THIS POST WAS UPDATED IN FEBRUARY 2023. INFORMATION IS AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. I HAVE NOT BEEN COMPENSATED FOR ANY OF THESE REVIEWS.
I've lived in LA for about 15 years and while I haven't been to every store (there are too many!) I've done my fair share of hunting and I have a lot of favorites. Los Angeles is a big, spread out city with a lot of different neighborhoods so if you are visiting for a short time and have your heart set on fabric shopping, I recommend doing a bit of planning. Fortunately, most of the fabric shopping is located downtown in the garment district, known as the LA Fashion District. I've created a handy-dandy google map for you to use with all my favorite fabric and notions shops, plus a few sights and eats to keep you inspired and nourished on your journey. Read on for more details.
I organized my map into three sections: Downtown, Mid-City and the Westside. It's also coded by color and symbol! (As of 2023, the best fabric stores are in downtown. But check out the other neighborhoods for some of my favorite places to visit after you’ve done your fabric shopping.) The blue pin drops indicate the shops, the green spoon and knife are food, the purple icons are sights and the orange books are bookstores. Click here to explore the map in more detail. Click the icons to get more details on each location. More details on each location are below.
Button & Trim Expo, LA Fabric District
DOWNTOWN
The LA Fashion District is a stunner. I’ve never seen anything like it. Nestled between the Flower District and Santee Alley (where you will find myriad cheap goods from clothing to makeup to DVDs), it's a colorful and slightly gritty area (skid row is not far away). It's also a lot of fun. You can find almost anything there but it can take a bit of searching. Thankfully, I've done a lot of the leg work for you. :) When I have time, I love to explore the neighborhood and soak in the energy of this vibrant area. If you're feeling peckish, try fresh cut fruit sprinkled with spices or a popsicle from one of the many street vendors. If you're extra hungry, follow your nose to a cart selling bacon wrapped hot dogs for a classic LA street food experience.
On the weekends, this area is very crowded and can be overwhelming. If possible, I recommend visiting on a weekday as the crowds are lighter and all the stores will be open (many close on at least one of the weekend days).
The great thing about the LA fashion district is that it has lots of cheap fabric. The bad thing is that it has a lot of low quality and mystery fabric. Many of the shops showcase rolls of novelty fabric front and center (think sequins, neon and faux fur). If that's what you're looking for it will be easy to find. If you're looking for a specific or high quality fabric, that will take more time. To be honest, it's a frustrating place to shop if you're looking for a specific type or color of fabric. But if you are looking to browse and open to possibilities, then it's a lot of fun. That said, I've had really good luck finding a wide variety of zippers and elastic (my favorite stores are listed below).
A few tips for visiting the LA Fashion District:
Start on Maple St near Michael Levine and work your way out from there. If you have a limited amount of time, just stick to Maple. Most of my favorite stores are right there.
Visit on a weekday when there are are fewer crowds and all stores should be open.
Go in the morning or afternoon. Many places close by 5pm.
Expect to pay for parking. If you're there on a Sunday and you're lucky, you may be able to get a metered spot on the street (which are free on Sundays).
Bring a bag to carry your purchases
Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. It's often hot in downtown LA.
Some stores are wholesale only but all of the ones I list also sell to the public.
It's common for things to not be priced. Just ask a sales person. (I don't usually haggle unless the price is a lot more than I expected.)
Some stores may also have a minimum yardage to buy. Or, they'll give you a discount per yard if you buy more.
FIDM Scholarship Store
The FIDM Scholarship Store is about a 10-15 minute walk from the heart of the fashion district. The store is part clothing and accessories and part fabric and notions. The stock is all donated and proceeds go towards scholarships. The prices are super low ($1-$5 per yard) and the stock changes frequently. I never know what I’m going to find there but it’s worth popping in to check.
Michael Levine, Inc.
UPDATE 2023 This store has gone through a lot of changes and was closed for much of the pandemic. For many years they had three locations but they now only have the one main building with fashion fabrics. I've heard that they are now under different ownership. They still have a great selection of fine silks, knits, swimwear, suiting, specialty fabric and woven fabric. This store is going to be the most similar to a traditional fabric store. Fabric is (usually) labeled with content and price. You'll also find clearance sections with deals. If you're looking for something specific, this is a good place to start because it's pretty easy to navigate the different sections.
Michael Levine is the biggest store in the fashion district. The store is well organized and has a wide variety of fabrics and notions plus an impressive yarn selection. If you've every ordered from Low Price Fabric, this is their physical store.
Michael Levine (LOFT entrance), LA Fabric District (CLOSED as of 2023)
CLOSED Michael Levine Loft Directly across the street from the main building is the upholstery store and the “Loft”. The Loft carries all the cast offs and is sold by the pound. It used to located upstairs but is now in the back of the upholstery store. It’s now a little more organized and thankfully air conditioned. This is one of my favorite stops downtown. It's really fun hunting for fabric and I've found a lot of great stuff here.
Fabrics & Fabrics
UPDATED 2023 I was recently looking for a nice silk fabric to make an evening dress and a couple of friends recommended Fabrics & Fabrics. While most other stores are packed with polyester, the sales person at this store was able to immediately direct me to shelves of beautiful silks. I haven't browsed the rest of the store but the quality looked markedly higher than most stores in the district. I thought their prices were also reasonable. The only reason I didn't buy there was that they didn't have the color I wanted.
Angel Textiles
UPDATED 2023 Angel Textiles is a favorite in the LA sewing community. Like many stores in this area it can be hit or miss, as their inventory changes frequently, but I've found a lot of great rayon, other fashion fabrics and even leather there over the years. In front of the shop, they often have a pile of fabric on the ground (yes really) that's priced very cheaply. It's really fun to look through the pile and see what you can find. Inside the shop are two rows with bolts of fabric from floor to ceiling.
JB Textiles is a couple of doors down from Angel Textiles and is pretty similar to Angel. Hit up both and see what you can find!
LA Alex Inc (Update 2023: I feel like this store has been moving more and more away from sewing supplies.) This store might be a bit confusing because it has a lot of table clothes in the front but as soon as you walk past those you’ll find lots of fabric (I always check out their denim section) and in the back they have one of the best selections of zippers in the area. If I’m looking for a specific zipper, I always stop in here. Oh and they're super affordable too so it's a great place to stock up on zips.
Ashanti Fabrics specializes in fabrics from Africa. A must see for lovers of African fabrics.
Golden Cutting & Sewing Supplies has a great selection of tools and notions that I’ve had a hard time finding elsewhere, like jeans buttons and bra findings.
Trim 2000 has a little bit of everything, notions, zippers, buttons and elastic. I often buy basic lingerie elastic here and zippers.
Button & Trim Expo, LA Fashion District | The Ultimate Guide to Fabric Shopping in Los Angeles | Sew DIY
Button & Trim Expo has a fantastic selection of ribbons and my personal favorite, fold over elastic. It’s very affordable and available in about 30 colors.
Lingerie Plus looks like just a bra store but if you look in the glass counter case you might luck out and find bra supplies like underwire and hook and eye closures.
Bead Factory Inc Lots and lots of beads plus things like key chains and clasps that sewists occasionally need.
Target Trim Corporation Good selection of trims and notions.
If you get hungry in the Fashion District, check out Poppy & Rose in the adjacent Flower District. The food is great and they have a bathroom. Be aware that they close at 3pm though. For coffee, I like to hit up Verve on Spring Street, just Northwest of the Fashion District.
Near the fashion district in downtown is Little Tokyo. It's a compact neighborhood with tons of great restaurants. For sewing supplies, I like to stop by Daiso which is essentially a Japanese dollar store for cheap elastic and occasionally other notions. The selection can be variable but it’s always fun to stop in. Pick up some washi tape for marking the seam allowance on your sewing machine while you’re there. If you’re a fan of Japanese sewing books make time for Kinokuniya. They have a great selection and if you’re lucky you might find one in English. (If you don't make it downtown, both Daiso and Kinokuniya have west side locations that are on the map.)
Mood Fabrics
(UPDATE 2023 Mood Fabrics is more expensive than shops in downtown but they have a great selection and higher quality fabric. They have a wide selection of silks, knits, denim, and loads of gorgeous specialty fabrics. Unlike many of the stores downtown, the fabric at Mood is very well organized by type and well stocked in all categories. So, if you’re looking for something specific, this is a great place to go.) Mood has moved around over the years and it is now located on Pico, about a 10-15 minute drive from the LA Fashion District.
If you’ve ever watched Project Runway, then you have heard of Mood. This store is the LA outpost of the one so frequently seen on tv. It moved to this location about 5 years ago and is bigger than ever, featuring row upon row of fabric bolts. I’ve been known to get a little overwhelmed by all the selection.
The Fabric Store, Mid-City Los Angeles (CLOSED as of 2023)
MID-CITY
UPDATE 2023 Unfortunately The Fabric Store has closed and Mood has moved closer to downtown. So, there aren’t many fabric stores (that I’m familiar with anyway) in the mid-city area. That said, if you are visiting LA, there are a lot of great things to do in this neighborhood, namely Museum row. My favorites are on the map and below.
The mid-city area of Los Angeles is home to two fantastic fabric stores, Mood Fabrics and The Fabric Store. If you’ve ever watched Project Runway, then you have heard of Mood. This store is the LA outpost of the one so frequently seen on tv. It moved to this location about 5 years ago and is bigger than ever, featuring row upon row of fabric bolts. I’ve been known to get a little overwhelmed by all the selection. Just down the street from Mood is The Fabric Store. Originally from New Zealand, this lovely boutique specializes in merino wool and a collection of carefully curated fashion fabrics. I’ve written about The Fabric Store a number of times before and have an ongoing partnership with them. The store is always a delight to visit with just the right amount of options.
F&S Fabrics For The Home (UPDATE 2023)
F&S used to stock garment fabrics but it appears that they have shifted their focus to home decor and upholstery fabrics. I went here once years ago when they still had fashion fabrics. It wasn’t a convenient location for me and the fabrics weren’t really my style or preferred price. That said, I know a lot of people are fans of this store. So, if you’re looking for home decor fabric and you’re in this area, check it out.
While you’re in the mid-city area, consider visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). It’s one of my favorite museums and I always love checking out what they have on display in the very small section dedicated to fashion in the Building of the Americas. Next door are the burbling, stinky La Brea Tar Pits. They are a must-see in my book.
UPDATE 2023 The Academy Museum opened next to LACMA in 2021. It has rotating exhibits about film making and film history. There is also a permanent costume and makeup exhibit that is really fun. The museum is extensive and I recommend allotting at least 3 hours for it.
Even though it's a little far away from the La Brea corridor, I also included the Griffith Park Observatory on my map. I love to take out of town guests to this site for a great view of LA and a little bit of nature and sometimes a hike in the large, adjacent park. Speaking of hikes, if you like to combine physical activity with your sightseeing, try one of the secret staircase walks. You'll get a great workout and see parts of LA that are off the beaten path. I've done a few of these and they are super cool.
WEST SIDE
When I’m on the west side of town and hankering for some fabric shopping, I stop by Fabric Planet. They offer a wide selection of fashion fabrics and bins full of notions. If you’re not able to make it to downtown, consider visiting the Daiso store on Sawtelle in Little Osaka. (I haven’t visited this location as often as the downtown one so I can’t say for sure if they frequently have sewing supplies. Regardless, you can find some excellent Japanese food.)
The Sewing Arts Center is a shop focused more on the quilting side of sewing. Their brick and mortar shop was closed during the pandemic but recently reopened. I have not visited this shop but they are well regarded.
If you are looking to take a sewing class, I recommend checking out Moving Thread LA. I taught a class there in 2021 and while I haven’t had time to do another, the owner Lissa is a fantastic garment sewing teacher and she’s been bringing in a lot of other fun instructors.
The Moving Thread studio shares space with These Hands Collective which has a small craft shop and hosts a variety of craft classes. Check them out too!
PASADENA
Remainders Creative Reuse
I have not actually been to Remainders (mostly because I no longer live nearby), but I think it looks really cool. It’s basically a thrift store for craft supplies and they have classes. I love their ethos of sustainability and I’ve only heard great things.
If you’re in the Pasadena area, I also recommend checking out Descanso Gardens and the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Gardens.
LONG BEACH
LA Finch Fabrics
LA Finch started as an online store and opened a brick and mortar in early 2020. I have bought from them online but have not yet visited the store. They have a great selection of deadstock designer fashion fabrics. The proprietor is very experienced in the fashion industry and sourcing fabric and I love the selection they have online. Make sure to check the website as their hours vary.
Long Beach is south of LA (still in LA County) so it’s a good place to stop if you’re on your way to or from Orange County.
Whether you're an LA resident or visiting for the first time, I hope that this guide is helpful and that you enjoy this diverse city. I also recommend reading Christine Haynes' guide published in Seamwork Magazine. We have some overlap but she also has a few places that I have not been to before and did not include. Happy sewing and shopping!
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