High design, custom couture, chic ateliers and style enclaves across the city–let's talk shop.
Outdoor Voices provides a colorful selection of women’s athleisure gear.
Women Athleisure: Outdoor Voices
With its fresh, Pacific Coast-inspired retail outpost an exercise in style, Outdoor Voices earns top nods for its rainbow-bright designs made for kicking a tired workout routine into gear. Whether worn for yoga, running or walking dogs, OV’s spirited selection of get-it-girl bras, crops, bodysuits, leggings and more combine an urban sensibility and mod motifs with engineering and breathable fabrics for women of all shapes, sizes and— blessedly—motion-control needs. This season, the brand’s TechSweat 7/8 Zoom leggings in vibrant, of-the-moment Lime, Sunshine and Lemongrass are designed for Instagram times, while the pick-a-top, match-a-bottom OV kits are on the move. 555 Hayes St., 415.678.5456, outdoorvoices.com
Luxury Shopping: Union Square
Worship at the altar of Dior? Faint at the sight of Louis Vuitton? Shop Neiman Marcus like it might go out of style? Union Square is the place where the flagships soar (and so do the designer prices). A paradise of premium retail, the shopping stakes are particularly high-end here, with the likes of luxury labels Saint Laurent, Ted Baker and classically natty Brooks Brothers rubbing elbows with Brunello Cucinelli, Gucci and Cartier. For every indie boutique, there’s a Barneys New York and—just three short blocks south of the Square— an epic shopping complex, Westfield San Francisco Centre. visitunionsquaresf.com
Home and Interior Design Shopping: Sacramento Street
Skip the strip mall for the chicer sensibilities of Sacramento Street, where purveyors pendulate from contemporary atelier Anthem to decorator- dream de Gournay. Also here, Sausalito-based brand Serena & Lily (3457 Sacramento St., serenaandlily.com) offers a fetching selection of indoor- outdoor wares, including its Laurel Canyon-like Hanging Rattan chairs and bench, cast from a real tree root. The bold-red facade that beckons one to Sue Fisher King (3067 Sacramento St.) finds an elegantly outfitted interior filled with exquisite wares, including tea and Louis Sherry sweets for the hostess, tableware, candles and cashmere throws for chilly summer nights in the city. sacramentostreetshop.com
Vintage Shopping: Haight Ashbury
The Summer of Love vibe that defined Haight Ashbury in its heyday is like tie-dye—cliche but classic. A place where hippies, haberdashery and Dita Von Teese decadence come together in apparel of other eras, the Haight hosts Relic Vintage (1605 Haight St., relicvintagesf.com), a theater for Gatsby-esque garb, midcentury costume baubles and kitten heels curated amid vintage floral motifs and a leopard print chaise a la Josephine Baker, along with fellow throwback Love Street Vintage (1506 Haight St., lovestreetsf.com), a shop that is snug but strictly boho, heavy on velvet, beads, bangles and rock- band big buckles with plenty of Stevie Nicks bell sleeves about.
Boutique Shopping: Hayes Valley
Retail haven Hayes Valley continues its surge as a hot spot for boutiques such as Acoté, which has a soft spot for French labels; Dish Boutique, a home for Kate Moss-level looks; MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing), which keeps it edgy with cult brands like Comme des Garçons; and Clare V., where cool girls shop must-have bags. Also at home in the neighborhood, Maker & Moss (364 Hayes St., makerandmoss. com) expresses a high-artisan quotient with merch made from honest materials, along with indie outfitter for women and men Rand + Statler (425 Hayes St., randandstatler.com), dressing the hipster in Alexander Wang, Band of Outsiders and more. hayesvalleyshop.com
Urbanwear Shopping: Mission District
From eats to sneaks, the Mission District is in serious urban mode. Streetwear has swagger here—and few inhibitions. For ‘90s flavor now, FAZE (3236 21st St., fazeapparel.com) applies its fearless mantra to hoodies, snapback hats, tanks and tees. The Darkside Initiative (969 Valencia St., thedarksideinitiative.com) hypes cool skate culture with new styles of classic-brand kicks. But if a Beastie Boys tee is what you’re after—and who isn’t—you’ll find it, along with similarly old-school styles, in the vintage T-shirt vault at Afterlife Boutique (988 Valencia St., afterlifeboutique.com), which aces giving new life to old looks.
Jewelry Shopping: Union Street
Having a shining moment as a home for all that glitters, Union Street makes space for fine jewelry via emporiums like Mabel Chong (1949 Union St.), a dazzling option for diamonds and pieces featuring mixed metals, pearls and gemstones in small and oversize configurations. For something truly precious, and a little architectural, No.3 (2354 Polk St., shopno3.com) is the jewel in the crown for designer trinkets with a distinctly modern appeal from across the globe, along with one- of-kind designs. And, living up to its billing, Carats and Stones (1833 Union St., caratsandstones.com) is a treasure, bringing on the bling withabevyofstatement-making sparklers. unionstreetshop.com
Men Athleisure: Hill City
Redefining menswear with minimal, style-forward basics for modern, multipurpose wardrobing, SF-based athleisure line Hill City—founded by former MLS soccer player Noah Palmer, along with a small team, with the support and leverage of Gap Inc.—is major league: structured and smartly constructed, light on logos, technically innovative and high-performance. The strength of Palmer’s designs are the versatility he’s built into each piece. Our favorites include utilitarian-driven garb like the X-Purpose short, everyday pant, thermal light shirt jacket and Easy swim short. Gear up for the gym, stop by the office and meet for drinks in one sporty easy-fit ensemble? Here’s to making the everyman look good. hillcity.gap.com
DZINE boasts a 5,000-square- foot modern showroom.
Home Furnishing: DZINE
In the heart of the Design District, DZINE’s passion for good design knows no end—hence its need for a 15,000-square-foot modern showroom with enough space to hold its exquisitely arranged wares, from furniture to art and accessories. Along with the 30-plus contemporary furniture manufacturers at DZINE (the only NorCal stockist for Paola Lenti, Boffi, Baxter, Living Divani, Porro, Poltrona Frau, Walter K. and Moroso), is representation from local makers, artists and accessory manufacturers. The broader DZINE idea is creative exchange. Events and exhibits make for a modern salon in the city. 128 Utah St., dzineliving.com
Custom Hat Shop: DeAnna Gibbons
Hats off to milliner DeAnna Gibbons, whose high-fashion designs are absolute head turners. After spending more than two decades creating special collections for boutiques and luxury retailers like Barneys and Isetan, Gibbons now designs ready-to-wear and custom-made hats for men and women in her SF-based studio. A theatrical milliner as well, she has worked on costumes for San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and, currently, for the Magic Theatre. Meanwhile, performers will.i.am and Bette Midler also have donned her toppers. In applying a modern sensibility to a sartorial tradition, Gibbons’ work is our kind of custom—each headpiece is distinct, requires a deft touch and puts this Mission District hat-maker totally over the top. 1364 Florida St., 415.821.4287, deannagibbons.com
Photography by: OUTDOOR VOICES PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND, DZINE PHOTO BY BLAKE THOMPSON.
