Tori Spelling did it for a television show. Whitney Houston needed the cash and Cher wanted to redecorate. For Hollywood celebrities, clothes go as easily as they come. And it seems the more valuable the item, the less likely it is to be treasured by its owner. You would think that anyone with an ounce of sense would get at least a few wears out of a $US4000 gown. But, if you're famous, it's a major fashion faux pas to be seen in the same dress twice. This is a fortuitous faux pas for the rest of us.
How do stars get rid of excess baggage? Tori Spelling opened the doors of her Studio City home to the prying eyes and sticky fingers of the public in December last year and sold everything - not just her clothes, but the entire contents of her house.
It was a clever stunt from this media-savvy new mother. She and husband Dean McDermott are the stars of a new reality show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love. The idea is they leave their home behind and, with new baby in tow, run a bed and breakfast. The show went to air last month in the US. Who knows if anyone will watch, but there were a lot of people who wanted to buy her stuff. The morning of her auction, people were lined up down the street. For those who missed out on the big day, you can still find a lot of her clothes on eBay. There's a rather nice vintage Halston tank top for $US24.99 ($30) and black Gucci collared dress for $US283.98. Not bad bargains.
"You get fabulous outfits that have only been worn once and it would be a shame to leave them in the closet. It gives the dresses a second life."
The charities they favour focus on children. "We see what is timely. This year we are giving money to different charities working in Darfur."
What was the most anything sold for? "It was a vintage Dior gown that Jennifer Aniston wore to the 2002 Emmys," Schneider says. "She won an Emmy for Friends in it. It sold for $US50,000." He says $US2000 is a "more typical a price for a dress. It depends on who wore it."
How do the dresses find their way online? "Sometimes we get calls. Helen Mirren's people called us after the Golden Globes [she won Globes for The Queen and Elizabeth I] to give us the Donna Karan dress and Jimmy Choo shoes she wore," Schneider says. "Sometimes we will call people and ask for the dress. They might not give us the one we ask for but because they are going to so many events we usually get something."
A quick scan of the website shows not many people say no. Maggie Gyllenhaal's Proenza Schouler Academy Award gown sold for $US2400, Jodie Foster's Vera Wang gown for $US2000 and Annette Bening's Armani gown $US1300. Helen Mirren's Donna Karan netted $US1500 and the Jimmy Choos went for $US475.
For those who like to fondle a dress before they buy it, there are excellent second-hand stores in Los Angeles (many with websites for overseas clients). "I've been in this business for more than 40 years and I've been in a lot of celebrity wardrobes," says Maureen Clavin, owner of The Address (1116 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, www.theaddressboutique.com). "From Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood to Natalie Cole. Saks Fifth Avenue recommended me to Natalie Cole and she has some wonderful clothes. Her stuff is pristine. Plus she's lovely to deal with."
The clothes in her Santa Monica store are arranged by colour and size. You'll find lots of Escada, Prada and Armani but no Gap or Ann Taylor. Everything seems to be in extraordinary condition. And while the overall impression is a bit mumsy, this store has some gems. The day I visit there's a luscious red velvet Lacroix gown with a train for $US995 and a pair of snakeskin Manolo Blahnik sandals for $US225. There's also a small vintage section with lovely beaded gowns from the 1920s.
"I've had this store for 20 years. My clients like to dress like stars but for a lot less money." Clavin marks down pieces by 60 to 80 per cent.
How does she get the clothes? "I have a good reputation. And people like that I give a percentage of each sale to charity. They get to pick the charity. And I often get stylists recommending me to their clients. It's a good way to clean out your closet."
Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch says he often advises his clients to keep the clothes. "If you're a Halle Berry, you archive. We wrapped a lot of her stuff in special paper and boxes so it would keep. You never know when you might want it."
He also points out that a lot of what you see is smoke and mirrors. "The girls don't own all those dresses. Most of them are borrowed and will have to go back. If one of my clients loves something, I recommend they offer to pay for it."
Christos Garkinos, owner of Decades Two (8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, www.decadestwo.com), won't reveal his sources. "I can't say which celebrities give us their clothes. It's confidential."
Garkinos receives clothes from 1800 "consigners", as he calls them. "They live all over the world. We get about 60,000 pieces of clothes and accessories a year. We take 15,000 and sell 10,000."
Once the clothes hit the racks of this chic eight-year-old store on Melrose Avenue, the only identifying mark is a number on the price tag. But taking a quick glance at the stock, you know this is a young fashion-forward crowd.
"We're pretty current. Mid-'90s is as far back as we'll go." Celebrities often receive pieces before they hit the mainstream market so you may come across a Chloe dress or Marc Jacobs jacket that hasn't had an airing anywhere else. Angelenos love that. Almost as much as they love a bargain. "Everything is 60 per cent off," Garkinos says.
My eye is on a pair of red Marc Jacobs heels for $US74. There's also a velvet Prada gown for $US999 and a black cotton/linen Balenciaga jacket for $US204.
For the fans who don't care about labels, there's Reel Closets (www.reelclosets.com). You can no longer shop at its store - all sales are through the website. A trawl in March found the suit Drew Barrymore wore in Charlie's Angels for $US950 and Kate Beckinsale's singlet top and pyjama bottoms from Click for $US41.01. Not high fashion but fun to take a look.
A little pain and a lot of gain means auctions are popular among stars. Cher sold more than 700 items from her Malibu home in October last year. She made more than $US3.5 million. They included her fabulous Bob Mackie costumes and her 2003 H2 Hummer. Cher chose Sotheby's and Julien's Auctions to disperse her chattels. Her reason? It was time to clean out everything so she could renovate. An undisclosed percentage of her profits went to charity.
If you think you missed out on the Whitney Houston auction - it was held in January - think again. Houston was forced to sell 300 items from a 1999 world tour to cover unpaid storage fees. Items included hats, shoes and dresses from Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier and Gianni Versace. Her silver-beaded rhinestone and velvet bustier is online for $US2450. Deborah Burke scooped it up at the auction and is reselling it on her Antique Dress website (www.antiquedress.com).
Burke also has items from Barbra Streisand. See the amazing 1970 Cecil Beaton gown she wore in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. It's $US17,500. You will also find Liza Minnelli's tuxedo jacket with tails ($US1450) from the Victor/Victoria Broadway show. But you have missed out on her wig from the show - it sold for $US1450.
Whether it's a dabble online or a trip to the second-hand store on your next visit to Los Angeles, there are bargains to be had. As Phillip Bloch says, for a famous woman "a dress is a dress is a dress. You can't be seen in it again." Lucky for us.
You get fabulous outfits that have only been worn once and it would be a shame to leave them in the closet. It gives the dresses a second life.
There are excellent second-hand stores in Los Angeles (many with websites for overseas clients). "I've been in this business for more than 40 years and I've been in a lot of celebrity wardrobes," says Maureen Clavin, owner of The Address (1116 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, www.theaddressboutique.com). Her stuff is pristine. Plus she's lovely to deal with."
The clothes in her Santa Monica store are arranged by colour and size. You'll find lots of Escada, Prada and Armani but no Gap or Ann Taylor. Everything seems to be in extraordinary condition. And while the overall impression is a bit mumsy, this store has some gems. The day I visit there's a luscious red velvet Lacroix gown with a train for $US995 and a pair of snakeskin Manolo Blahnik sandals for $US225. There's also a small vintage section with lovely beaded gowns from the 1920s.
Christos Garkinos, owner of Decades Two (8214 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, www.decadestwo.com), won't reveal his sources. "I can't say which celebrities give us their clothes. It's confidential."
Garkinos receives clothes from 1800 "consigners", as he calls them. "They live all over the world. We get about 60,000 pieces of clothes and accessories a year. We take 15,000 and sell 10,000."
Once the clothes hit the racks of this chic eight-year-old store on Melrose Avenue, the only identifying mark is a number on the price tag. But taking a quick glance at the stock, you know this is a young fashion-forward crowd.
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