Shoes | All That Glitters

Location: 150 South La Brea Avenue, Mid-City

American Rag. This place is bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I love the idea of killing some time sifting through vintage clothes looking for that perfect one of a kind piece that I can throw on and say, “look what I found!”

Unfortunately, the handful of times I’ve been to American Rag I usually kill some time sifting through the clothes thinking, “I can’t afford this crap!”

Don’t get me wrong, I admitted it’s a love hate relationship with this shop. The place screams “trendy” just in the clientele that’s perusing the aisles next to you. It’s pretty clear that stylists from all over town are looking for special outfits for that next photo or film shoot; while you’re simply looking for something that you like, can afford, and actually fits. If your wallet doesn’t quite expand so far as to justify spending $100 for a shirt, the best times to visit this place seems to be when things go on sale. What fun it is to try on sweaters during the hot sticky summer days to save 30% on something you can’t wear for another three months anyway.

Unfortunately, a notorious reputation looms over American Rag (and I share a somewhat similar distaste) with some of their staffing choices. At times, it’s been great, no problems. Hooray! Other times, that LA hipster vibe is alive and well. I recall buying a belt once and the guy at the register acting like he was doing me a favor because I was shopping in the almighty American Rag and got to leave with something.

As with any vintage shopping trip, the key is just to decide to head in and look around but for not anything specific. You might find something that appeals to your fancy, you might not. My experience has been the latter here and it has much more to do with the over-pricing versus the selection.

I have consistently better experiences when I wander next door to the connecting Maison Midi boutique. Still expensive, but ultra-cool to take a peek in if you’re looking for something on the home front. Awesome perk? Seeing huge plates of food walk past you from their in-house cafe. I’ve never eaten at the Midi Cafe, but not to worry, it’s on my bucket list and you’ll be the first to know when it happens. Stay tuned.

As for American Rag, take this place and its hype with a grain of salt. It can be a great experience or not. Either way, you’ve been warned.

A sweet and unexpected surprise came my way recently. A colleague of mine and I were chit-chatting away and somehow got on the topic of shoes. She looked at me and said, “What size do you wear? I have a pair of gray patent leather pumps that I can’t wear anymore.”

Now, I’m a size 10 (huge feet, I know) by trade, so when she mentioned they were a 9.5 it didn’t stop me one iota when she told me she’d bring them in for me to try on to see if I liked them. Note: I can wear a 9.5 when the shoe is designed slightly too big or they’re cute enough (and free) to deal with a bit of a snug fit!

Say hello to my new gray, patent leather, mary-jane, peep-toe pumps (whew!) What I love about these shoes is that yes, they actually do fit (who-hoo!) and typically, this is a shoe that if I saw sitting on a display, I wouldn’t even consider wearing. When I got home and tried these guys on with a few looks, I was pleased that I actually had something different from the heels that are my closet. Ironically, I’ve been itching for a bit of a tweak to my look and I know these shoes will carry me from the office to any plans I might have after work. A win on all fronts and a lesson learned about being more open with your style! Maybe my tastes are simply changing. A huge thanks to the kind fellow shoe-lover that passed them on rather than let them collect dust in her closet.