The Paper Bag Princess

I consigned some high end items here, and the aftermath was terrible. The staff is dismissive and Ms Mason is arrogant, cold and dare I say — dishonest. I was not paid for some of the items that were sold on my behalf. In addition, it took me MANY phone calls to receive information on my items that had sold. I was given a constant run around. In my opinion, their business practices are fraudulent. They do have wonderful items on the floor, so if you’re interested in ONLY shopping there, perhaps that would be ok. However — DO NOT consign anything with this company. You WILL be ripped off. Run — don’t walk — far away from this place.

do not ever consign merchandise here. they basically steal your items. i consigned several items here and i had to call countless times to even receive my first check. never received another one after. started calling again several months ago to check on the status of my items/​check. they say they will call back and never do. from reading the other reviews, it seems this is a commen problem. they are theifs!!!

It was comforting to read that I’m not the only one who has had a negative experience here. The clothes of course are stunning, but the condescending attitude of the staff is outrageous. (Except he security guards! They are always pleasant) I have visited this store on at least 5 occasions over the years as it is walking distance from my place, but my advice would be to shop eBay, etsy, mercari or Poshmark. The extreme rudeness and the holier-​than-​thou attitude are completely inappropriate and unnecessary. Good luck in the age of the internet…

I love vintage clothing and Los Angeles has some of the best stores. A friend said this place has lots of Pucci, which I love. However, be prepared to be ignored and overhear drama from the people who work there. Found out later that the lady who was speaking rudely to one of the other staff was the owner.

After 7 hours of fairly unsuccessful dress shopping for a wedding I’m attending in Dubai, a friend recommended I swing by and check out this store. I had no idea what to expect. I wandered in, pooped, with my 1-​yr-​old in her stroller, 30 minutes before closing time this Saturday.
Elizabeth and Jonathan made me feel like a million bucks. The service was 5 stars. As for the selection there was a ton (which would have been hard to sort through). I tried on 2 gowns — one of which I will probably be dreaming about for a long time. They took iphone pictures. I didn’t feel pressured while consulting with friends on the phone. They were super-​cool about me having my baby with me.
I left putting one dress on hold but have decided to go with other options so I can splurge during my travel in Dubai and India. But the level of service I received made a great impression! Thanks Elizabeth and Jonathan!

they have beautiful clothes. Kelly and Clare do a good job of trying to stay on top of the business. Consignments checks do take time to turn over. You need stay on top of them, but it does finally get done. I think the girls a very overwhelmed with all that it takes to run the shop, online consignments and shipping. Give them a change!

I came into the Paper Bag Princess last week desperately searching for «the perfect dress» for my sister’s wedding. I am an avid vintage shopper/​thrifter, and almost forgot what I was shopping for when I walked in. The place is a museum of vintage couture, housing every high-​end designer you could think of, from Yves Saint Laurent to Dior to Geoffrey Beene. From classic patent leather never-​worn Louboutins to amazing Chanel vintage two-​piece suits, this place is perfect if you’re shopping for a formal occasion or looking for a gorgeous little summer dress. There is an entire section dedicated to wedding couture! The eras range from a classic 1920’s fringe cocktail dress to a contemporary Hermes Berkin. I was immediately greeted by the manager Kelly when I walked in. Even though I didn’t really have an exact idea as to what I wanted to wear, she asked the right questions and drew an idea of my style from my likes and dislikes. She was extremely friendly and patient, and we finally decided on a gorgeous vintage one-​shoulder blue Halston dress that was the perfect combination of sexy and elegant. I always look to Unilocal for recommendations but rarely write reviews. However, I had to help these wonderful ladies out by writing one because it may be the best dress I own. They even offered to allow me to re-​consign it if I kept it in the same condition. Thank you Kelly and The Paper Bag Princess for finding me the most amazing dress and most importantly, keeping it within my budget!

I love vintage designer clothes, I know most every consignment store, thrift shop from the Valley to Santa Monica to the OC and everywhere in between. When I walked in, I thought I died and went to Heaven! I want everything in this store. I met the owner, who is beautiful and so nice, I love her adorable dog, everybody that works there was so nice and easy going. She has vintage Pucci, Halston, Chanel, Hermes, the list is way to long. Everything is in perfect condition.
I let her know I wasn’t buying and for years I wanted to go in but never got around to it. I stayed for about an hour looking at every thing with pure joy, they let me be. I talked to the owner about different items and she was so accommodating and well informed, she’s a fashion encyclopedia. The store is pretty and organized, a great vibe. I can’t rate the price because what’s expensive for some may not be for others and it is Beverly Hills. I wanted to see vintage Halston she showed me great dresses and taught me all about the different Halston labels. I had fun! They have parking in the back.

Wow. I just read all the negative reviews. Interesting. It figures since a long time friend and I both randomly had a bad experiences with Elizabeth, the owner. Judging from all of her long winded responses, this is someone that NEVER takes accountability for herself. And never will. Hey Elizabeth– RUN don’t walk to a great therapist. I knew that my friend found her wedding dress here last minute and it looked great on her. It turns out after she called to say she was coming in to buy the dress (she had tried it on a previous day) and offered her credit card to hold it, she came in to find it out on the floor. And then Elizabeth said some rude things to her when she was buying the dress, like how perfect it would have been for another customer who tried it on and expressed interest in it. Who says that? And to a bride to be?
I was on a search for a very specific type of dress for a photo shoot that I’m styling. I’ve been a stylist for 18 years and had a clothing line before that, so let’s just say this was not my first rodeo. After telling me about a dress she had in the back that might work, she gave me bad advice about where to rent a dress and told me that it would cost 25 grand to get the type of dress I was looking for. There are places that rent McQueen dresses for $ 500 or less in town. It was a total waste of time but at least I know not to bother next time. She never showed me the dress she was talking about, maybe she thought it was out of my budget. She just tried to sell me on the idea of her people making a dress the next time I needed a «couture» dress and could wait their turn around time, 45 days. Right. That would happen. Even a movie wouldn’t have 45 days lead time, it’s a lifetime in commercials.
In case my friend doesn’t get around to reviewing herself, let’s just say 1 star times 2!

I can not speak more highly of this place. I am shocked to read these other reviews. I called in advance to find out if an appointment was needed. They called back within the hour and gave me all the info I needed, even parking tips. When I came in at 11:30 (store opens at 11) they said that I couldnt look around yet because the manager wasnt in yet. I found that to be a bit frustrating, but he showed up 5 minutes later and guided me to the section with long formal dresses which is what I wanted. He had to help a celebrity client and kept apologizing to me that he couldnt spend more time with me. So sweet. I found a handful of dresses and he put me in the lovely large dressing room. I found «the one» which was unfortunately twice my budget. He promised me that he would hold it and call the store owner for me to see if the price could be dropped slightly. He called me at 6:45 that evening and said he got in touch with the owner. Unfortunaetly I picked a rare one of a kind vintage 1930’s dress that he was un-​willing to drop the price on. Darn! The curse of a good eye!
he gave me several options though to try and make it work for me (layaway). I am going to have to think about it. He said he would hold it for a couple days for me while I try to figure it out. I dont think I can live without this dress. Just have to figure out how to pay for it. Great boutique, great service. I will recommend them for sure.

I have some designer gowns that I want to sell. However, after reading the reviews from those that have consigned clothing to the store, i will not be contacting the Paper Bag Princess.
Those that have bought, for the most part, have had good experiences. Those that have attempted to consign and sell seem to have had had horrendous experiences. The comments to them by the owner are ridiculous. Business is business and a well run company should be just that — at all times.

I don’t usually take the time to review business’s like this but my experience with this place has been incredibly disappointing and I wanted to take the time to share.
First off let me say I absolutely adore Excalibur, the jewelry store within Paperbag Princess. The staff at Excalibur is always incredibly kind and helpful and I have invested quite a bit in jewelry from there and recommend them all the time.
The Paperbag Princess could not be further from the quality of service Excalibur gives.
Perhaps it’s because I’m in my mid-20’s but every time I’m in there the women (and occasional men) treat me like I can’t afford a pot to piss in. Thanks, but I work really hard for my money and despite my better judgement of their shop even bought a $ 200 hat in there once for my collection. I have been in the shop on several occasions and the quality of service is always the same, and it really bums me out. In fact I can’t think of ANYWHERE else in LA that I’ve ever received the same treatment. The last time I even told the woman what type of piece I was looking for and she went on for some time about how I was likely «too big» for any of the pieces they had on had from that era (I’m a size 6).
Anyways, I will concede that there are racks upon racks of beautiful dresses, a fashionistas dream, and if one digs around a bit you can likely find something for a black tie event or such at a reasonable price ($ 400+ range) but if you’re under the age of 40 and aren’t dripping in diamonds upon entering the store be prepared for a bit of attitude as you look around.

Shopping maybe, but DO NOT leave your valuable items here to sell!
I left vintage Victor Costa and Julie Duroche dresses for consignment. After personally checking on their status several times over the years, I recently went to retrieve the dresses. The Costa was returned to me in sad state, but the Duroche they could not find at all. After searching for the dress MYSELF in a giant unkempt pile of stuff, I found the beaded decorative flower that was attached to my dress torn off, but not the dress. I have yet to be compensated for my lost dress which they had listed for sale at $ 700. The sales staff have no authority and no one seems to know which end is up when it comes to their inventory. Unacceptable service!
On the shopping side, I did buy a beautiful vintage Oscar de la Renta handbag here a few years ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t give them any stars.

i called paper bag princess because i found a jacket i have on google images (it had been sold on 1^st dibs), and was interested in knowing what it sold for. if it was worth selling, i would consider selling. if not, then not.
i totally understand that people probably call this business, and loads of others, to price out their items to sell on ebay or elsewhere. is that unfair? we could probably debate that. after all, their items are on 1^st dibs, so it’s not like there’s some huge secret about prices. and if i wanted to devote myself to finding out what the jacket was worth, i could probably find a comp. my curiosity was just that — curiosity.
first lady was perfectly nice and took my name and number. owner (? i assume) called back and grilled me like i was a prime new york strip steak. who was i. why did i want to know. was i interested in selling it. when did i buy it. how much did i pay. needless to say, she did not tell me what the item sold for, instead she tensed me out and made me feel like i was a criminal for calling.
here’s the thing.
if you don’t want to give out prices over the phone, fine. JUST SAY SO. i would have hung up the phone and maybe i would have come in some day to buy something or poke around.
but now? i wouldn’t sell that jacket through paper bag princess if i needed to bail out of jail. and i wouldn’t set foot in your store if you had a chanel boucle jacket with a $ 100 price tag hanging off it that i could read from my car on olympic.
you are not the only game in town, and there is this thing called the «internet» which can be used to find vintage items. and nothing is worth being treated so rudely.

Lovely experience! Amazing vintage pieces. Such a gem!

RESPONSE FROM CONDESCENDING, ARROGANT, RUDE, THREATENI OWNER
Dear Lala,
We are very sorry you have put yourself at such emotional risk, for clearly this has been a terribly troubling experience for you.
May I begin by saying we are sorry that you have suffered from any undue emotional discomfort as a result of your disappointment with your purchase in my boutique.
I can confidently convey to you after great discussion with my sales associate who assisted you, that this is clearly a case of your unfortunate assumptions that the necklace your friend purchased for you was CHANEL.
There were only two actual items of CHANEL in the display case where your necklace was presented, and they were to the far left and had nothing to do with the display of your necklace.
There are many other brand name designer pieces in that particular case, and in no way was the piece your friend purchased for you ever represented as a CHANEL item either visually or verbally.
One would think, that if you are as you say, an avid collector of fine vintage designer jewelry, you would have certainly known to look at the label on any piece prior to purchasing it.
The price tag on the necklace said Georgio of Beverly Hills, not Chanel. As did the sales receipt that was given to your friend who paid for it.
If you ladies saw the two CHANEL pieces in the display case and assumed that because this necklace was in the same case that it too was CHANEL well for this I am sorry. But the piece was clearly represented and priced for what it is. Had it been a CHANEL piece you would have also been given a CHANEL box for it.
All that being said, you may well have inquired as to whether, or not you could have the chain lengthened on the necklace, at which point my sales associate may have indicated that is was certainly possible, but she has assured me, she would NEVER have said to call CHANEL, for she knew the piece to be from Georgio of Beverly Hills, so why would she ever direct you to CHANEL?
As for you receiving a discount on the piece after the fact per your conversation with me on the telephone, please note that you were already given a substantial 10% discount on the piece which you failed to mention to me in our conversation. Remember I was not present at the time you made your purchase and as a professional courtesy and encouragement to please you both as new customers, my sales associate extended to you our VIP discount which is only given in rare occasions to our repeat customers. One would think this would have been enough to satisfy you.
Now considering since you had asked for a discount which you were given, then you would have had to view the price tag to consider the price and request such a discount. By viewing the price tag you would have seen that it clearly stated that the piece was Georgio Of Beverly Hills, not CHANEL.
Had it been CHANEL it would have been three times that price, and there would never have been a discount granted to you, as we never discount CHANEL.
I think this is enough said in this regards. Again, I am dearly sorry if you assumed in error the designer of this piece.
Please remember that the lovely necklace was a gift given to you with love, and that you were attracted to the piece from seeing it and who designed it in a trivial matter in the stream of our lives.
As for your subsequent insults I am going to forgive you for these for I truly believe you were blinded by your overall disappointment.
In truth some of your comments were absolutely silly.
If you had opened your eyes and glanced around you would have counted no less than 16 mannequins on display in my boutique and although it is a 4,000 square foot location, I doubt I could really squeeze anymore in.
And the plastic garment bags on the delicate gowns and cocktail dresses are there to protect the garments from the damaging hands of the general public who do not always appreciate the fragility of lovely vintage pieces. I am entrusted by many to care for their beautiful items and we do the very best we can considering they must still be out on the sales floor for all to see.
Imagine if you were giving one of your cooking classes and you had just purchased the most beautiful bowl full of gorgeous ripe tomatoes and the entire class was allowed to pinch and squeeze them prior to you turning those lovely tomatoes into a moth-​watering culinary masterpiece. You would probably keep your tomatoes under lock and key as well.
I can not account for your comment in regards to POORLY CURATED, as I have had quite the opposite comments over my 18 years in business, but perhaps you were regurgitating the words you read in a Unilocal review. We understand from both a professional and personal level that we can not please all of the people all of the time, and I assure you I take the reviews on Unilocal very seriously.
What you may be missing in this conversation is the human element. You are not the only one suffering from t

Unfortunately, my review was «filtered» I have no idea why? I told my story the way it happened. It is almost exactly like another woman who was treated the same way by the employees of the Paper Bag Princess and by the Princess herself. I will never shop or buy anything else advertised by this store, she is less than professional. Most of the bad reviews are on the «filtered» list. She must pay Unilocal so they continue to hide the bad comments. JUST SAYING

Haute Couture in my budget, FINALLY! I absolutely LOVE Paperbag Princess! I started looking for the perfect wedding dress last November for my wedding in June, 2013. I was extremely stressed because I couldn’t find anything that was special enough and wouldn’t cost me $ 12,000 (Sorry Monique Lhuillier) — I went to many places before I landed in the arms of Elizabeth Mason: Saks, Lovely LA, Paris 1900, Temperely London, Monique Lhuillier, Claire Pettibone, JLM Couture & more all to no avail.
I debated going in a few times– but was hesitant because I had heard it was extremely exclusive and read the few seemingly negative Unilocal reviews. I was pleasantly surprised about how wrong they are! (As most of you know not to trust all crazy reviews). The staff was very friendly, attentive, and laid back from the moment I walked in. The girl who helped me pulled pieces after carefully listening to my style and preferences.
I thoroughly enjoyed sifting through the beautiful vintage bridal pieces and was also equally as interested in the other couture pieces available. The inventory is large and well curated, with many gems!
I tried on many beautiful dresses, but a pearl strapless bodice was my favorite by far. The issue was now to find a bottom to do it justice. This is where Elizabeth Mason, owner and designer, was extremely helpful. She is very skilled, passionate and knows her stuff to say the least. She was able to pull me the PERFECT skirt from her own line immediately. I fell in love instantly and didn’t feel a hint of doubt (which is highly unusual for my indecisive self). On top of finding the perfect dress, Elizabeth was aware of my tighter budget and more than willing to work with me on this without compromising quality. I also spent time with the lovely seamstress, Paige, who is very skilled and personable.
Overall, I couldn’t be more thrilled with my experience. I would highly recommend Paperbag Princess to my closest friends. Elizabeth Mason is the best!

I discovered The Paper Bag Princess when I was researching resale and consignment shops in the Los Angeles area for my birthday visit. Despite the mix of positive and negative reviews, I decided to visit to make my own assessment of the shop.
I stopped by about an hour before they closed. They have their own parking lot behind the store if you would like to avoid paying for the parking meters. To enter the parking lot, enter through the alleyway on the left side of the street between the back of the building and the start of the residential area.
The front door is locked and needs to be opened by the guard inside by the front door. (I believe the guard works for both The Paper Bag Princess and the jewelry store in the front left corner.) The jewelry cases in the far left corner at the front of the store are a separate business and the rest of the building is The Paper Bag Princess.
Dresses are organized either by color and size or by designer, the latter will be designated with a rack sign with the designer’s name on it. She carries a variety of vintage pieces, contemporary designer, and haute couture designer that vary from more recent collections to older ones. As for purses, accessories, and hats, they can be found in the display cases on the right side and against the wall on shelves. Shoes are in the far north west corner of the shop and are arranged by size then color.
Prices on items can vary from a $ 150 designer scarf to a custom made gown by Elizabeth from her couture line. There are plenty of beautiful items to see here and all of them are housed in the boutique with care. Any fragile or special occasion items like Chanel Haute Couture gowns are put into clear garment bags to protect them from being jostled by other clothes on the rack. Even if you aren’t there to drop thousands of dollars on a piece of designer vintage, it is amazing to see all of the designers and variety of pieces all under one roof.
Elizabeth happened to be at the store the first time I visited. She asked if I was looking for something in particular and what designers I liked. I told her I was a huge Chanel fan and she began pulling pieces from the rack like a long Chanel tweed jacket, 1980s black/​white striped dress with matching jacket, and a cocktail dress. She also gave me a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs heels to put on to complete the look.
The cocktail dress was a bit too frilly for my liking but the jacket fit nicely and the dress/​jacket set were fun to try on. Then she brought out a beautiful Hermes skirt for me to try on which fit perfectly. I ended up walking away with it and they gave me a $ 25 credit to use on my next purchase.
I returned the following week to look again at the Chanel jacket. After trying it on, I decided against it, hoping to find a lighter color. Instead, I found a YSL Rive Gauche pleated skirt, which I have happily added to my wardrobe.
I would describe Elizabeth as very knowledgeable, observant, and accommodating. She wants to give her customers a great experience that makes them want to come back, even if its just to look.
I will definitely be back for more.

I agree with most of the disgruntled patrons and the ex-​employee. This place is very uppity and too snobby. I also got the feeling everything about it is subjective in that decisions are made according to whim and mood and not at all fair to customers for people who consign goods.
If I want attitude, I’ll shop Barney’s, thanks.