LA Fabric District

amanda_raqs · 01-23-2008, 03:38 PM

Hi everyone!

I am going to have some hours to kill in LA on friday before I head to Sahra's Journey Through Egypt course so I thought I'd like to check out the fabric district.

I am hoping to get some recommendations for good stores to check out for dancer-ish fabrics, appliques, etc. I did a search and found Michael Levine's recommended a couple of times, but that was it. Can anyone recommend some other places?

Thanks in advance!

Amanda

nasila · 01-23-2008, 03:55 PM

Hi, here's a downtown shopping article my partner did on LARaqs:

Shopping in Downtown Los Angeles

amanda_raqs · 01-23-2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nasila

Hi, here's a downtown shopping article my partner did on LARaqs:

Shopping in Downtown Los Angeles

This is great, thanks!!

sabrinabellydancer · 01-23-2008, 08:07 PM

bohemian crystal usually has better prices than berger beads and they are not as nasty to the customers either. just make sure you know what you want before you get a ticket and get in line for help.

scn1188 · 01-23-2008, 11:22 PM

Hi Amanda,
I am writing this with the assumption that you are an out-of-town visitor and haven't been to the LA Fabric district... be ready to be dazzled :-) Where to go depends on what you are looking for. The LARaqs article is an excellent guide for starters.

Some additional tips from my experience:
1. AZIPayless (see LARaqs article) has the best prices for chiffon at <$2.00/yard (45" width). They also have lycra and velvet -- however I haven't bought these types of fabric from them so do not know the price.

2. I have purchased swarovski buttons and swarovski trim at Gold Lea Trims at very good prices (someday I'll post pics of my costume in the "what are you working on" thread). It's a smaller store compared to the huge ones like Michael Levine's and Berger Beads, but has a good selection. No fabric, just trims and the like. The Persian lady owner is very pleasant and easy going -- tell her you bellydance and she'll be delighted :-) If you buy a significant dollar amount (~$100) you might be able to get a small discount if you pay in cash. If she's in a very good mood, she might give you a discount even if your purchase is just $10-20. See website for more info Gold Lea Trims Home Page

3. The larger shops typically post discount rates for purchases of $X and above. In general, the smaller the store, the more likely you can bargain, esp if your bill is higher AND you pay by cash.

4. If you are looking for loose swarovski crystals and are not yet certain on what you want, Berger Beads displays their crystals in glass counters so it's much easier for customers to browse compared to Bohemian Crystal. I've not experienced negative customer service at either place.

5. Michael Levine's has a huge and excellent selection of fabric. They have a discount on a different type of item daily, so it may be your lucky day. There is an excellent selection of swarovski buttons/brooches/trim. They have silk fabric ($10-12/yard, 45" wide) which you can purchase to make your own silk veil.

6. If you are buying stretchy fabric, be sure to observe that the fabric is measured and cut with the roll lying FLAT. This might sound strange (yes, that is the correct way to do it after all, and most shops do so), but the following happened to me at one of the smaller fabric shops: the fabric was measured cut with the roll still standing vertically, and I ended up with a piece of fabric that was 1 yard on one end and 3/4 yard on the other. I didn't look at the piece I bought until 1/2 hour later and when I returned to the shop, the store person refused to cut me another piece to exchange. Just keep this in mind!

7. Practically all items in the fabric/fashion district are final sale: no refunds or exchanges, and no exceptions.

Have a very enjoyable time!

amanda_raqs · 01-24-2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scn1188

Hi Amanda,
I am writing this with the assumption that you are an out-of-town visitor and haven't been to the LA Fabric district... be ready to be dazzled :-) Where to go depends on what you are looking for. The LARaqs article is an excellent guide for starters.

Have a very enjoyable time!

Yep, out of towner and we have NOTHING like this in Salt Lake City, so I am super excited. Its pretty much Joann's, Hancock or the internet around here!

I don't have anything particular in mind, but I am always on the lookout for interesting dancewear type fabric (lycra prints, metallics, etc) because the selection here is very limited and $20+ a yard at the dancewear stores.

This is mostly going to be a browsing trip, since Sahra gets most of my money! but I am hoping to maybe find one new treasure to bring home.

Thanks so much for the tips, I really appreciate it!

amanda

scn1188 · 01-24-2008, 08:41 PM

I forgot to add: LA is having a very rainy spell now; it's been raining the whole week and daily rain is expected through next Mon. It sounds like you're mainly interested in fabric. If you end up being "stuck in one store" due to the rain, I would recommend that the store be Michael Levine's.

Again, happy browsing/hunting, and enjoy Sahra's classes too. I hope you'll go home with more than just "one" new treasure... you'll know what I mean when you see the district with your own eyes :-)

Drop us a note in BHUZ when you return to SLC and tell us your adventures!

carolynn · 01-24-2008, 10:55 PM

Amanda, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get from downtown to culver city. it's less than 15 miles, but it can be a brutal 15 miles.

Be sure to introduce yourself! see you tomorrow night!

samiramirage · 01-24-2008, 11:08 PM

If you want cheap and hot shoes or knockoff handbags and sunglasses, costume jewelry, formal dresses, Cheap gold or silver jewelry, trendy ala forever 21/rave/charlotte russe clothing then check out the nearby Santee Alley. Rows and rows of the aforementioned merchandise. I used to live walking distance from there...its easy to drop some cash there. Be sure to try to bargain with the sales clerks and if you can pay with cash sometimes you can get out of paying sales tax or they will cut you an even better deal. typical and standard haggling.

Lilladancer · 01-27-2008, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiramirage

If you want cheap and hot shoes or knockoff handbags and sunglasses, costume jewelry, formal dresses, Cheap gold or silver jewelry, trendy ala forever 21/rave/charlotte russe clothing then check out the nearby Santee Alley. Rows and rows of the aforementioned merchandise. I used to live walking distance from there...its easy to drop some cash there. Be sure to try to bargain with the sales clerks and if you can pay with cash sometimes you can get out of paying sales tax or they will cut you an even better deal. typical and standard haggling.

Just an FYI... Santee Alley got majorly raided recently for "counterfeit" merchandise (i.e. designer knockoffs) so I wonder how this has affected their offerings....

samiramirage · 01-27-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilladancer

Just an FYI... Santee Alley got majorly raided recently for "counterfeit" merchandise (i.e. designer knockoffs) so I wonder how this has affected their offerings....

Damn! Where am I going to get my next "Guchi" or "Versache" bag?

TanyaLV · 01-28-2008, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiramirage

Damn! Where am I going to get my next "Guchi" or "Versache" bag?

amanda_raqs · 01-29-2008, 02:01 PM

Hi again, just wanted to report back on my experiences in the fabric district last friday.

First stop-Michael Levine's. All I can say is WOW, I think I spent over an hour just wandering around, looking at everything. I decided to browse some others store before I bought anything, so on I went.

I walked around for a while, peaking in open shops to see what they had, and ducking into others when the rain started up again. Since I didn't have anything specific in mind that I wanted to purchase, I just waited for something to catch my eye.

1st buy-I found a little shop that had lots of great lycra and sequinned fabric. I'm not used to being followed around the store by the clerk and being asked at every piece of fabric I touch "how many yards do you want". I think I said the phrase "I'm just looking" about a hundred times that day. But I accepted it and when I found my first acquisition, it came in handy to have him right behind me. I've never really haggled on the price of anything so it was a new experience. I asked how much per yard, he countered with how many yards do I want, I said 2, he said $12.99 a yard. Ouch, I'm on a budget and not going to pay that much, but thanks anyway. But wait, how much do I want to pay, $10 for 2 yards I say, $20 says he, $10-me, $16-he, $10-me, $14-he, $12-me, ok $12. So I left the store $12 lighter with my first purchase, some amazing wet-look lycra in a kind of burgandy/maroon color. Yay!

2nd buy-after more wandering I found another must have in a little shop. Compliments (you are so pretty, such a beautiful girl must have this fabric, blah blah blah) and more haggling ensued and I walked out with 2 yards of a lycra with a kind of soft striped pattern of blues and greens, $3 a yard.

3rd buy-I stumbled upon a shop that had everything on sale for $1 a yard, so I had to buy something, right? I ended up with 3 yards of white lycra with light blue stripes, to hopefully make an Eman style galabeya and bra.

I managed to find some of the other places people recommended. Stopped into Berger Beads and Bohemian Crystal but the kind of rhinestones I wanted were unfortunately not in the budget at the moment. I also went into another shop which I think was right next door to Bohemian Crystal that had a great selection of rhinestone chain, including some with really large blue rhinestones (like the size of a pencil eraser). I went in Azi Payless too, but that place was so cramped and packed full of stuff that I had some serious anxiety and had to leave! There were a few other fabric stores like that too!

Overall it was a fun adventure and I got some great stuff for only going $1 over my budget ($20). Thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions, I will definitely be making another trip to the LA Fabric District, with more money next time!!!

P.S. I definitely didn't mind all the compliments on my beauty (serious or not) from the shop owners!

XOXOXO
amanda

scn1188 · 01-29-2008, 07:41 PM

YAY for you!!! And wow, you are one good haggler (for 1st buy)... yes, it helps to be firm. Thanks for sharing your stories! Now we'll just wait to see those costumes in the "what are you working on thread"... :-)

amanda_raqs · 01-30-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scn1188

YAY for you!!! ..... Now we'll just wait to see those costumes in the "what are you working on thread"... :-)

Ha ha, it could be a while! I tend to collect costume making supplies but never quite get around to making them. I have bins of fabric that will hopefully emerge someday as beautiful costumes!