In the minds of many, including some of it’s own residents, Bakersfield, California is still a simple and unsophisticated town. In actuality the face of the town is changing as more people move from Los Angeles and costal cities. This has made an significant impact on the type of restaurants, services and especially shopping that is available in the area. Many fashionista’s who reside in Bakersfield couldn’t be happier that several high end boutiques have opened in the last few years, finally giving our town access to designer labels without an hour and a half drive to LA. Here’s a rundown of all the swanky boutiques in B-town.
Bellissima
1712 K St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Bellissima has to be my favorite of all the boutiques here in Bakersfield. From the moment you walk into the store, everything from the clothing, to the elegant décor , and even the music just screams class. They’re the only place in town that carries Versace, not to mention favorites such as Laundry, Elie Tahari, FCUK to add to their exclusive lines. The style of the shop is casual with a dressy touch. They have such a good variety of clothing that mothers and daughters can both find something to their liking. Bellissima carries high end purses, a few denim lines, evening gowns and shoes, in addition to their everyday clothing.
Prices: $150 – $1000+
Staff: 5/5; very friendly, inviting and helpful service.
Overall Impression: 4.5/5
Bella
1712 K St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
When visiting the Marketplace, which is a shopping center complete with movie theaters, Bella is a most stop shop. Like Bellissima, their clothing selection appeals to young women and older women as well. All of their clothing has a prim and proper feel to it. The Bella look is very feminine, trendy but not a slave to fashion. On every visit I’ve made to the boutique they always have the latest Nanette Lepore blouses, D&G; jeans, BCBGirls handbags and Juicy Couture sweats. And even though I never have anyplace to wear one, I always take a peak at their evening and cocktail dress collection. On top of that, the store has a lot of merchandise; almost too much. With their store layout, it can be frustrating looking through every garment.
Prices: $150 – $350
Staff: 3/5; slightly standoffish, not entirely helpful.
Overall Impression: 4/5
Jezzebelle’s
2217 F St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Jezzebelle’s is the perfect store for the hip, young and trendy chick. This boutiques caters exclusively to women in their late teens through their twenties. Their shelves are stocked with unique and flowy tops from designers like Rebecca Taylor and other lesser known brands. Women who love to dress up a pair of jeans with a special top will love this store, but they also sell a few dresses and wild jewelry to accessorize your outfit.
Prices: $70 – $200
Staff: 4/5; young and bubbly sales people
Overall Impression: 3.5/5
Lolo’s
5003 Stockdale Hwy
Bakersfield, CA 93309
Right up there with Bellissima, Lolo’s is my other favorite boutique in town. However, their styles couldn’t be more different. Lolo’s is geared towards teenaged shoppers, however women between the ages of 16 and 25 will love their style. Their selection is limited compared to some of the other shops, and they stick to casual but cute pieces. Shoppers will be most impressed by their denim collection, which features brands such as Seven For All Mankind, Juicy Couture and Rock & Republic, to name a few. In addition to clothing they carry cosmetics, shoes and accessories galore.
Prices: $70 – $200
Staff: 4/5; friendly and helpful sales people
Overall Impression: 4/5
La Dolce Vita
2100 19th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
La Dolce Vita is another trendy boutiques, geared towards women in their twenties. The salon and boutique definitely has their décor down pat with rich colors and ornate fixturings. Unfortunately, I found the look of their store to be more attractive than their clothing. Some of the pieces carried at this boutique are rather odd and didn’t seem to fit in with the general style of the store. Their selection, overall, is quite bland, with the exception of Catharine Malandrino and Antik Jeans, two of the brands they carry exclusively. They also carry a small selection of men’s clothing.
Prices: $150 – $450
Staff: 2/5; preoccupied and unhelpful sales people
Overall Impression: 2.5/5
Lotus House of Style
1600 19th Street
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Lotus is the most recent of all these boutiques and for the most part it shows. The shop carries brands such as DKNY and other lesser known denim lines, but as of yet they haven’t found their own definitive style. None of the pieces in the store are particularly eye catching or unique; most are reminiscent of a department store such as JC Penney’s, but with a higher price tag. On top of that I was disappointed at their selections of colors; they seem to lean towards shades of gray. Not exactly exciting.
Prices: $50 – $100
Staff: 3/5; somewhat helpful, not that friendly
Overall Impression: 2.5/5
Miss Holiday
9530 Hageman Road
Bakersfield, CA 93312
Let me say this first, I absolutely love Miss Holiday. Their store has kind of a dark, moody woodsy atmosphere which is very effective. It’s a hybrid clothing boutique and home furnishing shop, but the clothing is what I was interested in. Their layout makes sort of hard to view all the merchandise, but their selection is so strong that the trouble seems like nothing. This shop is perfect for those who want to be casual but not necessarily in jeans all the time. They carry great designers such as Tracy Reese and popular denim lines like Tag and Paper Denim & Cloth.
Prices: $70 – $450
Staff: 5/5; very friendly and helpful service
Overall Impression: 4.5/5
Posh
1317 20th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 326-7674
Posh is a very small boutique with only a few clothing pieces. Their boutique is actually an extension of their salon. The building and décor of the shop isn’t very appealing to the eye, and is easy to overlook. However, they’re the only store in town to carry Frankie B. Jeans, so they stand out for that reason.
Prices: $100 – $300
Overall Impression: 2/5
House of Talulah’s
1913 F Street,
Bakersfield, CA 93301
House of Talulah’s was one of the first high end boutiques to open in town. They have a wide variety of pieces and designers, all of which are well displayed in their spacious store. Their selection is purely for women in their twenties, especially those who live in jeans and have a trendy but sort of quirky sense of style. Shoppers can find tons of jeans, tops, sweat suits and designer handbags from hot labels like Bulga and LAMB. Usually, if there’s a new trend, Talulah’s will have it first.
Staff: 3/5; friendly and somewhat helpful
Overall Impression: 4/5
I’m sure many of these shops sound tempting, so the next time you’re driving through to San Francisco or visiting relatives, don’t overlook Bakersfield. Definitely stop into one of our great boutiques.
