Must-see shopping in California

  • Wittmore

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Wittmore stocks sharp edits of men's threads and accessories best described as high-end Californian cool…think layers, muted colors and pieces that can be…

  • Marine Layer

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Get instant California cool without getting the shivers in Marine Layer's 'absurdly soft' tees, which this clever SF company makes by blending cotton and…

  • Epicurean Trader

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    A must-visit for discerning bartenders and fans of the artisanal foods movement, this grocery, liquor store and deli carries only small-batch products,…

  • Poco Dolce

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    People who swear they're not into dessert can't get enough Poco Dolce, San Francisco's award-winning, sustainably sourced chocolates with a touch of sea…

  • Reliquary

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Enter the well-traveled wardrobe of Leah Bershad, a former Gap designer whose folksy jet-set aesthetic is SF's antidote to khaki-and-fleece global…

  • Mission Skateboards

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Street cred comes easy with locally designed Mission decks, custom tees to kick-flip over and cult skate shoes at this shop owned by SF street-skate…

  • Red Blossom Tea Company

    North Beach & Chinatown

    Crook your pinky: it's always teatime at Red Blossom, featuring 100-plus specialty teas imported by second-generation tea merchants Alice and Peter Luong…

  • Workshop Residence

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Cottage industry is alive at Workshop Residence, where artists and designers collaborate with Bay Area fabricators to produce limited-edition designs –…

  • Meow

    Long Beach & San Pedro

    If you have time for only one shop on Retro Row, make it this one. The owner has quite an eye, making it hard not to find something you didn't know you…

  • General Bead

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Wild beading ambitions strike suddenly within these walls lined with bulk beads, inducing visions of DIY drag and handmade holiday gifts like sparkling…

  • Huntington Surf & Sport

    Huntington Beach

    Towering behind the statue of surf hero Duke Kahanamoku at the corner of Pacific Coast Hwy and Main St, this massive store supports the Surf City vibe…

  • Betabrand

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Crowdsource fashion choices at Betabrand, where experimental designs are put to an online vote and winners produced in limited editions. Recent approved…

  • Hero Shop

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    On the cutting edge of the Tenderloin, Hero transforms casual browsers into SF fashionistas with statement pieces by rising-star local designers: Stevie…

  • Sports Basement

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Specializing in odd lots of sporting goods at closeout prices, this 80,000-sq-ft sports-and-camping emporium is also the best place to rent wet suits for…

  • Studio

    San Francisco

    Spiff up your pad with original Bay Area art at great prices. Featured works show a strong sense of place, including Michael Reardon's lightwashed…

  • Paxton Gate

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Salvador Dalí probably would've shopped here for all his taxidermy and gardening needs. Get a surrealist home makeover with animal-skull puppets,…

  • Voyager

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Post-apocalyptic art-school surf shack is the vibe inside this curated storefront, featuring the work of sundry indie makers on plywood planks. Items for…

  • Clare V.

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    If you see chic California-made leather clutches in your future, you must be ClareV-oyant. Buttery Italian leather gets splashes of California color – a…

  • Hennessey + Ingalls

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Directly opposite the Southern California Institute of Architecture, this spacious new-and-used bookstore focuses primarily on design in its various forms…

  • Triple Aught Design

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    Whether you're a social-media millionaire who runs Parkour or you just rock that look, Triple Aught has your back, with zip-up urban sweaters and multi…

  • Legion

    San Francisco

    This indie art and craft gallery may be off the beaten path, but its fans are legion. Curator-owners bring California's outlandish outlooks indoors with…

  • Foggy Notion

    San Francisco

    You can't take Golden Gate Park home with you – the city would seem naked without it – but Foggy Notion specializes in sense memories of SF's urban…

  • Black & Blue Tattoo

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    This women-owned tattoo parlor gets it in ink with designs ranging from honeycomb-pattern bicep graphics to shoulder-to-shoulder Golden Gate Bridge spans…

  • Sui Generis

    San Francisco

    Emerge with confidence from this men's designer resale boutique, sure that nobody but you will be working your look. The well-curated collection of…

  • Shinola

    Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights

    Detroit design company Shinola is well known for its wristwatches, as well as its beautiful, handcrafted leathergoods, from stylish wallets, iPhone covers…

  • Heath Ceramics & Newsstand

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    No local artisan SF restaurant decor is complete without earthy Heath stoneware, including the hand-glazed tiles found at this Mission studio-showroom…

  • Molte Cose

    San Francisco

    Like a movie set in progress circa 1963, Molte Cose is an obsessively researched collection of one-off gifts and vintage finds artfully displayed on glove…

  • Wasteland

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Take center stage in this converted-cinema vintage superstore in barely worn designer rompers, vintage concert tees and a steady supply of go-go boots…

  • Upper Playground

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Blend into the SF scenery with a locally designed 'Golden State of Mind' hoodie, tectonic-plate map tee, Bay Bridge smartphone case, and SF snap-back caps…

  • Piedmont Boutique

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    'No food, no photos, no playing in the boas,' says the sign inside the door – but that last rule is gleefully ignored by drag stars, pageant dropouts,…

  • Rainbow Grocery

    The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill

    This legendary cooperative attracts crowds to buy eco/organic/fair-trade products in bulk, sample the bounty of local cheeses and flirt in the artisan…

  • Melrose Avenue

    West Hollywood & Mid-City

    This legendary, rock-and-roll shopping strip is as famous for its epic people-watching as for its consumer fruits. You’ll see hair (and people) of all…

  • Anomie

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    An essential stop on a Union St shopping raid, Anomie carries multiple small-production, independent designers of casual women's clothing, all subtly…

  • Cove

    The Haight & Hayes Valley

    Sand-cast cocktail rings, succulents dripping from sea-urchin shells, scented candles in the shape of a doll's hand: such unique gifts lead grateful…

  • Britex Fabrics

    Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa

    Since 1952, runways can't compete with Britex' fashion drama. Designers bicker over dibs on caution-orange chiffon, glam rockers dig through velvet…

  • Margaret O'Leary

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    At her flagship store, San Francisco designer Margaret O'Leary showcases whisper-light cardigans of Scottish cashmere and organic cotton ideal for year…

  • Katsura Garden

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    Small wonders are the specialty of Katsura Garden, bonsai garden masters. Years of training go into each tiny tree gracing these shelves, from the…

  • Picnic

    San Francisco

    Modern gifts for modern women and the people they love – bold, unique, price-savvy. Gift yourself and others with picnic-ready multitools, versatile…

  • PlumpJack Wines

    The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers

    Discover new favorite Californian vintages for under $25 at the distinctive wine boutique that won founder and Governor Gavin Newsom respect even from…

  • Jonathan Adler

    Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights

    Vases with handlebar mustaches and cookie jars labeled "LSD" may seem like holdovers from a Big Sur bachelor pad c 1974, but they're snappy interior…