The Colleagues

This is my favorite Santa Monica resale shop! The ladies who work here are so sweet and kind, and the clothing selections are fantastic. There is a variety of vintage, modern and designer ware! They also have jewelry, china and housewares. Check this place out, it’s a hidden gem.

Amazing vintage and designer clothing resale store where the proceeds benefit Children’s Institute (a charity that supports abused children in Southern California). I have found so many treasures here for myself, my husband, and my teenage fashionista daughter, at a tiny fraction of retail prices. On my last visit there, I scored a pair of Chanel snakeskin flats and a pair of velvet Lanvin flats — both pairs looked brand new! The time before, I got a gorgeous turquoise necklace, an evening bag, a Calvin Klein car coat for my girl (size 0), and some dress shirts for my husband. I will definitely be shopping here again and again!

Having scoured the country looking for the best resellers, this ranks number one on my list. I have found real diamonds for $ 250. My friend just bought an unbelievably stunning full-​length mink for $ 500. The finds can be incredible. As with any vintage/​reseller one must search, but things are now sorted by size which has made it easier. Store is upbeat with happy people. A staple in my shopping!

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous place to shop! If you have not been here, you need to come! Amazing designer items from Chanel jackets/​pants/​dresses to Oscar de la Renta party dresses to Michael Kors sheath dresses and many more, all for amazing prices! ! I bought a gorgeous Mary Katrantzou silk satin sheath dress that looked brand new for a great price! The ladies who work the Colleagues Room are so sweet and interested in helping you! Start here first before you go shopping anywhere else!

What a find. Fantastic clothes and accessories for women with mens things as well. Bought my teenage son 5 button down mens shirts which he wears all the time. Love the fact that all the workers are volunteers and the money goes back to the community to help abused children and families. Win-​WIn for everyone. Great store and great cause!

I have shopped here several times and have found some of my favorite dresses and shoes. Incredible, hardly worn Oscar de la Renta dresses and M Blahnik shoes. Excellent prices. The people who work there are all volunteers (because the store benefits a charity that helps families) and some of them know the merchandise really well. They helped me find gems that were right for me. I recently visited and they have had a make-​over of the store and it looks and feels great and is really easy to shop. Also the merchandise looked really current and great quality. This is a big find!

My friend brought me here today and I found lots of treasures. They were having a 50% off sale and I found a bunch of neat pieces. There are a lot of vintage dresses, Blazers, hats, shoes, and clothing. There are a lot of big name brands too and products are all well kept.
The ladies are all Nice and friendly. I bought a bag full of clothing for under $ 50!
I am so coming again next time!

If you want to pay $ 100 for a cotton nightgown, and $ 40 for an no-​brand scarf, fur coats for thousands, from a very frosty volunteer staff, have at it.
Out-​of-​style designer clothing is still out of style.
No doubt quality here, but at what price?
Wildly over-​priced designer clothing reduced to sticker-​shock levels.
Guess I never got into wasting money on designer duds, and did I mention the snooty volunteer sales ladies, who. are. much. better. than. you.

A great place to buy designer clothing. Yes, yes, You have to hunt and peck but there are bargains to be had and lots of terrific items… you just have to search for them.
Many of the items had very high original retail prices, you get quality — so don’t expect to pay cheap/​cheap prices, but there are sleepers!
Yes, a suit could be marked high, but gee, it’s a Chanel!
I’ve noticed that many ‘pickers’ shop here, and then the item ends up in one of the high-​end resale shops on La Brea Ave or Melrose.
The only problem with this store is their limited hours or I’d give this place a 5-​star.
And the nice thing is that it’s for charity: The Children’s Institute.

too bad this store is for charity
is a museum loaded with items from the 1% and priced to the 99%
the ladies need a reality check
don’t waist your time and gas, this is a place where a coat is 6,000.00
or a men’s coat is 2500.00 yes is YSL, but you can find it at crossroads trading co for 300.00, or at wasteland. in fact I rather shop there, they price to sell.

This is very expensive Resale donation store! The have tons of vintage pieces but their price is the same as retail store. I thought Donation items should be priced less? The lady who worked there is very unfriendly and gossip all the time! The hour is not convenient. I drove there once, the supposed to open, but it was closed. it’s a rip off!

Philanthropic boutique acts as gossip mill for out of touch old ladies.
I have several issues with this place but first I will say that there are wonderful items to be found here.
My issues– the hours are very limited. Four hours a day only three days a week. Which would be fine if they were actually there those hours. Sometimes I drive all the way there to find the place deserted. Another time the door was locked and when I knocked and the woman inside waved me away with no explanation. The prices are very inconsistant. Some items are fairly priced and some are out of the world crazy. $ 300 for a Kate Spade canvas tote bag that may or may not be real? What are they thinking? I get the impression that these ladies value their donations way more than customers are willing to pay for. I’ve seen items in there for over one year and they are not willing to negotiate on prices.
Also, every time I have been in there these women are arguing with each other. They are extremely passive agressive and actually gossip openly about non-​present members with customers in the store.

This is an amazing store! The majority of the merchandise is vintage resale (men and women), encompassing about the last 10 years, but a small section is devoted to vintage designer clothing (women only). The store is very spacious and well laid out and bright, although the racks do get jammed with clothing and can be hard to move to look at the pieces. There is a lot, so make sure you have plenty of time to browse. The prices are very reasonable for the quality and designers, and there are many unexpected bargains to be found. For example, a classic Chanel tweed jacket was about $ 400, while a white linen Valentino pencil skirt was priced at $ 30. There are numerous sale racks too where the merchandise is half off (much under even $ 10), with many great deals to be found. The designers are usually classic, old design houses– expect to see Chanel, Valentino, Escada, Carolina Hererra, etc. There are many suits as well as other garments. The vintage racks are priced extremely reasonably, rarely going over $ 200 for even the most extravagent of pieces. Most were well less than even $ 50, and many by reputable designers, and dates ranging from the early 1900s to the 1980s, with a focus on the 70s and 80s. Sizing in all garments ranges from the very tiny to the very large. The tags were helpful in that they stated whether each item was «couture» meaning «designer resale» or «vintage» and the approximation of size, but did not state the approximate date of the vintage pieces. There is also an ample shoe section (although I think the clothing is of better quality) and is jewelry, purses, hats and other accessories to chose from. There are some antiques/​furniture, too. The staff were elderly women and were not the most friendly– very grouchy, and not willing to help me even when I was carrying close to 50 pounds worth of clothing on my little arm. They were also rude when they thought I did not hang up a garment. Additionally, the store is open only Mondays, Thursdays, and the first Saturday of each month from only 10 am– 2pm. For these reasons, I did not give the store 5 stars. Another drawback includes the communal dressing room– do wear modest undergarments to avoid embarassment! The proceeds go to a good charity, and the merchandise is varied and unique, and well priced, so please make The Colleagues a priority in your next shopping extravaganza!