These are not women in party burkas.  They are displays of fabric in the garment district of Los Angeles.  Nurit and I went there this week for an exploratory visit.  (near the corner of 9th and San Pedro)  Although none of the products appealed to us it was heartening to see that there are still distribution channels that are run by individuals and small businesses.

On the negative side LA need a facelift.  It has far to much deferred maintenance.  After visiting the LA Fabric Souk we drove up the Hollywood Freeway to the Valley.  The freeway was in terrible shape and landscaping was depressingly trashy and shabby.  LA you can do better than this.  The first thing to do is to raise is your expectations.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.