by Diane Brady

ave you ever wondered what it would be like to own a piece of clothing one of your favorite movie stars wore? Los Angeles is the place to go for it, as well as for clothing worn by television stars and extras. The following are two completely different shops that offer real bargains:

Cinema Glamour Shop — This shop carries clothes that once belonged to movie stars. It’s a small, well-lit shop with photos of famous stars (going back to silent movies) hanging on the walls. I was amazed at the prices. One gorgeous silver three-piece outfit in their designer Cinema Room, which I thought would cost hundreds of dollars, was only $55. In the rest of the shop prices dropped even more. In fact, I bought a beautiful lined, red-velvet vest on a dollar rack.

Many donations come from Warner Brothers and Universal Studios. Much of the clothing in the Cinema Room is from such stars as Julie Andrews, Cyd Charisse, Janet Leigh and Rhonda Fleming. At one time they even carried Ann Miller’s tap shoes — they went in a hurry! There’s also a special room for men with very up-to-date clothing.

“The shop was founded in 1930 by Mary Pickford …”

The Cinema Room has an elegant couch to sit on (it’s for sale). Many items, including furniture and artwork, come from estate sales.

The shop was founded in 1930 by Mary Pickford as the “Screen Star Thrift Shop,” with two objectives in mind: provide revenue for the Motion Picture Fund and help struggling extras and bit players buy glamorous clothing at reasonable prices.
Most volunteers at the Cinema Glamour Shop are associated with the film industry — you may see some familiar faces!

It’s a Wrap! Production Wardrobe Sales — In this Burbank shop you’ll find wardrobes from film, TV shows, commercials and the fashion runway. When I walked into It’s A Wrap! (the term used by directors to signify the end of shooting), I was surprised to see what a large store it is. The racks have a listing of the shows the clothing is from. Some are from movies, most from TV shows. One of the props among the racks shows a six-foot man-eating flower from the movie, Little Shop of Horrors. On one wall are photos of Baywatch with some of the outfits worn on the program. Upstairs is the designer room. The store also carries vintage, Western and sportswear. Outside are dollar racks with what looks like brand new t-shirts for extras and crew.

Most of the clothes are in pristine condition and priced 35% to 95% off retail. Prices are reduced every 2-4 weeks and new stock is brought in daily. The price tags have a code which identifies the show or production company the clothes are from, and lists with other identifying information are posted throughout the store. You know the store has up-to-date designer looks because of all the young people shopping there!

Cinema Glamour Shop: tel. 323/933-5289; www.cinemaglamourshop.com.
It’s a Wrap! Production Wardrobe Sales: tel. 562/438-8990; www.itsawraphollywood.com.

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