One reason I started this blog was because of my passion for storytelling and sharing products I love. If you know me then you know I enjoy the experience of investing and shopping luxury fashion. As an L.A. native, I visit Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA whenever I need a pick me up. But like many of us, I've limited my outings to do my part to flatten the curve. That being said, as shopping in California has begun to slowly open I recently decided to visit Beverly Hills to have an in-store luxury shopping experience. In case you are curious about the coronavirus safety procedures in places like luxury fashion boutiques, then this blog is perfect for you. Since quarantine started in Los Angeles, I have not visited the iconic luxury fashion strip that i Rodeo Drive . Instead of doing in-person shopping I pivoted to online luxury shopping. I admit, this shift to digital shopping for luxury fashion has had its blips. Doing my designer shopping online not only resulted in some sizing and style mistakes. While I was excited when my online luxury order arrived, it couldn’t compare to that in-person experience of knowing what I got and knowing how it looked on me. Unboxing luxury online shopping items like my Louis Vuitton Multi Pochette Accessoires, which I wrote about in another post here, lacked that excitement of touring and testing items within a boutique. (I’m also not complaining about how many of us have had to pivot to online luxury shopping. I understand these are first world problems.) Because I felt comfortable, and I know that my recent COVID-19 test provided me a negative result, I thought I thought to take a quick visit to this part of Los Angeles. Socially Distant Luxury Shopping in Beverly Hills - Fall 2020 in Los AngelesOn a sunny Monday, I called the Prada boutique in Rodeo Drive and boldly asked, “Do you have the Prada combat boots?” I was unsure if this local Prada would have these trendy boots. Not only did this Beverly Hills Prada have the trendy chunky combat boots, but they had multiple sizes. I grabbed a face mask, threw on my Louis Vuitton crossbody bag, and I made my first luxury shopping trip to Beverly Hills during quarantine. For those familiar with shopping in Rodeo Drive, you won’t be surprised that even during quarantine the fashion on sight is on-point. In Beverly Hills, like many parts of L.A., face masks are required in almost all public settings. And face masks are also required when entering any of the stores located on Rodeo Drive. I highly recommend making an appointment or showing up early when planning luxury shopping in general. Most, if not all boutiques, only allow a small number of patrons in at any given time. I arrived in Beverly Hills for my shopping appointment in the afternoon. Luckily, I avoided any morning or pre-evening rush. I was greeted into the store with a quick temperature check and a squirt of hand sanitizer for good measure. The Prada boutique in Beverly Hills was not only gorgeous but it had great measures for maintaining social distancing. Guests were hosted at least six feet apart from other shoppers. For example, I was trying on the Prada brushed leather nylon boots while two other people were also trying shoes. We were sat a good distance apart inside the boutique’s luxury shoe section. When I asked if I could try on the boots, to ensure the sizing was right, my sales associate said, “Of course!” She shared with me how all products handled by clients were disinfected and set aside for several days before returning to the inventory. It’s also worth noting that all of the sales associates in the boutiques wear gloves and change them after each visit. While some muffling happened because of the masks, I still was able to have a rich conversation and luxury shopping experience with my sales associate. I tried on multiple pairs of the Prada combat boots before I found my right size. Being able to try on different styles and sizes until I found the perfect pair is something I’ve missed in my shopping experience. For me, it’s not just about buying designer. For me, shopping luxury fashion is about the atmosphere of treating yourself to a gift. From the warm demeanor of the staff to the gorgeous edifices, shopping luxury fashion in-person cannot be compared. Thanks for reading my come shopping with me in Beverly Hills blog! Let me know in the comments below if you’ve recently visited a boutique for in-person luxury shopping or if you’ve done any online luxury shopping recently. Thanks for reading these Words by Will! Make sure to follow me on Instagram @Willsshowem and on YouTube @William Samayoa for more!
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Author William SamayoaMarketer by profession and storyteller by passion. L.A. raised, proud Latino, and pop culture enthusiast. Categories
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