La Bomba Vintage - Long Beach

If you are familiar with the Long Beach area, you have probably heard of 4th Street Corridor, a lively neighborhood that is also commonly referred to as "Retro Row". This neighborhood is home to a diverse mix of restaurants, entertainment, and our personal favorite: thrift and vintage stores. While there are a variety of different vintage and thrift stores to discover, one where I seem to have the best luck is La Bomba Vintage. I wandered in there this weekend, hoping to find some new affordable pieces for Spring, and it did not disappoint.

  

Walking into La Bomba for the first time may feel overwhelming to some, due to their large selection of vintage clothing and accessories. However, upon browsing through the store, you will notice that everything is neatly organized by garment type, allowing for a more seamless shopping experience. The staff there is also very friendly and there are fitting rooms available in the back if you need to try anything on. Since this is a vintage store, the prices are a bit higher than that of a traditional thrift store, but they are still reasonable if you consider the high quality and uniqueness of the garments.

When I didn’t have much luck finding anything on the main sales floor, I made my way to the back of the store and outside to the infamous pile. The pile is exactly what it sounds like: a ginormous, heaping pile of clothing for customers to dig through and find hidden gems. It is similar to the Goodwill Bins, except the clothing is priced by category. For example, jackets are $15, belts are $3, dresses are $12, etc. The prices are clearly displayed on multiple signs near the pile and you pay separately to whoever is working outside. Digging through the clothing can be a bit time consuming, but the gems you can find make it all worth it.

After browsing through the main store and digging through the pile, I ended up walking away with a few new Spring items to add to my wardrobe. I found a light yellow floral vintage dress, a pair of Ralph Lauren baggy jeans, and a white crochet tunic, all of which I got for a total of $31. I feel like this was a fairly good deal for three, high-quality vintage items, considering how much I am going to wear them this next season. I really enjoyed my time today at La Bomba Vintage and I will definitely be coming back in the near future!

Stay tuned for next week to learn about more thrift and vintage stores in the SoCal area! :)

Written by Olivia Paine