LA Fashion District

Notirous for cheap clothes and thats exactly what you will find here. Its ok ay for some simple stuff but dont expect to find anything super glamorous. A lot of the stuff are rip offs though so be careful.

This place has a lot of options for clothes, dresses especially for women when you need a dress for a special occasion, but nothing is free in this world. Its all fun and ganes until you need to use the restroom and there is 4 bathrooms per 100,000 customers. Saturday and sundays are nuts … next time i absolutley need to go will be during the week.

I know whenever I have guests from out of town that one of the things they want to do on their visit is go see the Fashion District. To be honest, I hate the Fashion District with a passion only because I’ve been here one too many times for work reasons. Nevertheless, I understand that it can be an enjoyable experience for most people.
Pros:
— Pay less on items
— Fun in bargaining
— Find various items in categories such as clothing, fabric, makeup, wigs, crafts, jewelry, etc.
Cons:
— Parking situation can be a nightmare & costly
— Have to dig a lot to find quality stuff
— Safety concerns (***I don’t recommend walking around here in the evening***)
— Dirty
— Rip offs

It’s good to get deals but is really rundown. Stick to the nice parts of Downtown by City Hall, South Park, The Financial District, Little Tokyo and Union station.

BARGAIN BARGAIN BARGAIN!
I found parking for the whole day for $ 10. I’m sure they have better offers. They have parking garages everywhere!
Be comfortable and don’t dress up. It’s better to look like you don’t have money so it’s easier to get a good deal.
Everything is pretty cheap but it’s always good to haggle. I found my bridesmaids dresses here and originally they offered it to me for $ 100. I bargained and got it down to $ 60. Every bridesmaid shop has some dresses exactly the same, just different prices.
This fashion district has everything you could think of on sale. From carpets, fabrics, makeup, to birds, hamsters and turtles! They even have wedding dresses!
I definitely want to come back again. The drive is worth it.

Good place to find deals. If you are patient and like shopping than this is for you. If you aren’t much of a shopper I wouldn’t recommend it. There are some quality well made garments here and there, but you have to search for them.
Also keep designer sample showrooms in mind for good deals.
There are some cute little café’s scattered around the districts for quick shopping breaks.

I laaaa love the fashion district! Been coming here with my family for years now. We come at least twice a year, and definitely during the holidays because you can find nice presents for co-​workers and what not for a cheap price.
Fashion district has a bunch of different districts. They have a flower district, material/​cloth district, purse district, etc etc. It’s probably a few miles long in total so lots of walking. Make sure to wear comfy shoes! They also have a famous street called the Alley. It’s a narrow street and it can get packed. Hold your kids, purses, and belongings. The Alley overall has the great items with the best prices in all of the districts. It’s mostly clothes, purses, jewelry, shoes and miscellaneous tech stuff. You can find pretty much anything in the Alley actually.
Parking is found everywhere but prices can vary. I normally don’t pay more than $ 10 for parking on every visit. So it is downtown LA, so expect dirtiness and stinkiness and a variety of different people.
They sell street food on pretty much every corner. Fruit, drinks, ice cream, and the famous street dogs. The hot dogs are legit but I don’t like hot dogs anymore so haven’t had one in a while. The hot dog smell is everywhere! Can get nauseating for me.
So get your shop on, wear comfy shoes, and bring the whole fam!

It is an absolute sight to simply tour down the tight sidewalks and corridors that are filled with vendors who peddle shoes, fabrics, hand bags, shirts, underwear, etc. The prices are usually really low since you can get much at wholesale. Of course, you have to have the stomach to handle the crowds. Areas can get so crowded, you feel like you may get carried away

A great place to walk around with lots of shops selling at wholesale price. Make sure you’re wearing sneakers or sandals and not heels as you will need to walk a lot as it took me 3 hours walking from shops to shop but I’m still not done, there is still may shops to explore. Oh and if you love shoes, there’s a couple of wholesale shoe shops. But of cause this is not a place for fussy customers who are particular on quality. Well, u get what u pay for and if it’s a good deal why not?

Park at the different parking lots near by. Come here for new clothes, hats, shoes, make-​up, and so much more. Don’t forget to bring cash, walking shoes, and some water because you will be doing some major shopping.

How can anyone not like this place. It’s literally a flea market that goes on for blocks… And blocks… And blocks. There’s everything u want, need and desire here lol, and it’s cheap. Only thing I don’t like is that it’s always super crowded. Other than that, when ever I visit SoCal, I always bring something home from here :)

The negative reviews are hilarious, and inappropriate hahaa
This is a downtown environment, it’s downtown business, & if you have a reason to be here you’re going to love it.
I’ve picked up a couple thousand shirts over the last year or so, & the price just seems to go down while the quality goes up.
I wouldn’t suggest going weekends, people crowd the parking to head to the alleys; unless that’s you deal.
Granted there are retail shops, but the main purpose of the area is wholesale. You can find licensed merchandise, general merchandise, & even unlicensed merchandise (but you didn’t hear that from me) hahaa

With so many shops– there is nothing you can’t find! Clothing without the brand pricing. Many places to eat as well as those famous downtown dogs– «Elizabeth I am getting a heart attack»
Clothing and accessories below the costs of many famous makers.

The fashion district in la was at the top of my list of places to go while on my vacation. I am a fashion design major so the district was a treasure island or me nice fabric for cheap prices, buttons, and trims. I loved it there. I just wished I could have bought more stuff. I will defiantly be returning very soon. I could walk around the fashion district for hours. I’m in love! I went during a weekday and it was busy I can’t imagine how busy it is on the weekend. If your an aspiring designer like myself then you will love the La fashion district!

Parking usually cost between 10 and 20. It’s more than usual on market week and during sample sales.
Get fresh juice in the Cal Mart building.

Came here last Thursday and it was definitely fun and an interesting experience. There were people bustling about even though it was a weekday, so I would be scared to come here on a weekend.
PARKING:
There is a bunch of flat rate parking lots pretty much everywhere ranging from ($ 3 – 5). Don’t be afraid to drive around to find one closest to your target location at the best price.
What to BUY:
A lot of the clothing stores on Santee Alley have forever21 type clothing at f21 and above type prices. So if you’re looking for that… I wouldn’t exactly recommend buying here. They do have a lot of cheap makeup and brushes and such. They have some brand name items like Mac but who knows if it’s real or not. If you’re in the experimenting phase with makeup, this is a good place to shop around because at the price point, the items are easily disposable if you end up not liking the color, texture. etc.
What to WEAR:
–sunglasses are a must. You’re constantly walking in and out of stores and your eyes will start shutting down without them
— light, airy clothing as it gets hot walking around outside
— cross body purse or fanny pack. They are helpful because it keeps your hands open to shop! (Be mindful of your valuables. as always in crowded spaces.)
— comfortable walking sandals or shoes that can be easily slipped on or off in case you want to try something on.
What to BRING:
— a light tote or backpack to store all your goodies in!
— CASH as most of your transactions will require the dolla billz. (Bathrooms cost 50 cent)
— One or two friends. Any more and I could see everyone always getting lost or separated.
Besides that, have fun just perusing/​people watching/​deal making!

I used to love this place they always had cute stuff for great prices. They have gone up on their prices and many things I see there are the same prices as in the malls.
Yesterday I wanted to get some over the knee socks, they were charging $ 15. America Apparel sells them for the same price and that store is very expensive. Why wouldn’t I just go there if I wanted over priced clothing?
There are still some places that have great prices but for the most part I’m disappointed at the increase in price with the same quality.
Also going on the weekend is a zoo there are tons if people and you can barely walk through the alley. It’s better to go during the week or very early.

This area was and is still referred to as the Garment District. Right next to the Jewelry District, Flower District and Toy District. You can easily spend a month shopping in all these areas. I have shopped here a lot when I was running my business. I even got to know many of the retailers and some I still consider good friends.
I’m here this time for a specific reason so I don’t have much time to be here. You do have to be careful coming here. Just like anywhere you go be aware of your environment and stay away from areas that do not have lots of people.
I remember coming here buying several custom made suits. People at work thought I was rich wearing suits almost every day that were custom fitted. Well, they were custom tailored, not expensive, and I was not rich. People were nice and could sell to you easily then not worrying about the Board of Equalization. That has changed. Many of the vendors here are wholesale only. Meaning, they will sell to you if you have a valid Reseller License and they can check if its valid or not simply calling a number and entering your Reseller number. They are required to have you fill out a reseller sheet stating you are a valid reseller. These are inspected during audits for legitimacy. Not everyone follows this, always good to check.
So, if you’re asked for a reseller, that’s why. They will not allow you to shop if they are strictly wholesale whereby you will be expected to put in a large order. Now, some shops will still sell to you because 1) they have no regard to the law or 2) they do have a legit retail license as well.
There are many shops here. Mens clothes. Ladies. Kids. Shoes. If they’re showing a name brand, I doubt it. If it looks good, name brand or not, I’ll check out the quality and if its something I like I’ll get it. I have shopped here alot and you’ll be surprised how good the product is, how cheap it is and how long it will last. Some of the better shops will do alterations there for free right on the spot. They’ll make the adjustments, tell you to come back within an hour or so. You pay when you come back.
The other thing I like coming here for is the food, especially the hot dog. They grill it, serve it with roasted sweet peppers, onions, green onions then I’ll add on relish, mustard and ketchup. It is soooo good. I have to have one of these every time I come here.
There are a few things that bring this area down. Parking is a big issue here. I don’t have that problem because I know the area but can still drive around a couple times before I get a spot.
The other issue is restrooms are almost non-​existent. There are a few around but there is an attendant there that collects a quarter or 2 quarters for you to use. I remember one time I gave my quarter went in and there was no tp. I went out and said there’s no tp. She tells me that costs more quarters. i gave 2 quarters. She gave 4 sheets. Now, I felt like I was getting ripped off.
If you like to shop and don’t need to have name brands but good quality clothes and shoes, then go to the garment district. Just be careful.

Okay the place could use a few less bongs but for cheap clothes you can’t beat the fashion district. Sign up for their emails to be notified when they are having sample sales and other fun things in the fashion district. Don’t just shop in Santee Alley there is a lot more to the fashion district and the Alley tends to be the worst, most expensive part of it.

I love this jewel of LA! It’s the perfect place to get really great prices clothes and other miscellaneous items you may need! This is def a go to spot if you have fam visiting from out of town they will find anything they need right in this one spot! It can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, but it’s worth it!

Now I know what it’s like to be sober in Tijuana. Guess I can check that off the bucket list of stuff I never wanted to do.
I left here with dirty feet and smelling like sizzling hotdog steam, but I got the unique fabric I needed. Try to leave your personal space issues behind and bring your antibacterial. Gueras, make sure your Spanish game is on point if you want a deal.

Sooo many variety food stands everywhere homemade food. So many venders i literally only covered one block. U can bargain with them and theyll go down on price too. They sell wholesale everything!!!

Depending on the stores you walk into, some will be sketch compared to others. Most stores for girls have the same shoes and clothing. It just depends where you can find a better deal or try to bargain with them. I saw the same cardigan at one store for almost $ 22 and another store for $ 15! I would suggest walking around and coming back if you really want something. The shops are all so close by anyways it’s not that far of a walk!
Coming on a weekday is definitely a better choice compared to the weekends. 1) Flat rate parking is waaay cheaper $ 4-​$ 5. Ample amount of meter parking available. However, I parked at the meters and it was $ 0.25 for every SIX (6) minutes. expensive. You should just park at the flat rate lots if you plan on spending more than 1 hour there. Santee Alley is always a favorite and must go when I come.
Some stores have prices equal to the mall. Not worth it. Many name brands here are fake so be careful. Then again, you get what you pay for. Hold onto your belongings because it can be crowded and easy to pick pocket. Don’t be wearing your fancy diamonds or watches either! You are just asking for it. Other than that, it’s a good place to come to every once in a while. Swap meet type of feel. Some walk ways will stink like sewer, others will smell like bacon wrapped hot dogs. mmm.

Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE 2014−(122÷365) «The Fashion Flea Market»
This fashion district is nothing more than an oversized outdoor flea market. Unless you’re from this part of town, navigating the whole area is kinda tricky because it runs a few long blocks/​acres.
Parking is a pain, but once you get through that hurdle (and make sure you remembered where you parked !) You can go shopping for anything and everything from smartphone accessories, to cheap suits and knockoff brand name items and everything in between!
On this recent visit, it seems like the Fashion District has cleaned up a bit, or is more controlled where I haven’t seen the «Illegal vendor» trying to make a quick buck on the street corner of purses, pirated DVDs or shirts that were probably stolen. This place may not be for everyone, but its cool to check out at least once. ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​3