As San Francisco locals are already intimately acquainted with, the city’s vibrant, diverse fashion culture is highly dependent on its many thrift stores, which offer a raw, retro authenticity largely absent from, say, the typical Urban Outfitters. Thrifting as a cultural practice, though, is diverging from its small-scale, affordable roots and toward a more boutique, bougie model wherein vintage thrift storefronts resemble quaint designer fashion shops more so than a casual spot for unexpected secondhand finds.
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To be sure, the many higher-end thrift boutiques lining the streets of Haight-Ashbury harbor incredibly cool duds at more affordable prices than the average retailer. There are, though, countless thrift stores throughout the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area that offer equally cool retro duds, albeit in less sumptuous environs. Here are some of the Bay’s best vintage, secondhand clothing shops, spanning from the city to the East Bay to San Jose, that offer the classic thrifting experience.
Afterlife Collective
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541 Valencia St.; 415-796-2398 / Website
Sitting a few blocks above Mission Dolores Park, Afterlife Collective offers everything a nostalgia-fueled collector of all things 1980s could want. From neon-pink windbreakers to vintage Adidas sneakers, Afterlife is stocked to the brim with the best retro treasures. Not only does the collection feature entire sections devoted to Grateful Dead merch and 1990s Nike memorabilia, Afterlife doubles as an apothecary, selling various handcrafted incense sets.
Mars Mercantile
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2398 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley; 510-843-6711 / Website
Mars Mercantile rests right on Telegraph, Berkeley’s always-bustling corridor that runs from downtown Oakland up to the UC Berkeley campus, and is one of Berkeley’s go-to spots for college students on a budget and sustainability-driven shoppers. Sift through an entire rack of Hawaiian shirts your dad probably owned at one point while chatting with one of the super-friendly staff members before heading up the whimsical spiral staircase to scope out all the vintage World Cup jerseys. Be sure to take in the stunning mural on their wall just around the corner from the entrance.
Out of the Closet
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1600 University Ave., Berkeley; 510-841-2088 / Website
Downtown Berkeley’s Out of the Closet is yet another one of the East Bay city’s beloved secondhand storefronts and offers hip pre-owned clothing as well as furniture, homewares and books. For those downsizing and wishing to finally get rid of that rocking chair taking up too much living room space, Out of the Closet will gladly accept large and small donations and even offers pick-up services for large items. The most enticing aspect of shopping there, though, is that 96 cents of every dollar spent by a patron will go directly to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
Bambino Thrift Shop
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5290 College Ave.; 510-658-7473 / Website
Situated in the delightfully charming Rockridge neighborhood straddling the border between Berkeley and Oakland, the historic Bambino Thrift Shop first opened in 1928. For almost a century, Bambino has sold retro apparel, preowned books, home goods, artworks, jewelry, cassette tapes, and myriad other trinkets and knick-knacks through which you could spend an entire afternoon joyously rifling, excavating the buried treasures. All sales made at Bambino directly benefit the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, where every child is guaranteed treatment regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
Crossroads Trading
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2330 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; 510-843-7606 / Website
Crossroads is Berkeley’s go-to spot for newer, hipper, seldom-worn apparel. The fashion-savvy savants behind the scenes always monitor the current cultural landscape to ensure their inventory is as cutting-edge as its young, forward-thinking clientele. Be sure to explore their generous trade and selling options if a brand-name pair of loafers you recently bought just isn’t cutting it.
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Photography by: Getty
