Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar developed The Hundreds' unique, concrete-level sartorial sense from Southern California's skate-, punk- and hip-hop scenes. That's the essence of streetwear: cutting-edge clothes for youth in styles that haven't been co-opted by corporate sensibilities. Eight years after its founding, The Hundreds' clothes are distributed all over the world and can be seen on the backs of quite a few celebrities. (In fact, you could well see folks like rapper Game when you stop in.) But Kim and Shenassafar remain focused on the underground. Their flagship store on Rosewood Avenue is a key cog in the burgeoning Fairfax arts scene; through its widely read blog as much as its apparel, it has been closely associated with up-and-coming musicians like Odd Future and Kreayshawn. Sure, its T-shirts, sweatshirts, sunglasses, jackets and tote bags are sturdy and hip, but The Hundreds often feels less like a vendor and more like a cultural curator. 7909 Rosewood Ave., Mid-City West. (323) 230-7421, thehundreds.com.

—Ben Westhoff