American Apparel Flea Market Madness

Well, Pixie insisted I come out of hiding and fulfill my American duty this weekend of braving downtown LA and attending the American Apparel Factory Flea Market. Despite my recently getting laid off and onset of an overspending compulsion, there was no way I was not attending. So I grabbed my good friend, Elisa, and off we went.

I didn't see Dov Charney but was pleased by an impostor who I unfortunately couldn't get a picture of because he kept moving from speaker-pole to speaker-pole to hump it.

One sunburn and forty bucks later, I came home with a bra-cami, two track shirts, a pair of slim denim slacks, and a t-shirt dress (which I suppose is no longer on their site.)

Elisa got the supersexy turtleneck dress, which I give her so much credit for because looking at it made me want to pass out from heat stroke and she actually had the lady-balls to try it on. Dear God, it was a hot day.

Pixie insisted I take a pic of myself with the free taco, but, I'm sorry, Pixie, the taco line was just far too long. Elisa and I hit up a Farmer Boys across the street.

American Apparel Factory Flea Market July 4-5

If you're going to be in L.A. over the 4th of July weekend and you don't already have a party to head to, then you're in luck. American Apparel is having one, along with a blowout sale where items will be as cheap as $2.
The line last year was roller-coaster long, but for $10 you can buy a ticket that allows you to skip it, score a free taco and a $5 AA gift card, and you get to skip the checkout line too. So basically $10 - a $5 gift card - price of a taco = pretty good effing deal.

The times are as follows:
July 4, 10am - 8pm
July 5, 9am - 7pm

Also on site: a full bar, dunk tank, slip and slide, tanning area, sno-cone and cotton candy machines.

California Select

The corner of Sunset and Alvarado.

No. I'm not quoting Eels' lyrics. I’m talking about the location of American Apparel's Echo Park vintage store, California Select. I became fascinated with AA ever since I really enjoyed playing the game of "Spot the Nipple" in its recent spring catalogue to keep my mind alert. Additionally, AA's CEO, Dov Charney, is the only exception to my rule: never sleep with a 37-year-old... again.

Despite it's size, you still need to browse with as much effort as any vintage store. (In fact, I found myself saying that many of its dresses were "very Hester Prynne" or "way too Anne Frank.") However, you will walk out of the store with at least three items, even if it does include some of the reading material it provides for the literate hipster. After all, the store does sell vintage Playboy issues so you can see how the centerfolds of yesteryear resemble articles about Activia found in today's Women's Home Journal.