Advice for an Aussie to shop in USA

puffenstuff

I am after some local advice from you lovely ladies. I am travelling to USA
for the first time in May, I have 5 days in San Fran, 2 days in Vegas and 4 days
in Los Angeles.

First of all I would like to stock up on some Winter gear for home, but I
am just wondering if the shops will still stock anything suitable. Climate where
I live is probably similar to LA, so I don't generally need wool coats, long
boots or thermals but I have a few things on my list that I need for our
somewhat mild Winter.

Also looking for any rec's for places to shop. I like the classics with a
twist, good quality basics and shoes!

10 years ago

Shopping

12 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I think you might have a hard time finding stuff for cool weather in May. Unless you hit up places like the Rack, or Neiman Marcus Last Call (there's one in Las Vegas).

10 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Anna said.

There's barely a Spring jacket. Clothing is - already - quite naked because we are more than mid-season. Although you will find boots and knitwear. Our Springs are colder than your Winters I would suspect.

10 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

Shopping out of season can be a challenge. Final clearance on most sweaters and the like passed a few months ago, although I still see a few. Maybe Uniqlo in SF's Union Square? They have a web site so you might review there to see if anything appeals. A new Nordstrom Rack also recently opened up in downtown SF, but I haven't yet checked it out. It gets a bit seedy if you walk too far beyond the store.

Note re SF: Cell phone theft and pedestrian mow downs are a real problem, so don't be on your cell while walking so you aren't the victim of a grab'n'go or hit'n'run.

10 years ago

magpie

Active Member

How much time do you want to spend on shopping? What's your price range?

Most of the big hotels on the Las Vegas Strip have shopping, and some have full-out malls. Pretty much any US chain store you might want to shop at is likely to be there, and you could easily spend your entire 2 days doing nothing but shopping. Two of the bigger shopping areas on the Strip are the Shops at Caesar's (in Caesar's Palace) and Fashion Show (a mall that's not in a hotel). Look up what's near your hotel online and scope out the websites before you set foot in a shopping area. It'll save you a lot of time.

BTW, the sheer scale of the Strip is ridiculous. The hotels/casinos are all massive and designed to disorient you, and you really, really want to avoid walking outside in the heat. Something that looks close on a map isn't really all that close, so be prepared to cab it if you want to go more than a hotel away.

In SF, you might have some luck in some of the smaller boutiques, since we need layers year-round. Two areas to check out are Valencia Street (edgier and more hipster) and Union Street (distinct from Union Square -- Union Square is near the Financial District, and the big shopping drag on Union Street is in Cow Hollow, near the north end of the city).

10 years ago

puffenstuff

(website)

Veteran

Thanks Ladies! Kind of what I suspected, but lucky for me our Winters are
quite mild (max 68F/min 50F) so I am always looking for lighter weight layers for year round wear.

DonnaF - Uniqlo is defiantely my style! We have yet to get them in
Australia so I will definitely be putting them on the list. Thanks for the local
info too, my phone stays tucked quietly away in my bag there is nothing worse
than talking and gawking in my opinion.

Magpie - I am roughly setting aside about 1 day all up, my tactic is to do
sneaky surprise shopping (oh look while we're walking past this tourist
attraction and oh my I'll just pop into this shop and have a look around). I am
not one for big malls at all, little boutiques with local labels are just fine.
As for price range, I'm open on that point as long as the item is good quality
and it fills a wardrobe hole (yes I'm coming with a list too!).

10 years ago

Greyscale

Veteran

Another great destination in San Francisco is Fillmore St. There are so many high-end shops there - here's a list.
http://www.fillmoreshop.com/categories.html
(Plus the best Crossroads (used clothing store) in the city.)

I live a block from Valencia St and it's AMAZING for food (restaurants, fancy cheese, etc). Not as great for clothing shopping but still fun to walk around and browse. It might be ideal as an off-the-beaten-track tourist destination (Check out the murals and local color on 24th St). DonnaF's cell phone theft warning is a good point, though. Mine was stolen out of my hand while I was inside my favorite taqueria.

I second the Uniqlo suggestion. If nothing else they'll have their lightweight down vests in stock still.

And - when visiting San Francisco, always bring a warm sweater and/or jacket!

10 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

Uniqlo down vests are definitely great for a mild climate where you want the down vest look but don't want to boil to death! If I didn't run so cold and need a warmer vest, and if DD didn't live outside Chicago but still lived in California, I would have picked up a couple or four.

10 years ago

Ashley22

Active Member

This might help you.
http://www.wearona.com/dbi/city-guide/las-vegas
http://www.wearona.com/dbi/city-guide/los-angeles
http://www.wearona.com/dbi/cit.....-francisco

I had the same trip like you a few months ago. Regarding shopping I liked the most Beverly Hills in LA. Was amazing. Las Vegas is not really for shooping but there are some hotels that have really nice stores. And San Francisco...well this is a special city, here you can find everything, from Chinese stores till Designer Stores.

10 years ago

Active Member

No shopping help here but have a great trip Puffenstuff.

10 years ago

Zibbets

Veteran

Consignment shops might be a good bet for out of season things, especially in San Fran.

10 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

There's an outlet mall in Las Vegas - actually there are two - that are pretty epic. Both are rather far from the strip so if you don't have a car you'll need to get a cab. I've never been that impressed with the shopping on the Strip; either it's cheap quality but not that good a deal or it's super high end. There are two malls on the Strip; I thought the one by the Hard Rock was the more worthwhile, for me at least.

As everyone's said, winter stuff will be slim pickings but your best bet will be San Francisco. We've got all kinds of stores but there's not a huge shopping area; it's more spread out into neighborhoods. Union Square and Market Street are the closest to a shopping epicenter, and you'll probably want to see that area for yourself anyway.

On a non shopping angle, the guy who does tours of SF as Emperor Norton is a great tour guide and it's a nice intro to the downtown areas of the city.

10 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I have to add in Hayes St. for SF. It's got a nice atmosphere for strolling around and boutiques that feature designers who are designer but an alternative to the luxury brands of downtown.

10 years ago

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