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Upper Playground
Score instant street cred in your locally designed Upper Playground signature walrus T, Grotesk Golden State hoodie, 'I'm in a San Francisco State of Mind' tee, knit Muni cap and limited-edition skater shoes in a faux-wood finish. If Fifty24SF Gallery next door isn't open, get the slacker at the register to let you see slick art made with stuff found in the street.
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Velvet Da Vinci
For jewelry that causes a sensation, this gallery delivers with knockout shows like 'Virtual/Tangible,' featuring wildly futuristic wearable works created with digital technology, and 'Anti-War Medals' showing peace pins made by 200 artists from 16 countries. Leonor Hipolito's freeform buttonhole sculptures are a vast improvement over ho-hum rose boutonnières, and Jennifer Trask makes emeralds pale in comparison with jewel-tone feathers trapped in glass pendants.
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Venus Superstar
Head-to-toe originality isn't an urban legend but an actual possibility with one-off Coma & Cotton screen-printed tees, skirts ruched beyond all recognition by Death + Co, and chunky statement jewelry by designer/owner Rebecca Vandersteen. Call ahead: The hours are erratic, and if you wait on this corner, people will think you're in the market for something more psychedelic than local fashion.
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Villains
One-stop-shopping for hipster gear for men and women, including Penguin shirts, locally made GAMA-GO tees, and chunky watches. Through the door in the women's department you'll find shoes ranging from skater sneakers to rock-star platforms. Nearby Villains Vault at 653 Haight St sports higher-end designer denim, like Diesel and Joe's Jeans.
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Wasteland
The catwalk of thrifting, this vintage superstore adds instant style with funky bell-sleeved Custo shirts, Pucci maxi-skirts and a steady supply of go-go boots. Hip occasionally verges on hideous with acrylic sweaters and suede pirate shirts, but at these prices, honey, you can afford to take fashion risks.
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Westfield San Francisco Centre
Wait, is this suburbia? Sure looks like it inside this nine-level chain-store city, with Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, plus 400 other national and international retailers and a movie theater. Supposedly there's a 'distinctive boutique' concept to this mall, which apparently means the same amount of stuff gets crammed into smaller stores. Best/only reasons to brave this behemoth: post-holiday sales, bathrooms (including lounges for women and families with changing tables) and a respectable basement food court with tasty eats on the go.
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Wishbone
Certain gifts never fail to please: explode-in-your-mouth Pop Rocks candy, smiling toast coin purses, oodles of candy-colored jewelry, and a plaid stuffed animal called 'Yes, a Cat Named Marty Cohen.' Wishbone has all this, plus gifts for babies to please their hipster parents, from baby Ramones T-shirts to Tiny Tyrant striped ensembles.
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Zinc Details
Pacific Heights chic meets Japantown mod at Zinc Details, with orange lacquerware salad-tossers, Noguchi floor lamps that look like minimalist three-legged spiders and a celadon green zebra pillow. If you can't find what you need here, try just up the street at Zinc's 2410 California St location.
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