While walking down Valencia Street towards 19th Street, I stopped Erica because she was just too caplet cute. Her camel colored jacket paired with a black long-sleeve top (and how could you miss those worn in brown vintage boots) was a picture-worthy outfit. Read more »

Wedged between two clothing stores in San Francisco, a narrow alley leads to the home of Jenny Ton and Julie Rhee, a.k.a. the alternative vintage boutique Retrofit Republic. Inside on a recent visit, I felt like a kid in a candy store – except there was no candy. Instead, bowls of earrings, necklaces, and pendants were neatly displayed on a table. Here, a stunning sequin clutch with colorful roses. There, four racks of vintage men's and women's clothing, with shoes on display wherever they could fit. Wearing the perfect gold holiday dress, a mannequin peeking around the corner told me to look around, stay awhile. Read more »

Because you and yours might be itching for something other than ham, sweet potatoes, and intense family time, we here present a list of restaurants that will be open Christmas Day providing non-holiday-oriented dinners and desserts. Relish in the savory bite-sized flavors of dim sum, or skip the solid food entirely and head to a downtown lounge for a cocktail with friends or solo.

Chouchou

Now this French restaurant is just plain cute. Perfect for dinner, or if you just want to grab a glass of wine and a chocolate pear tart while everyone else is doing the presents thing. Start off with an organic salad of mixed greens, red chard, tomatoes, goat cheese, apples, and pistachios. Then, enjoy the spot's infamous homemade French onion soup. Still hungry? Request the Camembert apple tart, caramelized with honey.

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Five fashion-minded homeless youth – two men and three women  – had two hours to complete a fashion challenge using only donated clothing and street friendly supplies. That meant no sewing machines – more like dental floss, duct tape, and art supplies. The result? Find out by attending the Homeless Youth Alliance's screening of Project Runaway on Fri/16. Read more »

Well-dressed men always make me a little weak in the knees. What can I say; I’m a sucker for fashion. But in a city like San Francisco, where men’s clothing stretches from one end to the style spectrum to the other, it is the simplest of styles that catch my eye.  

Wearing a wool trenchcoat, dark blue jeans, and tassel loafers, Rolando Brown was waiting for his BART train to arrive when I interrupted him mid-text message.Read more »

Don’t you wish there was a how-to-guide on how to mix and match patterns properly? How do you really know if that leopard and that floral look good together? There should some kind of chart online you can download that tells you if seesucker pants and a neon T-shirt is an okay fashion combo. Let's just come to terms with it: true style doesn't come from pat answers. Read more »

The owners of Pacific Brewery Laboratories are taking the first step from nanobrewery to brewpub by moving beyond their underground SoMa garage brewpub and its free tasting parties to the release of their first (soon to be) commercially available beer: the Squid Ink Black IPA. And they're inviting you to celebrate! A three-destination pub crawl is planned, and here's the itinerary: City Beer Store tonight, Tue/6, Le Trappe on Wed/7, and Shotwell’s on Thu/8. Read more »

While browsing through the handmade scarves and mixed stone necklaces on Etsy, I came across Peeko Apparel, a women’s indie fashion brand with daring patterns and dramatic shapes. From sweaters, harem pants, and leggings to tote bags, necklaces, and turban headbands, I wanted it all. Read more »