SATURDAY SHOPPING ♥ LA'S SANTEE ALLEY

I've wanted to do a post about one of my favorite shopping spots (since I was around 10 or 11) in LA for a long time. But I haven't been out there in over a year. It's in Downtown LA and it's called Santee Alley, or the locals call it THE ALLEY. (I have never personally called it Santee Alley...we always have said The Alley.) This won't be a proper post as that would take forever and I didn't get to take too many photos because we were on a time constraint. But I will show you a couple of photos and the items I picked up or my "haul" (which to me always sounds a bit like you're about to hurl). 

it's pretty much like an old world bazaar, which is what we love about it.

What's amazing about the alley is that it always changes. One time you go there and everything is about earrings. The next and it's platforms. The next time it's all about faux Chanel. It's a little like Canal Street in NYC, but even more loaded because it's nestled inside LA's garment district. What I found really interesting this time was how 80s everything was. When I was really young, I remember all the giant plastic neon day-glo earrings and necklaces and lace gloves and all the ladies shouting out "ONE DOLLAR ONE DOLLAR"....and it's returned to that again. It felt kind of neat actually. I think I thoroughly enjoyed this run down there because there were a lot of things I loved being sold. The shoes look amazing right now. 

There is so so so so much to choose from from faux Versace styles to Louis sunglasses and then a ton of gorgeous gorgeous shoes for a fraction of the cost you'd get there anywhere else. I went down there to see if I could score something similar to the Forever 21 heels that were sold out in my size. And to my delight, they had a TON of spiked everything down there. Even the sunglasses were amazing this time around. I saw much less faux designer and much more fun fashion. It's the type of shopping some call "cheap and cheery". So let's get to the pics and the haul because this post is already a mile long and there aren't even any photos yet! 

I FOUND the perfect heels with large gold spikes on the back and heel. Remember how I recently posted those Forever21 heels that I wanted but had sold out in my size? Well, these are WAY better and they were also the last ones in the shop/booth. You see a lot of the same things in alley. But these were only for sale at one place, so I had to have them. The pictures do not do them any justice. Also, there were around $10 less than the Forever 21 heels, there was no shipping or tax! Perfection. Love them. They're perfect! A few girls were saying how nice they look when I tried them on. SOLD!

 I ALSO picked up another shoe there that was GORGEOUS on my feet. They're velvet platform Mary Janes, and they look like a YSL or something pair of heels. So amazing (the photos look kind of crappy) and so amazingly priced! No one would ever know! 

I always get a pair or two of sunglasses when I'm down there. I have expensive sunglasses (like my Tom Ford pair), but I hardly wear them because I have a tendency to drop my sunglasses A LOT! This time in the alley, they had some amazing styles including the Prada knock-offs ($4 anyone?!) and some amazing round 60s tortoise shell ones that I've been looking for for ages! They also had loads of other knock-offs as well as some great Alexander Wang styles (that look horrible on me!). 

Because I hardly spent any money, I was also able to pick up a "vintage" looking SLAYER T-shirt! For only $5!

I'll do a really good post the next time I go down there, including good places to park (nightmare if you don't know) and good food (some amazing amazing Persian food and falafel places in the hood).♡

more saturday show ♥ best runway walks (model walks on the catwalk)