Santee Alley Prom Shopping Guide

Image Bridesmaid & Quinceañera, 1026 Santee St.

Prom dress? Check. Heels? Check. Accessories? Check. Tuxedo, tie, and dress shoes? Check, check, check! Santee Alley has everything you need for prom, and in this post we're going to help you find it.

For those of you who are new to the area, Santee Alley takes up two blocks of the LA Fashion District and offers special occasion apparel, accessories, and footwear for men and women at steeply discounted prices. The alley is located between Maple Avenue and Santee Street from Olympic Boulevard to 12th Street.

Prom Dresses
The majority of prom dress stores are located on Santee Street between Olympic and 12th. There is one dedicated special occasion dress store located inside Santee Alley - Top Star (pictured above) - and many women’s apparel stores will stock special occasion dresses during the prom season (March-June). There’s also a couple stores located on Maple Avenue between Olympic Boulevard and 12th Street.

Heels & Special Occasion Shoes
We have at least a dozen women’s shoe stores in the area carrying heels, sandals, wedges, and flats in all colors. Shoes typically range from $15-30. See some of the shoe store’s we’ve featured on this blog: Betty’s Shoes, Cherry-4U (pictured above), Sensual Steps, Forever Shoes, I Heart Fashion, and Instagram favorite – Lola Shoetique.

Jewelry & Accessories
The majority of jewelry and accessories stores are located on Santee Street between Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street. Inside the alley you will also find Halo Handbags, LA Purses, Fashion Fantasia (pictured above) and Accessories High Bijoux.

Cebu, 1022 Santee St.

Fashion Vogues, 1008-B Santee St.

For the Guys

We’re not just girly glitz and glamour here, we’ve got the boy’s covered too! You can actually buy a suit for the same price or under the cost of a rental. Suits are often sold in package deals that include a tie, shirt, and various accessories. Most package deals are offered for about $100. 

Suit stores can be found throughout the Santee Alley on Maple Avenue, Santee Street, and inside the alley including Bucci and BZ Studio.

Aron Imani, 1013 Maple Ave.

Want to know more abouSee our previous post on saving money for prom here. Questions? Tweet us! @shopsanteealley or message us on Facebook.

Weekly Fashion Finds: Deals, Sales, & Discounts!

Santee Alley vendors are prepping for the holidays with sales and discounts for men and women. We rounded up some of our favorite deals happening right now:

Buy One Get One Free: Scarves and ponchos at High Bijoux, located at 1103-A and 1138-C. The sale is happening now through the end of the week.

Also at High Bijoux, newly discounted accessories! Necklaces, earrings, and select accessories are 30% off.

2 for $9.99: Scarves at One Trading, located at 1152 inside the alley. As you can see in the photo below, there are plenty of styles to choose from.

Men's Formal Wear Starting at $39.99: At RJ Suits Inc. located at 1138-D inside Santee Alley.

Elegante Clothing

Remember the $5.99 dresses we told you about? Well Elegante Clothing is actually a men's clothing store, that just happens to have awesome deals on women's clothes. They carry everything from Stacy Adams suits to casual shirts and hats. Everything is sold at wholesale pricing regardless of  how many items you buy. Same day tailoring is available!

Elegante Clothing
1123-D Maple Ave.
(213) 749-6255

Check out some of their most popular styles below...

This white suit  was featured on GQ! Elegante is an authorized Stacy Adams vendor.

Santee Father's Day Shopping Guide

Father's Day is this Sunday, June 16, 2013! Do you know what you're getting Dad? We have some ideas for you...

B. Matthew
1123-C Maple Ave.
B. Matthew, a long time retailer in Santee Alley, offers brand name department store clothing at discounted prices. Expect to find brands such as True Religion, RVCA, Indigo Start, and Volcom. Savings vary, but to give you an example, on our last visit to B.Matthew we found RVCA shirts, which would normally retail for $30, for $18.99. Styles range from casual t-shirts to tailored coats and leather jackets.

Black Knights
1139 Maple Ave.
Black Knights is an authorized sneaker retailer of Jordan, Nike, Lacoste, Levis, Converse and various other athletic shoe brands. They offer up to 50% off full retail prices. On average, expect to save $20-$30 compared to department stores. The Jordan and Nike selections are quite extensive. If Dad likes shoes, this is the place to go!

BZ Studio
1145 S. Maple Ave.
BZ Studio has been selling men's clothing in Santee Alley for 20 years. They specialize in dress and casual shirts and suits, but also carry jeans, leather jackets, and outerwear. The average price for a casual long sleeve button-up shirt is $20. Tailoring services are also available on site.

Suit Up at Go Suit
Various Locations
Upgrade Dad's wardrobe! Go Suit is one of five suit retailers owned by the same family, which also manufactures its own products. Package deals range from $99.99 to $179.99 and include suit, tie, belt, shoes, and socks. The also offer "Buy 1 Get 1" deals on select suit styles.

Suit Up at Go Suit

We often get asked where you can find a good deal on suits in the alley. Many alley vendors will offer package deals and discounts to customers purchasing more than one suit, or to those looking to complete their entire outfit. Go Suit recently opened a new location at 1150 S. Santee St., Unit F. They specialize in men's fine clothing and carry everything from suits, suit separates, boy's suits, ties, shirts, shoes and accessories. The family owned business has been operating in the Fashion District for 15 years, with various locations throughout the district. They manufacture all of their own suits and offer various styles, including slim fit. For those who have harder time finding the right fit, on-site tailoring is also available.

Go suit offers package deals ranging from $99.99 to $179.99 that include a suit, shirt, tie, belt, shoes, and socks. They offer free shoes with any suit purchase and Buy 1, Get 1 Free offers on select suits. For other deals and specials check out their Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Go Suit also carries men's coats year round.

For wholesale or retail inquiries please contact the store directly. Visit Go Suit online at GoSuit.com or stop by one of their Fashion District locations:

Neda Men's Wear #1
1208 S. Santee St.
213-747-2346

Neda men's Wear #2
302 E. 12th St.
213-747-2343

Rock Star
1127 Maple Ave.
213-749-1621

Rock Star
1106 S. Santee St.
213-749-0881

Go Suit
1150 S. Santee St., Unit F
213-741-0226

BZ Studio Offers Retail and Wholsale Men's Casual Shirts and Outerwear

For 20 years BZ Studio has been selling wholesale and retail menswear out of their 1145 Maple Ave. location inside the Santee Alley. The family-run business focuses on men's casual shirts and suits, but also imports leather jackets and offers customers a selection of men's outerwear along with their extensive shirt and suit inventory. The father-and-son duo are a testimony to the history and evolution of Santee Alley. They originally chose to relocate their business from New York to the Fashion District because they wanted to immerse themselves in the wholesale market. As the alley evolved to accommodate retail shoppers so did their business.

BZ Studio aims to give customers the best quality at the most affordable prices possible. The average price for one of their casual long sleeve button-ups is $20, and if something doesn't fit quite right they also offer tailoring services.

Pictured above: Some of BZ Studio's top-selling styles

BZ Studio
1145 S. Maple Ave. in the Santee Alley
213-746-2528