Results tagged “stores” from Styleblog

StoreAdore, "a personalized web-based guide to the best boutique shopping around the country and online, " has finally launched their shopping website in San Francisco. The brainchild of Cristina Miller (former management consultant) and Meredith Barnett (former editor at Lucky), StoreAdore has already launched in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, The Hamptons, and Philadelphia - and now, SF is finally on that roster.

According to the press release: "Tie-dye shirts and peace signs were once the uniform for San Francisco's free love days. Now, the famous seven by seven miles display a much more sophisticated style via inventive shops found throughout a cornucopia of neighborhoods, each with its own fashion sense. Socialites feel at home with the tony vibe of Pacific Heights; Union Square's briefcase-carrying financial-types rub shoulders with tourists scouting big name brands; Marina's boutique-laden streets attract trend-seeking yuppies; and those who want to hold on to the past feel right at home in still-hippie Haight Ashbury. With a plethora of shopping options for every personality, we couldn't leave San Francisco off our list for another minute."

San Francisco is happy to get StoreAdore too! Hopefully they will include vintage shops like The Painted Bird on their list of boutiques, because vintage and second-hand and thrift are such an integral part of San Francisco style!

Topshop's 80s redux is absolutely spectacular. This is tremendous. It is as if some higher being answered all my prayers because this is exactly the kind of fashion line I would design if I could. There is a distinct tough girl vibe that runs through the collection, very Mary Stuart Masterson's character in Some Kind of Wonderful, but the hard-edged tomboy theme is tempered by the girly use of pastels, prints, and (ZOMG) bows bows bows. The Aunt Jemima headgear is amazing. I'm totally going to be rocking that trend.

Topshop is Topshop. It is neither cerebral like Prada, nor ethereal like Rodarte, nor progressive like Alexander Wang. What is it then? It's affordable, it's cheesy, it's a slave to trends, and - for SS 2009 - it's 80s costuming at its best. I don't care if it's not deep or meaningful. It's fun, and that's good enough for me.

A credit to San Francisco fashion, Saffron Rare Threads is soooo super cute. The outfit at right, part of their Summer 2008 collection, is the perfect thing to be wearing this September during our Indian summer. When it's not quite summer but not quite fall and you need an easy breezy outfit to stomp around the city in, look no further than neutral shades like khaki and cream to bridge that gap between the seasons.

Saffron Rare Threads was created by Priya Saraswati here in San Francisco, and the clothes are simple, elegant, and versatile. They are available online, or at Studio 3579 at 499 Dolores Street right off Dolores and 18th Street.

How excited am I for Fashion Week? Answer: very. One of the reasons I love fashion week so much is that - not only do you get to see runway collections from the top designers, but you also get to see what's going on in the world of basic retail. And one of the collaborations I am most looking forward to is that between San Francisco-based GAP and Paris-based Colette. During fashion week, which (OMG) starts tomorrow, Colette will run a pop-up store in the GAP on 5th Avenue and 54th Street in New York City. Colette x GAP will give a much needed injection of cool into GAP's old standards, and I really can't wait to get my hands on everything. I especially love that trench coat, customized by French graffiti artist Andre. The belt says "Andre & Colette hearts New York & Paris." I want to get it and then recustomize it, DIY style, to read "Andre & Colette hearts New York & Paris & SAN FRANCISCO". Olympia Le Tan's GAP "Dreamer" jacket is really super cool too, so cute in fact that it makes me actually consider wearing a denim jacket. My only question is this. Since GAP is based in San Francisco, when are WE going to get these amazing pieces by GAP x Colette???

The Painted Bird, at 1201A Guerrero Street (X Street is 24th) in the Mission, is a one stop shop when you need new used-clothes. Their selection is ridiculously awesome. Their prices are amazing too. Like, boots are $25. Shirts can go for $5. And everything is pre-selected to be majorly wearable. While it takes eons to dig through the racks at Thrift Town and Community Thrift, going to a second-hand vintage store like the Painted Bird is worth it, because the value of your money should also account for the time it takes to find something, and while you may go through thrift stores and dig for hours and come up with nothing, one stop at a vintage gem like The Painted Bird will yield major results. MAJOR. Trust. Their look is heavily 60s and 70s (which means: fantastic prints) and everything here, even if you don't want to buy it, is fun to look at - this store really captures the imagination, and for those like me who live in a cloud of nostalgia, this store is perfect. Everyday should be a day you dress in a schoolteacher or secretary or psychedelic grandma costume.

Question: would you want to wear a dress you saw on a cartoon? Especially a cartoon who needs to get her teeth fixed?

Answer: actually, yes!

Wallace, Gromit, and Lady Campanula Trottington are the newly signed models for Harvey Nichols' upcoming fashion campaign, and the result is pretty damn cute. Doesn't the Lady look hot in her Alexander McQueen black draped dress, patent leather Loubs and a metallic Zagliani bag?

To be honest, it's refreshing seeing these claymation characters model some of these clothes. They're all so charming and unthreatening - it's great!

The department store chose to use the cartoon characters for a new store they're opening in Bristol, the city where the cartoons were created by Nick Park.

Women's Wear Daily is reporting that CVS is planning to open upscale beauty superstores, which they've named Beauty 360, where they will sell upscale department store brands. Basically, Beauty 360 will be something like a Sephora, attached to a CVS.

WWD states: The Beauty 360 units will range between 2,500 and 4,000 square feet in size, and will either be housed in an adjacent store, accessible to CVS shoppers via a breezeway, or a separate store within a CVS store.

StyleBayArea states: YESYESYES. I live across from a CVS. Think about how great it would be if all CVS' came with makeup counters where you could get your Lorac, your Makeup Forever, your Bare Minerals, your Guerlain and Chanel and Christian Dior makeup, all in one trip along with the toilet paper, the toothpaste, and the Advil. We are coming into a time of uber-convenience. I'm a slave to convenience, and this makes life so much easier for me. Another great thing about Beauty 360 is that you can get your drugstore brands AND your department store brands together. Makeup should be democratic and why should people have to make 2 trips, one to a Rite Aid to get their Maybeline mascara and another to Nordstrom's to get their Philosophy face scrub? This is better for customers as a whole. "Consumers may see gray when shopping for beauty products -- democratically filling their makeup bags with items from Target, CVS and Neiman Marcus, for instance." I think this is a great idea!

Luella Bartley's Urban Outfitters line is finally available! In case you didn't know, Luella Bartley is an extremely influential British designer who is known for designing beautiful clothes that are just a little bit twisted. In the words of the designer herself, the clothes she makes are "cute but always a little sick--that's my girl." That's my girl indeed. I love her decidedly unheimlich approach to style. The orange plaid pieces above perfectly display the designer's fascination with that which is "a little sick" - orange plaid always makes me think Halloween, which in turn makes me think of witches and goblins that poison little children in the night.

The bad news is that none of these pieces are available in the USA - yet. Urban Outfitters UK doesn't deliver internationally. Boo. But, as if I could afford the exchange rate anyway!

Eco Citizen is a boutique that sells fashionable and eco-friendly clothing, like the Edun dress to the left.

According to their site: "Eco Citizen strives to offer high quality, fair trade, classic fashion design and construction to the eco-conscious consumer. Our mission is to support the planet and its people while encouraging and implementing fair trade practices, sweatshop-free merchandise, and organic fashion products. Eco Citizen promotes a lifestyle choice that goes beyond the traditional allure of fashion, by transcending the self through transparent business practices, while providing fashion-forward and classic clothing for the 21st century woman."

I am always looking to find eco friendly alternatives to great style. I love this Edun dress because it's got flirty sleeves and a cute print. Always a plus by me!

This Linda Loudermilk dress is also super cute.

Eco Citizen also has eco-friendly shoes, like these cute vegetable-tanned leather boots.

And boys don't need to be left out, because Eco Citizen has a menswear department too.

The best part about Eco Citizen is that it's conveniently located here in San Francisco (though you can order their clothing online as well) at 1488 Vallejo St. The store is open from 11am-7pm Monday through Saturday, and from 12-6pm on Sundays.

First of all, these leggings are made by Members Only. Members Only - you know, of the ubiquitous Members Only jackets as seen on pretty boys in tight pants everywhere.

Second of all, they're rubber. Yes, rubber.

Third of all, Faran Krentcil (my idol) at Nylon Magazine did a write up on them:

"PVC leggings are so 2006... at least according to Members Only and their latest invention.

Today the hipster label releases rubber leggings, which are cut skinny and shiny for optimum hotness.

The tights-are-not-pants stick very close to the skin, but unlike PVC, you won't have to coat your legs with baby powder before you pull them on (though if you want to, it's actually not a bad idea)."

I'm definitely going to snag a pair of rubber leggings. They're $88 at Urban Outfitters. Can you imagine the possibilities?

Meow.

FASHION SHOW at Lime SF. Two collections will be shown, Sweet Marie by Kaylin Marie Andres and Busted by Jany Nicole.

SWEET MARIE
Sweet Marie's latest collection is named Precious Metal" and is inspired by 'visceral excess'. Look out for her great use of contrasting ideas and materials. She'll show leather gloves (handmade, metallic) styled with "delicate floral silks, exaggerated silhouettes, and massive knit chains that seem to engulf the wearer". Visit www. hellosweetmarie. com for more info.

BUSTED
JanyNicole started her Busted fashion line in June of 2007 in North Beach San Francisco, an area known for its strip clubs. JanyNicole is inspired by the local party scene "to create styles that make you want to take your clothes off have a pants off dance off". Busted uses bold colors and sexy silhouettes to make "garments bursting with energy and oozing back alley sex appeal". This is definitely some club style that's worth looking into.

StyleShake is an ingenius idea that has finally come into being. In fact, I wonder at how no one thought of this earlier! StyleShake allows you to go online and design your own clothing, by picking the color, choosing the cut, the length, the design - as well as your individual measurements so that the garment fits exactly as you desire. You plug the info into the site, and presto! 10 days later, your design has been ready made and arrives in the mail. If the dress isn't what you wanted, they will do alterations on it for you, free of charge. The above dresses are just some of the looks that have come out of the site. It's not that expensive either. Dresses go from 85 pounds, and shirts and skirts each go from 49 pounds. Cheers!

      PRESSE IS HAVING A SALE. You're welcome.



Proenza Schouler blazer. Originally $973. Now $293.



Richard Chai blouse. Originally $325. Now $98.



Yigal Azrouel dress. Originally $1020. Now $306.



Rogan anorak. Originally $450. Now $135.



Valerj Pobega evening gown. Originally $995. Now $299.

Candy Kitchen Lingerie sells the kind of lingerie that's almost too pretty to wear. It's my new favorite lingerie boutique in SF. Located at 2807 24th Street, between Bryant & York, they sell all my favorite lines of lingerie, like Cosabella, Mary Green, and Betsy Johnson, and everything they offer is tasteful, girly, and so absolutely sweet they're like edible underwear, minus the edible part and the vulgar part.

Stepping into Candy Kitchen reminds me of that scene in Gone with the Wind when Scarlett just gets married to Rhett, and is preparing for her honeymoon, and a montage of all her adorable new lingerie flashes before the screen, reminding us of how amazing her life is.

Get 15% off your first purchase if you print out the coupon to the right and bring it in before June 30!

Richard Chai's new diffusion collection for Target is my favorite of all the GO International collections yet. NYLON has the first look, and you can 8 Chai outfits previewed on their site. The outfits cost about $90 for the ENTIRE head to toe look, and the clothes are so so so cute.

I especially like this look to the right. Rich yet muted colors are a theme in Chai's Target line, and I love the way the purple on the vest pairs with the dusty lavender of the skirt. The geometric tank is also adorable. I can see it dressed up with a skirt, like in this picture, but also casually thrown over a pair of skinny jeans and some ankle boots for a more rock'n'roll vibe. The collection drops at Target in August. In the meantime, get the new NYLON for the in depth article about Chai's collaboration.

Dear Richard Chai and Target. I love you.

WONDERFUL news. The British clothing company TopShop is opening in Manhattan this coming October... the VERY FIRST Topshop in the good old USA!!! You know that this means. San Francisco won't be far behind. Woo hoooo!! Drinks on me.

Remember when H&M landed on our side of the Atlantic, after first starting in Sweden? The first H&M opened in New York City in 2000, and 8 years later, it's in every major city in the United States.

Dear Sir Philip Green,

Please open a TopShop in San Francisco soon!!!

We love the clothes! Even though the exchange rate sucks!

Love,

StyleGirl

From October 12, 2008 through December 26, 2008, Target will be offering a line of handbags by Anya Hindmarch and shoes by Sigerson Morrison. Diffusion lines are the only things that keep me alive, and I have a feeling these will be amazing collections. Target is so on top of their shit.

Sigerson Morrison is the brainchild of Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison, and they make beautiful shoes, particularly their flats. Their flats are girly, elegant, and have the effect of making everyone's feet look daintier and smaller than they actually are. I am really really praying that a nice red ballet flat makes its way into their Target collection, just in time for Christmas.

These flats are $469 at Zappos Couture. They're lovely, but tres tres expensive. I can't wait until Sigerson Morrison's trademark craftsmanship goes for $30 at Target.


Anya Hindmarch makes gorgeous bags - and everyone remembers the "I'm not a Plastic Bag" phenomenon that took off last year. Her beautiful calfskin leather mirror bag is $1,195.

 

Selvege denim takes longer to make than other forms of denim, and the result is usually of a higher quality. It's more expensive than other forms of denim because of the higher amount of fabric and time involved. Up until the 1950s, all jeans were made on a shuttle loom. To mass produce denim, projectile looms were used after the '50s until now. It's still possible to find selvege denim if you're willing to pay a steeper price for your jeans. At Self Edge, most of their jeans run over $300! But if you read its reviews on Yelp, you'll see that they have lots of happy customers.

Topman is Topshop's stand alone clothing line that caters exclusively to men, and it's pretty awesome. They've got great basics, like hoodies and sweaters, but they also definitely have an edgy twist, like an entire collection of skinny jeans, waistcoats, and jewelry. Their online store is great, and they even ship to the US! Just make sure you do the currency conversions correctly. It may say only 20 pounds, but that's 40 dollars. No wonder the Brits love to shop in the US so much!

Most guys, however, can't be bothered to shop, must less put together an outfit. Want some help? Here are some cute combinations, handpicked by yours truly.

Combination #1



Red twill skinny jeans with a multicolored short sleeve shirt.


Combination #2





Navy smart shorts with mix and match jersey cardigan.


Combination #3




Black skinny jeans with a red hooded jacket.

Kate Moss designed a line of clothes for Topshop. When is Pete Doherty going to design clothes for Topman?? We know they broke up, but we here at StyleBayArea want Kate and Pete forever...

Dema Grim is a local fashion success story. Her store on Valencia Street (1038 Valencia St between 22nd and 21st) is full of her original designs, which are well-tailored, whimsical, and retro-inspired. Dema has an eye for color and a knack for pairing prints, and when I look at her soft, girly clothes, I see summer picnics, terrace cafes, and the excitement of a first date.

According to Dema's website, she designs "twisted classics for independently minded women." I find this description more or less accurate. If I had to compare Dema to anything, I'd say she's a little bit Anthropologie and a little bit Anna Sui. While I don't know if I'd say "twisted classics" (the term 'twisted' gets me thinking of the creativity of Christopher Bailey or Alber Elbaz, not conventional retail), I'd definite call Dema 'classic with a twist'. Nothing I've seen in Dema is particularly cutting edge, but nothing is particularly conventional either. These are pretty clothes with a kitschy streak, which gives their own interpretation of the current trends of fashion, but without breaking any of the rules.

Watching Topshop versus Forever21 is more entertaining than watching the Ultimate Fighting Championships. In this round of Style Wars, we have three rounds of fighting. First, we have the Ombre Print Dress from Topshop versus the Tie Dye Chiffon Halter Dress from Forever 21. They are essentially the same dress in different colors. Who wins this round? My vote goes to Top Shop. Forever 21's dress is a summery cut, but that shade of emerald green seems to me more of a fall color, so I don't think it's very seasonal.

Round two, we have Topshop's Candy Stripe Jacket versus Forever 21's Stripe SS Jacket. My vote goes to Topshop yet again. I like the cut of the jacket better - Topshop's has a much more interesting collar, an entire row of buttons as opposed to just a clip, and a much more detailed design. I also love how the stripes aren't just in one direction, but layered so that the stripes go different ways, especially where the vectors are diagonal at the waist (note, ladies, this will give the illusion of having a smaller waist as well).

And finally, for round three, we have Forever 21's Chiffon Ruffle Skirt pitted against Topshop's Tiered Mini Skirt. My first question is: when are ruffled mini's going to go out of style finally? I confess, five years ago, I bought a ruffled black mini at Forever 21. Five years later, they are still being sold, despite the fact that I haven't seen one anyone cool wear one since, well, I wore it back in college. My vote goes to Forever 21 because it's less than half as much and because paying $60 for a tiered mini skirt - an out of style one at that - feels as immoral as David Hasselhoff being at Coachella.