the Clean L.A. Solar program should help the city reach 25 percent of that goal by 2016. As well, the program will create more than 4,000 jobs for Angelinos.

Another benefit of the program is that it could also be extremely helpful to the city’s lower income neighborhoods. Some of the city’s poorest areas also have the highest amount of light available, making homes in those neighborhoods prime candidates for solar rooftops.

The program will pay 17 cents per kilowatt-hour initially, decreasing to 14 cents, according to the Times.

Related articles

3 Mega Tech Companies Building Super Green Headquarters

Solar Impulse Plane Completes First Cross-Country Trip Powered by the Sun

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: hsld

The post The City of Angels Launches Largest Solar Energy Rooftop Program (And it Pays) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Think LA couldn’t get any more…well…LA? Then you probably haven’t seen the juice ATM in Beverly Hills yet.

Believe it or not, living in Los Angeles can actually be stressful, despite the gorgeous sunshine and all-too-frequent celebrity sightings in Whole Foods (recently spotted: Dana Carvey and Alec Baldwin).

The traffic and smog can make you feel like you need a pick-me-up and detox at all hours of the day, and that’s not even considering what a night of clubbing in Hollywood will do to your liver. (Don’t hate the players, people, hate the game.)

Fresh fruits and vegetable juices (skip the bottled OJs from concentrate in 7-Eleven) have loads of rejuvenating power and immune-boosting support that can do wonders for your energy levels, healthy and vitality. But come on, how many juice bars do you know of that are open 24-hours a day? Unless you consider the grease oozing off a 3am slice of pepperoni pizza “juice,” the answer is probably zero.

That is, until now.

Meet Kreation Juicery, home of the world’s (presumably) first fresh juice ATM–as in an always-accessible vending machine situated outside of the chain’s Beverly Hills location. According to the company’s website, the healthy and delicious fresh-pressed juices are “designed to invigorate the body and mind for all of Los Angeles.” And, get this, all of Kreation’s juices are “made from Farmer’s Market 100% organic fruits and vegetables purchased right here in Santa Monica,” says the website. “They flood the body’s cells with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that cleanse, heal, and nourish.”

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: kreation

The post Better than Cash: LA Home to World’s First Fresh Juice ATM appeared first on EcoSalon.

Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before: Is Los Angeles’ Staples Center going vegetarian for a Morrissey concert on March 1?

British alternative rocker, Morrissey—the outspoken vegan animal rights activist and former Smiths lead singer—is hoping to make history with his forthcoming concert appearance in Los Angeles this coming Friday. According to Morrissey’s representative, the Staples Center venue will only offer its guests vegetarian food items on the evening of Morrissey’s performance. The 20,000-person capacity concert and sports venue owned by AEG and promoter Goldenvoice (Coachella) has agreed to the mandate per Morrissey’s request for all of the food vendors to ban “flesh as food” for the evening. Additionally, all McDonald’s outlets in the facility will be non-operational during the evening.

But a spokesperson for the Staples Center told Reuters another story: “As of right now, there will be meat options for fans,” and the venue will reportedly include vegetarian options for Morrissey’s strict vegetarian fans.

According to a press release by Morrissey’s representative, the victory is particularly notable as the same request previously made by fellow British rocker and vegetarian, Sir Paul McCartney, was denied by the Staples Center. Morrissey was quoted as saying: “I don’t look upon it as a victory for me, but a victory for the animals.” But in some ways, it’s also a victory for Morrissey that he gets to perform at all. The singer has been plagues recently with a bleeding ulcer. He’s already had to cancel or reschedule many dates on the tour and has even suggested he may officially retire in 2014.

AEG and Goldenvoice will reportedly also donate a portion of all ticket sales to the animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals); both Morrissey and McCartney have done promotional work for the organization.

The Smiths’ second album, Meat is Murder, released in 1985, is noted for its strong pro-vegetarian messaging; and countless vegans and vegetarians (this writer included) credit Morrissey as influencing their decision to adopt an animal-free diet and lifestyle.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Man Alive!

The post Big Mouth Strikes Again: Morrissey Aims to Turn LA’s Staples Center Vegetarian appeared first on EcoSalon.

Frock Los Angeles’ sustainable dresses and gowns blend vintage fashion and modern edge for an alluring and sexy take on the feminine figure. 

Awards season is on, with many eyes on those red carpet ensembles. In honor of stars that are supporting eco fashion designers, we’d like to present a fashion label whose delectably lavish and luxurious gowns and dresses are eco-friendly, Fair Trade and manufactured right here in the USA. Meet Frock Los Angeles, a women’s fashion design house offering the perfect blend of 1930’s elegance and modern edginess in dresses that have caught the eye of several celebrities and fashionistas.

Frock Los Angeles Spring/Summer 2013

Frock Los Angeles was founded in 2009 by designer Victoria Tik, who was on a mission to fill a void for sophisticated, smart, fuss-free dresses that were both beautiful and made sustainably. After a fruitless search, Tik decided to design her own versatile, stylish and comfortable dress that would take her from the office to after hour cocktails. She launched the label with co-founder Ian Maxion, and the designs proved to be a hit, opening up a market of chic and sustainable dresses for the modern woman that don’t require the same degree of maintenance as a couture gown, and can easily be dressed up or down. Like Tik says, “What’s terrific about our sustainable jerseys is that they’re so natural and so tolerable. We can create gowns that women don’t have to dry clean, that they can easily pack in a suitcase.”

Frock Los Angeles Spring/Summer 2013

Removing the focus from trends, Frock Los Angeles creates each collection of dresses to be timeless, minimalist and adaptable to several types of occasions. The sensual designs embrace the female form, emphasizing silhouettes through the use of figure flattering and hugging cuts, and simple colors like solid black, white and pale pink. Tik says she is inspired by the women in her life, naming each dress or gown after an empowering and significant lady.

The Leighton Dress, named after Frock Los Angeles advocate Leighton Meester, is an alluring and modern take on the graceful gowns of the 1930s.

All Frock Los Angeles garments are made out of luxury jersey blend materials incorporating certified organic cotton, bamboo and soy fibers colored with the most vivid vegetable dyes. No synthetic liners are ever used, and each piece is designed to be low-maintenance, and as such, both machine and hand washable. These stylish frocks are easy to wear, omitting zippers and buttons and calculating all designs “to fit and shape around the body as efficiently and simply as possible.” Priced between $100 and $300, these dresses are fantastic eco-fashion options that will make a statement without breaking the bank.

Vanessa Curry (former Pussycat Doll, wearing the Vivien Mermaid Backless Train Gown), is the brand’s ambassador and guest designer.

The label is committed to social responsibility, ensuring that everything from the design, to the sourcing of fabrics and manufacturing are as sustainable as possible. Their design and cutting techniques are low waste; the fabrics are domestically sourced and vegetable-dyed, and production occurs through LA-based factories that pay fair wages. The label’s mission of providing modern women with “the ability to believe comfort can be beautiful and responsible,” is well under way.

Kathryn McCormick modeling the Mel Jersey Wrap.

Kathryn McCormick, star of the latest Step Up movie, is another avid supporter of the label, having fanned Frock Los Angeles at several red carpets events with effortless elegance and style. As Tik affirms, “I’ve worked with Kathryn now multiple times and she’s a dancer, so she really understands the importance of comfortable fabrics that move. It means a lot that she supports my designs.” McCormick marries the ease and clean lines of Tik’s designs well with their purpose, which is “to highlight a woman’s best features.”

Kathryn McCormick wears the Angie Dress to the“Black Carpet” premiere of Twilight Breaking Dawn 2  in Los Angeles.

To get a piece of Frock Los Angeles, check out their online shop or use their store locator to find designer boutiques and retailers carrying the label. Connect with Frock Los Angeles on Facebook to stay updated on new pieces, collections and special offers, and keep your eyes open for these sexy and sustainable styles on the red carpet!

Images: Frock Los Angeles

The post Frock LA: Fashion That’s Sleek, Sensual and Sustainable appeared first on EcoSalon.

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

The post 7 Awesome Thrift Stores in Los Angeles appeared first on EcoSalon.