SHOP LIKE A CELEB

Bored with the shopping scene in Las Vegas? You might want to consider taking your next retail excursion a little further than the Strip, Boca Park or Town Square. And by a little further we mean Los Angeles. Don't let two tanks of gas discourage you from absorbing a new shopping landscape. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to find at two of the shopping destinations that enjoy the most tourist traffic in L.A.

ROBERTSON BOULEVARD

This is where attention-starved celebrities go when they simply must see themselves in the next issue of Us Weekly, In Touch or Life & Style. Tourists and paparazzi prey upon the boutiques that line the street, making for some very interesting shopping experiences. The largest herd of bulb flashers can be found directly across the street from The Ivy, where stars and stargazers alike dine.

• Kitson (115 S. Robertson Blvd.): First you need to decide whether it's Kitson, Kitson Kids, Kitson Men or Kitson Women you want to visit because all of them call Robertson Boulevard home. If you're a kid or a man, the choice is easy but for women it comes down to Kitson or Kitson Women. Claustrophobic types will find Kitson Women a much safer zone. The sales associates here are eager to help and the content ranges from gold lamé Members Only jackets to Rochelle Rodriguez club dresses.

Over at Kitson, the scene resembles a flea market, that is, a flea market frequented by girls toting "It" bags and has shrines devoted to their most valued shoppers. Nicole Richie, Courteney Cox and Eva Mendes all enjoy photo collages with an arrangement of the clothes and accessories they're wearing in the pictures peppered throughout the store. You will find jersey knits (the Lauren Conrad Collection is here), $100 trucker hats, $82 message tees and a wall of designer denim here. For good measure, titles like "Skinny Bitch," "Deceptively Delicious" and Rachel Zoe's "Style from A to Zoe" appeal to the impulse shopper.

• Lisa Kline (136 S. Robertson Blvd.): She, too, has stores for men and kids. The emblem for this brand is the same two long-haired naked women that decorate trucker tire flaps. Don't let that scare you off, though. The store boasts a large selection of the current starlet obsession: Love Quotes scarves. They also have a generous supply of Los Angeles-based designers such as Lecole Des Femmes, Lily McNeal, Soixante Neuf Jewels, Nola Singer and Dini's to name a few.

• Vionnet (158 N. Robertson Blvd.): If you want a break from the cute, trendy shopping, duck into this chic boutique where every belt and piece of jewelry enjoys precise placement. It's a far cry from the jam-packed racks and endless shelves of denim the other stores start to bore you with. The store pleasantly surprises shoppers with a La Perla ready-to-wear line, interesting silhouettes, such as the ones from Singaporean line All Dressed Up, and simple clean lines from Hache & Decolette, the line the boutique owners design. Bold and charming jewelry from Draugsvold and Lossellianni make perfect final touches.

• Fun fact: Nearly every store on this street is canine-friendly, not just allowing the furry friends to shop along side owners but putting out doggie dishes, too.

MELROSE AVENUE

The range of this shopping district caters to those who plan to spend the same for a new outfit as they'll pay in parking fees as well as the shopper whose budget stretches as long as the street itself. On one end you have the high-end boutiques the Las Vegas shopper has grown accustomed to, such as Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera and a slew of other red carpet favorites. On the other end, you have a little more character.

• Fred Segal (8100 Melrose Ave.): Covered entirely in greenery, this store can easily confuse a new shopper. Both Ron Herman and Fred Segal call the property home, which can make separating the two a challenge. Ask a Fred Segal associate for women's clothing and you'll be directed upstairs to Ron Herman. Inquire with Ron Herman about high-end sneaker lines and you're sent to Fred Segal For Feet. Forget about whose territory you're shopping in and you'll enjoy this place for what it is: fresh, funky fashion. The beauty department isn't too shabby either with exciting lines from Sergeant Lutens, Juliette Has a Gun and Velvet Rope.

• Aardvark's Odd Ark (7579 Melrose Ave.): If you know what's best for your wallet, you'll skip the other vintage boutiques that charge upwards of $100 for worn tees with faded emblems from the '80s and head here instead. Aardvark's separates its clothes according to two criteria: decade or gimmick. The former lines a back wall, beginning with flapper dresses from the '30s, veering into disco jumpers from the '60s and landing at leg warmers from the '80s. The latter consists of entire racks that hold items such as bowling shirts, Boy Scout uniforms, army gear and mumus. Price tags start in single digits but can climb into the triples, too. A $500 Pucci shift dress and $200 Versace men's shirt, among other vintage valuables, hang on the wall like trophies up for grabs.

Contact fashion reporter Xazmin Garza at xgarza@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0477.