San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Buy local this season with special gifts from around the Bay Area
one thing to shop local this holiday season; it’s another to shop ultralocal and purchase all your gifts from Bay Area makers and businesses. We’ve scoured the area to find some of the best items from around the region. Here, in no particular ular order, are 10 of our favorites.
Ellipse Link Collar Necklace from Soko ($ 178): San Franciscobased Bcorp Soko bills itself as an ethical jewelry company, which means all its materials are sourced ethically. That explains why this piece, added to
Shop ultralocal for unique gifts from Bay Area makers and businesses. Clockwise from top left: Gapelii G2 Blk sneakers; Vapor Backpack from Timbuk2 in the Mission District; Ellipse Link Collar Necklace from Soko in San Francisco; the Farallon Ekoa Tenor Ukulele with a sunburst finish from Blackbird Guitars in the Mission District. the collection in time for the 2020 holidays, is so special.
The necklace is handcrafted in 24karat goldplated brass and assembled by artisans in Kenya. Proceeds benefit the artisans directly, which means you’re giving back with every purchase. Buy at www. shopsoko. com.
Farallon Ekoa Tenor Ukulele from Blackbird Guitars ($ 1,492): Blackbird has been making string instruments from its factory on Folsom Street for decades, and in recent years had added ukuleles to the lineup. This one, made from linen fiber and bioresin, increases resonance and enhances projection ( which is to say it sounds amazing). Yes, the price tag is steep but the instrument is one of the best ukuleles available in the mainland market today. Buy at www. black birdguitar. com.
Holiday gift box from Wolf Coffee ( Prices vary): Holiday gift boxes from this Healdsburgbased coffee roaster mix beans of two kinds: coffee and chocolate. The boxes come in five different options ($ 26$ 127), but the most popIt’s
The most popular holiday gift box from Healdsburg’s Wolf Coffee includes three 12ounce bags of coffee and five chocolate bars from local Volo Chocolate. The boxes come in five different options ranging in price from $ 26 to $ 127.
($ 98) includes three 12ounce bags of coffee and five chocolate bars from a local chocolate vendor named Volo. Wolf Coffee itself is a great story; the independently owned small business has existed for 30 years, and it is now run by the second generation of the same family. Buy at www. wolf coffee. com.
Vapor Backpack from
Timbuk2 ($ 129): Arguably home to some of the most famous Bay Areaborn gifts on the market, Timbuk2 has been around since 1989 and still makes most of its products at a factory on Shotwell Street in the Mission District.
New for this season, the company has a host of backpacks and messenger bags, including the Vapor Backpack, which is basically a laptop bag you
wear like a backpack, made with ecofriendly materials. The company promises holiday delivery for orders placed before Dec. 6. Buy at www. timbuk2. com.
Apparel from Gapelii Brand ( Prices vary): Sure, shoes, sweatshirts and tshirts ($ 40$ 215) from this nascent, Santa Rosabased clothing company are all topquality, but something else about the brand has garnered attention across Northern California: The business is Blackowned. Coowners Andrew Akufo and Toja Hodge met in New Mexico and launched the brand in the summer of 2019. The duo continues to add products every month — for smaller budgets, check out the Gapelii face masks ($ 20 apiece). Buy at www. gapeliibrand. com.
Universal Zip Wallet from Tanner Goods ($ 130): This classic unisex wallet represents the best of what Portlandand San Franciscobased Tanner Goods has to offer. It is cut from 3ounce Meridian English Bridle Leather and features two card slots, a single split bill pocket and a Riri Zipper in antique brass. The wallet comes in four colors: saddle tan, cognac ( a reddish hue), golden and black. For those who aren’t in the city, all orders are $ 5 flatrate shipping. Buy at www. tanner goods. com.