Shopping: The Way We Wore, Judith Ripka and Pamela Barish host biggie sales

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Designer vintage apparel doesn’t come cheap -- and it typically appreciates with age. Which is why January is a great month to pore over the racks of pristine Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Versace at The Way We Wore, one of L.A.’s most lauded vintage fashion boutiques.

Every new year marks the start of the shop’s big winter sale, featuring collectible clothes, shoes and accessories discounted 50%.

This year’s sale -- which starts Jan. 2 and runs through the end of the month -- features the usual covetable designer fare, including retro Yves Saint Laurent outerwear, a two-piece black velveteen ensemble from Sant’Angelo and shapely ‘80s suits from Thierry Mugler.

But this year, owner Doris Raymond is also discounting, for the very first time, her collection of rare vintage designer sunglasses. Dating from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, the cache of cool sunnies includes classic bamboo frames from Guy Laroche and glamorously over-sized Christian Dior looks.

Also included in the sale -- which will take place on the bottom floor of the boutique, with new merchandise filtered in daily -- is an exceptional collection of vintage lingerie Raymond recently scored from an avid collector.

‘There are really some of the most beautiful silk lingerie ensembles I’ve ever seen,’ Raymond said, citing tap pants, bras, teddies and abbreviated robes as some of the looks making up the lingerie sets.

Brands include early Victoria’s Secret, ‘before they went mainstream and lowered the quality of materials they use,’ Christian Dior and Fernando Sánchez, a Spanish designer known for his provocative lingerie.

But perhaps most noteworthy is a sizable collection of Emilio Pucci-printed underthings the Italian designer created for Chicago’s Formfit Rogers Mills, where Pucci signed on as vice president in charge of design and merchandising in 1959.

Raymond noted that sizes for the lingerie -- which she’ll be selling for between $20 and $250 (for top-drawer ensembles) -- range roughly from a size 2 to “maybe a size 8 or 10 ... and there’s nothing for very large-breasted.�

Special collections aside, the vintage dealer said she’s keen to unload most of her winter-season inventory, explaining, ‘A big part of this sale is about feeding my addiction to shopping -- if there’s no room in the store, I can’t shop.’

334 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 937-0878. 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; or by appointment. www.thewaywewore.com

SALES

Pamela Barish fall/winter sale Through Jan. 9: Venice Beach-based designer Pamela Barish hosts a sale of her fall/winter collection. Expect up to 50% off jewel-toned, body-conscious dresses and ladylike separates.

1327½ Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. (310) 314-4490. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; by appointment Sunday through Tuesday. www.pamelabarish.com

Judith Ripka sample sale Thursday through Sunday:L.A. jewelry designer Judith Ripka, famous for her classic-feeling 18-karat gold and sterling silver pieces, is throwing a rare sample sale in two L.A. locations, offering 50% to 70% off retail prices. Prices start at $250.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the Beverly Wilshire, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Century Plaza Hyatt, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles. www.judithripka.com

Case Study Space online sale Through Jan. 15: L.A. boutique Case Study Space, home to avant-garde menswear brands including Unholy Matrimony, Lost and Found and Undercover, hosts a 30%-off sale online only. casestudyspace.com.

-- Emili Vesilind