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.

Spectacle

Yesterday Mark and I walked down to the big parade and celebration for the Giants, and what an amazing spectacle that was. It's estimated to have been the largest attendance for any San Francisco event, ever. I originally intended just to go for the morning and then head off to work, but I ended up taking the whole day off because the city was so jammed up with traffic there was no way I was going to get out. It was an ideal day for such a celebration; our weather has been glorious the last several days, and yesterday it was sunny and in the low 80's.

This denim jacket was a thrift store find, and I was mighty excited to find it. A denim jacket is something I've been seeking for well over a year now, and for some reason I got it into my head that I wanted to find one second hand. It's one of those items that I just can't bring myself to pay retail price for. The jacket is by Tulle, one of my favorite brands, and has all the elements I wanted; lots of shaping, cute pocket details, dark wash, and short but not cropped length. At $7 this was a fantastic find.

The ankle boots are new, purchased a couple of weeks ago during some sale that Endless was having (damn you Endless, for tempting me with all your sales!). I purchased them along with another pair of soon-to-be-revealed boots, and since these bumped my total purchase price into a bigger discount level, I essentially got these for free. They received mixed reviews on comfort, but I took a chance because I've had good luck with the brand, and it turns out that my finicky feet really love them. The common complaint in the reviews is that they are a very high heel, but since high heels tend to be more comfortable for me than flats, these feel great. I'll be getting a lot of use out of them, I'm sure.

The outfit was inspired by Sheila's casual Friday looks, in which she usually incorporates a graphic tee with other dressier items such as skirts and heels. Underneath the graphic tee I layered a chiffon-trimmed tank to echo the color and texture of the skirt. I chose leggings that matched the boots in order to give my legs a long, interrupted line and keep the focus on the top half of the outfit.

Jacket: Tulle
Tank: Anthropologie
Graphic tee: All Saints
Skirt: Anthropologie
Leggings: Noa Noa
Boots: MIA

Relaxed Suit

Sal wrote recently about this season's thriftable trends, and mentioned velvet as one of them. And what did I find during my most recent thrifting experience? This cropped velvet waistcoat by J. Crew (coincidentally, the shirt is also a thrifted J. Crew find). To me this is a great way to wear velvet -- I'm not so keen on a whole dress made out of the stuff (not since the 80's, anyway), but a waistcoat or blazer adds that soft texture and sheen without dominating the outfit. I totally forgot to photograph the adorable back of the waistcoat, but I'll show it to you the next time.

The waistcoat is a deep chocolate brown, which is more apparent in the detail shot. The back is a striped yellow, black and brown silk, the sort of pattern you might find on a man's tie or lining a suit jacket. The mixture of the menswear shape and back of the vest with the feminine texture of the velvet gave me the idea to pair it with trousers and the casual waffle-weave shirt in order to give the outfit the appearance of a relaxed suit. Instead of an actual tie, I added the scarf and let it hang straight down the center just as a tie would do. If it were a little less bulky I'd have tucked it under the waistcoat, but I didn't want to look like I have a beer gut.

By the way, I tied the scarf using the first technique I demonstrated in my video tutorial.

Shirt, waistcoat: thrifted
Scarf: Banana Republic
Pants: Anthropologie
Boots: Bronx

Patchwork

This outfit isn't a super exciting one; it was a comfortable, casual look that I threw together in the morning when I was running around trying to get everything together for meeting with my tax guy. But I wanted to show it to you because it features this beautiful suede jacket that I found while out thrifting with my mom in Oregon last month. This jacket is a perfect illustration of patchwork done really well; the patches have subtle variations in texture and color, giving the jacket depth without making it look like it was just thrown together from a bunch of scraps. It also looks like it has never been worn, which is unusual for a suede piece found in a thrift store.

The other thing I did with this outfit was to throw in the scarf for a splash of unexpected color. This is one of the easiest ways to jazz up a casual outfit -- anyone could see that pairing the purple top with brown pants and purple boots would work, but adding the green scarf is a bit more adventurous and interesting.

Scarf: Rhapsodia
Top: Just Angels
Cords: Marlowe
Boots: Fly London
Jacket: thrifted
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson

Casual Friday

This was a casual Friday outfit, but is very much something that I'd wear on a weekend day (and anyway, casual Friday doesn't mean a whole lot when people are already in jeans and t-shirts every damn day). This outfit features another newly-thrifted item, this Fair Isle cardigan sweater, as well as the thrifted J. Crew waffle weave top that I'm already wearing the crap out of. This top is going to be perfect for traveling, since it is light enough to be washed in the sink and dried overnight, and makes a perfect warm but not-too-warm layering base.

I loved how the pendant went so perfectly with the sweater, adding a different pattern but several of the same colors.

Sweater, top: thrifted
Jeans: Acne
Boots: eBay
Pendant: Foxy Originals

Thrifting Philosophy

This is the second time in as many weeks that I've featured my handbag, which is something I rarely show in my outfit photos. But the rich brown of the bag added so much to the outfit that I felt I needed to include it. This is also the second time I've featured this thrifted sweater in the last 2 weeks. Truth be told, I'm practically living in this sweater in my behind-the-blog life; it's the perfect thing to throw on when I'm at home and it's a little bit chilly, or if I need to dash outside to take Georgie out.

Because it was thrifted, the sweater is already down to less than a dollar per wear, and even more satisfying is the fact that upon closer examination I realized that it's an Anthropologie brand (Sparrow), which means it probably retailed for well over a hundred bucks when new. With the other major pieces of clothing being from All Saints, this outfit really sums up the crux of my thrifting philosophy, which is to bring down my average cost-per-item by owning a mix of thrifted, mid range, and high end items. Going thrift shopping and scoring a quality sweater for under $5 means that when the next week I want to drop $200 on a pair of shoes, I don't feel one bit guilty because while one piece may be expensive, the overall cost of my wardrobe remains reasonable.

I lack both the skills and the patience to thrift for my entire wardrobe, and to be perfectly honest I don't really need to from a financial standpoint. But I do have a reasonably good eye, and enjoy both the treasure-hunting aspect of thrifting as well as the notion of recycling clothing and giving it new life. One of the important things I've learned more recently is to apply the same scrutiny to thrift store clothes that I would to new ones. So whereas I used to go thrift shopping and come home with a load of clothes that I liked, these days I come home with one or two carefully-selected items that I love.

One thing I want to try out this year is dyeing thrifted shoes. A friend told me of the joys of restoring a pair of leather shoes by dyeing them, and I thought it'd be a great way to end up with shoes in a hard-to-find color, or even two-tone (If you try this yourself, keep in mind that overdyeing white leather shoes does NOT work; the leather can't have a painted finish or else the dye won't penetrate.). I also want to do more overdyeing of clothing, having been inspired by Sal's recent post. I tried this once last year, and it turned out so well that I'm keeping that option in the back of my mind when I go thrifting now.

What is your thrift shopping philosophy? Have you tried dyeing or otherwise modifying thrifted clothes, and how has it turned out?

Cardigan sweater: thrifted
Argyle sweater, skirt: All Saints
Belt: Lazaro
Boots: Doc Martens
Handbag: Lucky Brand

Fortune Teller

I'm very excited about this sweater, which I picked up at Goodwill last weekend for $4.49. I'd been wanting a boyfriend-style slouchy cardigan, but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to pay new-clothes prices for an article of clothing that essentially looks like it's too big for me. So instead I thrifted this sweater which actually IS a couple sizes too big for me; it has the extra-long sleeves and the slightly baggy look I wanted, while still looking like it's designed for a woman's figure. Plus the cable pattern is just so pretty, and being 100% cotton the sweater is also extremely soft. Thrifting for trends is something that Sal has posted about quite a bit, but this was really the first time I've actively (as opposed to accidentally) done it myself. Check out Sal's advice on thrifting for trends here, and here.

This outfit, with the teal and gray skirt combo, is the one I alluded to on Monday, and I was really happy with it when I walked out the door. By the end of the day though, I got the sneaking suspicion that I should've gone with a long silver necklace instead of the scarf, or else lost the hat. Something about the scarf combined with the long skirts, drapey cardigan, and turban-esque hat made me feel very gypsy fortune teller, which I'm not so sure is such a good thing. But boy, this outfit sure was comfy and warm, and who knows, maybe I could've made some easy cash reading palms in the cafeteria?

"Origami" Hat: Alternative Design Studio
Scarf: Urban Outfitters
T-shirt: H&M
Gray skirt: S
Teal skirt: LA Made
Cardigan: thrifted
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Tights: Noa Noa
Boots: All Black

Rememberance of Outfits Past

Just when I thought I'd posted all my pre-vacation outfits, I found two more that I'd completely forgotten about. I guess that's one of the hazards of not posting outfits in real time; I suppose it's also a natural side effect of the flurry of activity that happens before a big trip. As an interesting and related side note, one of the main reasons I started photographing my outfits in the first place is because I had trouble remembering them, which of course is important both for being able to repeat great combinations, and for avoiding wearing the same thing over and over. Keeping track of what I wear has had two important consequences for me: one, it inspires me to put in my best effort every day; two, it helps me get better usage out of my wardrobe by showing me which pieces I'm wearing a lot or a little.

Here's that thrifted dress that I dyed green a couple months ago. Building on the mod feel of the dress, I added go-go boots and funky argyle tights. I feel like the dress is far more versatile now than when it was an oatmeal color. With the green it's so much easier to create interesting and colorful outfits, but the shade is still subdued enough that I can also pair it with neutrals if I want to. The fact that the buttons and topstitching are beige makes pairing with neutrals even easier.

Dress: thrifted

Shirt: H&M

Scarf: Banana Republic

Tights: some shop in Salzburg

Boots: MIA

Simple Elegance

When I pulled out this dress to design an outfit around it, I was all set to start layering it up and playing with belts and accessories. But once I put it on, it looked so darned cute* that I decided it didn't need much of anything, so I threw on a scarf, some simple jewelry, and shoes and called it a day. In my constant quest to be original and quirky, I sometimes overlook the elegance that exists in a simple look like this one; it's something I'm trying to get better about.

If it weren't for the scarf, this entire outfit would have cost me under $25. The dress was thrifted for around $7 and needed $12 worth of alterations to adjust the fit, the shoes and bangles were both gifts from friends, and the earrings were purchased at Cost Plus for around $5. Amazingly, the dress is a Carolina Herrera and is basically flawless. I'm still in shock that I managed to pick it up at Goodwill.

Scarf: Banana Republic
Dress: Carolina Herrera
Shoes: BC Footwear

*It looks cute except for the ugly sock marks from the outfit I had on earlier that day; I assure you that by the time I actually wore this outfit, the marks were gone.

Hoist Your Freak Flag

For awhile now I've been hounding Mark to create some guest posts for my blog, firstly because men's fashion is sorely underrepresented in the blogging world, and secondly because I'm trying to bring some variety to the blog by sprinkling in guest posts and other features in addition to the daily outfits. So without further ado, here is Mark's contribution.
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Very little separates one shirt or pants, or even shoe from another, and visitors from other planets would conclude that most every male human shops for clothes at exactly the same three places. I was at a festival this summer on the Central Coast, and I noticed that the guys were almost lockstep uniform in their expression of individuality. Through clenched teeth I muttered that the sight of one more RVCA hoodie and generic graphic t-shirt was going to send me over the edge. I had visions of sabotaging them with Supersoaker filled with highlighter pink paint, the way animal rights activists stain baby seals to keep furriers from clubbing them to death.

Fortunately, I live in a San Francisco where people can wear literally whatever they want and not be a freak. Well, at least if they are they have plenty of company. Guys not only can get away with wearing things outside of the proverbial box, it is encouraged. There are plenty of local designers to fill a growing demand for creative stuff that doesn’t look like it came from a mall or a department store, but also isn’t cheesy costume wear. Another source to find unique and interesting looks is in combining vintage items with new ones.

I confess it’s taken me a while to work up the nerve to be a little different. I might be noticed (gasp). It’s best done gradually so as not to shock the cerebro-nervous system and cause painful separation anxiety with your current wardrobe, most items of which look just like the next one. One example of versatile and colorful menswear I found not long ago is a vintage, early to mid 1960’s suit. It was deadstock, meaning it was still brand new, never worn, and older than I am. The blazer is a dark yellow plaid pattern with green and blue pinstripes, and the pants are a solid dark gold. I found it by chance, and it fit as though it had been custom tailored for me. Women seem to know more than men do when clothing is just meant to go live with them. This was one of those.

The suit is remarkably versatile, and by mixing different combinations I can get at least a half dozen or more outfits with it. First, it works great as a suit with a solid matching shirt and color-compatible tie, and a pair of vintage oxblood wingtips – all of which I found at thrift stores. Secondly, the suit can be casualized such as pictured with a pair of jeans, a blue-striped Nautica shirt, and a pair of red and green John Fluevog shoes.
Also shown here, it can be dressed up modern-like with a pair of new Heathen jeans with a side-stripe, a black & yellow striped Marimekko shirt, and classic black boots by Frye. Even the look of the matched jacket and pants of the suit changes dramatically with a bolder shirt and contrasting tie, such as the pictured red-white vintage shirt. To completely change the look, I swapped the jacket for a vintage teal one, and slipped into some dark brown modern Rockports.

Shopping for vintage clothing or even thrifting is mostly an exercise in patience and training your eyes to see past the mountains of crap, but it's worth the effort.

Evolution

I tried to buy this dress last year at Banana Republic, but they didn't have any more in my size. Imagine my delight to find it at the Goodwill a few weeks ago for just $7! Though technically it's my size, the dress is actually quite a bit too big, as I discovered this morning when I put it on without the jeans and sweater I was wearing when I tried it in the store. No matter; it'll cost less than $15 to get it altered, which will still be an incredible deal for such a good quality dress.

I think I might also try overdying this dress as well, perhaps with an apple green. The oatmeal color actually strikes me as being less versatile than a color, since it really only looks good with other neutrals. If the dress was green I could wear it with any number of fun colors -- yellow, orange, navy, purple -- so stay tuned for the evolution of this garment. Better outfits are surely still to come.

Hat: made by me
Shirt: H&M
Dress: Banana Republic (thrifted)
Brooch: vintage Trifari
Belt: from a Forever 21 shirt
Boots: Doc Marten's

Against The Rules

Here's an old garment that has had new life breathed into it. This floral minidress started out as a romper back in the early 90's, with me as its original owner. I remember purchasing it at Express back when they were still a fairly new chain, and I remember it being one of my favorite things to wear. After I decided that it was out of date and no longer wearable I still couldn't manage to part with it, so I packed it away in a dress bag and stashed it under the bed. Last month I thought it'd be fun to pull out that collection of clothes and see if anything could be restyled; among those old things I found this and another floral romper, plus the velvet vest I wore a few weeks ago. After well over a decade they suddenly looked wearable again, albeit with some modifications in the case of the rompers.

I got the idea to turn this into a dress from Erin over at Work With What You've Got. She did the same thing with a romper and it looked so cute I had to give it a try myself (it was actually her post that prompted me to brave the dust bunnies and pull the dress bag out from under the bed in the first place). Sure, I know it's against the 'rules' to re-wear a trend you sported the first time around, but hey, the trend back then was rompers, whereas this is a dress. And there's nothing exclusively 90's about floral dresses, now is there?

Also, I'm pretty damn stoked that I still fit into the same things I wore when I was 22. If that's not reason enough to break the rules, what is?

Silk shirt: thrifted
Romper: Express
Tights: Sock Dreams
Boots: Fly London

Fueling My Desire

Today I was accosted by a woman in the cafeteria who just had to tell me that these were the cutest shoes she'd EVER SEEN. Did she realize she was just fueling my desire to purchase another pair of John Fluevogs? They have so many adorable new styles right now that are just melting my heart; I may need to invest in a new pair soon.

Today's unlikely mixture of colors is held together by the jewelry, which contains navy, green, and teal. I added the red belt for a little shock of contrasting color, since the whole outfit is fairly washed out otherwise. The green jacket is thrifted; originally it had one really ugly brass button that by itself didn't hold the jacket closed in a very flattering way. My local tailor added another buttonhole for me and I replaced the buttons with these cute anchor motif ones. They were very bright and shiny when I bought them, but I 'antiqued' them by holding them over a flame until they blackened, wiping off the excess soot, and then sealing them with a clear resin.

Hat: Seeberger
Cardigan: H&M
Dress: Noa Noa
Belt: Anne Klein
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: John Fluevog
Jewelry: ?? wish I could remember

70's Boots

I found these boots on eBay a few weeks back but haven't worn them to work until today. My first thought upon seeing them was, "Wow, those are cool!" My second thought was, "Wow, they're sort of hideous!" With these two thoughts in my head I decided to take no action. A few days went by and I thought about them a little more. And then they haunted me in my dreams. I kid you not. The next morning I bought them.

I was inspired to wear this outfit today after seeing Karen's post about how unflattering patchwork is. I'm sure Karen is right; in fact I'm about 99% convinced that these boots are unflattering in every way. That doesn't stop me from loving them to pieces though. I love them all the more because I suspect they are actually men's boots, which leads me to picture a guy, probably of small stature since he fits a woman's 8.5, in a wide-collar satin shirt, tight jeans, and these boots. Maybe he was a hustler of some kind, or perhaps he fancied himself an urban cowboy. Either way these boots have somehow found their way from his swinging 70's hipness all the way to their loving new home in San Francisco.

Another noteworthy item in this outfit is the vintage brooch, which I picked up last weekend in Seattle. It's a Trifari jelly belly, which apparently makes it a collectors item. I was only vaguely aware of the brand until I found this brooch, but since then I've looked them up online and discovered that some of these pieces are going for $1200 or more. Mine was nowhere near that price, but frankly of all the ones I looked at I think this is the cutest, collectors item or no.

This crazy houndstooth jacket is another recent thrift store score; I think I got it for $2 when Goodwill was having their sale. I didn't really plan for all my thrift store purchases to go together this well, it just sort of worked out that way. If anything could compete with the outrageousness of the boots, it's certainly this jacket.

Hat: purchased in Hamburg, Germany
Turtleneck: thrifted
Green shirt: F21
Jacket: thrifted
Belt: local import store
Skirt: thrifted (shortened)
Boots: vintage

Cheerleader

I'm pretty sure this little cropped orange and red knit top used to be part of a cheerleader's outfit in the 60's. Me wearing anything associated with cheerleading might, in fact, be even more ironic than me wearing an apron. The only thing that could make it more preposterous would be if I were holding a couple of pom-poms. Oh, how I wish I had some!

Hat: Parkhurst
Turtleneck sweater:
Knit top: thrifted
Belt: F21, came with a top
Skirt: Noa Noa
Socks: Sock Dreams
Boots: Doc Martens

Letting Go

Perhaps you can tell that I got a new haircut and color last night. I've been wearing so many hats lately that it probably wasn't obvious what my hair looked like before, but to me it looks quite different. I went for a simple bob this time since it's easier, especially when the weather at this time of year tends to work against my hair styling efforts anyway.

I decided today that these shoes have to go. They're cracked and past their prime, and they never were that comfortable to begin with. Not that I didn't wear them a lot despite the discomfort, which makes me ok with letting them go. I've bought enough shoes recently that I need the extra space in my closet anyway. Another pair of boots that I found on eBay just arrived today, and I am absolutely delighted with them. I'm excited to incorporate them into an outfit next week.

Scarf: H&M
Shirt: vintage
Skirt: thrifted
Socks: Sock Dreams
Shoes: Mudd

Shiny Red Boots

What's not to love about shiny red boots? I found these on Amazon at a deeply discounted price, and immediately knew I needed to add them to my shoe empire. Being rain boots, they're perfect for our current drizzly weather, but I can fully imagine myself wearing them on dry days as well. Incidentally, wonderful deals still abound on Amazon -- I also picked up a fantastic pair of Fly London boots which I'll show you later in the week. Amazon carries pretty much all the same styles as Endless, but for some reason the prices are much lower right now, so go forth and be shodden!

This is one of the ways I 'cheat' when I wear button-down shirts: since I hate how they feel tucked in, I often layer something else over the top to acheive a structured, fitted look while leaving my shirttails comfortably flapping. Fitted waistcoats like this one are great for adding waist definition without having anything cinching around your midsection.

The skirt came from the Goodwill $2 sale that Mark and I went to a couple weekends ago. It's a little longer than my usual preference, but since it's a full circle skirt I actually quite like the length and was fully prepared to leave it as is until I noticed a hole near the hem. This will necessitate taking maybe an inch and a half off the length, but it will still be below-the-knee. I'd say this skirt is from the 50's; considering how old it is it's in darn good shape despite the hole, and is made of a heavy wool. Not a bad acquisition for 2 bucks!

Hat: ?
Shirt: Promod
Waistcoat: Last Kiss
Skirt: vintage
Boots: Aquatalia