Cheryl Shops

When people ask me what I miss about New York, I say my friends, followed by restaurants that deliver. (Ok, you can order a pizza or Chinese food here, but that's about it.) But a flurry of recent emails hitting my inbox reminded me of a third thing I miss: sample sales. Will I ever again experience the thrill of finding a runway sample that fits me perfectly for 80% off? Maybe...Gilt City's Warehouse Sale is coming to San Francisco this weekend and promises Helmut Lang, Paul Smith, and other top designers for women, men, kids, and the home, with prices at up to 90% off retail. The one (tiny) drawback is that tickets are $10--Friday night and Saturday morning are sold out, but Saturday afternoon is still available--but, let's be honest, I'd gladly pay that much for the opportunity to claw my way through the racks and dig my way through the bins, all in search of some buried treasure. Plus there will be refreshments, snacks, and mini spa treatments from Exhale (oh, Exhale, I miss you too!). I've got my ticket; now if only we can convince Thakoon, Rag & Bone, and Alexander Wang to come out West...

In my last post, I wrote about love, lust, and shopping. To continue with that theme, think about the first month or two in a relationship. Not that is-he-into-me-or-not uncertain period, but that giddy, euphoric, holding-hands, making-out-everywhere, butterflies-in-your-stomach, barely-coming-up-for-air phase. That is how I feel about San Francisco. I wake up to an amazing, sunny view of the city and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of my day. I feel lucky to be here. That and whenever I fill out an address form, I think, "Oh yeah, I live in California now!" and giggle.

Speaking of addresses, my apartment is right on the edge of Lower Pacific Heights, which I've quickly concluded is the best neighborhood of the city in which to shop. Key in this conclusion is my proximity to the Fillmore Street branch of Steven Alan; I will admit, it reminds me a little bit of home, and I do find that comforting (hey, you never forget your first love, right?). I recently stopped by the store after a few hours of day drinking outside in the sunshine, and I promptly locked eyes on Clare Vivier's Duffle Petit bag. This was no case of beer goggles; it was more like I walked into the bar, er, store and spotted the man, er, bag of my dreams. It's a classic shape with the option of double handles or a longer, adjustable shoulder strap; the size is big enough to hold all the essentials but not so big that you feel the need to overload it with crap. (Ahem, like I used to.) Vivier has also started lining her bags, which is key--I'd been deterred from buying one in the past for that reason alone. What really sold me, however, is that it is monogrammable. In my old age, I'm becoming very vain, and thus I like to see my initials slapped on everything. Sheets? Sure! Stationery? Of course! But those are so practical. Monogramming a bag says, "I'm SO not going to sell this purse on The Real Real six months from now!"

I almost pulled the trigger--after all, I owe myself a bag, which is my traditional present to myself when I get a raise or a new job. However, I have a more immediate concern: furnishing my apartment, which happens to be significantly bigger than my apartment in New York. (That's right, I said BIGGER. First World problems, I know.) So I am on a clothes-and-accessory-shopping diet*, but as soon as I'm ready to binge, I'm marching myself four blocks up the street and slapping down my Amex. After all, once you find The One, you don't want to let it slip away, do you?

*Okay, so I am human. I cheated and bought this garment-dyed hemp T-shirt by Jungmaven and it was the best $30 I've spent in awhile. It. Is. So. Soft. Seriously, new favorite T-shirt. It's for men, so size down; I think I'm seriously going to buy one in every color. Once my shopping diet is over, of course. Of course.  

I've recently come to the conclusion that I shop differently online than I do in stores. I'm very meticulous about the former, keeping track of things I want to buy, most of which tend to be investment pieces or wardrobe staples; think of online shopping as my brain. When I shop in stores, I tend to be way more reckless, and I let my heart lead the way. Of course, the heart wants what it wants, so I tend to get into trouble, but I've also found that those fleeting moments of lust can turn into true long-term love—some of my favorite items in my closet were total impulse buys. An interesting intersection of head and heart is Storenvy's Pop-Up Shop at the Crocker Galleria in San Francisco, whose closing party I attended last night. If you're not familiar, Storenvy is an online marketplace with everything from handmade toys to artisan chocolate (and, yes, lots and lots of clothes and accessories), and if you're thinking its wares would fit better in my heart category, you're right, which is why it's awesome that they've opened a pop-up shop that hosts a rotating selection of merchants from the site.

True to my nature, I stumbled into Set & Style's section of the store and fell in love with a series of bracelets by Sasa Designs, a company that employs deaf women in Kenya. I mean, can you hear me swooning? I bought a similar style to this Horizon Wrap Bracelet, which may bear a resemblance to a design you've seen before, but come on, it was made by a deaf Kenyan woman (Lucy, in my case), and it was a very reasonable $40. I wore it to work today and kept peeking at my wrist; right now I'm in the infatuation stage, but I think this relationship has true long-term potential.

If you're ready to fall in love (or even just have a fling), I suggest stopping by. The Storenvy Pop-Up Shop is open now through the holidays; details here.

Even though I was in San Francisco back in September, I felt like I didn't spend quite enough time there, so I decided to book another trip out west...the week Hurricane Sandy hit NYC. Great planning, Cheryl! But after 48 hours of obsessively checking the JFK departure schedules—and a near-miss with my car service, due to the citywide gas shortage—I miraculously made it out, just in time for the most beautiful weather I've ever experienced in SF. I spent my first two days catching up with old friends, eating, drinking, walking around in the sunshine, going to Napa, and drinking some more. But then Sunday morning I found myself in a strange situation: I had no plans. So I thought, what would I do on a Sunday morning if I actually lived here? I took a walk to Sightglass Coffee in SoMa (good, but I still prefer Blue Bottle), sat outside and ate a croissant in Yerba Buena Park, then drifted over to shops in Union Square, which were miraculously open at 10 a.m. on a Sunday (I love the early rising that happens on the West Coast). I wandered into Zara, which made me feel a little like a traitor, since San Francisco has such great locally owned stores, and god knows we have Zara in NY, but, hey, I'm only human. There is so much awesomeness in Zara right now (like this skirt and this top, both of which I've already purchased this season), but what really caught my eye this time were the tote bags. Now, in a perfect world, my Balenciaga arena bag would be large enough for everyday use, but considering it barely fits my wallet, sunglasses, iPhone, keys, and a tiny makeup bag, it's best for weekend use. Also, it should be noted, I carry around a ton of crap during the week. I need a big-ass tote, the kind that can hold all of the above, plus a magazine, an iPad, a sweater, maybe an extra pair of shoes, and my planner (yes, I still use a planner). To make a long story short (too late!) there are all manner of fabulous totes at Zara right now: huge, real leather, and under $200. My favorites have faceted studs; yes, they are heavily inspired by a designer that begins with Valentin and ends with o, but, sorry, I'm not going to spend $2500 on a bag and then put my lunch inside it. Instead, there's this studded black tote for $149, a sexy leopard-print haircalf tote for $189, an equally hot red version for $159, and for the less flashy, this understated classic tote for $149. I wanted to buy all of them, but instead decided to wait till I was back home. After all, I had another leisurely afternoon of drinking ahead of me; sometimes the best way to spend money is sitting outside, sipping Negronis in the sunshine with friends.

My wedding is just about a month away, and let me say I'm milking this bride stuff for all it's worth. Frequent massages? Check. Bi-weekly facials? Check. A new mini-wardrobe of white dresses? Check. Another fun thing about being a bride is that your friends want to celebrate with you, so when my San Francisco girlfriends offered to host a satellite bachelorette-slash-stress-relief weekend, I jumped at the chance. (Side note for interested parties: Getting me out to SF, one of my favorite cities in the world, requires only light arm-twisting.) My weekend included, among other things, an amazing brunch on the patio at Foreign Cinema, a trip to the DeYoung Museum for the must-see the Balenciaga exhibit (which I missed when it was in NYC a few months back), and a very entertaining evening at AsiaSF. And because nothing relieves my stress like spending money, my friend JC accompanied me on a rather successful shopping trip through Hayes Valley, a chic little neighborhood just west of the civic center that came highly recommended by my dear friend (and epic shopper) NN.

Probably one of the best-known (and largest) stores in the neighborhood is Azalea, which has expanded in the three years since I've last been there, and now includes a nail salon. For the ladies, there are drapey, neutral Vince separates, Acne Jeans, Fluxus tees, and lots of very reasonable pieces--I got a Rick Owens-esque maxi dress and a top from Something Else by Natalie Wood, both of which were well under $100. For the guys, there's Cheap Monday, Won Hundred, and more Vince, but I should note, the owners opened a men-only spinoff store around the corner, called Welcome Stranger, which stocks an even nattier roster of designers like Billy Reid and SF's only Topman selection.

Another store that I remembered visiting before was Gimme Shoes, which has also branched out into two locations; the newer with Fiorentini + Baker, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Dries van Noten, and the original stocking slightly more attainable brands like Cynthia Vincent and Tsubo. It's here that I fell in love with this pair of Chie Mihara sandals; luckily for my wedding-saddled bank account, they were out of my size. 

Another multi-branch store in the neighborhood is Ver Unica, a high-end but still reasonable vintage shop. I absolutely love shopping for vintage on the West Coast, because its supply-and-demand dynamics seem so much more balanced than in NYC, where it's often a challenge to find a decent vintage dress for less than $100. Ver Unica is definitely more of a refined experience, but everything is in excellent condition, and its buyers have a great eye.


With its selection of Made Her Think jewelry, Vena Cava dresses, and Le Labo candles, Acrimony could easily pass for an uber-trendy Lower East Side boutique, but its superfriendly salesperson kept things firmly on the West Coast, thankfully. JC and I both fell in love with this well-designed Michelle Vale tote; as it turns out, all of her bags are handmade in New York, proving that you can take the girl out of the city...

Like all the stores I've mentioned thus far, Nida carries clothes for both men and women, a practice that I found pretty refreshing--why not do a little flirting while you shop? For the ladies, Nida has a drool-worthy selection of French labels like Vanessa Bruno, Paul & Joe, and Isabel Marant, plus a huge Opening Ceremony section; for the guys, Mason's, Steven Alan, and Save Khaki. And, yes, even though Save Khaki has three NYC stores, I got a shirt for MW, because I'm a good wife-to-be, and because, as I noted before, shopping is great stress relief!

JC & I spent a ton of time in Plantation, not only because the Hollywood Regency-esque store is decorated like my dream house, but because the salesgirls were so lovely. After spotting candlesticks similar to some I had registered for, JC noted how random my wedding registry was, and I said it's because MW and I, having lived together for five years already, don't need much for our (very small) apartment. Instead of persuading me to set up a registry at the store (which, considering how chic most of their merchandise was, I totally would have done), the salesgirl convinced me to start a honeymoon registry, which, as I noted on Twitter, has been one of the most fun wedding-related activities I've done so far. (Other than taking a last-minute trip to San Francisco, of course!) That said, the store had a bunch of great candles, boxes, and other knickknacks, all of which would make excellent gifts, for the record.

There was also a street fair happening while we were shopping; it reminded me quite a bit of the Brooklyn Flea, with a mixture of vintage dresses, hip silk-screened tees, and handmade jewelry. My favorite booth was that of The Utilitarian Franchise, which also, as it turns out, has a store on Etsy. Which is a good thing, because with all I bought, there was no way I could fit this giant octopus pillow in my suitcase.

Finally, with still a few hours to kill before my red-eye back to NYC, we wandered over to the Fillmore neighborhood, but being a Sunday evening, unfortunately, most of the stores had closed already. So I will have to wait until my next San Francisco trip to cover that neighborhood; who wants to (gently) twist my arm?

Cheryl Shops...San Francisco
I love New York and have no plans to leave anytime soon, but if I had to live anywhere else in the country, San Francisco would be at the top of my list. The city has an excellent public transportation system, the weather is ideal, the people are friendly but not vapid (unlike, you know, maybe some other big cities in California), the food is fresh and tasty, and, perhaps best of all, there's excellent shopping. In other words, San Francisco is like New York with nicer people and better weather. Like NYC, there's a little bit of something for everyone, from big department stores clustered around Union Square to smaller, curated boutiques in yuppie-ish neighborhoods like Cow Hollow and the Marina. My favorite part about shopping on the West Coast, however, is the vintage boutiques. I love vintage shopping but find it incredibly frustrating in NYC--with the exception of the cavernous Beacon's Closet, you can expect to shell out $125 for a nondescript '70s sundress at any random boutique to thousands of dollars for, say, a vintage YSL dress from a store like Resurrection. I don't know why vintage shopping in California is so much better, but I'm certainly not going to complain about it.

The best place for vintage in San Francisco is, of course, Haight-Ashbury, birthplace of the hippie movement. La Rosa is the most New Yorky of the stores on Haight Street, because it has both the highest prices and the most curated (and dry-cleaned) selection. There's a messy Goodwill and a Buffalo Exchange--I know many people who find amazing things at this store, but whenever I go in, all I see is past-season H&M and Urban Outfitters merchandise in varying combinations of synthetic fabrics. Aardvarks, which also has locations in L.A., is kind of hit or miss; at first glance all I saw a bunch of gross polyester dresses, but upon further digging, I found some awesome old Gunne Sax dresses from the '70s at very reasonable prices. I feel like Aardvarks has better stuff for guys--Western shirts, cool leather jackets and such. Held Over is quite possibly one of the best vintage stores I've ever been to--every item in the store is precisely categorized, so if you're searching for, say, peasant tops and dirndl skirts, you can go straight to the source without digging through the racks. There were sexy '70s disco dresses, mod '60s minis, delicate super-old vintage dresses and everything in between. Sadly, I didn't find anything I truly wanted to buy, but this will be one of my first stops the next time I'm in town. My favorite vintage store, however, was The Wasteland, where I also had success in L.A. I love Wasteland because they're obviously picky about what they accept on consignment; a good portion of the merchandise is designer, but--get this--it's actually affordable. Sure, more recent items from labels like Prada and Chloe were in the $100-$200 range, but I saw a Sonia Rykiel sweater for $18, a Missoni skirt for $65, and a wonderfully tacky '80s Versace jacket for an insanely low $22 (I noticed the newer items tended to be more expensive; I don't know if Wasteland's buyers have become more savvy about pricing or if things get marked down the longer they're on the racks). I lucked out with a very Mod patent-trim jacket/dress, a yellow '60s Joseph Magnin babydoll dress that fits me perfectly, and, my favorite, a huge Chanel tote for a mere $45. That's right, a Chanel bag for $45. See why I love vintage on the West Coast?

MW's favorite store was Amoeba Records, which may or may not be the largest music store in the country. He spent $150 and an hour and a half there, and I practically had to drag him out. And then he went back two days later. I buy clothes; MW buys media.

My other favorite shopping area was Hayes Street, which kind of felt like the Smith Street of San Francisco. There's a store that sells only sake, a bunch of funky galleries, and small but well-curated boutiques. I didn't buy anything due to time constraints, but there's always next time...