San Francisco Travel Guide, Part 1: Shopping

As should be obvious by now, I ADORE my home city of San Francisco. I feel incredibly lucky to live here, as a result of both my own observations and experiences here, as well as comments I've heard from others while traveling abroad. Whenever I tell someone where I'm from, I inevitably get one of two responses: "San Francisco is the best place I've ever been!" or, "I've always dreamed of going to San Francisco!" And comments like that really help a person not to take their city for granted. I've been to a lot of wonderful places, but in the end none of them really feels like home the way San Francisco does for me.

So, having gotten a few requests from readers for a post about what to see and do while visiting  San Francisco, I present to you this mini travel guide to my own beloved home town. This will be a series in several parts, spread out over a couple of weeks. For the first installment I figured I'd focus on the topic foremost in many of our minds: shopping. I won't claim that this will be a comprehensive guide; it's just a collection of some of my favorite spots in town.

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Haight Street

Before I even get started talking about Haight Street, let me just make one thing clear: while the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was once the mecca of hippies, and while a handful of stores in that area are still trying to capitalize on that history, San Francisco is NOT a hippie far-out peace-and-love granola-eating town where everyone is high all the time and there are vegan restaurants on every corner. I HATE that fucking image! Why can no one do a show about San Francisco and not mention hippies and tie dye and bongs? THE SIXTIES ARE OVER. I wish everyone could just let them go. 

That said, if you really want to see the dregs of what's left of hippie culture, I suppose the Upper Haight is the place to do it. Sigh. Despite that though, there really is some fantastic shopping in that area; I'd recommend going during the week if possible or before noon on the weekends of you want to avoid the crowds. If you want to get the full spectrum of Haight Street shopping in one day, start in the Upper Haight, and when the streets start to fill up with tourists and hipsters (or are those homeless people? It can be hard to tell.), make your way to Lower Haight to finish there (for more descriptions of Upper and Lower Haight, see this post). 

Some of my favorite shops in the Upper Haight: Ambiance (huge variety of designers and price points), Held Over (vintage clothing), Shoe Biz, John Fluevog, Goodwill, Decades of Fashion (high end vintage), Ruby (carries many local designers), Ceiba Records (steampunk/Burning Man styles), and Skunkfunk. As you go from Upper to Lower Haight, take a short detour down Divisadero Street to Swankety Swank (local designers), Prairie Collective, and Backspace. In Lower Haight proper there's a great import store called P-Kok, Lower Haters (locally-made art, clothing, and accessories), and new shops that seem to keep cropping up all the time.

The Mission District

The Mission District, once a largely Latino neighborhood, has morphed into Hipster Central in recent years. That doesn't mean it isn't worth checking out though; the hipsters rightfully love it because it's got cool bars, the best weather in the city (you'd be amazed how the weather can vary neighborhood to neighborhood in a city of only 7x7 miles), a wide variety of high quality restaurants, and you guessed it: great shopping. It also has one of the prettiest parks in town (Dolores Park), the old mission (which was one of the locations in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo), and lots of beautiful murals that adorn the walls around the neighborhood. I'll cover eating, drinking, and sights in other posts, but for now let's talk shopping.

Along the Valencia corridor between 15th and 17th Streets is the heart of the Mission's shopping area. Between Guererro and Valencia on 16th Street you'll find two of my favorites, Sunhee Moon and Candystore Collective; round the corner onto Valencia Street and you'll find Five and Diamond, which has the best variety of steampunk clothing in the city. Further along are MultiKulti, Weston Wear, and Therapy. In the other direction down Valencia (towards 15th) is a clothing-by-the-pound store, and ADS Hats. If you wander outside the 15th to 17th Street center, you'll find additional shops in the 21st to 24th Street area.

image source

Hayes Valley

Tiny Patricia's Green park, which interrupts Octavia Street where it meets Fell Street, is at the center of the Hayes Valley shopping district. Once a neglected corner of the city that decayed beneath a freeway off-ramp, the neighborhood had new life breathed into it when the ramp was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the city opted to tear the structure down rather than rebuild. Since then, Hayes Valley has undergone a complete transformation, and is now one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in town. Here you'll find high end shops mixed with neighborhood drinking establishments, excellent restaurants, some of the city's finest coffee served out of an old auto shop, and an innovative ice cream shop created from a ship's cargo container. Patricia's Green also features temporary art installations that made their debuts at Burning Man; the installation above is called "Ecstasy."

Along Hayes Street between Laguna and Gough are a bunch of great shops: Bulo (shoes), Lava 9, Duke et Duchesse, and several others. Just around the corner on Octavia Street, local designers Lemon Twist have a charming little shop. A few blocks away on Gough  (pronounced "Goff") Street, you'll find the best place to buy a San Francisco souvenir: Gangs of San Francisco. Forget about those dumb sweatshirts they sell down at Fisherman's Wharf; GOSF creates clothing that memorializes forgotten institutions of San Francisco's past, such as the Sutro Speedsters speed skating team, and the Bear Flag Rebels. Along the edge of the Patricia's Green is a tiny alley called Linden, where you can shop for the finest custom corsets in town at Dark Garden, and perhaps see some of my own hat creations as well.

Read more about the SF phenomenon known as the parklet here.

Noe Valley

Among locals, Noe Valley is known for its suburban feel; it's a little further away from the bustle of the city center, and it feels cleaner and quieter than other parts of town. People who can afford to stay in San Francisco after they have kids generally end up either here or in the Marina District. As much as I like to poke fun at people who live there, it really is a charming part of town, and one that's pretty well off the tourist path. It also boasts one of the finest restaurants in town; like I said I'll cover food in another post, but it bears repeating that Incanto is not to be missed. Make a reservation far in advance, spend an afternoon shopping in Noe Valley, and end the day enjoying one of the most phenomenal dinners you'll ever eat.

Along 24th Street between Castro and Church Streets is where you'll find most of Noe Valley's shops. There's another Ambiance store there, a number of other small clothing boutiques, as well as some cute antique shops, used book stores, and interesting handmade jewelry at Qoio.

Thrift Shopping in San Francisco

Some great thrift shopping can be done in San Francisco, but in general, expect to pay more than you're used to elsewhere. My favorites are the Goodwill flagship store on Mission Street, Clothes Contact (the aforementioned clothing-by-the-pound store), the Goodwill on Haight Street, and Out of the Closet at Church and Duboce. There's also Thrift Town on 16th and Mission Streets, but in my experience it takes a little more patience to find any real treasures there. The first two, as well as Thrift Town, can be wrapped into a Mission District shopping day (though the flagship store is a few blocks' walk away from all the rest); the Haight Street Goodwill is in the Upper Haight and Out of the Closet is a couple blocks away from the Lower Haight.

Another option would be one of several local flea markets. Every Sunday there's the Alemany Flea Market, which is free. On the third Sunday of each month is the massive Candlestick Park Antiques and Collectibles Faire, which is well worth the trip if your visit happens to coincide. There's a $5-10 admission to get in, but the selection is amazing and the prices are surprisingly good. Many vendors sell vintage clothing as well as other antiques. Finally, across the bay on the first Sunday of each month is the Alameda Point Antiques Faire, which is one of the largest flea markets around.

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Well, I think that ought to keep you busy; if you need more after all that, you're a far more dedicated shopper than I am. One final thought: I didn't cover the obvious shopping mecca that is Union Square, where you'll find all the big department stores, chains such as All Saints, Desigual, Urban Outfitters, and H&M, and high end designers such as Prada and Louis Vuitton. But my feeling is that you can get that same shopping experience in any big city; if you don't have those stores back home then it's worth a visit, but if it's a uniquely San Francisco experience you're after, you need to get away from downtown and head into the neighborhoods.

Mystery Shoes Revealed!

It was totally worth the wait, am I right?

Making their debut in this outfit are my fabulous new Miu Miu shoes and Wolford tights, and let me tell you, I felt KILLER in these. I don't think my legs have ever looked so good.

Like the Valentino dress, these shoes came after a long period of deliberation. And by long, I mean roughly 15 years, because that's how long I've wanted a pair of Miu Miu shoes.

Now I'm no label whore; I don't want just any pair of Miu Mius simply for the name. But over the years, this is one of a handful of high end brands that has consistently taken my breath away with their gorgeous shoe designs. In fact, I vividly remember the moment I laid eyes on the first pair of Miu Mius I'd ever seen; they were spectator mary janes, and when I saw them in an ad in Vogue, I fell HARD for them. At the time there was no question of being able to own them, but I never forgot that beautiful pair of shoes.

In seeking out the ideal pair of Miu Mius, I looked for something iconic, something that even the most casual observer would know was special. At the same time the shoes had to meet my splurge criteria of having staying power and being versatile, so they couldn't be too far out or trendy. These black satin mary janes really fit the bill: they're a classic style, can be worn day or evening, and as an added bonus they can replace my nylon-chewing Steve Maddens. And that extravagant heel gives them the special quality I was looking for.

I'll be honest with you, these aren't the most comfortable shoes I own. Even with the thick platform, their 5 inch heels put my feet in a nearly vertical position. However, they aren't nearly as ankle-breaking as you might expect either; I won't be running any marathons in them, but they were just fine for a normal work day. Obviously I didn't get much work done though, since I spent much of the day gazing at my own feet.

The Wolford tights get two big thumbs up; yes, they're on the pricey side, but they are beautifully made and they make my legs look fantastic. They aren't tissue-thin and delicate either; I think these will easily stand up to normal wear and tear. I've long maintained that quality hosiery is worth the money, and since I wear skirts and dresses so much more than I wear pants, it's helpful to have at least one really unique pair of tights that has the power to transform an outfit.

For their debut I let the shoes and tights be the star, keeping the rest of the outfit neutral and unadorned. The denim jacket further reinforced the look as a daytime one.



Top: La Redoute
Jacket: Tulle
Navy skirt: All Saints
Tights: Wolford
Shoes: Miu Miu, via eBay

Worthy Addition

You guys, check it out -- it got so warm that I went to work with bare legs AND arms! Unbelievable! It only lasted a handful of days, but as you can see I made the most of it, busting out my most festive dress and playing up the nakedness of my legs by wearing nude heels. And no, it's not just the camera flash -- my legs really are that white.

I've been looking for the perfect pair of nude pumps for awhile now, but I'm damn picky when it comes to items like that. I knew I wanted something simple, with nice clean lines and little or no embellishment, but I also wanted to steer well away from the realm of boring or staid. And those qualities combined in a nude pump is a tall order, as I found out.

After sorting through what seemed like an infinitely large number of listings online, I finally found the perfect pair of patent leather, peep toe pumps by Bettye Muller. As luck would have it, they were also marked down 60%. Just look at that fantastic heel, and the graceful lines! To me they're the ideal solution -- they give me a nice long, uninterrupted leg line, while still looking funky and unique. A worthy addition to my collection, to be sure.

Dress: Tracy Reese
Shrug: Noa Noa
Shoes: Bettye Muller

Product Review: The Amelie Dress from the Red Dress Shoppe

I pretty much tend to shy away from doing product reviews, but when Madeline from The Red Dress Shoppe offered to send me her new original design, the Amelie dress, there was no way I was going to refuse. I've long been familiar with Madeline's shop and have consistently been impressed with her pretty, vintage-inspired clothes, affordable prices, quick shipping and great service. I've linked her shop many times on this blog because I've shopped with her myself and can 100% endorse her business. Doing a product review for her felt more like collaborating with a friend.

The 1950's A-line style Amelie dress comes in 2 colors, olive and gray. Since I already own a gray dress from RDS, I chose the olive. The fabric is a sturdy but soft wool-acrylic blend which drapes well and holds its shape. On someone with a bigger bust, the keyhole detail in the bodice would probably show a cheeky little peek of cleavage, but on me it just showed my bra, so I layered my gray slip underneath.

Like all of Madeline's other items, the Amelie dress corresponds to a size chart that is matched specifically to it; this is one of the features I really love about this shop. According to the chart I needed a medium, which fit me very comfortably. The fabric also has a nice amount of stretch, so I imagine the sizes can accommodate a range of individuals. Those cute little tabs at the collar actually flop around a little because they aren't sewn down, but that was easily fixed with a couple of safety pins. Since it wouldn't really be feasible to wear a scarf or other accessory under the collar, the tabs could be tacked down permanently with no loss in either looks or functionality. That's really the only minor design change I'd make to this dress.

The Red Dress Shoppe is a one-woman operation (unless you count Madeline's baby, who I'm sure provides plenty of moral support), which makes the work she does even more impressive. I also love the fact that when you communicate with the shop, you're communicating directly with the owner. Not surprisingly, I paired this sweet little dress with my Red Dress Shoppe belt, which is an enduring staple in my wardrobe. I added textured tights to bring in a little pattern, and finished off the outfit with plenty of sparkly jewelry. This dress is adorable, just my style, well made and very comfortable. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in posts to come.

I also wanted to show you this coat, which is making its debut today even though I've had it for many months (I was saving it for spring because of the color). I picked it up for a few bucks at Goodwill, but at the time it was a dingy cream color. I figured that for a few bucks I could experiment with dyeing it, and this is how it turned out. I actually used a much darker dye, but because the fabric is a blend of wool and synthetic, and the dye will only stick to natural fibers, it ended up a springy lime green. The green dress provided the perfect impetus to wear the jacket, and I love how the two shades of green complimented each other.

Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Necklace: from a glass shop in Venice
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Tights: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog
Coat: Tulle

A Moment of Panic

These boots were purchased in a moment of panic just before I left for New York, when I was convinced I was going to be mucking through three feet of snow the entire time I was there. I actually ordered a different pair first, some white snow boots which were utterly adorable but which ran a size too small and had to go back. Fortunately I found these, which are waterproof and shearling lined, but have the added bonus of being wearable back home. I hadn't heard of Bos and Co. before, but they're owned by the same folks who make Fly London shoes, so I took a chance and ordered them at the very last minute. Normally I would never advocate taking brand new shoes on a trip, but I did just that and lucked out; they're wonderfully comfortable and a great heel height for walking all day. And I've gotten multiple compliments every time I've worn them.

I bought the vest in New York while I was out shopping with Sal, Sara, and K. Line. It was marked down 50% and it was just so deliciously soft and furry that I couldn't resist. I've worn this vest several times now and each time I do, someone asks if they can touch it. Hey, at least so far they're asking first.

Vest: Adrienne Landau
Tunic: All Saints
Leather pants: Firetrap
Boots: Bos and Co.

Sneaky Hangover

If you read Sal's blog you probably can already guess where this dress came from; I bought it in New York when we visited the Desigual shop. That was an interesting shopping experience, to say the least. It was the morning after my night of poorly planned and even more poorly executed drinking at the Empire Hotel, and I woke up feeling remarkably chipper, so Sal and I happily scampered off to Desigual before she left for the day to visit a friend.

Everything was going along swimmingly until about 30 minutes into our shopping session, when I was suddenly overcome with a wave of sweaty nausea and lightheadedness in the dressing room. By the time I was ready to bring my purchases to the counter I had to sit down on one of the displays, for fear I might pass out or vomit right then and there. Sneaky hangovers are the worst. But you can see what a committed shopper I am; even in my wretched and half-dead state I was able to pick out this and another dress, plus a tunic-length top. I just love the beaded silver go-go dancer on the dress, and the fact that it has long sleeves makes it great for the San Francisco climate.


I paired the dress with this adorable scarf that was given to me by the folks at Eileen Fisher when we visited their studio. I love all the pompoms around the edge; it's like a party around my neck. To secure the ends of the scarf I added a brooch that my aunt gave me for our belated Christmas gift exchange.

Scarf: Eileen Fisher
Dress: Desigual
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: Bronx

New York Part 2: Bloggers, Shopping, and Sights

I've finally compiled some more photos and thoughts from the New York portion of my trip. There's more to come from Seattle and Oregon, but I'll get to that later.

Big train stations are one of my favorite things to see when I travel. I spent a whole day in Paris just going to each of the major stations and wandering around before hopping back on the train and heading to the next one. So obviously I had to spend part of my first morning admiring Grand Central, which was right down the street from where Sal and I stayed.

Here's Gertie, Sal, K.Line and I after dinner at Republic and drinks at a nearby wine bar, where I tried to convince everyone to have a taste of my Fernet Branca. As I recall, Gertie was utterly horrified at the taste (most people are the first time they try it), Sal was too scared to even let it touch her lips, and K. Line actually seemed to enjoy it. I was fairly amazed to see it served in a bar in New York; I think of it mainly as a San Francisco phenomenon, and increasingly a Seattle one thanks to the tireless efforts of Jess and Lisa. I tasked K. Line with spreading the word in Canada about the wonders of Fernet, because my goal is to make sure it's readily available wherever I may decide to travel. And Canada is on my list!

As I've already mentioned, Sal, K. Line, Sara and I spent a day shopping together, starting off at Barneys and then hitting another couple of the big department stores before we finally wore ourselves out and had to reluctantly say goodbye. Sara is every bit as charming and sweet as she comes across on her blog, and although it was wonderful to finally meet her in person, I'm now missing her terribly and wishing we lived closer together. It's one of the hazards of travel; you meet lovely people who you will never get to see nearly enough.

Here's Kenneth, Peter, K. Line and Sal during our morning of shopping at the Chelsea flea market. I only met Kenneth for a couple of brief moments, and had no idea he was somewhat famous until K. Line told me later; but then again I've stood right next to celebrities on the street and been completely oblivious until whoever I was with pointed it out. The Chelsea market was fun; I enjoyed poking around the booths and listening to all the great New York accents, but I was a little disappointed when one of the vendors steadfastly refused to come down in price for a full length black silk skirted I wanted to buy. Even for silk, I felt that $75 was way too much to pay for a used skirt; from a vintage store I could maybe understand, but from a flea market I expect to get a better price. I did manage to pick up a pretty beaded choker for myself, and a few vintage brooches to use for trimming hats.

I snapped this forbidden photo (not realizing it was forbidden until the salesman rushed over to admonish me) in a fancy department store in Chelsea. I can't remember who the designer was, probably because I was nervous after being busted, but I just loved the liquid metal look of the fabric. You'd have to have a body like the mannequin's to ever actually wear this dress, but it was so gorgeous to look at that I wanted to remember it. If anyone knows the designer, please let me know. As I recall it was some exotic-sounding name that I imagined being very difficult to spell.

We couldn't leave Chelsea without a visit to the All Saints store, if nothing else than to see the window full of vintage sewing machines. Both Sal and I brought back some goodies from there; you'll see what I got in a couple of days.

Here's the night I met up with a whole gaggle of bloggers at the Empire Hotel, didn't eat any dinner, and proceeded to drink several GIANT martinis (hey, they were delicious; what could I do?). This group photo was taken earlier in the evening, when I was still coherent; from left to right we've got Stacy of Taffeta Darlings, Kristin of BonBon Rose Girls, Cameron of 33 avenue Miquelon, me, Wendy Brandes, and K-Line. Wendy let me try on both her Cleves Black Swan ring and the one-of-a-kind Onyx Skull ring, and holy crap were they amazing. She's lucky I didn't get up and dash out of the bar with them, never to be seen or heard from again. I hope she's insured for that sort of thing; her jewelry could turn even the most mild-mannered lady into a wanton thief.

The next day I made my way all the way out to Coney Island at sunset, where I had a hot dog at Nathan's and strolled along the boardwalk until the chilling wind drove me back to the subway station. I'd never been out there before, and I loved the deserted feel of it; I probably enjoyed it far more than I would have if it had been sunny and packed with people. Empty amusement parks have an eerie feel to them, sort of like a dusty old antique store but on a much larger scale.

On Monday night Sal and I met up with Rad and Blokey in Brooklyn; I was still feeling the effects of the night before at the Empire, which clearly shows in how haggard I look here. Interestingly, the three of us talked very little about blogging or fashion; Rad is clearly an intellectual first and foremost and that really comes across when you meet her. A smart woman with style is always a joy to hang out with, no matter how hungover you are.

Triumphant

Sorry to go MIA last week; I've been miserably sick and didn't have the energy to come up with anything even vaguely interesting to post. Here's an outfit from healthier days; it features my new Helmut Lang blazer, with which I returned triumphantly from New York.

As I told Sara, Sal, and K. Line when we were out shopping together at Barney's, I have long felt that Helmut Lang clothing is designed specifically with me in mind. Just look at the blazer's draping, asymmetry, and tailoring that is impeccably fitted but not constricting; it's perfect in every way. The fact that I snagged the very last one, that it was on sale, and that when the cashier rang it up it was further discounted to less than half the original price were all wonderful bonuses, but the fact is that I would've gladly forked out 100% of the original price, I loved it that much when I tried it on.

When it gets back from the dry cleaner I'll do a show and tell about the gorgeous Helmut Lang dress that I also got at Barney's for a fraction of the original price. I only wish I had K. Line's flair for storytelling; she tells my shopping story with so much more drama and excitement than I ever could. 

Also included in this outfit is a long, white slip that I found while thrift shopping with my mom in Salem, Oregon, which makes this long dress far more wearable with tights. The lacy hem poked out a little from the side slit, but I decided not to care; it was well worth it not to have the dress stick to the tights when I walked. 


Blazer: Helmut Lang
Dress: Forever 21
Boots: All Black
Necklace: local import store

Occupational Hazard

Can you hear the angels singing? That's because I finally found The Perfect Pair of Casual Black Shoes. After literally years of searching (not continuously, mind you), and looking at pairs of shoes online until my eyes crossed and my head hurt, and finding an ideal shoe only to discover it wasn't available in my size, and thinking and rethinking the choices I had narrowed down, I finally took the plunge and bought these. And holy smokes, are they the comfiest shoes ever. My feet have joined the chorus of angels in song.

My requirements: black shoes that are a little outdoorsy looking, weatherproof, with a 1 - 1.5" heel so I can wear them with longer jeans, rubber soles that have good traction in the rain, a wedge heel for stability, cute enough to wear with skirts, and comfortable enough to walk in all day. Yes those are tall orders. Why I needed all those qualities in a single pair of shoes is no longer clear even to me, but it was a lingering obsession of mine and I was determined to fulfill  it. I found an awful lot of cute shoes and great deals while I was scouring the internet for these, I can tell you. Some of them, like my Timberland boots, also ended up in my closet. It's an occupational hazard, I guess.


Dress, belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Cardigan: Cynthia Rowley
Shoes: Bastien

New eShakti Coupon Code

Great news -- I've got a new promo code for you to use over at eShakti. Just enter "Au043U" at checkout for 15% off your order! This code is valid through the month of November. eShakti has added several new and adorable styles lately; in fact, I've got a new dress making its way to me as I type. They offer custom styling and sizing for just $7.50, and your first customization is free! 

Quite Orange

Thanks for all your great comments on Friday's post about customer service. A few people pointed out the shameful way that customers sometimes treat the people who work in service industries, and I think this is an important point. Certainly no one has the right to demand quality service when they walk in the door ready to abuse the first person who comes forward to help them. And just as customers should exercise their right to complain about poor quality service, so should they also make the effort to reward exemplary service, because only by doing both can we as consumers influence the industry standards.

Anyway, it's undoubtedly healthy to leave an extra generous tip or fill a comment card with praise once in a while, lest our lives be filled with nothing but negative interaction all the time. So let's hear a few positive stories if you have some to share. I'll start by sharing that I once filled in a glowingly positive customer satisfaction survey after I took my car in for a tune-up, and the heartfelt, personal thank you email I later received from the person who helped me made me realize just how infrequently that kind of feedback is ever heard.

Right, so here's my outfit. This dress always manages to look red in the photos, but I assure you it is quite orange, as is the pattern on the socks. It being a little cooler that day, I wanted to cover my legs but not be too warm, so I chose long socks rather than tights. From the front you can just see the gap between the bottom of my dress and the top of the socks, but from the back the longer cardigan covered everything; this made the thigh high socks look a bit more subtle and less schoolgirlish.

Cardigan: Max Studio
Scarf: Banana Republic
Dress: Orla Keily
Sandals: John Fluevog

Customer Service

This morning on my way to work I stopped to fill up my tank, and I noticed for the umpteenth time that approximately half the pumps at the gas station were out of order. And I started to think about how the quality of service in general continues to decline in many industries, and how pissed off I am about it, and what I intend to do about it.

The gas station scenario is a common one for me; either the pumps are down or the receipt printer is out of paper or the credit card reader is malfunctioning or there's no fluid to clean your windshield with. Remember when the attendants used to come out and clean your windshield for you? Now they can't even be bothered to fill up the fucking bucket a couple of times a day. And yet the prices still continue to creep up, including the extra fees they tack on for using a credit card, which many people don't even realize they're paying.

Gas stations are merely one example, but I think they're a reasonable indicator of the decline in customer service at large. And the fact is, we do not have to put up with this. There are many entities out there competing for our money, and starting today I'm going to be a lot more vigilant about where and how I spend mine. These are some of the things that are important to me:

• I expect a business to be neat and tidy, well stocked, and fully functioning when I arrive. Any place of business that does not consistently meet this standard will never get my business again. I can overlook a rare occurrence, but if every other time I show up I can't get what I need or the place is a disorganized mess, it's over. If it means going out of my way or paying slightly more somewhere else, I'm prepared to do so. 

• Poor customer service will not be tolerated, ever. I don't care how good the food is at a restaurant, how cute the clothes are, or how low the airfare is, if I'm treated poorly I will never patronise that business again. I expect salespeople and servers to be courteous, to do their utmost to make me happy if there's a problem, and to thank me for my business. I expect returns to be made under reasonable circumstances and not to be unfairly charged for things that are not my fault.

• I expect people to be knowledgeable about the things they sell or the services they offer. If I hop into a cab, I expect the driver to know how to get to my destination without me having to explain it in detail, or they're not getting a tip. If I'm shopping for wine, I expect the merchant to be able to give me some recommendations based on my tastes, or else I'll shop somewhere else. 

• If I feel I've been treated unfairly I resolve to write to the company or contact a manager and at the very least communicate my dissatisfaction. I have let far too many things slide in the past and have not taken companies to task when I really should have. Hardly anyone ever takes the time to really follow up on a complaint, but it can make a huge difference if the right person hears your message. Someday I should tell you the story of the shameful way my financial institution treated me when I had my wallet stolen in Rome; I still kick myself for not writing that letter as soon as I got back. The bitch blamed ME for getting pickpocketed, if you can believe it.

• Wherever possible I want to try to deal with smaller, independent businesses where the customer still has influence. With our Etsy shop, Mark and I work really hard to make sure each and every person is taken care of, and I want to do business with other like-minded people. And sure, just because a business is large doesn't mean they don't care about the customer, but I think among smaller businesses you're more likely to find a level of commitment to customer satisfaction that can be difficult to maintain as a business grows. From here on out the smaller boutiques, the sellers on Etsy, and of course the businesses that have treated me well in the past will be my first stop when I'm shopping for something.

What are your thoughts about the quality of customer service in general? Have you ever written to a company with a complaint, and what was the outcome? What have you put up with that you wish you hadn't? In what other ways can we take a stand and demand more for our money?

Today's outfit:
Dress: thrifted
Skirt: unknown
Belt: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Camper

Embracing the Wine Penguin

I thought today I'd bring you a travel-related post, since I haven't done so in quite awhile. It's not really about travel per se, but rather about a particular type of souvenir I sometimes bring back from my travels, and the meaning this kind of thing holds for me.

What you see here is what I affectionately call the Wine Penguin. I got it from a cheap housewares store in Buenos Aires, sort of a dollar store kind of affair but a step up in quality. The Wine Penguin cost me about $3, but its monetary value was ridiculously disproportionate to how much effort it took me to carefully pack and transport it through 2 flights and 18 hours' worth of airports, planes, security, and customs. Why all the fuss for a cheap ceramic pitcher, you ask? Well, because the Wine Penguin falls into a very special category of souvenir for me, the Quirky Local Thing category.

This type of pitcher is seen in almost every wine-dispensing restaurant in Argentina; sometime the pitchers are left plain white or brown, sometimes they are intricately hand painted, and often they bear the logo of the restaurant that uses them. It makes sense, too -- Argentina does have plenty of penguins, particularly down in the Patagonia region. And who could fail to be charmed by the sight of a plucky little penguin barfing wine into your glass? Jess and I certainly were, and soon we were noticing these pitchers pretty much everywhere we went.

Bringing a Wine Penguin home wasn't necessarily on the agenda the way my Republica Argentina buttons were, but when I saw one in the store I knew it was the perfect souvenir; something I could use all the time, that would remind me of my trip, and that was obscure enough that it made for a good story. The penguin was a Quirky Local Thing that I became familiar with through my time spent in Buenos Aires, and bringing one home was a way to integrate part of that local flavor into my everyday life. It isn't a blatant souvenir, it's just a little inside joke I share with Jess and with Argentina, and now with you. And that is the essence of the Quirky Local Thing: it's generally an everyday object that would easily be recognized by local people, but wouldn't get much notice from anyone else; it's a stealth souvenir.

It should be noted that Mark has not yet embraced the Wine Penguin. In fact, I think it's fair to say that he doesn't really see the point of the Wine Penguin. But every time I see it standing there waiting to pour me another glass, red wine dripping down its beak like a trickle of blood, I'm back in Buenos Aires at a rustic parrilla, with tango music and the smell of grilled beef in the air. My Wine Penguin is a small bit of Argentine culture transplanted to a little Victorian-style kitchen in San Francisco.

For more adventures with Wine Penguins, see the blog posts below. It seems I'm not the only one with a penchant for penguins!

from BrennerWorld: Penguins and wine go together, you just don't know it yet!
from Tableconversation: A Penguin to the Rescue
from Underground Art Blog: Terroir, Penguins, and Parrillas: The Inconsistent Pleasures

The Perfect Pair

I'm really, really excited about these shoes. These had been on my favorites list for ages, so when I saw on Amazon that they were marked down to $99 from $249, I couldn't resist. I'm really surprised I hadn't caved in sooner, as they are truly the perfect pair of shoes that I've been searching for.

What I was wanting were shoes that will go with lots of different colors, can be worn with skirts or pants, have a nice sturdy heel that's good for walking, and are light enough to travel with. Looking back over that list of desired traits, it's pretty amazing that I found anything even close to fitting the bill. But here they are! The absolute perfect shoe for me; a quirky blend of colors, chunky 2" heels and thick soles, lightweight, and luxuriously comfortable.

These shoes also come in "safe" colors -- brown and black -- too, but where's the fun in that? These babies go with everything, and I can even change up the laces if I want to bring in yet another color. I think all my other shoes are jealous.

Dress: DVF
T-shirt: H&M
Skirt: LA Made
Belt: Sunhee Moon
Shoes: Fly London "Jail"