San Francisco Independent Fashion
Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: make your own recycled fashion statement for a song with the new Piece X Piece and McCall’s Tunic pattern, $9.66, which will land those with sewing chops a versatile tank based on the San Francisco label’s eco-friendly designs.
More snap judgments…
Cece's Closet is a gem of a consignment option in Noe Valley.
The New Year is always a time that leaves me itching to root through my closet, hanger by hanger, to remove any space-hogging garments that I either can’t – or simply don’t – wear. And since having my son 16 months ago ushered in a very necessary wardrobe revamp, I have more clothes that deserve better homes than ever before. Had-it tossers go in the giveaway bag, but items in decent, great or brand new shape are ones I try to sell, trade or consign first.
San Francisco has a wealth of options for consigning new and used apparel and accessories for women, men and children that not only offer a way to bring in a little money on things you no longer need or use, but also are also great places to hunt down new clothes for less. Another reason to love consignment? You’ll often find apparel and accessories that are of-the-moment and in style, as many of the people who run consignment stores keep a close eye on what’s popular and take in items accordingly, but they won’t be what’s on the racks in every store right now – and that can make for a more interesting, unique wardrobe. Last but not least, buying secondhand is, plain and simple, a greener way to shop.
When you’re about to do your next closet clean out or want new wearables for less, consider these San Francisco consignment shops. With any luck, you’ll get more space at home, some cool new pieces and a little money out of your efforts. In most cases, you’ll need to contact the store for an appointment if you’d like to consign.
If you’ve got luxury brands that you’d like to unload, try these shops:
Sui Generis: Head to these twin Castro shops for men and women if you have items on hand by major designer labels that are in pristine condition. Rare vintage and couture are among the gems the stores’ buyers frequently manage to obtain from their roster of consignors. While Chanel, Versace, Prada and Oscar de la Renta grace the racks, you will also find lower-priced items from labels such as Banana Republic and Zara in the women’s shop and a solid selection of men’s denim, men’s sneakers, sunglasses and belts among the finds.
The Real Real: This online consignment site specializes in selling women’s apparel and accessories by high-end, designer brands in a flash-sale format that’s reminiscent of Gilt Groupe or Rue La La. If you’d like to consign items, you call them and speak to a styling consultant to start the process. They’ll determine what items are a match for their shoppers, and you can either ship them in for free or schedule a pick-up if you live in the Bay Area, Los Angeles or New York and have over 10 items. Another perk for consignors: the site offers 60 percent back on the sale price, compared to the usual 50 percent or less that many consignment shops offer.
Cris: This Russian hill shop has long been a go-to for those seeking to consign designer brand women’s apparel, as well as those looking for a good deal on labels such as Marc Jacobs, Prada and others. The setting is much more like that of a high-end boutique than a consignment, re-sale shop, and the owner – Cris – is known for being knowledgeable about brands, current pricing and fashion.
Simply Chic: High-end handbags are the focus at this Cow Hollow shop and online store. If you’ve got handbags (they specialize in Chanel and Louis Vuitton), women’s accessories or shoes by designer labels, this store will either allow you to consign them or will buy them outright. A consignor perk: your items will be listed for free in both the shop’s eBay site and its online boutique, as well as offered for sale in the store.
Not everyone has perfect-condition Prada hiding out in their closets. The shops below accept and sell a wide variety of brands, labels and apparel.
Cece’s Closet: This small shop in Noe Valley is a neighborhood gem of a consignment store. Run by Cece, the store never fails to turn up a great deal on something during my visits. She’s especially welcoming to new consignors and accepts both vintage and contemporary pieces in good condition in a variety of sizes.
Designer Consigner: Located on Sacramento in Laurel/Presidio Heights, this shop is known for frequently having upscale labels and great condition accessories brought in by the well-heeled folks who live in the surrounding neighborhood. Because of that, people from around the City head here to shop and that makes it a great place to bring your no-longer-needed apparel and accessories.
Good Byes: Another solid Laurel/Presidio Heights consignment shop, this one stands out for have a separate men’s shop that can make it a two-birds-one-stone option if you’re interested in consigning both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. The shops also offer a 50-50 split, so consignors make the same amount that the store does on every sale.
Jane Consignment: Outer Richmond residents are known to head to this eclectic consignment shop to find both luxury and affordable labels in vintage, retro and contemporary styles. A consignor perk: in addition to women’s apparel and accessories, the shop takes small household items such as pottery and home accessories, allowing you to unload more items in one fell swoop.
The shops below are San Francisco consignment destinations for children’s clothing and gear.
Chloe’s Closet: Locations in the Inner Sunset and Bernal Heights regularly draw parents seeking to recycle their kid’s clothing, toys, shoes and gear. Both shops are great places to find gently worn children’s apparel and almost-new toys. A perk for busy parents: the shops accept consignment items seven days a week and without an appointment. That said, if you have large items or more than four bags of clothing to drop-off, they ask that you call ahead.
Peekaboutique: This Noe Valley children’s store sells new and used kids’ clothing, toys and gear, including many items from local labels and companies (something I’m a big fan of, obviously). Set buying times on different days throughout the week and most of the day on Saturday make this a convenient place for busy parents to sell. For shoppers, the tidy arrangement of items and kids’ toys to occupy little folks in tow make this a pleasant place to browse.
This list is focused on consignment shops I’ve personally visited, sold at, shopped in and written about for SF Indie Fashion and other media outlets. It’s by no means exhaustive, and there are plenty of additional places around town to sell and consign apparel and accessories. For straight selling, you’ll find Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange, as well as vintage shops such as Painted Bird, to be great spots. For a look at all the consignment options in town, a good place to start is checking out the consignment store listings on Yelp.
More San Francisco recycled fashion…
As you well know, we at SF Indie Fashion love us some vintage. And a you-won’t-see-it-everywhere-else aesthetic is only part of the romance. There are many more reasons to shop vintage these days – for yourself or someone else. Our friends at Ubokia recently gave us five good ones, and we thought we’d share.
Reasons your next handbag should be vintage:
1. Save money. This one’s obvious, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. A well-made handbag will last for years. When you buy a quality vintage handbag, you’re getting all the benefits of new at a fraction of the price.
2. Greener. Handbags take a lot of resources – just think of all the raw materials that go into making a new bag, not to mention all the chemicals and dyes used to treat the leather or fabric. But when you buy vintage, you’re giving new life to old materials rather than contributing to the extraction of new ones. It’s a zero-footprint way to be fashionable.
3. Vintage is in. Need we say more?
4. Built-in character. While the new-handbag smell is nice, a vintage one has character and a story to tell. If you don’t know the story behind your handbag, make one up. When someone asks you where you got your gorgeous handbag, it’s way better than saying, “At the mall.”
5. Make money. Like we said in #1, a well-made handbag will last for years. That means that only can you save money by buying vintage, you can also make money by selling it to someone else when you’re done. It’s a virtuous cycle, really. Buy a new-to-you bag, love it, sell it, rinse, repeat.
This post is brought to you by Ubokia, the place to buy, sell, trade and borrow gently used handbags and other fashion accessories. Be sure to check out their Perfect Handbag Giveaway, too!
To enter, create a free Ubokia account and post a Want for a handbag. That’s it! You’ll be automatically entered to win a handbag of your choice, up to $500. The winners will be announced on December 21, 2011.
Stepping into Space Gallery for the City Dolls trunk show to do a little holiday shopping was like stepping into an alternate universe, thanks to an art installation by Bunny Reiss and Monica Canilao (en route to the SF MOMA) composed of quilts, lace, branches and collected items ranging from dream catchers to paper cutouts. The overall effect: a gallery with a romantic, bohemian vibe. Oh, and sweet unique finds from local designers and artists.
An amazing art installation by Bunny Reiss and Monica Canilao was a centerpiece of the event.
Gathered at the Polk street space to spread holiday cheer and handcrafted gifts alongside chow provided by Whiskey Commons Street Food and spiked hot ciders were a number of California artists and designers, including Siri Hanson Jewelry, The Loin, Christine Mayrina Jewelry, K.M. Knits, Olivous Retro Jewelry, Stolen Sunday, Paulina Carcach Handbags, Black Pyramid Vintage, Anisa Esmail Jewelry, Phoenix the Fox, Amour Vert and Dear Mina Jewelry.
During our chat at the trunk show, City Dolls founder Kirsten Incorvaia told me she wanted to, “create a place for people to shop that wasn’t about the hectic holiday pressure… a fun and friendly environment unlike the impersonal malls” of the world. The event on Saturday night was the second-ever City Dolls trunk show.
Read on for a few of my favorite items at the show:
Christine Mayrina is a jewelry collector who sources her vintage and antique jewelry from a list of places that ranges from the American Southwest to Turkey for a collection with a bold, international vibe.
Statement necklaces, antique cocktail rings and belly-dancer bangles from the Christine Mayrina Jewelry collection.
Dear Mina, a handmade jewelry line by Mina Caragay, is both modern and primitive, hard and soft, solid and fluid. Her pieces are made with crystals, semi-precious stones, rock specimens, metals and textiles, and fun touches like skull beads and arrowheads happily marry the sophisticated with the quirky.
Jewelry by Dear Mina
Shop or design your own purse with a visit to Paulina Carcach, who has has been personally designing unique and handcrafted handbags since 2008. In luxuriously soft leather with thoughtful details, her bags are affordable and well-made. You can design your own bag on her website and get inspiration from bags in her shop and from previous collections.
Gorgeous handcrafted leather bags by Paulina Carcach (photograph courtesy Paulina Carcach)
Inspired by nature, Siri Hanson's whimsical jewelry line.
Siri Hanson Jewelry is a San Francisco local who creates her handmade pieces from such various materials as clay, rolled bits of magazine paper, metal work, and strips of leather reclaimed from a pair of gloves found at an estate sale. In addition to her line of funky jewelry, she also had on display some handmade ceramic Christmas tree ornaments.
Photography by Alexandra Naughton
More San Francisco local designers…
Part of the holiday collection from the new Sui Generis online boutique is this Lanvin black silk mini dress, size 4, ($480) paired with purple silk velvet YSL pumps featuring snake skin heels and mink ankle straps, size 8, ($280).
Guys will find a bold, yet classic pairing with this Jill Sander wool and mohair coat, size 38, ($345) and Jill Sander fuchsia pullover, size medium, and Marc Jacobs wool Pants in size 31 ($110).
A classic black on cream wool Chanel coat in size 4 ($1,400) with silk bow at the neck and white Chanel wedges in size 9 ($300) with gold hardware details are among the chic picks in the newly launched shop.
Versace fans will no doubt swoon over this great condition black leather vintage Gianni Versace jacket, size large,with gold detachable hardware details and Medusa snap buttons ($426), a Versace silk print shirt, size large, ($244) and Helmut Lang leather pants in size 32 ($260).
Hot on the designer vintage heels of its land-based expansion, which brought a larger men’s shop and a brand new women’s boutique to San Francisco’s Castro earlier this year, Sui Generis continues to up its secondhand glam quotient with the official launch today of the Sui Generis Online Boutique. Stocked with rare, hard-to-find, vintage and designer consignment pieces for men and women, the shop offers easy access to the Market Street shops’ selection of apparel and accessories handpicked by owners Miguel Lopez and Gabriel Yanez.
In addition to the items shown here from the shops’ holiday editorial photo shoot with photographer Cecilia Austin and stylist Ken Baldwin, a recent perusal of the shop turned up such to-die-for finds as a pair of men’s Balenciaga high-top sneakers in black and brown, Ann Demeulemeester adjustable height leather boots, a perfectly polished Alexander McQueen wool dress and a Marc Jacobs brown leather mini skirt.
To celebrate the launch of the online boutique, shoppers can take 15 percent off of any purchase over $200 until December 25 with the discount code SG2011XMAS. If you’re a local resident, you can save a little more by picking up your online purchases at the store. Free gift wrapping is also an option at check-out.
More San Francisco fashion news…
Photography courtesy Cecilia Austin for Sui Generis; art direction and styling by Ken Baldwin
