Santa Monica & Venice : Lucky Magazine

A+R

In 2005, Rose Apodaca and her husband, Andy Griffith, decided to open a modern home goods store on a whim, and three outposts later, it's clear their impulse has had staying power. Divided into color-blocked zones, the spaces are devoted to cleverly designed items, like Droog's self-balancing serving trays and Ora Ito's undulating, gold-plated hard drive.
1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 310-392-9128; 311 Arizona Ave., 310-394-4267, aplusrstore.com

Banana Republic

The Santa Monica Promenade is home to a Banana Republic flagship, which means that you'll find more of its chic, polished separates here than you will elsewhere in the city. Plus, it also hosts the new BR Monogram Collection, which is a small range of truly exquisite limited-edition dresses and tops.
1202 Third St. Promenade, 310-394-7740, bananarepublic.com; plus other locations

Forever 21

The biggest Forever 21 is in Pasadena (at 40,000 square feet), but we prefer the new Santa Monica location. The layout and organization are just a little bit tidier, which makes it easier to snag that perfectly of-the-moment going-out top or super-soft tank.
1431 Third St. Promenade, 310-395-6735, forever21.com; plus other locations

Fred Segal

Spanning two buildings and 50,000 square feet, the Santa Monica branch of this L.A. institution (the two Fred Segals share a name, but are actually owned by different people) is separated into more than 30 departments: There's an excellent apothecary and a huge section devoted to green living, plus loads and loads of picks from covetable designers like Inhabit and Rozae Nichols.
420 and 500 Broadway, 310-451-5155, fredsegal.com

Heist Nilou

Nilou Ghodsi's quest for a space in 2004 felt fated: She stumbled into her current store during the prospective tenant's lease signing (he failed to show), and the surrounding businesses share the names of her two daughters, Yas and Lily. Since then, she's quietly set the style precedent in Venice, bringing in labels like Humanoid and Vanessa Bruno. Part of the reason she's garnered such a stalwart clientele is her dedication to customer service: She sends thank-you notes after every purchase and won't let you buy something if it doesn't fit just right.
1104 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 310-450-6531, shopheist.com

As featured in Lucky's City Summer Shopping Guide!

Madley

With a recent move to a more intimate space, owner Coryn Madley set out to do a careful edit, determined to stock only her favorite pieces. There are lots of her own creations, from web-like knit scarves incorporating vintage fabric to heavily worked charm necklaces, along with Luxury Jones' beaded lace tops. Madley's fantastical and identity-establishing fixtures, including the gigantic net of sequined poufs that hung behind the cash register, made the move too.
1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 310-450-6029, madley.com

Royal/T Café

Part teahouse, part gallery, and part shop, this Culver City newcomer channels a quintessentially Tokyo experience. Waitresses dress up like French maids, 20-foot-tall vinyl toys loom in the corners, paintings by Hideaki Kawashima hang on the walls, and a range of cool straight-from-Japan items are arranged behind Plexiglas walls. Scoop up Yoshitomo Nara clocks and collectible plush flowers by Takashi Murakami.
8910 Washington Blvd., 310-559-6300, royal-t.org

Steven Alan

Steven Alan has turned a fashion-forward yet preppy sensibility into a big business in New York, and last year he finally brought his signature mix to not one but three Los Angeles locations. Two of the stores exclusively deal in his house line of intentionally rumpled button-downs and shirtdresses; but the brand-new Venice-based Steven Alan Annex, housed in a cute corner bungalow, also offers a curated assortment of other labels, like Common Projects and United Bamboo.
1601 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 213-629-2664, stevenalan.com

Zara

You'll find more of this Spanish import's extremely wearable chiffon party dresses and snappy, work-appropriate blazers at the Santa Monica spot than you will anywhere else in the city.
1338 Third St. Promenade, 310-458-0892; plus other locations