Alternative Lingerie in San Francisco

Lingerie seems to drift into the consciousness around this time of year. Perhaps the promise of love beckons the mind to think of soft lace and satin, or maybe all the stores seem to push their lingerie buying agenda on everyone. Even if you don’t have a Valentine to wow with some new underthings, a new pair can set your mood for the day and nothing motivates the urge to buy a lingerie set more than Valentine’s Day.

While Victoria’s Secret, Fredericks, and department stores seem the obvious choice for purchasing some new undergarments, great things can happen if you stray from the obvious and sample what San Francisco has to offer. Why not make your unmentionables something to talk about?

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ShibuyaSF

Location: 1737 Post St. Ste 330, San Francisco, Calif. 94115

Neighborhood: Japantown 

Hours: Monday to Thursday, Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Phone Number: (415) 931-3722

Great for: Small chest or breasts, cute and comfortable hyper feminine bra sets with crazy push up power

You can’t miss ShibuyaSF inside Japantown with its cute pink store with equally cute bras and attentive staff who will go the extra mile and not only fetch you bras they think you will like, but will help with fitting. Asian bra sizes run smaller than American and European bras, so if you have trouble finding bras in small band sizes and/or cup sizes, ShibuyaSF will have them. Bra sets will run you $50 to $70, and include both bra and panty.  Watch out for sales on their Facebook page! 

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Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury

Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Phone number: (877) 342-1715

Great for: Affordable retro lingerie, vintage lingerie

If your interests lie in classic Americana in 40s glamour, then you’ll want to swing by Dollhouse Bettie in Haight-Ashbury and pick up a period-correct bullet bra! In addition to carrying a wide variety of retro lingerie, Dollhouse Bettie also carries vintage lingerie and their own brand. Bras start at $24, while panties start from $10.  Dollhouse Bettie also carries a wide variety of garter belts, waist cinchers, slips, corsets, feather boas, and stockings to complete your look! Just add red lipstick and bombshell curls!

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Five and Diamond

Location: 510 Valencia St., San Francisco, Calif. 94110

Neighborhood: Mission

Hours: Monday to Thursday: 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Phone number: (415) 255- 9747

Great for: Sexy and edgy post-apocalyptic pieces for the bedroom or out and about

While not strictly a lingerie store, Five and Diamond carries several really sexy pieces that would work well in the bedroom, or if you dare to, out in the streets. Most pieces come from local independent designers that reflect the nomadic nature of the owners and collective artists and designers. You can find leather garters, harnesses, holsters, and other unique accessories to add a practical and feminine hard edge to your look or for your Valentine.

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Location: 321 Linden St., San Francisco, Calif. 94102
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Hours: Monday and Tuesday, Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Phone number: (415) 431- 7684
Great for: Authentic corsets

Did you know that Burlesque Queen Dita Von Teese gets some of her corsets from San Francisco? Forget your flimsy “corsets” from Victoria’s Secret and try something more sturdy and luxurious to really shape your body with. These corsets use steel boning to let you lace yourself up as tight as you want for that perfect hourglass figure. Corsets start from $200 for ready to wear, while custom creations will require a quote and two weeks for production. In addition, Dark Garden also provides boudoir photoshoots that you can take to wow your Valentine with. 

Leather Etc.

Location: 1201 Folsom St., San Francisco, Calif. 94103
Neighborhood: SoMa
Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Phone number: (415) 864- 7558
Great for: Fetish/BDSM for men and women

Sometimes you need something kinky and hard to spice things up without breaking the bank. Or sometimes you need to find out where all the guys are getting their leather harnesses for Folsom Festival and Up Your Alley. In addition to kinky clothing, you’ll find an assortment of… toys to enjoy your time with your Valentine. Regardless the reason, why not try something different for Valentine’s Day and explore San Francisco’s famous dark side?

All images by Hayne Park