“Daphne wore this on Frasier,” I say when I get compliments on my pink cashmere sweater set. It’s one of many things in my closet I bought at It’s A Wrap, a Burbank shop that resells wardrobe from the costume houses of nearby TV and movie studios.
This is not only one of my favorite places to stalk bargains, but also a perfect spot to take visiting friends who are looking for an “Only in LA” shopping experience. The two-floor store has the look of a soundstage, decorated with framed costumes including Rocky’s silk boxing shorts, Pam Anderson’s bathing suit from Baywatch, and Shirley MacLaine’s pale lavender outfit from The Evening Star.
The most entertaining part about browsing the jam-packed inventory of women’s, men’s, and kids clothes and accessories, is that each item is marked with a production code that corresponds to the TV show, movie, or studio where it came from. For example, GN = General Hospital, while FXX = Fox Studios. On my last visit, I picked out armfuls of pants and jackets that were marked CHM. On the dressing room door, where a code key was posted, I figured out they’d all come from Charmed, and wondered if it was Shannon Doherty or Rose McGowan who wore the fantastic suede Tahari jacket I scored for 50 bucks.
Speaking of bargains, everything in the store sells for 35 to 95 percent off its retail price. Sidewalk racks and the back ground floor have the best deals, with items from Banana Republic men’s shirts, to Nike gym clothes, mini-skirts, purses and lingerie selling for as low as a dollar. Upstairs is dedicated to designer couture, full of Dolce Gabbana, Emanuel Ungaro, and Prada treasures.
The stock at both the Burbank and recently opened Westside store is all of excellent quality, either custom made or selected by costume designers from boutiques and department stores all over the world. Some of it still has the price tags on, some was worn once by an actor and dry cleaned, and once in a while you’ll come across an article that was used in an action sequence and has bullet holes or fake blood on it.
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