Main Street's Style Is Casual, But Business Is Brisk
The headline-grabbing shopping districts in Santa Monica, Calif., are the Third Street Promenade and Montana Avenue. But the city’s Main Street, less than a mile south, is also creating a buzz.
Main Street’s status as a fashion destination is well-established; celebrated boutiques such as Black & Blue, Monkie and B.NY. have been doing business there for years. Now, more retailers are moving in to outfit the increasingly young and affluent people flocking to Santa Monica and its surrounding neighborhoods. Planet Blue, the contemporary casual retailer known for its store at the Malibu Country Mart, will move into a 5,000-square-foot space (that formerly housed an Armani Exchange boutique) during the weekend of July 1. American Apparel said it will debut one of its neighborhood-style boutiques at 2654 Main St. but did not announce a date for the store opening.
Retailers have increasingly sought after space on Main Street because of its character and its “location, location, location,” said Vince Muselli, president of Santa Monica– based Muselli Commercial Realtors. “It’s got the ambience of a small Main Street somewhere,” Muselli said. “But you’re on the Westside.”
As in the rest of Southern California, real estate prices in the area are expensive and climbing. Main Street is surrounded by condominiums that sell from $600,000 to $1.5 million. Prices for commercial space range from $3 to $5 per square foot, compared with up to $7 per square foot on Montana Avenue, according to Muselli.
While the opportunities and prices seem to be growing, Main Street’s retailers said the area’s culture has remained decidedly casual. “If I tuck my shirt in, people say, ’Why are you so dressed up?’” said Ian Stewart Daniels, owner of Planet Americana, a jeans and T-shirt shop.
“It’s a place where we get to wear our play clothes to work,” said Erika Krauss, buyer and manager of Suji, a contemporary store focusing on a baby boomer demographic.
But the street’s casual-only zone takes a break at B.NY. The store is adjacent to the steely exterior of the Frank Gehry–designed Edgemar Design Center— a sign that the boutique’s artistic fashions are taken seriously. Indeed, owner Gregory Niebel often guides customers like a museum curator leading a tour through a new exhibition.
Since 1992, B.NY has sold Japanese high-fashion labels, including Yohji Yamamoto. The line’s fashions continue to be top sellers, particularly those pieces with an art-driven edge, such as a $495 skirt-like garment that features pant legs.
Pieces from new label Greige Manufacturing Co., based in New York, also sell well. Price points are $210 for the brand’s soft black jeans, $175 for collared shirts and $95 for T-shirts.
Art-driven clothes are popular throughout the street. One of the most in-demand brands at Planet Americana is Long Beach, Calif.–based 5Six2. The label’s designers make tank tops and hoodies from scratch, often achieving a raw, distressed look. Price points range from $56 to $170.
Jeans and slacks manufactured by Frankie B. also sell well at Planet Americana, specifically those with a low rise ($145). Daniels reported that basic jeans and khakis from AA Products ($58 to $68) are popular, as are polo shirts from Penguin by Munsingwear ($45 to $49).
Casual seems to be a buzzword at Blonde, a contemporary store for young women. Terra Russo, a manager and buyer, said Turkey-based LTB Jeans by Little Big is an up-and-coming denim label at the store. The jeans, which cost $98, offer a good fit and embroidered back pockets.
L.A. Made T-shirts ($28) are popular at Blonde for their quality and jewel-tone colors.
Wrap sweaters by Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent ($185) are a consistent favorite. Russo said the sweaters are warm enough to ward off Southern California’s evening chill but light enough to match the region’s look.
Independent designers are an attraction at Suji. One well-received item is a new wave skirt embellished with ribbons and stripes by Chicago-based Neesh by D.A.R. ($116).
Comfort is also key at the more than 800-square-foot store. Flax, a Spencer, N.Y.–based label, features linen pieces designed for sizes 8–14 ($56 to $70). The dressy T-shirts of Los Angeles–based Michael Stars are top sellers, with the “Shine Mid-V” T-shirt ($44) being a favorite. And XCVI, a Los Angeles–based manufacturer, makes a popular item that Krauss called shorts for adults: calf-length pants with drawstrings and slim silhouettes that retail for $62.
