The best fashion and gift stores San Francisco

It looks like a rangé attic that hide many treasures. Novels, photo books, children's spaces, travel books. A great selection of books on music and dance, especially opera and classical music.

At once stationery, bookstore, exhibition space and clothing shop, Needles and Pens you immerse you in the world of trend rock and punk graphics. A versatile space maintained by a horde of volunteers.

This small independent publishing house specialises in graphics and stationery. The Valencia Street store sells maps, calendars and notes of graphic artists who win to be known. Here you'll find thousands of cute little things.

Here's the address you need, the Japanese BD Temple, Kinokuniya has hundreds of copies in Japanese but also in English. You will also find your favorite Japanese magazines. The floor is reserved for more classical literature on everything that affects Japan: art, history, travel, etc. From the first floor, cross the hall to the stationery section opposite the left. Cards and fabulous silk papers for sale among pens and miniature gadgets.

Here we sell new, old, magazines, Cds and, obviously, books. Many books. Take the time to search among the shelves and do not hesitate to ask for help from booksellers. They will surely be better off than you in all this mess.

Opened in 1976, this pretty bookstore sells second hand books and new books. Cosy atmosphere in this small store that gives you a chance to sit down for a few moments.

Bookshop that promotes anarchist ideas, you will find all the literature on the subject: theory, history, art, magazines as well as CD, DVD, etc. Do not hesitate to ask questions to volunteer staff who will be happy to enlighten you on any point of theory. Also do not miss the anarchist fresco outside the store where the great names of the anar movement in the United States are represented.

The big, chic chain is also in San Francisco. Despite major difficulties during the covid, this 450-store chain finally held up with the help of U.S. government bankruptcy protection. There's an assortment of clothing and accessories for women, men and children, including swimwear, outerwear, loungewear, bags, sweaters, jeans, dresses, suits, jewelry and shoes. The style? Casual and stylish at the same time. High prices.

You may be familiar with the San Francisco Giants, one of the best baseball franchises in the United States. In fact, it has won more games than any other team in the history of American baseball. It was founded in New York and remained there until moving to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 after more than 50 years without one. This is their official store. Drop in for a souvenir and take a look at the stadium.

Until 2021, the charming Alley Cats Books was located here. In the wake of the pandemic, it has been replaced by another bookstore, Medicine for Nightmare, which aims to offer radical political writing, local poetry, books telling the story of the modern world, and bilingual English-Spanish literature. Above all, the bookstore hopes to ward off all sorts of "societal" nightmares: "colonial nightmares, patriarchal nightmares, worldly nightmares. A particularly ambitious program!

A real Ali Baba's cave, specialized in musical instruments from all over the world. When the store was founded in 1982, it sold only Chinese instruments. It was so successful that many customers began to exchange their instruments from all over the world for these Asian instruments. This is how Clarion became a store specializing in exotic instruments! Today, Clarion hosts not only Asian music concerts, but also many Chinese film screenings.

A great local art gallery to stroll through, in the heart of quirky Polk Street. Studio Gallery was opened in 2003 to showcase the work of Bay Area artists. It features art in a variety of media, primarily painting, on subjects such as the region's cityscapes and countryside, or work inspired by food and drink. Tiny, the annual exhibition of small works, is one of the most popular. Many artists do custom work and accept commissions.

For lovers of vintage photography, this neighborhood store is a very pleasant stop. You can find there old cameras, as well as the necessary accessories for vintage prints such as chemicals, film and paper. Very nice atmosphere, we chat with customers, and a warm and enlightened welcome from the sellers who are real specialists. It's a small dive in a world of photo enthusiasts version XX° century which awaits you here.

The new owners have just taken over the torch of the oldest record store in San Francisco created in 1970: Aquarius. With another address in Oakland, this record store offers a large and eclectic selection: indie rock, punk, metal (black, doom, sludge), reggae, sixties psych, seventies proto-metal, international music, experimental electronic music, hip hop, country and bluegrass... A good place to hunt for music, if you still have a turntable in your living room to listen to your purchases.

An ideal address for stocking up on kitsch souvenirs, but also a few refined pieces to bring back as gifts. From ocean-scented candles and California cookbooks to a calendar of old San Francisco photos and organic cotton shirts, Lola of North Beach is inspired by its immediate surroundings, as the store is very close to Fisherman's Wharf and the ocean. That's why we love this store, where you'll find lovely postcards, magnets, mugs and humorous books.

South of Mission, in the Bernal Heights neighborhood, Thrillhouse Records is a punk darling that you'll easily recognize by the skull and crossbones ghosts in its window. In addition to punk, you can find metal, classical, jazz, indie rock, classic rock, soul, reggae, hip hop, movie soundtracks... The record shop is specialized in vinyl, but it also offers a small but decent quantity of cassettes, CDs, movies, t-shirts, zines and pins. A small gold mine!

Dick Vivien, owner of Rooky Ricardo's Records, salvaged the stock of a bankrupt record shop some 30 years ago and sold his 45s for a few dollars. Gradually, word of mouth spread and the store became more professional. Today, it's an essential institution in the world of rock, r'n'b, soul and funk. With an estimated stock of 100,000 items, the store is said to be a major source of inspiration for local musicians and DJs in the San Francisco area.

Opened on the pier and in the magnificent vintage building, this large and bright bookstore offers activities around readings, signatures, and even culinary practices. There is a beautiful section dedicated to San Francisco, the Bay Area and Northern California, a cooking section, an important nature section, another on organic farming, cool books for kids, etc. Book signings by authors such as Chelsea Clinton, George Saunders or Dave Eggers are regularly organized there.

Board this temple of piracy, compass in hand, sail among the sharks on the raging seas, discover hidden treasures, drink rum until you're blue in the face and let yourself be carried away in this wonderful ship. More than just a pirate store, 826 Valencia is a literary association for children that offers free writing workshops throughout the year. A real Ali Baba's cave for imaginative youngsters who dream of long voyages on the Caribbean Sea.

A must-see in the Italian Quarter! The Goorin Brothers started their hat business in 1895, and for four generations the family has carefully cultivated the tradition. Despite its retro feel, this store opened in 2006. You'll find classics as well as the latest in hats for a stylish and contemporary look. A cowboy hat or a panama, a sailor cap or a slap hat, all are neatly lined up and ready to be tried on...

To take the boring wait in a gloomy in the dark frame where you look at your laundry, nothing better than a nice coffee where you can enjoy a good breakfast. Forgetting that the machine turns. Many young people and music.

This concept store has spawned several outlets in California, including two in San Francisco. The one in Mission is the most accessible and central. A superb store offering creative and affordable jewelry (the earrings are superb, golden and elegant without being flashy), baby clothes and comforters, some feel-good clothing, accessories (bandana scarves...), but above all gifts of all kinds that feel good: board games, and lots of cool goodies in the colors of California, hipster-style.

One of San Franciscans' favorite stores near Hayes Valley. You'll recognize its window from afar, lined with vinyl records. This store for the avid digger or the simple vinyl enthusiast is an Ali Baba's cave. It competes cheekily with Amoeba Music, even if it's not as big as Amoeba. For, among the shelves of 33 and 45 rpm records, it boasts an important selection at a few dollars, much larger than its competitor. It's a pleasure to rummage through the shelves for rare gems. A fine selection of jazz, soul and groove records.

This is one of Haight-Ashbury's most emblematic stores: Held Over is a large thrift store on the main street of this hippie district, which has kept the authenticity of its sign "in its juice", in particular its perfectly preserved 1976 window display. Numerous racks of second-hand clothes will appeal to vintage enthusiasts: in the neighborhood where the hippie movement was born, there's plenty to choose from, and maybe even the best! Don't miss the window displaying vintage sunglasses, hats, jeans and accessories.

This is THE department store to shop in San Francisco. Located on Market Street, it is in the heart of a huge mall where you can find almost all the big American brands (American Eagles, Abercrombie & Fitch...). The choice is simply enormous, you will leave with your arms full of sweaters, coats, shoes, furniture, handbags, jewelry and even small coats for dogs! You can also have lunch or a drink between two purchases. A nice address, although not cheap as often in San Francisco.