FASHION : Hi-Yo Silver! : There’s a Vein of the Shiny Stuff in Silver Lake

Deep-six the gold.

Pass on the brass.

In the hills of Silver Lake, there’s silver to be had: silver sunglasses, silver gloves, silver jewelry. And, yes, even silver slippers.

Overlooking a reservoir, Silver Lake is east of Hollywood, surrounded by Downtown Los Angeles, Atwater Village and Los Feliz. But the multilingual community that gets its moniker from the lake’s argentine reflection has another kind of reservoir: its collection of funky sidewalk shops offering an eclectic, silvern mix of clothing, spiritual artifacts, eye wear, decor and more.

The hippest areas to shop are along Hyperion Avenue (between Lyric Avenue and Griffith Park Boulevard) and Sunset Boulevard (between Golden Gate and Hillhurst avenues); Hyperion and Sunset run perpendicular. Metered parking can be easily had for 25 cents an hour (a bargain in L.A.!) in safe surroundings.

Here, you’ll find a children’s bookstore, flower shops, an Army Surplus store, a gift shop specializing in Native American items, a Honduran goods boutique and thrift stores hawking the latest on the retro fashion front: vinyl car coats ($15), sparkling 1930s and ‘40s evening gowns ($15 and up), well-worn flannel shirts ($6) just right for grungy days and nights, and puka-shell necklaces ($5 and up).

Need an easy chair, lava lamp or cafe-inspired divan? Several used- and antique-furniture stores boast these offerings from the past for the perfect present-day lived-in look.

And always within walking distance, a cup of creamy cappuccino or chips and salsa or pasta primavera can be whipped up at a sidewalk cafe or quaint neighborhood restaurant.

Along the way, you might even enjoy Silver Lake landmarks from the early history of film.

Home to the ABC Television Center and KCET, Los Angeles’ primary public-television station, Silver Lake was familiar ground to the “Keystone Kops,” Tom Mix, Charlie Chaplin, “Fatty” Arbuckle, Laurel and Hardy, and Gloria Swanson, who worked at studios along Glendale Boulevard.

Walt Disney’s first studio at 2719 Hyperion Ave. was the place where he and animator Ub Iwerks crafted the early Mickey Mouse cartoons, as well as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A Mayfair Supermarket parking lot now occupies that space.

And 4473 Sunset Drive is the former site of D.W. Griffith’s grandiose Babylon set for his 1916 film “Intolerance.” Today, the site houses the Vista movie theater, which, of course, has a silver screen.