"Instyle, Vivi Style!"…read more It has been a long time since I have picked up a Vivi Magazine since I have had neither the time nor the need (hey, I used to wear suits to work). Now I'm facing an interesting quandry that I have never faced before in my working world days: What do I wear to work if it's not a suit? And Vivi Magazine is one of the resources I consulted. For those interested, Vivi Magazine is a leading women's glossy fashion magazine published in Japan about clothes, make-up, and accessories. It is often a predictor of new trends as it is published 1 month (or two if you're willing to pay for air shipping) ahead. What makes Vivi special is that it's an easily recognizable magazine among the others and heavily endorsed by US stars (Paris is in October's, J. Lo is in September's, and SJP does ads for them). I bookmark a couple of pages and start researching Yelp to find specialty boutiques to find "forward Asian fashion." And to my dismay, there is a complete dearth of Asian-inspired clothes stores on Yelp. So, what does a good Yelper do? Start her own boutique tour of Chinese Oz!!!!!!! Today I visited Instyle which sits catty corner to a furniture store on Garfield and Valley. Their store windows always look good on a drive by. Some hints: Yes, you can park in front of the store even though it says 24 min parking, No, do not park in the furniture store lot since it costs $10 to park there. You can tell how much furniture I will buy from there. Yes, there is no sign but the building says "Deco" At first glance, I was excited to find a lot of the fashion style in Vivi at 50% off (it was a huge sale). All the dresses, shirts, pants, and accessories are definitely culturally Asian-inspired with beautiful sateens, silks, and froth. Even the tags and price tags show they are from China.... So, how do you filter what is way too "Fob Japanese Lolita punk crazy weirdness" and what is decent? Don't worry, because I actually looked at every single garment in that store!!! Half the party dresses are tailored beautifully, nothing frothy looks good, forget the capri's, bypass the vests, the mni's (unless you like white jean mini's with 500 mirrors pasted on them), and the garish bags. The real stand outs are the pencil skirts (resemble Dior, Chanel, and J Crew) and the satin party jackets (quarter sleeves, graceful collars, and delicate embellishment). I almost died when I couldn't get my bum to fit into all those skirts....Don't steal my skirts!!!!!!!!! As for sizing, it is "Hong Kong sized" so I would try on everything there. Anne is very helpful in making sure you get to try on everything but it is weird to have her kinda follow me around. Clothes here are of a much higher quality than Forever 21 (or similar) with a style similar to H&M, without all those sporty things. Actually, it does remind me of a nice boutique. Although, I did notice that there are small imperfections everywhere which I thought was their specialty (it's not, I asked). With such forward styles and decent fabrics, I think the prices are good but only during their 50% off sale (almost everything in the store). They even took off 50% off a skirt that I really wanted although it was full price since the zipper broke. Some Insider Tips: 1. Anne is really helpful. She's new but she did happen to mention to me that people who pay with cash are given the "Asian Discount." I don't want to get them into trouble but if you are reading this, I estimate there is a 80% probability you know exactly what I am talking about. 2. Stuff with broken zippers can be negotiated for a good price. 3. There really is only 1 of every size which is basically size 4-6 (or smaller). So if you like something, buy it. 4. Cantonese speakers are treated better. Most of all, I really like the cute reusable tote they package your clothes in with a pink bow. Super cute!!!!! It wont replace my Yelp tote, but it will fit in with my Vivi outfit.

hehe - another yelper said, "place is really cool if you love fobby asian clothes"…read more It's TRUE. The saleslady even came up to me and said, "I'll give you a 30% discount on that!" *points at shoes I was looking at as I hesitantly look at it*.... there I am thinking, "I AM IN CHINA AGAIN!" LOL! That was only after I started talking to her in Chinese though. I'm no longer sure what the prices of everything is after her discount exclamation - but most clothes were in there were tagged within the $30 range (dresses, pants, sweaters). They carry some really quirky harajuku accessories - which I really liked. Oh, and alterations - they do alterations - apparently $3-$5 / alteration. I asked her how much it'd be to make a dress smaller - she said $3. WAH!? Whoa. Anyhow...nice place. Not really my style but.... it was fun being in there minus the saleslady following you around. Bring your haggling skillz.

It's 12:30 on a Thursday afternoon, and the shop is closed, without a sign of return today, or…read moreother warning to the shopper. Peeped in the window, 1 star for in-stock merchandise. 3 stars off for the inconveniece of trying to patronize Black business and being disappointed without warning.

So glad I found this little treasure in downtown Long Beach. Mumbi, the owner is always warm and…read morefriendly. She has the cutest earrings, clothes, incense and oils that evoke the senses and paintings. I've purchased several pieces of artwork to decorate my office. My patients are always inquiring about the wonderful scent in my office- I tell them it's from MUMBI'S! Prices are very reasonable for authentic African jewelry and clothing, and I'm always receiving compliments on earrings I've purchased from her.

I actually found this to be one of the more expensive places down Santee Alley, but of course…read more"expensive" in Santee Alley means like $20 a pop for fake (or just NOT OF GREAT QUALITY AND AREN'T RARE GEMS is the better word) jewelry. The place is pretty huge though, with a large, organized selection. And yes, there are 60% off signs everywhere. So in the end, I guess you can definitely leave with a decent piece of fashion jewelry for under 10 bucks. Keep in mind none of this is real, its just to wear for fun on random days.

This place is located in the Fashion District. There are several other accessories store around,…read morebut this one is the cheapest! When I went, everything was 40-70% off. I bought really cute pins, 2 for $5, plus a green polka dot watch, and also a zebra one, for $7 each. Go here if you wanna load up on accessories, without feeling guilty! The selection is great and cheap.