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Best Local Boutiques For Back To School Clothes Shopping In The Bay Area

School will start up again before you know it, and now is the time for back-to-school shopping. After the usual mall trip to the chain stores, where will you go for those special items that will truly demonstrate your fashion sense? Here are few local boutiques that will have the clothes to help you and yours look your best.

Paragraph SF
1234 9th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 759-1234
www.facebook.com/paragraphsf

This popular boutique specializes in reasonably priced, designer clothes (often by local designers) and accessories for young ladies, but also includes a small selection of men's clothing and some very fashionable choices for kids. If you're a girl headed off to college, this is a great place to find cute outfits. Mothers who want something special for their middle and high school age kids will also want to pay a visit. Many shoppers have noted that Paragraph is an exceptional find.

Dottie Doolittle
3680 Sacramento St.
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 673-1334
www.dottiedolittle.com

If you are shopping for elementary school kids who want to look sharp, you'll definitely want to pay a visit to this well-established children's boutique in downtown San Francisco. This shop is not for the really casual look. The clothes are expensive and they look it. But if your standards are high and your wallet well supplied, you can't do better than Dottie's. This is a great way to introduce your youngsters to high-quality clothing requiring special care and respect. If you want to teach them to value the best, Dottie's is a great place to start.

Related: Best Places To Buy Homemade Gifts In San Francisco

Upper Playground
220 Fillmore St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 861-1960
www.upperplayground.com

Any high school or college guy or gal cannot fail with the fantastic collection of T-shirts to be found at Upper Playground. The many interesting designs range from the humorous to the dramatic to the impressively artistic and laugh-aloud witty, and all are original designs. The store also offers a variety of button-down shirts, hoodies and accessories. This is definitely one of the hipper places to shop in San Francisco and beyond.

Jeremy's Department Store
2967 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 849-0701
www.jeremys.com

UC Berkeley students who are in the know when it comes to fashion make this College Avenue shop a regular place to visit. Keep an eye out for bargains because the sale section can be amazing. Discounts on high-quality designer clothing are hard to find but Jeremy's can be relied upon for great deals. It has an excellent selection for both young men and young women, from casual daily wear for the fashion conscious to high-end items for special events.

Slash Denim
2840 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 841-7803
www.slashdenim.com

While in Berkeley, you might also want to check out Slash Denim, a long-established store specializing in nothing but jeans. It has an amazingly wide selection of brands, as well as the full catalog of Levi's including some vinage choices. It also has denim jackets and assorted accessories. When it's time to go casual, but still look your best, this is where to get the right fit and quality. Slash Denim has been a Berkeley institution for 30 years and run by the same family since it began selling used jeans at $2 a pair in 1979. Shopping here is a true "Berzerkeley" experience.

Related: Best Places For Rain Gear In San Francisco

Charles Kruger is well known in the Bay area as "The Storming Bohemian" ever since he entered the Bay Area cultural scene in the summer of 2009, attending 90 cultural events in 90 days and blogging about it. This project was successful enough to warrant a mention in The New York Times. His coverage of Bay area theatre can be found at Examiner.com.

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