Picks byLiz Baca
Liz Baca is an LA-based vintage dealer and stylist who has been running her own vintage business since 2003. You can shop Baca’s goods at her by-appointment showroom in Downtown LA and online via Free People’s website.
I love Danny. His curation is incredible. If he would allow me to move into his showroom, I would. It’s literally all my 80s & 90s fashion fantasies come true, everything I ever wanted as a teenager he has. And as a grown adult, I still want it all. It’s like being in the most exclusive, underground nightclub. You feel transported to another time. It might actually be a portal now that I think about it. Oh! And it’s by appointment only but really you should know somebody that knows somebody.
Kathleen is one of my favorite cats in the biz, an OG in the game, and a badass. Her focus is on old-stock merchandise, which is like a vintage dealer's wet dream. The stories & polaroid pictures of her traveling and digging old-stock in the 80s and 90s are the best. Keep in mind those are the days when we didn’t have cellphones or navigation devices. Yup, the good old days of yellow pages and cold calls. Her hard work and dedication to the game can be found in her perfectly curated shop in Long Beach. Her collection spans decades and has an emphasis on FUN! I dare you to not leave her shop smiling.
I love chatting with Dom about 80s and 90s menswear, the silhouettes and details, and how hard it is to find. But somehow he manages to get his hands on those pieces. He has an impressive collection of rare t-shirts and his houseware selections make me wish I had multiple homes to decorate. This shop definitely speaks to me.
Garret's small and mighty shop satisfies my love of the perfectly imperfect as well as time-honored classics. There is a lot of honor and appreciation going on in this space. His focus on French workwear is unique and appreciated. He’ll have old-stock examples of chore jackets and slacks to pieces that have been mended and repaired and then mended again, showing you how people would put love into making what they had last. It’s the mended pieces I love most, some are Frankenstein-like, adding a sleeve from flannel to a sweater and so on. All in the name of making it last. And then there’s bits of Victorian whites, 60s stripes, 70s Ralph Lauren suiting next to old military & camping duds. They all sit in harmony, like a museum collection. Clearly that’s Garetts eye for curation, C'est Magnifique!
I have been going to Squaresville since 2003. At one time I was nicknamed “Disney Liz” by the staff as I would always buy anything Mickey Mouse they had. They always have a fun mix of merchandise and an equal mix of price points. Literally something for everyone. The fact that they also buy and trade merchandise is another way they make shopping there friendly. The owner, Reiko, has always kept the store staffed with a fun mix of folks that only add to the unique flavor of this Silver Lake staple. Squaresville is an experience, you should definitely go feel the vibe.