The weekend was officially a scorcher.

And after that session of blazing April sun, it’s clearly time to break out some new summer threads. So we’ve got an idea for you, and it comes in the form of a new secret store in Downtown—step in and cool off at Fremont.

They may have forgotten to put a sign out front (or any attention grabbing features at all, for that matter), but we can’t fault them for focusing instead on creating some of the best looking lightweight gear we’ve seen around. Long a local favorite, their first LA store (worth the trip downtown) kicks the doors open with a collection of light denim, cotton shirts and loosely cut button downs— flattering, using lightweight fabrics that make sense when the mercury approaches the triple-digit mark.

The looks veer from the accessible (slim cut pants, collared short sleeves for the backyard or the bar), but a few well selected pieces will help you pull off an admirable—and heat friendly—look.

So don’t sweat it.

Fremont, 120 S. 4th St (between Spring and Main), Downtown, 323-626-1756

Ara Shanlian Jr.

Unusual store on Third Street

Eventually, every street draws a new neighbor that gets the residents talking.

On Third Street, haven of leisurely Sunday brunch and petite boutiques, that new resident is the unusual shop called Known.

As soon as you approach the store, you’ll suddenly find yourself clutching a rifle—the handle on the glass door is an actual-size replica of a rifle. And inside is a scrawny young man who goes by the impressive name of…Moonshine (In this case a surname would be superfluous.) He’s the ambassador for the blue and gray store, and he’ll point you toward nicely broken-in jeans from PRPS and Goldspun, shirts from No Mas, and soon, merchandise from Oak.

The stock may seem small, and it is, but Moonshine has big plans for the immediate future that involve eclectic options for your home, not just your closet. In addition to more found vintage goods like the mid-century Gucci luggage and Louis Vuitton tennis-racket cover near the front, he’s says he will be soliciting the clothing designers stocked inside to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Maybe you can convince him to get going on a pair of Tom Ford martini glasses.

Known, 7922 W. Third St (W. of Fairfax), 323-655-6696

Once you attain a certain stature in life, there are two things that no longer make sense—cheap liquor and expensive gas stations.

So there’s obvious appeal to the idea that you could turn cheap liquor into cheap gas in the time it takes you to down an ice-cold martini (made with the good stuff). Say hello to your new personal gas pump, the EFuel100 MicroFueler.

Rather than waiting in line on a smoggy street corner for the privilege of being gouged mercilessly, roll right up to the EFuel100 residing in your driveway (or garage, or basically anywhere with a power outlet and a water hookup) to fill any gas-burning auto with your homemade batch of ethanol. Just pour in the mix of sugar feedstock and yeast—or the residual gin from your Bootlegger’s Ball ‘05 gathering—and after a few days, fill ‘er up. The MicroFueler makes 35 gallons a week, each gallon costs you about $1, and your car will actually enjoy a little more power (which is why IndyCar racers use ethanol).

Sure, you can brag about the purported environmental benefits of your newfound gasoline independence, but there’s also a certain satisfaction in using that gas money you saved somewhere else.

Like the bar.

EFuel100 MicroFueler, $9,995, now available for pre-order online

As a protector of our fair city, you consider it your duty to monitor the formation of all new empires.

So look alive as the new Steven Alan shop quietly invades Robertson Boulevard, the first of three L.A. outposts set to open in 2008.

You’ve likely seen the slim, rumpled shirts—often striped or plaid, looking subtly lived in, even when new—situated in Fred Segal like beacons of reason amid the more ridiculous gear. Inside the label’s rustic minimalist new store, you’ll find more well cut, wearable staples that bridge the gap between the white-T and the black tie. You’ll want to seek out the jackets, skinny-but-not-too-skinny ties and suits that are crisp but casual enough to wear with your favorite pair of broken in Chuck Taylors. (Best-dressed always—even at a family barbeque on a Sunday evening.)

Take a look inside the glass case for vintage cufflinks and watches, and pay mind to the cozy courtyard out back, where you might tip one back at a store event soon.

Think of it as your duty to lead this new empire in style.

Steven Alan, 638 N. Robertson Blvd (between Santa Monica and Melrose), West Hollywood, 310-854-1814

Yamanba

Yamanba

Yamanba is a newer term often used to describe extreme practitioners of ganguro fashion. Yamanba feature darker tans and add white lipstick, pastel eye makeup, tiny metallic or glittery adhesives below the eyes, brightly-colored contact lenses, plastic dayglo-colored clothing, and incongruous accessories to the ganguro look. Some yamanba wear stuffed animals as decorations. The male equivalent is called a “center guy” , (Sentaagai^?, Center Street), a pun on the name of a pedestrian shopping street near Shibuya Station in Tokyo where yamanba and center guys are often seen. Yamanba is often referred to as the outdated version of Mamba.

Sinatra. Dean. Bond. Your most frequently emulated style icons tend to fall into the “classic” category.

So if you look past the initially unimpressive façade of The Way We Wore Pop-Up Store, you’re likely to unearth some notable vintage “panache” as a friend recently put it.

For the last few years, the women in your life have been stopping into the original La Brea shop that birthed the pop-up for vintage, red carpet-worthy Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Halston. (There’s even a secret library for burned-out fashion types to find inspiration.) Doris Raymond opened the pop-up in January to pare down her formidable stock…and the menswear formerly locked up in her San Francisco warehouse began arriving last month.

Amid the tightly packed clothes, you might unearth classy tweed blazers from the ’50s, double-breasted suits from the ’40s and Beacon blanket robes from the ’20s. Dig further for hats from famed milliner Lilly Daché, suits from Town-Clad, and ties, suspenders and (unworn) socks and shoes that revise the meaning of the word “originality.”

After all, recycling is important.

The Way We Wore Pop-Up Store, 7264 Melrose Ave (between Poinsettia and Alta Vista), 323-932-8490

Occasionally, your quest for original attire takes you to some pretty strange places. Like a secret, signless store cloaked in the dark shadow of a dingy over is where you’ll find Front St., the just-opened shop from burgeoning label Endovanera.

Pronounced “end of an era”—so subversive, these fashion people—the line began attracting attention last fall. The next step of course was to set up shop in a run-down (and thus officially credible) Echo Park building—a small “1154″ above the door is the only confirmation you’re in the right spot. Inside: concrete floors, salvaged light fixtures and just a few minimalist racks of the well-cut basics a rock star might wear to a business meeting—grey vests, slim black pants, well-cut black-and-white button-downs and military-inspired coats.

If you see something you like but it’s not quite right, the on-site design studio, behind the white curtain, is filled with Japanese fabrics and Italian denim for all your customization needs. The proprietors can recreate that military coat in a different color, for example, or build a pair of jeans from scratch.

So you can stand apart from even those who stand apart.

Front St. by Endovanera, 1154 Glendale Blvd (S. of Sunset Blvd overpass), Echo Park, (213)-413-6666