Get the Jump on Halloween in SF
Halloween in San Francisco is usually a hell of a thing. It's like the High Holy Days for all the freaks, nerds, misfits, adventurers and anthropologists in the greater Bay Area. These folks, and everyone else, turn out in all their glory, to either indulge in their costuming proclivities or just soak up all the atmosphere. Managing to achieve The Perfect Costume is as much a matter of skill and timing as it is good imagination in this town, and don't be so foolish as to think you can start looking as late as the week before. Here are a few items for those who've never joined the scrum before.
Held Over
1543 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117
Knock the emo kids and hippies out of the way, but don't forget to admire the sweet window displays. The prices at this vintage haven are reasonable, and everything is … collected into subgenres that really only make sense around Halloween time. "Excuse me, I need a size XXS yellow one shoulder tee from the 80s, please." "Back corner, to the left, on the Flashdance rack." [link]
Thrift Town
2101 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Thrift Town is for the dedicated, patient treasure-seekers yearning to have the most excellent Halloween costume ever. This is a true thrift shop, one that will not hold … your hand or help you out with advice. It's just all grouped loosely by clothing genre and color, and then you're on your own. They do have hidden treasures and a kicking toy section, however, and they are dirt cheap, so keep digging. [link]
Mission Thrift
2330 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Going to Mission Thrift is exactly like going to Salvation Army, only your personal shopper has already been through all the crappy stuff and picked out only the best for … you. They also carry funky, stripey Halloween-style things year-round for your shopping pleasure. [link]
Cliff's Variety
479 Castro St
San Francisco, CA 94114
Sometimes, Cliff's Variety store opens up a portal to another dimension and causes exactly the thing you need to appear out of thin air. They sell fabric, odds and ends, … notions, hardware, things that glow, inflatable decorations, and more; if they don't have it, they know where you can get it. [link]
Kryolan
132 9th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Small but powerful, the Kryolan shop in San Francisco has everything you need and will loan you the skill to use it. They have classes on body painting, makeup … application, and latex. You can also ask the heavily spackled staff their opinions on products. They also sometimes have bag lot sales when they get rid of excess inventory at crazy low prices; check the website to see if any are coming up. [link]
Costumes On Haight
735 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117
The old standby in the city -- way better than those temporary Halloween stores that pop up like mushrooms this time of year. The staff gives a damn and will tolerate … just about any sort of indecision and tomfoolery you care to throw at them. If you want to rent one of their complete and awesome hard-ore costumes, get your name in early, because they run out close to the day. [link]
