Good morning Ladies,
I have been having trouble contacting Lydias TV fashions in Studio City. Has this store closed- Please say it isn't so.

If it has, does anyone know of another TV store in the LA area ?

Jessica

I bought via mail order from Lydia's several times back in the 80's. It was an institution in the TG world, and last I heard, within the past couple of years, they were either moving, closing, or reopening under new ownership. I'll have a look around through my extensive database of TG resources and let you know what I learn.

As you can see, among my extensive database of TG resources is the ever informative and multitalented Wendy Larsen, a veritable font of knowledge where LA and surrounding areas are concerned.

Just for those who do not know, Lydia's closed its doors some years ago and will be missed. Currently The Countessa's Closet is the only store I know of that primarily markets to T-Girls. It is also in Studio City about two miles East of where Lydia's was located.

Actually, I was wondering about Lydia's myself. The website says "temporarily closed". It changed ownership some years back. I haven't been in their for some time because of personal disasters, but I will try to find out this week. Here's info on them that I posted on nights out in L.A.

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These three are in a three mile stretch of Ventura Blvd, Studio City.

http://www.lydiastv.com/c[...]tes.htm <http://www.lydiastv.com/crossdress_nites.htm> (been there, nice folk, owners are T girl and her wife. Beauty shop in store. Dressing facilities on site for rent. Wide range of styles, from slutty to Mae West glamorous...have gotten some real deals here. Store at site for years...VERY discreet location, parking off back alley...you could go there en femme and never be seen...but readily accessible from the main street. Entrance door perpendicular to the iron fence facing Ventura and just past the fence..North and East. VERY Discreet, But it's safe to try the doors until you find it. Check the days and hours on the site. The site also has a wonderfully long list of places that are TG night spots in L.A. THE QUEEN MARY is closed, no matter what the Internet says, but the "show" has moved to another club some nights)



http://www.usfreeads.com/[...]221286 <http://www.usfreeads.com/files/viewad.asp?id=221286 >Description of shop)

<http://www.countessascloset.com/> (for the shop "we do not carry anything that is not upscale, highfashion or tasteful" I believe it is located on a busy main corner, so easy to find, but appears fairly public with large windows.)
http://www.smoola.com/Com[...]=509602 <http://www.smoola.com/CompanyDetails.aspx?companyid=509602> virtual tour of Countessa's Closet which will make it much easier to find.
Look at all three sites.


<http://www.glamourboutique.com> (branch of famous Massachusetts store, new)

and don't miss <http://www.wilshirewigs.com> in the Burbank area where you can get just about any wig you want in any color and hve it styled. They serve the movie and television industry and sell to males every day. And they have a SHOWROOM full of wigs.

All of these stores have a history and are not fly by night operations.

The phone number for Lydia's is "...disconnected or is no longer in service..." It does not look good. Perhaps the addition of a third shop withihn 3 miles was too much drain on customer support.

Here's addresses and phone numbers for all three as of last year
GLAMOUR BOUTIQUE
Store Hours :
M&T 1-6:30 W&T 12-6:30 F&S 12-8
Also Open By Appointment !
12457 Ventura Boulevard
Suite # 103
Studio City, CA. 91604
818-761-6650
E-mail L.A. Store :
[email protected]
http://www.glamourboutique.com/

LYDIA'S TV FASHIONS
Call us: 818-995-7195
13837 Ventura Blvd # 2 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
customer service hours
(same as our store hours):
12pm-7pm Pacific Standard Time,
Tuesday thru Saturday
http://www.lydiastv.com/index.cfm

Countessa's Closet Inc.
11386 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, Calif
Phone 818-763-9806.
Tuesday through Saturday, 1PM to 8 PL

Tell them you heard about them on TW but, if you ddn't find a regular advertisement, that it was hard to get this information. Even with it posted before, people can't easily find it even a week later.

It's true. I stopped by LYDIA'S former business site today. Both the shop and the locker/dressing rental area are empty and being renovated.

GLAMOUR bOUTIQUE revisions:

Hours are now: M-Tu 1300-1900
W-Th 1200-1900
F-Sat 1200-2000 (sometimes later, call)
and by appointment.
It is located on the NE corner of Ventura Blvd and Whitsett/Laurel Terrace Drive (depending on which direction you come from.). It is next to AFTER HOURS FORMALWARE and diagonal from the ARCO gas station.... and there is parking off Whitsett, North of the shop, along Ventura Court. Beware, the Mapquest map shows the location on the wrong corner of the intersection.

The store has a good collection of larger sized shoes in stock, jewelry sized for larger girls, makeup and a beauty shop. Also some CDs done by a number of experts in TG makeup techniques. For a full description of this most recent addition to the Ventura Blvd TG shops, go to the new website:

http://www.glamourboutiquewest.com/

and GOOD NEWS, Darya, the manager of the shop, was involved with LYDIA'S in the past and set up their website so the great list of places to go out that were on Lydia's is updated on GB3's site with more links for restauraunts and bars coming. Yayyyyyyyyy, Darya!

http://www.glamourboutiquewest.com/

There are hard copys of this list available in the store as well as many flyers and pamphlets for local and national therapists and TG events.

I feel less sad about LYDIA'S closing after visiting this shop. It's small but nicely laid out with the same friendly treatment I found at Lydia's. Give it a look....Something for everyone.

The afternoon started as a sad one but ended up as one to feel happy again.

Goodbye LYDIA'S. Thanks for everything.

In mid-August Glamour Boutique 3 in L.A. closed. The reportedly did not go out of business but lost their lease and key personnel and decided to close. This is a shame. It leaves only The Countessa's Closet on Ventura Blvd where there were three TG shops at the start of 2006. However, indications are that none of these closings were due to lack of business, but rather due to other circumstances..

******

You know, Robyn, I never, ever anticipated one day being referred to as a resource on Los Angles T-Girl information. If I had, I would not have anticipated smiling about it. It is more likely the idea would have filled me with terror. I had to laugh at that.

Countessa's Closet in Studio City, CA :  Telephone number is no longer connected.  The website has been dysfunctional for some time.  I hope to take a pass by to confirm, but it looks like L.A. has lost it's third/last TG shop.   We still have makeover/photography services and TG friendly stores, the most are in Hollywood.

 

I hope to update the L.A. area shops/services over the next six months.