Best of Fashion + Beauty 2007

SF style? Yes, and plenty of it. From designer vintage and Italian bags to brown-sugar scrubs and hot stone pedis, this city’s got the goods to keep you looking and feeling like a rock star.

Best Reason to Eat Cake Photo Credits: courtesy of Bettina Your shift from Atkins to South Beach to your the-hell-with-it-all-chocolate diet has left your weight a little unpredictable. Still, even the most fashionable among us deserve a little wiggle room when it comes to our wardrobe sizing. Bettina boutique’s new line of one-size-fits-all jersey will do the trick. The loose tunics, drop-waist tops and wrap dresses (starting at $80) are soft, comfy and forgiving of even the wobbliest of bits. Bettina 3615 Sacramento St., 415-563-8002   Most Kissable Coral A hint of peachy summer coral on your pout is good. A bright-orange stop sign on your pucker is bad. Very bad. That’s why we’re jumping for joy to have discovered Bare Escentuals’ Coral-Wearable Lip Kit ($30). This sexy new shade, part of SF’s own mineral-based makeup line, comes in a sheer lipstick, a shimmer gloss and a lip liner so versatile, even the most demure of lipstick wearers will take the plunge. Bare Escentuals 865 Market St., 415-357-9804 Photo Credits: courtesy of Bare Escentuals   Best California Blonde When it comes to creating head-turning golden locks, stylist Mauricio Martinez doesn’t hold back. The 27-year-old San Francisco native, who began his career eight years ago at 77 Maiden Lane Salon and has since moved to Salon 801, has worked trunk shows for designer Roberto Cavalli, and styled such clients as model Petra Nemcova. “The key to a good, healthy-looking blonde is to add dimension by using at least two to three different colors, so that it looks natural and sun-kissed—and not fake,” he says. Salon 801 410 Jessie St., Ste. 801, 415-947-0677   Best Way Form Meets Function This SoMa-based company has been around for 13 years, but Chrome has a name that’s better known among the city’s cult-like following of two-wheeled commuters. (You’re more likely to find its messenger bags in cycling shops than in your average fashionista’s boutique.) Sure, the bags are built to withstand wind, rain and snow, and they have a lifetime guarantee. But what we really love about them are their trademark seatbelt-buckle closures that are a snap to tighten and loosen with one hand—and are super cute. Chrome 1086 Folsom St., 415-503-1221   Best Fashion History Photo Credits: Ellen Graham Naysayers disparage the fashion scene in SF, comparing it unfavorably to that of New York or Paris. True, San Franciscans may not always dress for dinner, but we know a good thing when it lands in our proverbial backyard. The de Young Museum has been staging some of the finest rotating fashion exhibits west of the Met’s Costume Institute. A Vivienne Westwood retrospective kicked off the program; next, the museum plays host to the closet of ultimate clotheshorse Nan Kempner, an SF native who had one of the best private couture collections in the world (June 16 to Nov. 11). Next year brings an exhibition from the archives of Yves Saint Laurent. And they say we don’t know the difference between a Manolo and a flip-flop. de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., 415-750-3553     Best Lunchtime Cocktail Why wait until happy hour for that much-needed cocktail? The new natural-ingredient peel bar at Spa Radiance serves up a variety of 30-minute customized peels for that perfect pre-date glow-on-the-go. Say goodbye to the red-lobster results of traditional chemical treatments. Infused with fruit and vegetable enzymes, these peels are gentle enough even for acne-prone or sensitive skin. Spa Radiance 3011 Fillmore St., 415-346-6281   Best Way to Get Bicoastal Honey Ryder is more Robertson Avenue or Prince Street than Hayes Street, but it saves you the trip. Though the boutique’s co-owners, Lorrie Corvin and Annie Nelson, come from food-writing backgrounds, they have big appetites for such L.A. and NYC indie designers as Michelle Jonas (known for her slinky “goddess dress”) and Sarah Blumenthal (who mixes silky feminine fabrics with gothic prints). The work of local designers, including Melissa Joy Manning, also fills the cozy shop, but the focus is on hard-to-find lines—Annelore, for example—which is new for fall. Honey Ryder 564 Hayes St., 415-255-6858   Best Kid-Friendly Mall We love the Westfield SF Centre for many reasons, but moms have an extra cause for heading there, namely the Family Lounge in the food-court level (right behind Coriander). Spacious enough for your stroller, equipped with breast-feeding stations curtained off for privacy as well as a changing table—and daddy-friendly to boot—it’s a veritable oasis for the shopper with a grumpy (or just plain dirty) toddler. Westfield SF Centre 865 Market St., 415-512-6776   Best Sugar High We sure do miss the buttery pastries at Franciscan Croissant near the foot of the Chinatown gate. Thank goodness in its place is SF’s first Fresh boutique, filled with sweet treats of its own. This lovely little spa-like gem is a beauty junkie’s dream, stocked with the complete collection of luxe potions and lotions by this Boston-born cosmetics and skin-care company. Our pick is the signature Sugar line, especially the Brown Sugar Body Polish that’s exfoliating and a touch citrusy. For a morning pick-me-up, nothing beats the Hesperides bath-and-shower gel, which delivers a heavenly grapefruit punch. Fresh 301 Sutter St., 415-248-0210   Best Reason to Turn off QVC Far too many of us have fallen victim to late-night cosmetics infomercials, resulting in drawers of half-empty compacts and barely used lipsticks. Chris Scott’s new show on Comcast cable, Makeup Gourmet, will give you good reason to put down that credit card and step away from the remote. The half-hour program airs at 7:30 p.m. on channel 79 every Thursday in the Bay Area and tackles beauty tips and tricks such as creating that perfect smoky eye. Best of all, Scott is not a product pusher; he’s worked as a professional Chanel makeup artist for 20-plus years, but he gives love to all brands. When he’s not in the studio, he still does the occasional bridal party or other special occasion. Makeup Gourmet 415-648-3073   Best Man Bags Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto has designed the limited-edition Y’s collection for Mandarina Duck, the Italian purveyor of modern, durable luggage available in SF only at Flight 001. Here, you’ll find Yamamoto’s new sleek, functional series of minimalist black nylon-and-leather satchels priced from $225 to $295. There’s also a wide selection of other pieces from the hard-to-find Mandarina label, including backpacks, duffels and trolleys. Flight 001 525 Hayes St., 415-487-1001 Photo Credits: Stefanie Michejda   Best Bang-for-Your Buck Vintage Photo Credits: courtesy of Painted Bird Walking into Nate Archer and Sunny Walker’s colorful Mission District shop, Painted Bird, is like walking into your hipster best friend’s closet that you’ve always envied. But unlike said friend, you can get all your scenester leather boots and ’60s summer dresses in one affordable shopping trip. Walker, an FIDM graduate, has a discerning eye for what’s cool now, and she’s pickier than the buyers at Buffalo Exchange or Wasteland. Though they also carry such local labels as Machine and Cristalette, which make designs out of vintage fabrics, don’t expect to find brand names here. “We definitely favor style over label,” says Archer. Painted Bird 1201A Guerrero St., 415-401-7027   Most Anticipated Opening Get ready for a breath of fresh department-store air. Barneys New York has announced the opening of its doors in Union Square on September 19. Known for high-end fashion and Simon Doonan’s cheeky window displays, the luxury retailer will debut its 60,000-square-foot, seven-level store in the old FAO Schwarz building on the corner of Stockton and O’Farrell streets. You’ll want to drop by to check out the lavish interior: 20-foot coffered ceilings, limestone floors and steel grillwork. We can’t wait to pay regular visits to the Barney’s Co-op: These specialty departments will stock clothing and accessories for men and women by lines new to SF (think Rodnik and Kate Moss Topshop). Barneys New York 48 Stockton St.   Best Downtown Lifesaver Nothing is more disappointing than finding the perfect pair of jeans—and they’re not in your size. At Bloomingdale’s, nearly half the Y.E.S. department is devoted to denim, which means you’re apt to find your fit here. It also stocks lesser-known labels such as Grey Ant and London-based Radcliffe, which makes an adjustable-length skinny style that snaps up or down so you can go from flats to heels. Bloomingdale's 845 Market St., 415-856-5300   Best Mom-and-Tot Shopping Quality time with your kid doesn’t have to mean watching another Barney rerun. Appel & Frank’s Babes & Babies event on June 23 is the perfect opportunity to hang out with your little one—and revamp both of your wardrobes. Held at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, the sale (one of three held each year) brings together 50 independent local designers and piles of baby and maternity clothes and accessories. The clincher? A portion of the proceeds goes to the Project Night Night, a local charity benefiting homeless children. Appel & Frank's Babes & Babies 3200 California St., Kanbar Hall   Most Gallic Finds You’ve been wearing the same tired bras and granny panties since 11th grade, yet you wonder why your dates end with a peck on the cheek? Stop by Les Cents Culottes to discover your inner ooh-la-la. The lingerie boutique is one of the only places in SF to find such popular French labels as Princesse Tam Tam and Simone Pérèle, all handpicked by owner Sophie Legendre. (Look out for Ravage and Lou, two lines she’ll be adding for fall.) You’ll pay a pretty penny for these sexy silk-and-lace imports, but what’s money when it comes to having that certain je ne sais quoi? , lescentculottes.com Les Cents Culottes 1504 Vallejo St., 415-614-2586   Most Relaxing Place to Get Stoned Hot-stone therapy is the draw at Mizu, the modern day spa in Mission Bay with a clean, Japanese aesthetic. We fell in love with the luxe mani-pedis—nails are buffed into perfect shape with a precise, diamond-dust file, and hands and feet are given a soothing pressure-point rubdown using heated river rocks. “We see people falling asleep all the time during this treatment,” says co-owner Herlina Ng. For a full-body treat, take a deep breath during an aromatic “lavender crush” exfoliation and hot-stone massage incorporating wild lavender–infused products by Swedish skin-care line Kerstin Florian. Mizu 274 King St., 415-278-9988 Photo Credits: Cesar Rubio   Coolest Couple In a city where independent fashion designers are few and far between, there’s something extra-special about a husband-and-wife team. A year and a half ago, the stylish Danette and Eric Scheib opened Lemon Twist in Hayes Valley, a tiny shop with bolts of fabric in the back. Eric, a designer with a degree in fine arts, does all of the graphics, including hand-spray-painted T-shirts for men and women. Danette designs the rest of the clothes, specializing in giving her sweet line of high-waisted pants, dresses and blouses a downtown touch. Occasionally, there’s a complete collaboration, as is the case with our favorite rust-colored corduroy blazer designed by Danette, the fabric stamped in the pattern of chicken wire by Erik: a marriage of the minds at work. Lemon Twist 537 Octavia Blvd., 415-558-9699   Best High-End Vintage Far from the polyester-laden shops of Haight Street, Torso is a one-stop shop for fabulous. The Portland-based company, focusing on high-end vintage women’s wear from the 1890s to 1980, opened a pop-up shop here last year as a test run and then, in December, moved into a second, larger (but still temporary) space off Union Square (where it will remain until year’s end, after which they hope to find a permanent location). Owners John Hadeed and David Gorski have a passion for gowns—everything from a floor-length, scarlet number made by Donald Brooks in the 1970s to a 1958 fuchsia silk cocktail dress once worn by an SF socialite. Torso also has its own line of reconstructed vintage pieces, such as a gauzy white baby-doll dress made from a Victorian skirt. Prices run from $100 to $2,000: Come prepared to spend both time and money. You’re worth it. Torso 272 Sutter St., 503-348-9195, torsovintages.com   Best Second Act Riding the bigger-the-better bag phenomenon, Muse Ten opened its doors on Fillmore Street last year. The little shop, launched in the fall by former business-consultant Cindy Tse, is mostly dedicated to large handbags and stylish totes—slouchy and pockety things made of soft leather, all crafted by independent designers. We’d be more than happy with anything by Belen Echandia or Ananas, and the rope-cinched bag by Italian designer Giorgio Brato is gorgeous enough to make one think $700 is quite reasonable. Tse also carries the work of such local designers as Bryna Nicole, who makes a lovely bronze bag called “Minna” ($590). Muse Ten 1820 Fillmore St., 415-922-6873   Milkiest Maid Photo Credits: Patrik Argast Hours spent in your lifetime baking in the sun: countless. Number of days you’ve failed to moisturize: same as above. Total number of wrinkles making a sudden appearance on your face: no comment. It’s time to start playing nice with your skin. The luxurious Milky Rich soap by Sumbody, a chemical-and preservative-free skin-care line made in Sebastopol, is a peace offering rivaled only by an actual milk bath, but—to save you from emptying gallons of the good stuff into the tub—the creamy nourishment comes in a convenient bar form. Trust us, it does a body good. Sumbody 2167 Union St., 415-775-6343   Flirtiest Frocks You’ll thank God you’re a girl when you set foot in the new Elizabeth Charles in Pac Heights. Owned by Australian couple Elizabeth and Tony Charles (who just moved here from NYC, where they have another shop in the Meatpacking District), the boutique spotlights Aussie and Kiwi designers, with a focus on dresses. The aesthetic is feminine but cool—puffy sleeves, floaty tents, drapey fabrics, belted waists. It’s impossible not to covet almost everything here, but we particularly love the designs of Alice McCall, Megan Park, Kirrily Johnston, Lover and Cybele. Actress Kate Hudson stopped in the first week it opened and left with a truckload. If we had her budget, we would too. Elizabeth Charles 2056 Fillmore St., 415-440-2100   Finest Face-Off Amid the race to offer the latest treatments—Titan skin tightening, laser photo rejuvenation, dermal fillers—it’s refreshing to find an aesthetician who knows how to take it slow. Milene Freire, 30, joined International Orange as the head of the aesthetics department a year ago, and she’s as concerned about your nutrition and lifestyle as she is about how to help skin that’s regressed to its adolescent days. For her favorite enzyme facial, she uses the organic line Arcona. The bonus? As your face gets its due, she massages your hands, arms and neck using In Fiore’s balm, scented with jasmine and rose. But as someone who got into the business because she used to suffer from acne, she has more to offer than sweetly scented products. International Orange 2044 Fillmore St., 415-563-5000

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