SF Street Fashion: Defending San Francisco's Sartorial Strength

By Kate Conger Tue., Jul. 19 2011 at 10:26 AM

According to some magazine called GQ, San Francisco is "sartorially-challenged." They ran an article that ranked the worst-dressed cities in America, and we came in at number 20. I took the ranking personally; I happen to think San Francisco has great style. And since when is GQ a fashion magazine? I thought its purpose was to showcase shirtless men and pantsless women. No clothes means no fashion, right?

Apparently our biggest fashion crime is opting for understated, colorless attire. We offered some entirely valid excuses for our ineptness last week, such as BART seats grimy enough to destroy an outfit, but I'm not ready to admit we don't look good. Besides, the New York Times says we're cute. So there.

S.F. style takes risks. That's what I love about it and that's what makes it stand out. Here are some wild, colorful defenders of San Francisco's good name. I'm starting out with the minor risk-takers and then raising the stakes.

Kate Conger

This gentleman starts us off on the mellow side. He caught my eye as he was making his way through a crowd of commuters on Market and I knew I had to chase him down. (Fashionable city-dwellers, walk slower! I'm tired of sprinting after you all the time.) I am totally enamored with his take on regular office wear. The floral shirt, the denim jacket, and the scarf all turn it from bland to handsome.

Tags:

San Francisco, street fashion, style

We Recommend

Sasapurdue

terrible. this is typical sf "fashion". People throwing random colored garments together and calling it personal style. Stylish people mix color, texture, and proportion in interesting and complementary ways.

Bernadette

I definitely think this article and photos support how bad San Franciscans dress. It's the horrible hipster fashion that is just grimey and sloppy.

Kate Conger

This discussion honestly has me very curious. Would anyone like to offer their definition of distinctive S.F. style?

Mia

This is satire, right?

Genevieve

I get it...you're being sarcastic. You are, aren't you?

Samantharoxas

LOL I saw this girl walking down the street last week and i thought it was cute... damnit

Guest

I was a little offended by the ranking, too, until I saw this slideshow. Now I am wondering if they might be right...

bambella

this is an AWFUL article. part 2 anyone?

eek im afraid i agree that this is awful. but i REFUSE to believe there isnt more style out there in san francisco. where are the stylish girls of the marina of which maps speaks? maybe they can help.

maps

Very interesting choices. Really happy to see something other than the "stylish" girls of the marina and I can definitely see the individuality here but I have to agree that some of these looks may not be the strongest defense of SF stylishness.

smb5

this is like some sort of thrift-store prison escape montage. there's no style here. there is absence of style.

Kate Conger

Like I said, my aim is to showcase self expression. To me, fashion isn't about enforcing a uniform dictated by the runway or by anyone else. They claimed fashion here is bland, and I think these photos demonstrate that it's anything but that.

Guest

it's nice that you tried to show that san francisco fashion is NOT bland, however you could have AT LEAST showed VARIOUS types of fashion rather than the grungy ones shown in this article. in essence, you're showing that people in sf dress grungy, which is not the real situation and is what GQ claims in the article. in my opinion, you're basically backing up they're claims, rather than defending sf.

not a fashion victim

Unfortunately, these are uniformly awful.

Guest

oh honey, if you think you're defending their claims with these photos, you're part of the problem.

guest

i totally agree. this was THE WORST representation of fashion in SF. we have amazingly gorgeously stylish people here... but not by the looks of this defense. ugh.