Although I started this blog with a post about Delilah Crown, it being my new favorite, I really must go back in time now to the store that started it all for me: Martha Egan, in the most excellent triangle-shaped building at 1 Columbus Avenue.
She’s been open since 1998, and I have bought several items here over the years. I never tire of the whimsy, humor, smart details, and comfortable fit of her designs. The shirt shown here has been with me on many a journey (I’m pretty sure we have photos of me in this shirt in almost every country we’ve visited…). Pair it with black capris and I am ready to go.
Ms. Egan designs clothing with simple lines executed in delightful fabrics and finished with unusual, contrasting buttons or stitching.
I’m a big fan of cloth bags, and she makes hers in many of the fabrics she uses in her clothes; the totes are reinforced to hold their shape nicely. And they are ridiculously affordable. Couldn’t you have at least five of the bag shown below in different amusing fabrics? This one does not have interior pockets, but some do, and she’s always playing around with (and improving on) her designs. The store also carries great, locally made jewelry.
Her sizes tend to run big, so the pants and skirts off the rack don’t fit me quite right, but the shirts are perfect. They look very tailored, but I can wear them as my weight goes up or down and they never squeeze or do that unsightly gapping thing in the central-button area. She does men's clothing as well!
Martha Egan always reminds me of why I love living here. If you fancy vintage-inspired clothing or need an easy-to-use tote in a wacky fabric, do stop by her shop—it’s on the border between downtown and North Beach, so you will likely find yourself in the neighborhood, kitty-corner from the Transamerica pyramid. You can’t miss it (but you would be sorry if you did).
Martha Egan
1 Columbus Ave.
S.F. CA
415.397.5451
www.marthaegan.com
marthasgossippages.blogspot.com
