San Francisco's Best Vintage Stores
La Rosa Vintage
1711 Haight Street
(between Cole St & Shrader St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
(415) 668-3744
La Rosa Vintage
The store specializes in vintage from the 1950s and 1960s with an eye toward evening attire. The clothes here are well-organized and free of any musty odor. This is a good place to find a vintage cocktail dress, men's cufflinks and designer bags from eras gone by. The shop also carries Bakelite and top-notch vintage glassware.
Held Over
1543 Haight Street
(between Ashbury St & Clayton St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
(415) 864-0818
Held Over
This is one of the staples of the Haight-Ashbury I remember from my childhood growing up in San Francisco in the 1980s. The store has a good variety of vintage Pendleton and blazers for about $30 a piece. The space is well-organized, spacious and well lit, and signs clearly mark clothing from particular eras. Racks of dresses are organized by decade: 80s prom dresses, 50s suit dresses for channeling your inner Jackie Kennedy and 60s psychedelic print shift dresses reminiscent of Grace Slick.
Belle Cose and Molte Cose
2044 Polk Street (between Pacific Ave. & Broadway St.)
San Francisco, CA 94109
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
(415) 921-5374
Molte Cose
Part boutique, part vintage, Belle Cose sells a amalgamation of unique hats, belts, cufflinks, shaving accouterments, flasks and wallets – all chosen with the utmost care and attention. The store is comprised of three rooms – one part vintage, one part contemporary, one part menswear. It also carries antique consignment furniture.
ThriftTown
2101 Mission Street
(between 17th St & Clarion Alley)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 861-1132
ThriftTown
ThriftTown is not a consignment store – it's a good old thrift store based on purchases from charity organizations – but it is still my hands-down favorite option for striking vintage gold at rock bottom prices. Racks upon racks of clothing display styles ranging from the 30s to contemporary, and there are some true gems hidden in that store. I've found couture swede jackets and coats, designer boots and quirky, fashionable pottery and housewares (found on the upstairs level). ThriftTown takes a little patience, but the effort can pay off.
