Category: Boutiques

Parents know the conundrum: You want your sweet baby to look her best, but not in a ninety dollar dress that she’ll wear twice and outgrow in three months. Contemplate Chloe’s Closet, a consignment store located in the trendy and sophisticated Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. The colorful walls, checkered floors, and quaint strings of white lights make the place feel more like a hip boutique than a consignment shop. Voted Best of the Bay 2005, 2006, and 2007, Chloe’s Closet buys, sells, and trades clothing from newborn to six years, as well as toys, gear, books, videos, and maternity clothing.

But we’re not talking any old used thing. Chloe’s only sells “popular” and “up-to-date” items in great condition. The walls display rows of funky rain galoshes and Robeez. The clothing racks are filled with one quality item after another, with enough variety to match any parent’s taste. “I happened on this store by accident,” the mother of 15-month old Emma said, “and can’t describe how excited I was. I bought designer outfits that normally run very expensive for only a few dollars.” The toys—many wooden and educational—are immaculately stacked from floor-to-ceiling, and range from traditional stacking rings to art easels to a wooden rocking horse. Parents can also find gear such as strollers and carrying slings; and their tots can cozy up in the reading corner near bookshelves filled with picture and board books.

For those wary of sifting through used items, Chloe’s Closet only accepts clothing “freshly laundered (preferably in an unscented detergent); free of stains, holes and excessive wear; folded neatly in a bag or box.” Toys must be “in good condition, clean and in good working order” and “not be missing any important pieces.” The battery-operated toys should even include installed working batteries.

Chloe’s Closet is more than the average consignment store. It involves and connects with the customer more than one would expect of such an establishment. The shop stays open every day of the week to accommodate all kinds of schedules; and includes helpful information online such as their consignment policies, personalized wish lists, and a mailer that comes with five dollars in credit. To top it off, Chloe’s also connects with the community, locally donating consignment items that haven’t sold within eight weeks.

Make a day of it. Chloe’s Closet is located within easy walking distance from the public library, an ice cream parlor, a playground, restaurants, and a yoga studio that offers pre-natal, post-natal and kids’ yoga. Parking is even relatively easy. There is enough expense and stress that comes with parenting—don’t let how you clothe your child be one of them. You can move onto the next conundrum: explaining to your child why she shouldn’t stick peas up of her nose.

Whether you’re a belly dancer, a makeup artist, a burlesque performer or just a glamorous girl in need of something sparkly and new, the best place to find an array of festive fripperies is MultiKulti on Valencia.

A few months ago, I had a group of girlfriends visiting, some from as far away as Maine, some who live as close as the Castro. We were having a Girls’ High Holiday, and one of the lovelies brought gifts of glitter and false eyelashes for everyone – courtesy of MultiKulti. I hadn’t yet been, and she went on to rave about the fabulous things you could find in cubbies and corners of this magical store. I made her promise to take me to this wonderland of accessories the next time we hung out in the City, and she was more than happy to oblige.

Though the store hours are listed as 12-7 daily, I’ve been there twice when it was closer to 8:00 p.m. than to 7, and the store has still been bustling with customers. Even at the late hour, the owner has a kind smile for everyone, and is happy to help you find something that is perfect for your mood, be it grumpy or goofy. From the colorfully painted rice bowls in the front display to the sterling silver jewelry in glass cases, the glitter-laden hairpieces to the astounding array of fishnets and tights, there is absolutely something here for every girly girl around. Did I mention that they carry NYX cosmetics? It’s a small selection, but perhaps the only place I know in SF that does, so make sure you add it to your list of makeup musts.

But wait; don’t think for one minute that this means there’s nothing for the less feminine among us! Also to be discovered if one looks just a bit more carefully are argyle suspenders and lanyards covered in Jolly Rogers. They’ve got cigarette and business card cases bearing face cards in spades and luggage locks with skulls for keys. It’s the home of any number of motley curios, ranging from the slightly strange to the truly bizarre.

MultiKulti is a great place to while away half an hour or so while you wait for your table at one of the nearby restaurants, or the perfect spot to get the inspiration or finishing touches for your costume for that upcoming party. Don’t be shy – get the glitter, go for the giant earrings, and find those false lashes – you’re entitled to an all-out glam-out, and this shop will not only make it possible, but make it a whole lot of fun.

Everyone knows that Haight St. is one of the most jam-packed shopping locales in San Francisco. What everyone DOESN'T know is that, tucked into a narrow storefront devoid of an awning or other blatant announcement of its presence, is one of the greatest finds for a handbag-aholic or connoisseur of funky accessories – Stuf, at 1612 Haight.

It's not a shop you go to when you've got your four best girlfriends in town; the shop is positively crammed full of merchandise in every available crevice, including the full wall of cubby holes where many of their handbags, totes, and attaché cases live. There are glass display cases in the center of the shop, allowing for single-file browsing along either side and in between. They make good use of the space, with shallow shelves, hanging items from walls and fixtures, and a small walk-in closet type of space towards the back dedicated to sale bags.

Their jewelry and other accessories run the gamut of styles, from inexpensive, brightly colored plastic dangling earrings, to jewel bedecked cigarette cases and compacts. They feature necklaces in a variety of lengths, many with the rockabilly and flash tattoo style themes of swallows, cherries, and the like. In a place of prominence are earrings made from the scales of a fish that is indigenous to a certain part of Peru; the story is on a small card in the store, and while it may not sound like an attractive material for jewelry, it's one you need to see to truly appreciate. Also packed into this tiny store are scarves, belts, and rings – the more you dig, the more treasures you'll unearth during your visit.

As for their main offering, I've never been one to ooh and aah over purses – I have had a few cute clutches that served their purpose and found themselves relegated to the depths of my closet shortly thereafter; I've attempted to carry a shoulder bag to avoid lumpy pocket syndrome and free up my hands (for ease of browsing while shopping, of course!) and more often than not found myself frantically trying to remember where I left the damned thing. Maybe it's a coming of age, or maybe – and more likely, I think – it's all about the bag. Finding one that I couldn't bear to let out of my sight, or off of my arm, took many years of searching… But when I did, it was at Stuf, and it was only after a good hour of deliberation that I was even able to decide between several styles that fit my needs and wants perfectly.

So when you head to the Haight, go ahead and pop into the stores that shout their wares from neon signs and sandwich boards, outlandish window displays and towering awnings, but make sure to keep your eyes open for this little shop that packs a big accessory punch; if you've got a taste towards the eccentric, or a hankering for a new handbag, you'll be glad you did.