San Francisco has some of the best vintage, avantgarde and Japanese streetwear boutiques in the USA. Are you keen on Lolita dresses? 1940s veiled hats? Cyber tribal bodysuits?

Then this San Fran shopping guide is for you — including photos from Japantown, and the Jpop department store New People World.

PS: I’m currently having a lovely time in paradise, aka Cebu in the Philippines. You can see outfit previews and more on my Instagram.

That day, I wore an off-shoulder dress, sent to me by Alice’s Pig — a London based label inspired by urban vintage. The morning light shows off the silhouette and 90s-style dark floral print.

It was an appropriate outfit for visiting Torso Vintages, purveyors of the finest and most flamboyant fashions from past decades. (Address: 290 Sutter Street, in the SF Financial District)

Trevor showed Yukiro and me around Torso’s lower floor racks. Everything here is a decadent work of art, made with the finest materials and lovingly displayed. Price tags are on the high side, but that’s to be expected of dressing gowns that seem to come from the court of St Petersburg.

I was speechless at the curiosities everywhere. On the staircase, I came across this white bird mask. In the back room, we got to peek at the most treasured designs, including a futuristic hat worn by Michael Jackson.

Torso is an institution in San Francisco — they’re simply the best at finding designs with old-time magic. Co-owner John (far left) has dressed quite a few celebrities in this store.

I couldn’t resist getting dolled up too. I fancied myself as an old heiress, draping myself in shawls and hats before a tea party.

Imaginative pieces from the days of Art Deco, brought back to life on the mannequins.

The clothes aren’t just for human peacocks. John can help you find something to match any personality or occasion. At Torso, you invest in something special that you will keep and re-wear for years, if not decades.

The pins, the colors, the scarves… this is a wearable museum. Torso is one of the most outstanding vintage stores I’ve seen in all of America — so get over here!

Another must-visit district is Haight Ashbury. Haight is pronounced “hate” but this street is all about peace, love… and funka-delic clothing.

Haight-Ashbury was the hippie hangout in the 1960s, and it still has that tie-dye trippy vibe. There were quite a few Tibetan boutiques with Buddhist altars. (It reminded me of the garden at the San Francisco Zen Center,) where we stayed.

Most of the stores on Haight Street are too hippie-dippie for my taste, but I adored Ceiba SF. The window had this tribal-fusion mannequin in white, and a tribute to the late HR Giger.

Inside, Ceiba is a wonderland of dark futuristic fashion, by labels like Gelareh and Mother of London. Leather, harnesses, alien forms, draped dystopic designs. Be still, my beating heart.

I’d recommend spending half a day shopping along Haight Street, starting at Whole Foods and Golden Gate park, and making your way down towards Bound Together, the anarchist collective bookstore. That’s San Fran in a nutshell! (Later, I’ll take you inside the Oddities SF store Loved to Death — it deserves its own post.)

The city has a large Japanese population, making it a center for Jpop culture and events, such as J-summit. Most of the action happens in — obviously — Japantown. Start at the Peace Plaza, crowed by this Peace Pagoda. There’s a Daiso next to it (the dollar store filled with kawaii goods).

The most popular shopping destination is New People World, an entertainment complex dedicated to Tokyo street fashion and culture. (Address: 1746 Post Street). You can find both modern and traditional garments here.

There are only a few boutiques in total, so don’t get your expectations up too high — this isn’t like shopping at Marui Shinjuku. Still, stores like MaruQ have a sweet selection of cute, gyaru and Lolita clothing.

Is that a red-haired Archie comics character in the back?

Not quite. This is Aymmy in the batty girls, a new brand starring model Ayumi Seto. It imagines her as a Jpop girl working in a 1950s Americana diner.

The shop has a mix of cute, colorful fashions. Some are Tokyo brands, some are local.

There are a lot of cute characters lying about, such as Rilakkuma the bear.

Perhaps I’m spoiled from shopping in Asia all the time… Nothing really caught my eye, especially upstairs. The prices were quite steep compared to Hong Kong and Japan, and I was able to browse through the entire building in 30 minutes.

However, if you live in North America, I know it can be hard to get your hands on kawaii clothing and toys unless you order online.

For this reason, I’m glad there is a department store like New People World, which makes Japanese items more readily available.

Don’t forget to stop by the little cafe at the front for tea. The sign says “Nothing replaces a mother’s love except perhaps a fine cup of tea.”

Finally, let’s mosey over to the Mission, around 16th and Valencia St. This is an artsy yet still grungy district, which was a punk haven in the 1970s.

Next to a secondhand store, we saw these rainbows and kissing unicorn-ladies.

This is Clarion Alley, an alleyway covered in murals (between Mission and Valencia / 17th and 18th Streets). The works are mostly trippy, and constantly changing. We passed by an artist who was painting dogs on a door.

Walk along Valencia and you’ll see lots of hipster interior design and clothing boutiques, as well as secondhand clothing at low prices.

I was enthralled by Paxton Gate, two shops filled with curiosities for both kids and adults. (Address: 766 and 824 Valencia St, SF).

Here, “buying a stuffed cat” has a whole different meaning…

Taxidermy piranhas, anyone? A nice house-warming gift for the Addams Family, perhaps.

Steampunk white mice, stuffed and standing! Now I’ve seen everything.

Skulls and bones and spooky objects — Paxton Gate rocks.

And don’t miss the Pirate Supply Store at 826 Valencia! It’s a treasure chest of pirate-y slogans and must-haves like… a jar of gangrene. The shop is actually the “business” front for the writing non-profit started by Dave Eggers.

I leave you with a snap of my Alice’s Pig skirt and crop top. For more of this outfit, check out my San Francisco travel posts. They include guides to alternative Goth nightlife, restaurants, and other sights.

Have you shopped in San Francisco? What other boutiques would you recommend, in Japan-Town or elsewhere?