The fashion scene in San Francisco is unique, ecclectic, cutting-edge, and incredibly sustainable. With an emphasis on vintage and eco-friendly trends, many flock to the several well-stocked secondhand shops here to find their next vibrant statement pieces.
No other neighborhood in San Francisco is more of a colorful and inspirational creative hub than the significantly historic Haight Ashbury, as the bustling street is brimming with art, bars, and notably, thrift shops. We have rounded up all the best and unique vintage and thrift stores in Haight Ashbury guaranteed to have your next fashionably trensetting find.
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1649 Haight St / Website
Starting off with a literal cornerstone in Haight Ashbury is Indigo, a perfectly curated and bright shop full of unique sustainable and vintage fashion items. Embodying everything “Summer of Love” from the revolutionary district, the shop is colorful, cute, and as founder Mel Willis describes, “represents a new wave of progress in commerce.”
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1660 Haight St / Website
With its bright red paint and bold shop letters, you can't miss this must-visit along the historic street. Step inside and immediately dive into long curated rows of vintage luxury brands. Beginning in 1985, Wasteland was founded with a mission to provide “a fashion collection of authenticity and self-expression.” Since then Wasteland has expanded into SoCal and has been highly featured in Vogue and Paper magazines.
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1543 Haight St / Website
With its front banner boldly reading “A Division of Retro City Fashions, Inc., you know this place will have some eccentric and one-of-a-kind finds. Packed with a wide selection for both men and women, and even clothing filling up along the walls, Held Over is a long standing staple here, and is the perfect place to get an accurately historic wardrobe or costume.
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1555 Haight St / Website
Buffalo Exchange has many locations, but one of the most popular and well-stocked resides right in the Haight. People of all ages come to browse thoroughly in this expansive and trendy store, and they are especially popular with the option to trade your pre-loved pieces in for cash!
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1605 Haight St / Website
Resplendently ornate with graceful art-deco aesthetics and posh apparel is the elegant Relic Vintage. This glamorous boutique offers the most ravishing and high-quality pieces from the 1920s all the way through the 1960s, providing the mid-century niche that the Haight needed. They even offer tailoring for a fully personalized and customizable retail experience.
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1653 Haight St / Website
It doesn’t get more authentically vintage with this 2020 SF Weekly Best SF Vintage Shop Winner. With the largest collection of real wardrobe and jewelry from the mid-1800s through to the late 1980s, owner Cicely Hansen has garnered much praise and notable media features from her passionately diligent collecting over the last 50 years.
Even Mayor London Breed has been known to indulge in Hansen’s exquisitely delightful collection! Step back in time appreciating all the fine pieces while getting lost in the long rows, and don’t forget to view the elegantly traditional jewelry in the back!
Why not celebrate your new finds with an equally unique cocktail, particularly at Haight's Alembic with their Brown Butter Old Fashioned?
Happy hunting in this creatively groovy neighborhood!
Photography by: Becca Mchaffie/Unsplash
