San Francisco's Best Boutiques
Apple Blossom
1303 Castro Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94114
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
(415) 401-0602
Apple Blossom
Offering stylish clothing at affordable prices, Apple Blossom one of Noe Valley's better offerings, especially if you are on a budget. The friendly, outgoing owner of the shop Jin designs much of the clothing herself. The store gets rave reviews for the silkscreened, patterned T-shirts.
Dema
1038 Valencia Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 206-0500
Dema
Dema's clothes are wonderfully quirky yet elegant. The store's owner is Dema Grim has been in business in the Mission for 12 years has an obvious eye for editing both clothes and photography – her blog is a great showcase for the stores, although it does not allow purchasing. Scarves from Avoca, handbags from Irla Kiely and Dutchy.
La Boutique, l'Art et la Mode
414 Jackson Street
Ste 101
San Francisco, Calif. 94111
(415) 693-9950
La Boutique, l'Art et la Mode
With it's hardwood floors and large-scale artwork pieces, this shop feels part gallery, part boutique. The art rotates every three months and the store sells clothing, shoes and one-of-a kind jewelry. European designers are featured prominently, including Vanessa Bruno, MM6 by Maison Martin Margiela and my favorite handbag designer, Jerome Dreyfuss.
Gimme Shoes
416 Hayes Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 864-0691
Gimme Shoes Hayes
2358 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94115
(415) 441-3040
Gimme Shoes Fillmore
If you're a shoe lover, you simply can't miss Gimmie Shoes. The buyers at Gimme Shoes basically scour the world for the most clever, fashionable designs they can find. There are some hits and misses, and you can expect to pay a pretty penny, but Gimmie Shoes is one of my favorite shoe stores not just in San Francisco, but in the entire United States. The hard-to-find brands include Giruadon, Coclico, Fiorentini + Baker, Rahcel Comey and Rag & Bone.
MAC
387 Grove Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
(415) 863-3011
MAC
I was so inspired by the store. The range of clothing is impressive and unique and not to be found anywhere else in the Bay Area, or perhaps in the country. Owners Ben and Chris are well-liked in the community, and their love of clothes and people really shows in the energy of this store. MAC is not cheap – but keep in mind, these are fashion pieces you will want to keep over time. Designers include Margiela, Zucca, AF Vandevorst, Maria Cornejo, Sophie O'Dhoore, Chisato and Dries van Noten.
Anica Boutique
2418 Polk Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94109
(415) 447-2878
Anica Boutique
Despite being tucked away in the upper Polk, Anica is not to be missed. If you're looking for a cute one-piece bathing suit that you won't find at Nordstrom or even J-Crew, Anica is your place. And how could you go wrong with this pretty picture of an elephant that's live on Anica's website?
Behind The Post Office
1510 Haight Street
San Francisco, Calif. 94117
Neighborhood: Haight Ashbury
(415) 861-2507
Behind the Post Office
