Destination
shopping west Berkeley.
The West Berkeley crossroads of San Pablo-Gilman, long known for its gritty industrial feel and the famous 924 Gilman Street punk collective, is surging with new life, thanks to fashion-forward shops, a trinity of stores catering to outdoors types (the longstanding REI, North Face and Royal Robbins outlets), and a food-and-drink-fueled makeover since the opening of Whole Foods last fall. Witness the freshly opened Fieldwork Brewing taproom and the troika of Philz Coffee, Doughnut Dolly and Farm Burger beside an Instagram-primed Gilman mural. Not to be overlooked is the shopping worth braking for, driven by the arrival of clothing boutiques down San Pablo. Why here, why now? “At the root of this area, there is still a community that has been here for decades and has been really supportive and welcoming to our store and aesthetic,” explains Lauren Woodward, owner of California-cool boutique Social Studies on a block in flux, 1600 San Pablo. “It seems to act like a grounding cord for growth.”
SOCIAL STUDIES
Expect a carefully curated, worldly collection marked by clean lines and handsome materials at this San Pablo Avenue shop. Japanese housewares resembling objects d’art edge up against stemless cognac glasses by Normann Copenhagen, skin care by Fig + Yarrow, incense pyres by Blackbird, and minimalist clothing and accessories by California makers like Berkeley’s Jess Feury. UC Berkeley alum Woodward says, “I think maybe the natural and warm feel to our basics tend to vibe with Bay Area people.” Also check out Social Studies Man, which opened this month. 1659 San Pablo Ave. (510) 990-6696. www.socialstudiesshop.com.
FAR AND FEW
Owner Jessie Foster honed her keen eye for vintage at Far and Few’s original locale in Walnut Square. Case in point: She just sold an antique Chinese dragon robe, plucked from a tiny thrift store, to a London textile designer who will likely pass it to a museum. Now located in a building that Foster coowns, and shares with Social Studies, Far and Few is chock-full of eclectic, funky gems — leather backpacks, midcentury millinery, queen of the rodeo booties, statement necklaces, a lavishly embroidered huipil and Patrick Nagel print among them. 1643 San Pablo Ave. (707) 490-6665.
STELLA STUDIO
Unexpected silhouettes, elegantly asymmetrical layers and gracefully draped tunics in ecologically friendly textiles such as hemp, linen, modal, organic cotton and Tencel are leitmotifs of designer Stella Carakasi, whose parent company, Two Star Dog, created the first hemp jean. When it comes to her own subtly sensuous line, she says, “I believe in personal expression, and if my clothing helps women feel more beautiful and more confident, then I have done my job.” 1370 10th St. (510) 559-1692. www.stellacarakasi.com.
ELM STYLE
This petite oasis of sunny, casual women’s clothing only seems like it materialized out of nowhere, amid scruffy auto shops. Warm and vivacious boutique owner Estelle Sjostrand has a history at the spot — the building, which once housed a flooring company, has been in the family for generations. Now, Sjostrand aims to floor unpretentious yet stylish Berkeleyites with a focus on female designers, think soft, drapey separates by Treacherous Minx, Coin 1804, Dolma, Synergy and Groceries, and woven totes and jewelry, including bracelets that Sjorstrand makes herself. 1501 San Pablo Ave. (510) 387-0673. elmboutique.weebly.com.
HIDA TOOL
Originally opened in San Rafael by Osamu Hiroyama and Kip Mesirow, author of “The Care and Use of Japanese Woodworking Tools,” this narrow, no-nonsense, authentically old-country hideaway of hard-to-find Japanese tools and hardware is a legend among gardeners, woodworkers and bonsai aficionados. Since moving to Berkeley more than 30 years ago, the store, now owned by Max Minamizaki, peddles high-quality chef and sashimi knives, scissors, chisels and tansu hardware to seekers of premium Japanese steel. 1333 San Pablo Ave. (510) 5243700. www.hidatool.com.
FAVOR
Charm’s the word for the bright, Bakelite-like cherries, swallows and roses at the heart of Berkeley designer Caramia Visick’s costume jewelry creations. After relocating her Hotcakes Design studio and Favor storefront from San Francisco’s Union Square to the old Spacepop space, she’ll be fashioning and selling her handmade, retro-flavored resin necklaces, brooches, earrings, rings, bracelets and cuff links closer to home, beginning next month. 1649 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. (415) 362-6550. www.shopatfavor.com.