Roxie Market -- Inner Sunset

From the outside, Roxie Market looks like any other unassuming corner market with a deli counter. Step inside, though, and you will be surrounded by British sweets galore. In addition to lots of candy, tea, scones, Irish soda bread and baking supplies fill the shelves. The fridge is full of British cheeses and what look like homemade sausage rolls, black pudding, English rasher and other meaty bits. The prices have been hard hit by the terrible exchange rate of the dollar -- thank you Mr. Bush -- but ocassionally bargains can be had. I recently bought two 40 bag packets of PG Tips for $3.99. The original price was emblazened across the front of the box: 89p.

Of course Roxie sells other groceries too, and the sandwiches must be good, because any time I go to shop in the middle of the day, the deli counter is swamped by local workmen grabbing a bite.

500 Kirkham Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.731.0982

Martin + Osa -- Westfield San Francisco Centre

If you want to wear pajamas all day, but don’t want to look like you're doing so, Martin + Osa has created the perfect comfy wardrobe. Their casual, yet polished clothes are great for Rick Nics who subscribe to the philosophy of travelling with only one carry-on, but don't want to look disheveled.

The people at Forth & Towne have it all wrong. Over 35s don't want to look chic in polyester blend tops and high waisted, side zipped cords. We'd rather wear tailored trousers made out of t-shirt material and silken tanks in jewel colors under soft woolen henleys with ballet slippers in winter colors, including metallic. If you're not a ballet slipper type of girl, Martin + Osa also sells limited release Pumas, New Balance and Asics trainers in colors that are stylish, but not too trendy.

These sporty travel clothes are nearly smart enough to wear to work. Who am I kidding? Any place that's a bit more age appropriate than Delias is a step up for me.

845 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94104
415.538.7934

Smoke Signals -- Russian Hill

This is the best news stand in the city. While they don't sell everything I crave, they do a pretty good job of appealling to nearly every discerning reader. The marvelous breadth of selection took up where Harold's left off, then went beyond. Fashion and lifestlye publications sold here include Japanese magazines (in English), Le Monde, and Time Out London. A nice selection of subversive rags like In These Times share shelf space with the strangly esoteric, like The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Oh, and they sell cigars and lottery tickets too.

2223 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109
415.292.6025

Rude Parking - Union Square

Why do people park in public places when they are afraid to get their "precious" cars scratched or dented by other parkers? Yes, This is a Dodge. Perhaps I'm just being cruel, and this person is only guilty of inept parking.

Why post this on a shopping blog?

1. This car was parked in the Sutter/ Stockton garage on a Friday evening, prime shopping time.
2. This car was parked in the Sutter/ Stockton garage on a Friday evening, prime time to grab a quick bit to eat before buying movie tickets at the new San Francisco Center, the shopping connection is clear, no?
3. This car was parked in the Sutter/ Stockton garage on a Friday evening, prime time to meet up for drinks after work, after going shopping.
4. The garage was nearly full

Forth & Towne -- Westfield San Francisco Center

My idea of chic lands somewhere between between Sarah Jessica Parker and a professor at the Sorbonne, so I had high expectations when I heard Forth & Towne's catch phrase "The chic revolution begins."

I expected a step up from Bananna Republic, perhaps a few more luxe fabrics, perhaps a few less things made in China. What I saw, instead, was a step older and fatter, below Bannana Republic, but a bit more interesting than the bland selections at Ann Taylor Loft. Gap is marketing Forth & Towne to the more mature shopper who knows her style and has the money to spend on herself. All the PR spin defines this "mature shopper" as a professional woman over 35. In reality, Forth & Towne's selection better serves those old enough to want waistbands above the belly button and fat enough to want a size range from 4 to 20. I suspect, though, that anyone who's a size 4 would be better of at H&M or Anthropologie.

While I love, love, loved the vanity sizing that allowed me to go down a size, I was bored with the selection which seemed to include different variations of the Suzanna Constantine top, the top with the crossover front, suitable for the busty. I have many of this style of shirt myself, but I would hardly call it chic. These tops were strangely displayed with jackets for the narrow-nebbed, flat in the front and so boxy that anyone with breasts would look, at best pregnant, at worst matronly.

Forth & Towne does do some things very nicely. Large dressing rooms with flattering lighting are clustered in a circle at the center of the store. The clothes are grouped by "collection" in the same circular theme, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The shopping bags are cute too, if one is into that sort of thing.


865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA, 94103
415.947.0332

Recon / Nort -- North Beach

Forget camping out at Niketown, this is the place to go for limited edition Nikes. Tucked away in North Beach, Recon sells streetwear that's more urbane than urban in a chic setting that's not intimidating or pretentious with sales staff who are actually friendly, even if you don't look like a skateboarder.


The street level boutique, Recon, sells special edition Nike t-shirts along with jackets, pants, shirts and bags sporting Silas, Future Labs, Wtaps and, of course, Rencon labels. In the basement, in addition to one-offs Nort sells the best selection of Nikes I've seen in San Francisco. Don't try to buy Air Jordens here, though, that's a different kind of street.



1827 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
415.837.1909

Rugby - Stanford Shopping Center

Of course the rugby shirt is a staple at Rugby boutiques, but Ralph Lauren's new line for the well-heeled college student is so much more. Preppy meets punk rock with a nod to school uniforms and little bit of pirate in cute, age-appropriate outfits. On the boys side, jeans are slimmer, a welcome departure from the baggy, gang-banger look that's still found in Target, Sears, Costco, and other places men shop. A couple of three piece suits, all sold as separates, were more fashionable than Banana Republic but not too far forward to scare away the college student looking to dress for success. On the girls side, branded hoodies and tank tops share shelf space with mini skirts in skull & crossbones prints, jeans and tote bags emblazoned with the Jolly Roger logo. Pretty preppy blouses, such as men's-style dress shirts with ruffles added to them, pleated skirts, trousers, and cardigans are fit to be worn to work, while still being young and fun. Think of a punk version of Allie McGraw in Love Story or a sexy version of Annie Hall.

Most heavily branded clothing is obnoxious, but, for some reason, this label works. First of all the logo is a skull and crossbones, Jolly Roger style. Second, the label, Rugby, though it is plastered on much of the clothing in the store, doesn't seem like a label. Third, I haven't seen in it in every mall and shopping outpost. Ralph Lauren says the Rugby store will only be opened in college towns, adding cache to the brand.

369 Stanford Shopping Ctr
Palo Alto, CA 94304
650.566.1053

Ruehl -- Westfield San Francisco Center

If Rhuel is meant to attract the older, college graduate brothers and sisters of Abercrombie and Fitch customers, it has missed the mark.

Ruehl's storefront at the New San Francisco Center is deceiving. The exterior looks like a posh townhouse or a Saville Row suitier of years gone by, but when visitors step inside, the wood paneled hallway, heavy with a woody, spicy scent that's sold somewhere in the recesses of the store brings another venue to mind. With its muted lighting, Ruehl feels more like a gentleman's club, where none of the men smoke, and they all smell good, except for the muzak, a mashup of Donna Summer and St. Etienne, which leans more toward the Pleasuredome than a clothing store. Think of it as the Pleasuredome mixed with JCrew, except that JCrew clothes are better.

Granted, the merchandise at Ruehl is less body conscious than Abercrombie & Fitch, and there are no photos of half naked models, but where are the clothes for the young professional? I didn't expect to find staid mainstays for the junior executive, but I didn't expect what I saw, either: a series of dimly lit rooms filled with hoodies, branded t-shits and jeans. How many people past college age will buy shirts with Ruehl plastered across the front?

865 Market St. Suite 251
San Francisco, CA 94103View Map
415.512.6776

Camping out at Niketown - Union Square

It seems that I pass a row of people hunkered down for the night at least once a month outside the Union Sqaure Niketown. Every time a premium pair of sneakers is introduced, these Nike collectors come out and stake their place in line. Often the line of folding chairs and sleeping bags snakes around the block. Niketown seems to encourage this sidewalk squatting by issuing numbered wristbands to those in line every time a particularly coveted style of Air Jordans is released.

The last last time I noticed these campers, it was a Thursday night. They were waiting for a Saturday release of the Air Max Hybrids. Where do these people come from and why do they wait all night, often for several nights in a row, for a pair of shoes they could buy on the Haight without sacrificing a good night's sleep?

278 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.392.6453

Bloomingdales - Westfield San Francisco Center

Despite the circus-like scene caused by acrobats hanging from the dome in the mall, performance art spectacles, and Gavin Newson schmoozing with Maria Schriver, it was well worth the effort to brave the crowds and hit Bloomingdales' grand opening.

I avoided the new mall altogether and went directly to the Bloomingdales entrance on Mission, but a mob of shoppers and others where there before me. UFCW members picketed against the union breaking policies of the new Bristol Farms in the mall while a high school drum squad banged out a greeting. Inside, shoppers carried their purchases in vinyl Bloomingdales bags, made especially for the occasion, while Grannys vyed for free logo emblazed umbrellas.

The black and white checkerboard floors at the 59th street Bloomingdales have been repeated here, as has the pink beauty bar, but the clean lines of the sales floor remind me of Selfridges. The well stocked shelves and racks held a phenomenal selection of designer wares including Chloe, Dior, Pratetsi, and the best selection of Missoni and Diane Von Furstenburg I've seen in San Francisco. Now if only they go on sale, so I can afford the Missoni sweater I've got my eye on.

845 Market Street
Westfield San Francisco Centre
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.512.6776

Longs - San Mateo

Is it ghetto to shop for gifts in a drug store?

When my family first moved to America, we were astounded by the gorgeous array of plenty that awaited us at every shopping venue. Seven Eleven was a treasure trove of sweets, ice cream, magazines and even groceries. Thrifty drugs was even better. You could run in, barefoot, for a quick ice cream cone (for 5¢) and leave with a web lawn chair, a disposable BBQ grill, some insect repellent and a pair of flip flops. The toy aisle was a site to behold, with everything from Little Golden Books to Hot Wheels to hollow plastic bats and balls.

It didn’t take long, in this land of plenty, for my tastes to become a bit more refined; buying toys, household items and clothing under one roof, at the drug store began to seem a bit tacky. While I wore flip flops and shorts bought at Thrifty, my fellow classmates at L’alliance Francaise, wore dresses with matching shorts from Neiman Marcus, Houston.

Years later, chains like Target, WalMart and Costco sell everything. Shoppers can buy food for dinner, an outfit for work and new tires, plus installation all in one place. But this sort of mass market appeal is becoming become undesirable for those who appreciate quality and uniqueness. Lovely little boutiques are often the preferred shopping venue for urban and urbane consumers. I love to go to a place like Kiehls, where you know exactly what high-quality products you’re getting. You don’t need to linger in the store; you can just zoom in, grab your shampoo and zoom right on out. However, sometimes you just want to go to a good old-fashioned drug store where you can browse around and pick up a quart of ice cream, some made in America beauty supplies, a garden hose and a three-pack of T-shirts while you’re getting your prescription filled.

Longs is such a drug store. It has that appeal of American plenty without actually being a bog box store, like Target. It’s a drugstore where you can still find the unusual, the hard-to-find, the shopping treasure. For example, My favorite Longs in San Mateo carries PG Tips and other British groceries that cost double elsewhere, Rachel Perry cosmetics, complete with retro packaging that hasn’t been changed since the seventies, organic California Baby & EO products, the whole Line of Tom’s of Main & Burt’s Bees, and a large variety of French toiletries.

I think Paco Underhill would approve.

77 Bovet Rd
San Mateo, CA 94402
650.349.4441

Lush – Union Square & The Marina,

It was a happy day when Lush’s first shop in the US opened in San Francisco. Every time I walk by the Powell street shop, and smell the particular aroma of Lush unguents wafting out onto the street and mixing with gasoline fumes and damp air, I think, “Aaah, that’s the smell of London.”

Inside the shop, the lovely, natural products smell good enough to eat. My favorite is the Butterball, a fizzing bath bomb of shea butter. The soaps are nice too, great for sensitive skin. They’re cut off big blocks and wrapped like cheese. My personal favorites are Honey I Washed the Kids, made of honey; the orange juice and cinnamon soap, Red Rooster, which is, by the way, a great hangover remedy; Rockstar, I don’t know what’s in it but it smells like Barbie; and Banana Soap with fresh bananas and yoghurt.

I love Lush but there are a few weird products that I don’t quite know what to do with. For example, their bath jellies look like big slabs of gelatin. Are you supposed to rub it all over your body? The shop girl suggested freezing a piece, then taking it into the shower on a hot day. That may be good in Georgia, but how many hot days do we get in San Francisco? Then there are the shampoo bars. They’re bit too earthy for me. It feels like you’re washing your hair with a bar of soap, and I don’t like a wet blob melting away in my shower.

Lush has finally started selling shampoo in a bottle, though. Big shampoo is fantastic, as is American Cream double conditioner. It’s great for those of us who have an over processed tangled haystack on our heads. not to mention the nice vanilla smell – yummy!

A few imposters have opened with the same concept as Lush but nothing I’ve tried so far comes close to the smell of the real ingredients and the nice way Lush feels on your skin. I’m beginning to sound like an advert for Lush, so I’ll just stop now.

240 Powell St, San Francisco, 94102 - 415.693.9633
2116 Union St, San Francisco, 94123 - 415.921.5874

Shoe Palace – Tanforan

I went to high school with Cholas. They stood on the concrete benches that ran along the hallways, hair sprayed into stiff Ms, bra straps hanging out of white tank tops, dark Levi cords accessorized with navy blue canvas shoes and web belts. When it was cold, or perhaps, if the principal made them, they wore Pendleton shirts. The more femme girls wore babydoll tank tops, the smocked kind you used to be able to buy by the foot at the fabric store and turn into a top with one seam.

That was years ago. Now, the Latinas I see on a daily basis are more likely to shop at Forever 21 than the men’s department at Sears. If you want to see Chola style, you must be content to shop at Macy’s for the few bits of inspiration Gwen Stefani stole for her L.A.M.B collection. Where have all the Cholas gone? Is it a style that is no longer relevant? I used to think so, until this weekend, at Shoe Palace in the Tanforan Mall.

I was ogling the wall of youth-sized Nikes, (By the way, girls, youth sizes go up to 6.5, which is the same as a women’s 8.5, at nearly half the price.) when three girls in full Chola uniform walked in. Instead of cords, they wore Dickies, and their tank tops were much tighter and shorter, but they had the same unmistakable Chola hairdo, the same pencil-thin eyebrows and the same black plastic bracelets tied into intricate designs. They were all buying black Vans. It’s probably the closest they could get to the navy blue canvas shoes of the 80s.

If Chola-style is coming back, Tanforan mall, with it’s distinctive urban focus, is the place for it to happen. Shoe Palace is the perfect starting point. The clerks dress more hip hop than shop boy, all of the shoes are up-to-the minute teenage chic and the price is right. I bought a pair of Air Max Nikes for $80. Try doing that at Macy’s.

Tanforan Mall
San Bruno, CA 94066
650.553.5100

Liberty - Oxford Circus

If you happen to be stuck in London with someone who does not appreciate shopping, Take him to Liberty of London. (Note my sexist use of the word “him.”) Liberty is a fantastic Tudor building that was built with the beams two ships. A couple of the nice architectural details include commemorative carvings honoring the Liberty employees who died in WWI & WWII. This should give you at lest an hour to shop, while your companion reads the memorials.

I love Liberty prints. Hankies, tote bags, anything remotely naff with a Liberty print on it, I own it. I get lots of compliments from librarians and well-heeled American grandmothers who happen to spot me blowing my nose or using a Liberty bag as a briefcase. The boutique on the first floor is devoted to these types of inexpensive (for Liberty) Liberty print gift items.

Of course Liberty print dress shirts are gorgeous and difficult, if not impossible, to find anywhere else, but it's not all prim and proper. Liberty stocks a nice range of art house labels for the fashion forward.

Regent Street
London W1
020 7734 1234

Trouble at Target - Colma

I’m going to miss shopping at Target. Yes, I know it’s a big box store filled with crap made in China by exploited workers. It’s a guilty pleasure. I would never even think of shopping at the evil union buster WalMart, but is Target just as bad? Probably. I’m going to have to say good bye to my good buys on disposable fashion, even if it includes Fiorucci and Luella Bartley frocks.

I came to this resolve for purely selfish reasons. On a recent shopping trip to Target, my shopping buddy tried to return a tracksuit that he had buyer’s remorse on. It was, of course, in pristine condition, complete with original receipts. The over fastidious customer service manager wouldn’t let him return it. Of course I was there, sticking my big nose into something that wasn’t even my business. “Why not?”

“Because it wasn’t bought here.”

“What do you mean? Here’s the receipt. It says Target.”

“It wasn’t bought at this Target. This is sold at the Tanforan Target. We can’t resell it.”

“What,” I asked, getting shriller. “That’s only two freeway exits away. That’s ridiculous. It’s not like it came from a Target in New York.” After all, wasn’t that one on the points of shopping chain stores? Aren’t they all supposed to be equal? “Where’s the manager?” I asked.

“I am the manager.”

“Forget it,” said my friend. “I’m going into the mall. I can buy my stuff at Longs.” He left.

Of course I was not content to drop it and shop at Longs, after driving out of the city for my Target fix. I found another “manager” and asked for a customer comment card. “I’m never going to shop at Target again!!!” I wrote (note the explanation marks.). I left my full address, but haven’t received a reply yet; I’m sure I won’t.

5001 Junipero Serra Blvd
Colma, CA 94014
650.992.8433

Rainbow Grocery –- South of Market

I desperately want to believe the television ads showing happy cows, frolicking in the fields on a diet of clover and apples, producing fresh, delicious milk. Alas, I know it’s all a big marketing sham, but at Rainbow Grocery, I can rest assured that all the food sold here is produced as humanely as possible. Among the many free-range eggs sold, at least three brands guarantee that their chickens are field raised in small flocks, with their beaks intact.

It’s not all hippy dippy granola and wheat grass, either. The food is gourmet quality good. The cheese selection is one of the best in the city. Locally grown organic foods abound. The baked goods, alone, are worth a trip. It's not just groceries; natural, organic beauty products rival Sephora.

You can shop guilt free with the knowledge that Rainbow provides a good selection of groceries produced by non-exploited workers and animals. Don’t ask for organic chicken though; no meat products are sold.

1745 Folsom Street at 13th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.863.0620

Harry’s Second Hand Warehouse -- Santa Rosa

OK- so this isn’t in San Francisco. However, it’s close enough to deserve a mention.

This is not the place for shoppers who need tidy merchandising. It’s a mess. Shopping at Harry’s Second Hand Warehouse is more like hunting for treasure than shopping, just the kind of shopping I like. It looks like the contents of multiple Grannies’ houses all jammed together. Old TVs share space with Russell Wright style dinnerware. Hundreds of dining room chairs share space with collections of Readers Digest condensed books. Vintage appliances share shelf space with odd bits of crockery. I’m told new stuff is added all the time. It’s definitely worth the drive.

820 Ripley
Santa Rosa, CA
707.526.7713