San Francisco may not be known as a fashion-forward city, but the influx of tech companies and the popularity of locally made goods has helped elevate S.F.’s style quotient significantly. Home to big brands like Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta, among others, San Francisco also carries weight in the global market, and leads the way with fash-tech innovations (from crowd-sourced designs to 3D-printed dresses). Companies like Everlane, which leads a new field of affordable basic lines with it’s limited-release, online-only model, and Betabrand, which uses crowdfunding to determine which designs get made, are making waves. As are other digitally-driven San Francisco fashion brands like ModCloth, and the more niche, highly curated Modern Citizen. Smaller companies like Marine Layer, Mill Mercantile, and Unionmade, on the other hand, rely on California’s coastal-cool style and local craftsmanship to appeal to customers beyond state lines. Put them all together and you have a fashion mosaic that is quintessentially San Francisco. We selected three of the S.F. brands we think are worth visiting while in the City by the Bay. Each has a unique perspective and, of course, is heavy on S.F. heritage so you’ll get a taste of what the city has to offer, and a sense of its style history.
