Pasadena Magazine

February 2016 - Beauty, Love and Money

Pasadena Magazine is the bi-monthly magazine of Pasadena and its surrounding areas – the diverse, historically rich and culturally vibrant region that includes Glendale, the Eastside of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley all the way to Claremont.

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demographic moving into Eagle Rock and nearby neighborhoods experiencing an infl ux of young families. McLucas' customers can be classifi ed as the "Eastside Girl," a little hipper, a little more label conscious, but also mindful of price tags. Most of the items in the Gift of Garb come from individuals across Los Angeles, where she is invited into some of the largest and most luxury-fi lled closets in the region. And since the opening of the physical store, she has received many more walk-in consigners. Pro Tip: Keep informed through the store's email, Facebook (Gift of Garb), and Instagram (giftofgarb) accounts to hear about their $15 sales which happen about every other month. The Showroom Pasadena 300 S. Raymond Ave., Ste. 14, Pasadena, CA 91105, 626.844.8884 or theshowroompasadena.com At fi rst glance, The Showroom Pasadena looks like a high-end designer boutique, but a closer look will reveal a store fi lled with a highly curated mixture of luxury, mid-priced and affordable brands for re-sale. A Helmut Lang jacket could be placed next to an equally stylish Zara top, a combination that would be the envy of any fashion-obsessed gal. "We offer a really wide range of price points for our customers," says owner Jaymie Gomez. "I think that's what makes us different from the other consignment stores, we're not so vintage and we're not super high end. There's something for everybody." Her clientele does refl ect everybody from the hip millennials to the chic baby boomers. Gomez, a Pasadena mom, explains why she opened The Showroom Pasadena, "I used to shop consignment. It was something that was missing for me, I was looking for last season that I missed out on and I wanted to offer that." The Showroom Pasadena also carries new products such as the Vitruvi aromatherapy line, the Sincerely Jules jewelry line and Marie Kondo's book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (one of the philosophies of the store). Gomez also works with leading fashion bloggers to spot trends and often has a rack that comes straight from the blogger's closet. On a recent visit, a rack of clothing from top style blogger Michelle Madsen was featured. Additionally, the boutique offers personal styling through a stylist on staff and an online store. Pro Tip: Follow The Showroom on Instagram (theshowroompasadena), because that's where they post their newest fi nds. If you want to buy the item, you have to be quick because posted items sell fast. Style on Green 1136 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91106, 626.796.9924 or styleongreen.com An open Dutch door greets customers to Style on Green, a luxury resale store that has been at the same site for decades. Inside, labels such as Chanel, Kate Spade and a room full of St. John clothing and jewelry invite the customer to spend time trying on beautifully made clothing at a fraction of the original price. Before Roberta Lyon owned Style on Green, she was a longtime consignor to its predecessor Ragtime on Green. She eventually bought the business, remodeled the store and re-opened it as Style on Green in 2002. The boutique's inventory comes from across the country, from New York to San Francisco, including several boutiques that consign new clothing with the original tags attached. The clientele also comes from near and far to shop at the boutique says Lyon, "We have a lot of women that come from the Westside to shop with us and we have a group that comes up every 90 days from San Diego—six ladies that come up to buy their career clothes, evening wear, or just something really nice. " The "style" at Style on Green is a bit more conservative in nature, carrying many of the brands found at Nordstrom in addition to the high-end luxury brands. Says Lyon, "We have the mature late 20-something to the 70-year-old career woman who wants to dress fabulous." Chanel and St. John are by far the boutique's biggest sellers and the reason many of their customers hear about the shop in the fi rst place. Pro Tip: Style on Green puts together a look book with items currently in the store. If you are looking for a specifi c style or "look," ask to see it and you may fi nd your next designer outfi t. Boutique No. 5 733 W. Naomi Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.445.9255 or Facebook: Boutique No.5 Boutique No. 5 is a jewel box of a boutique nestled in a busy mall that also includes a grocery store and a big discount retailer. It is lined with cases fi lled with handbags and shoes from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermès, Salvatore Ferragamo and other classic luxury brands with a jewelry case and a small rack of clothing. Owner Su Chiang started the business in 2002 when her sister wanted to empty her closet full of designer items (her sister had a similar business in Taiwan when Chiang was a teen). As with many in the re-sale business, Chiang started on Ebay and eventually opened the physical store. Today, the boutique's clientele is someone who is looking for a classic investment piece because, as Chiang puts it, "Take care of your designer purses and they'll take care of you." Some of the purses, especially Chanel, increase in value as they age. But, they must remain in excellent condition. When Boutique No. 5 opened, most of the items for sale came from family (her sister) and friends, but today the list of consignors has grown as ladies with too many designer bags contact Chiang to empty their closets. Pro Tip: If you see an item you like, but it's a little pricey for you, ask to see if the price is negotiable. The sales staff is more than willing to call the consignor to see if a lower price is acceptable. 24 FEBRUARY 2016 T A L K A B O U T T O W N PULSE the pulse_Feb16.indd 24 1/20/16 2:18 PM

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