Fashion

If Bernal Heights Were a Women’s Fashion Brand, Would It Look Like This?

/ Todd_Lappin / 23 Comments

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As longtime readers know, the Bernalwood editorial team works hard to deliver the news you can use. That’s why we are so completely and totally obsessed with glamour, celebrity, cutting-edge fashion, and languorous living.

We take our vacuousness very seriously, which is why Bernalwood was horrified (horrified!!) to find a recent article on the Blank Stare, Blink blog that was so fashion-obsessed that it actually made this blog look… substantive.

Oh my!

The backstory: Fashion blogger Paula Mangin has decided that she’s ready to move from the Nob Hill apartment where she’s lived for the last 16 years. She’s looking for a full makeover, so she’s considering options in the San Francisco “suburbs.” You know… places like Bernal Heights:

Each neighborhood is like a different fashion brand, with it’s own feel, image, price-tag, following. Cow Hollow is Tory Burch, Pacific Heights, Prada. Once you love a brand or neighborhood, you tend to love most of their pieces or homes. But sometimes you can fall in love with a piece, or home, from a brand or neighborhood you may not love — at least not yet.

With this in mind, I ride a hot, crowded 49 bus past the Civic Center, along the edge of the Tenderloin, through the Mission and out to Bernal Heights to see a small victorian. Bernal Heights is sort of the Rachel Comey of neighborhoods: cute, sturdy, indie, cool. A neighborhood, and brand, I want to like but have never felt quite comfortable in. But I’m trying to keep an open mind and decide to “try it on” and see how I feel.

So as I try on Bernal Heights, here is some prime Rachel Comey real estate that just may suit me. It just goes to show that you never know. Which is really the beauty of the hunt.

PHOTO: A selection of items from Rachel Comey’s current Women’s Clothing Collection

Your Illustrated Fashion Guide for Spring 2013 Dog-Walking on Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

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What are the “It Looks” to have while walking your dog in Bernal Heights this season? Neighborhood artist Laurie Wigham created this handy illustrated field guide to show what’s hot in canine-accompanied hill fashion for Spring 2013:

People walking their dogs on Bernal Hill in the late afternoon. When I started sketching it was warm enough that jackets were tied around waists, but then it turned cold and people wore the jackets. I had just listened to John Muir Laws talk about how to remember bird calls, so I tried to apply that to representing the way one man was whistling for his dog to come (“Fee-Fu” x 3).

This Weekend: Sunshine Factory Pop-Up Boutique Returns to Precita Valley

/ Todd_Lappin

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Remember the Sunshine Factory, that phunky-phresh boutique that popped up in Precita Valley last October? Well, it’s happening again this weekend, March 23 and 24:

The Sunshine Factory Pop-up Shop returns to Precita Valley this weekend offering handmade and local goods as well as vintage clothing and home decor treasures!

Jewelry, succulent arrangements and handmade vessels, and prints by various artists will also be available in the shop.

Looking forward to meeting new neighbors and friends for a fun weekend of shopping in the hood!

11am-6pm Precita Ave at York St.

More detail here.

Sunday: Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Will Hand Out Free Safety Whistles

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

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Some neighborhoods are protected by the Guardian Angels; Bernal Heights has the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We’re lucky like that.

On Sunday, February 3 from 1-2 pm, The Sisters will be on Cortland and Andover, handing out whistles and dispensing street-smart safety advice in front of the Good Life Grocery. In case you miss them, The Sisters will leave any extra whistles at Chuck’s corner store, on Cortland at Bocana.

Once you have a sporty personal-safety whistle, here’s how The Sisters suggest you use it:

Attach your whistle to your keychain, phone or bag, choosing something that you always have with you so you can easily access your whistle if a threatening situation arises. If you are walking to your car late at night with your keys in hand and a whistle attached, you can blow into the whistle to startle an attacker and attract help.

Get your whistle ready if you sense danger. Use it if you think a sudden noise may distract an attacker or attract help. If you are already under attack, use your judgement about whether the whistle will help or hurt your situation. If you see someone in trouble, blow your whistle to distract the perpetrator, giving the victim time to escape.

Call 9-1-1 when someone else is in danger.

Blow in short, sharp bursts: 3 tweets (over and over) for “SOS”.

If you don’t have your whistle consider yelling “FIRE”. That seems to attract attention, whereas yelling “help” seems to repel people from coming to your aid.

PHOTO: Grays Antiques

Is This the Most Incredible Bernal Halloween Costume of 2012?

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Neighbors Scott and Regina posted this photo of their fantastic incredible family costume on the Facebook, and so far I think it’s a front-runner to win a Halloween Best of Bernal Heights Award for 2012.

Do you have other costume photos from yesterday? Send your pix to us at bernalwoodATgmailDOTCOM, and I’ll update this post with the best/funniest/goofiest contestants.

Here’s another strong Bernal candidate… Hirsute Princess Leia!

UPDATE: Neighbor Adel’s family is making a play for BOTH the Cutest Bernal Family and Best Star Wars Group Costume category awards, and they’re doing it in high style:

Neighbors Teresa and Ben have taken the front-runner position in the Best Costumed House category, with this befanged home on Bennington Street:

Neighbor Jillian is 7 months pregnant, but her kid is a sugar-fiend… and a candidate for Best Bernal Horrific Prenatal Costume:

Neighbor Rebecca  her daughter Dinah looked glamorous as they slurped brains in the Zombie Streetwalker category:

PHOTOS: Neighbor Scott and Regina, Davitydave, Neighbors Teresa and Ben, Neighbor Jillian

Glamorous “Sunshine Factory” Fashion and Housewares Shop Pops Up in Bernal

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Nifty! Neighbor Victoria is hosting a glamorous pop-up store this weekend from 11 am – 6 pm Saturday and Sunday at 698 Precita at York.

I’m putting on the Sunshine Factory Pop-Up Shop this weekend, October 27th and 28th, at my storefront live/work space on the Mission-Bernal Heights border. It is the first event of this kind, and it’s organized by myself and Jillian Knox of Joules Jewels Vintage.

The Sunshine Factory Pop-up Shop will be filled with tons of vintage clothing, curated vintage housewares and furniture, local and organic bath products as well as original art, jewelry, and designs by local SF makers! Polaroid kits, vintage records (good ones) and homegrown succulent arrangements in retro planters will also be for sale. We will also have a selection of vintage costumes for last minute Halloween shoppers.

On Sunday, we’ll have complementary Halloween-themed drinks between the hours of 11am and 1pm, as well as coffee served up both days by Vega!

BTW, great poster, eh? Nicely done.

Fashionable Photo Shoot at the Coso Street Cable Car Stop

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

Exciting news for Bernal Heights commuters: We just got a new cable car stop on Coso!

Neighbor Becky filed this report yesterday:

Cable cars on Coso street? Imagine my surprise to see a cable car running on Coso St. this morning.  And what is this city coming to? it’s decked out in Christmas decorations but it isn’t even Halloween!

Either that, or it was a photo shoot, of course. Which would explain the photographers.

Indeed! Actually, it was a photo shoot, for a Holiday fashion catalog that our sources were not able to identify. And it was an actual, for-reals cable car — albeit a motorized cable car, which is transit geek-speak for a retired cable car mounted on an internal combusion-powered truck chassis. (This particular former cable car was converted by the late, great Arnold Gridley.)

But who cares how the thing climbs up a hill? The catalog shoot affirmed our glamour credentials, and the presence of the cable car affirmed that Bernal Heights would look rather stylish with our very own cable car line. Although, we already knew that.

PHOTOS: From top, Neighbor Becky, Mrs. @LeCornballer, and @Jobius/Joe Thomas

Meet the Winner of the Bernalwood Air Guitar Photo Contest

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Citizens of Bernalwood, let the record show that Neighbor Clarissa rocks.

That’s Clarissa up above, and that’s the photo she submitted as her entry in the Bernalwood Air Guitar Photo Contest to win a pair of tickets to the glamorous Noisette Food and Music Festival this coming weekend.

Like a true rockstar, Clarissa gets the details right: A dazzling light show in the background, visible from her stage on Bernal Hill. Perfect aerial technique. Agile hands clutching her invisible instrument. And a face that exudes pure heavy metal intensity. Fabulous.

Citizens of Bernalwood, let the record show that Neighbor Clarissa is the winner of our contest, and she’ll be rocking out at the Noisette festival this weekend. Woooooo! Wooooo! (Hold up your lighters, people.) Congrats!!!

Now let’s check out a few of our other wannabe rockers.  Meet Neighbor Toki, our First Runner-Up:

Toki jams the air guitar from Bocana Street, and apart from having great form, this little rockstar has big style — check out those Vans and his dope indie-style sweater! A total natural. Sweeeeeeeeet!

Our Second Runner-Up is Neighbor Carmen:

Carmen blasts her invisible electric guitar through an invisible amp powered by the new solar charging station in front of the New Wheel bicycle shop. Bonus eco-style points for that, as well as those retro New Wave shades.

Many thanks to everyone who rocked out with Bernalwood for this contest, and to our friends from NoisePop for providing us with a pair Noisette tickets to give away. And most of all, big standing ovation to Neighbor Clarissa, for rocking the hardest.

Artist Creates Summer 2012 Field Guide to Bernal Heights Males

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Neighbor Laurie brings us another one of her wonderful Bernal Heights watercolors. This time, she strayed from her usual focus on nature and wildlife to capture some anthropological insights about the plumage worn by human males, as seen recently on Bernal Hill:

Scanning some other things in my sketchbook last night, I discovered this sketch from the afternoon of July 4 that I had forgotten about. I was trying to use the same techniques for sketching walkers on the hill that I use for sketching birds in the wild: pick a typical pose, and add more details to the sketch each time the bird returns to that position. Also note some important details of coloring and position, and keep repeating them to yourself aloud so you can finish the sketch after the bird flies away (“neon green sweatband, neon green sweatband…”)

Genuine Bernal Hill Fashion Looks Great, Costs Less

/ Todd_Lappin

Fashion Shoot

Never mind all that artificial Urban Outfitters fashion silliness; if you want an authentic glimpse of everyday Bernalwood style, check out this sporty gentleman I photographed during a walk on Bernal Hill on Saturday afternoon.

For the record, I’d estimate the cost of his ensemble as follows:

  • White t-shirt: $8
  • Designer jeans: $60
  • Brown leather belt: $15
  • Nike shoes: $55
  • View from Bernal Hill: Priceless

Urban Outfitters Uses Bernal Hill for Glamorous Catalog Shoot

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

OMG! Since everyone knows that everyone in Bernalwood is totally glamorous and maniacally style-obsessed, we’re quite sure everyone in Bernal Heights is eagerly awaiting the arrival of their February 2012 Urban Outfitters catalog!

When you open up your catalog, you’ll immediately notice that UO used Bernal Heights as the setting for a few of their super-chic fashion spreads:

I love how Urban Outfitters used totally typical Bernal residents as supermodels. And in terms of the clothes themselves, they completely nailed the way we actually dress here. (Sh*t Bernalites Say: “Honey, does this $54 plaid shirt coordinate well with my $85 suede moccasins?”)

Thoughfully, Urban Outfitters even included a sexxxy shot that will likely to appeal to certain Sutro Tower-loving separatists who reside in the La Lengua Autonomous Zone.

Thanks to reader Oliver for bringing this to our attention.

UPDATE: Look what arrived in Neighbor Regina’s mailbox today!

There’s also this “making of” video that shows in-progress footage of the catalog shoot. If you enjoy seeing models get paid to look blasé and very bored, you’ll LOVE this. The Bernal footage kicks in at around 0:26…

Bernal Bikini Jogger Immortalized in Street Stencils

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

Our beloved Bikini Jogger enjoys a legendary reputation, and now her aura shines even brighter, thanks to some street art stencils that pay homage to her famous fitness technique.

Bluepearlgirl spotted the stencils around Bernalwood:

So this had me in stitches!  I thought it was just great. Our elusive Yeti on pavement!  I stopped in at Chuck’s to get a soda, and then continued on up to Holly Park.  When my friend and i got to the top of the stairs, I couldn’t believe it!!  There she was again!  Our Bikini jogger, immortalized again in paint.

PHOTOS: Bluepearlgirl