Speedbump's blog

Though I live in Berkeley, I definitely do a lot of my shopping in SF, Oakland, and Emeryville. Hence, a Bay Area Shopping guide with some of my top picks for smaller boutiques. And just for fun, I added one place to eat while you’re at each of the boutiques, since shopping on an empty stomach is definitely not the way to go.

Gimme Shoes – This Hayes Valley shoe boutique has a great selection of designer shoes of the more esoteric persuasion, with Repetto, Rachel Comey, and Dries Van Noten being some of the stars. The staff is super friendly, and the service is superb. For those who are intimidated by stark white and immaculate boutiques (or is that just me?), Gimme Shoes has a really earthy and homey interior, so you’ll feel totally at ease.

Paulette- While you’re in the area, stroll a few block and you’ll come to Paulette Macarons, which of course sells colorful and delicate French macarons. There are so many tasty flavors like Sicilian pistachio and passion fruit that you’ll want one of each!

Sharks- Like many other stores close to UC Berkeley Campus, this vintage store is admittedly pretty picked over. However, it is priced by the pound, so there are amazing deals to be found! There are also vintage curtains for those of you who decorate or sew!

Bongo Burger- While you’re visiting Sharks, make sure to go to Bongo Burger, which is just around the corner. Probably one of the best burgers in Berkeley, and super veg-friendly. I love the mushroom and cheese sandwich with the fries, which are nice and crispy.

Pretty Penny- This very well-curated vintage store in Oakland has some amazing and on-trend finds, which are surprisingly wallet-friendly. They also buy vintage from you on the weekends, so if there’s anything you want off your hands, take it here for some other lucky lady to find. Has a great selection of menswear too, which I’m sure my bf would appreciate if he would ever come shopping with me… AHEM!

Ici- And if you’re in the area anyways, head north for a little while and look out for the long, long line to your left. That’s sure to be Ici, one of the most popular (and delicious) places to get ice cream in the Bay Area. Unique flavors, cute, modern décor, and tons and tons of hype make this one of the longest waits around. But once you finally get your ice cream cone, it’s soooo worthwhile.

Mercy Vintage Now – Squeezed in a nice shopping area in Oakland is this super well-curated vintage store. It’s a bit on the expensive side, but the selection is amazing. Mostly 70s or older, and tons of dreamy 40s and 50s dresses. Staff is also very friendly and helpful as well.

Fenton’s Creamery- You saw it in the movie Up!, but did you know that Fenton’s is an actual place? Another of the Bay Area’s legends, it’s THE place to be if you love mounds of ice cream made the old fashioned way on the premises. Unlike Ici, which serves up tiny elegant portions, Fenton’s is where you go to get quantity without skimping on quality. I highly recommend their marshmallow sauce on a sundae. For a marshmallow lover, it’s absolute bliss.

And just for kicks, random favorite places to eat (this is clearly devolving into a “where to stuff your face” list):
Arizmendi’s Bakery & Pizzeria- Arizmendi’s is, in my opinion, the best pizza in the Bay Area (and no, Zachary’s doesn’t come close!!) It’s similar to the famous Cheeseboard in that there’s only one pizza flavor per day, made of gourmet, vegetarian ingredients and covered in olive oil. Even you meat-loving folks won’t care, I promise! The only reason I choose Arizmendi’s over Cheeseboard is that their crust is a little bit heftier and crunchier, which is a definite plus for a crust connoisseur like myself. Their 3 locations in Emeryville, Oakland, and SF make it easily accessible to all Bay Area-ers.

Nation’s- This burger and breakfast joint near the Berkeley marina will not disappoint. For veggie folks like myself, their veggie burger is one of the best I have ever had (make sure to get grilled onions!), and their pies are all-American good — a must-order. Their meaty burgers are pretty great too, from what I hear, and though their fries are sadly only mediocre, their breakfast menu is excellent, and served all day long for anyone who craves a nocturnal pancake fix.

House of Curries- Located under the Beau Sky Hotel, House of Curries is innocuous, but their dishes certainly aren’t. If you are familiar with Indian cuisine at all, you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to leave without downing several pitchers of water to douse your flaming tongue. While I’m not a fan of spicy food in general, Indian food is different and is unappealing without the burning-mouth feel. Other curry places I’ve tried don’t dish out quite enough spice, but House of Curries will definitely force you to drink your daily dose of H2O. Make sure you take advantage of the free hot chai tea while you wait for your order—you won’t want to be drinking anything hot after you start eating.

This is an old outfit photo. And when I say old, I mean from about 6 months ago or more. At least, it’s pre-haircut, so that means it’s pretty far back there. And yet it’s definitely relevant fro now, besides that fact that it’s kind of cold and probably not the best time for bare legs. But who cares? It’s something to look forward and backward to, amiright?

The idea of my outfit was basically to channel the cosmos. I’ve been really into the cosmic prints that have been emerging lately (Tsumori Chisato OMGGGGG!!!) and this is as close as I can come to it myself.

The skirt basically has one of the best cosmic prints that I can actually afford. It looks better from the back since you can see the more planets and whatnot, but it’s still a fave of mine even so. The top reminds me of light streaks, the tights are (really abstractly) constellations, and my shoes have little gold scattered studs (thought you can’t see them too well. Oh, and the hat is sequined, so stars… shiny… yeah… Or maybe it’s just me.

I actually got another pair of the same shoes in brown because they were on super-sale from endless and I couldn’t resist, though now I have to debate whether or not I should even keep them…

And that second photo there is basically my patented “omg, there’s a camera here, what do I do?” face. Err, yeah.

First, I have to point out: isn’t the office DSLR absolutely rad-tastic? We took this picture in awful indoor light and I managed to photoshop it into something remotely pretty. Hecka yeah! A few more (unnecessary) adjustments, and I daresay that it would have turned out Polaroid-y.

Second: My style has become a lot simpler and more androgynous of late. I fell in love with some great shorts over break. Shorts become longs (inside joke) and I’ll admit that I haven’t been able to take slouchy trousers off. They’re so so so comfy.

And who is Davitt Moroney, you ask? Well, he wouldn’t be a UC Berkeley Music professor who has the most wonderful British accent. Nope, not him. He also wouldn’t happen to be 3 times my age. And no, he’s not actually my sweetheart, but well… a girl can dream. ;)

It’s been forever hasn’t it? You can probably tell that I got a haircut. No more perm! I miss it sometimes, but it was a pain to maintain (rhyme unintentional).

Don’t worry; I’m still alive. Just focusing on school and my graphic design jobs. Still interning here and writing the occasional Coed Ugly article though. :)

I just haven’t had the time to take photos of myself. Plus, i just had midterms, so a lot of my recent outfits have been pretty boring and awful— just the same uniform of a slouchy beret, slouchy cardigan, plaid flannel Uniqlo shirtdress/tunic for taller people, black tights, and my new grey ankle boots, which I am kind of obsessed with. But I managed to mix it up here, per Helen’s request (omg, I’m wearing jeans?!).

I’ll maybe try to post some older outfits that have photos but which I never found the time to edit, but no promises.

Also, excuse the really weird Lookbook-esque (ha!) angle. The bf decided that it would be fun to make me look huge and epic. (Funny since I’m 4’ 11").

Apparently, polka dots are the only survivors of the huge polka trend from way back when.

Anyways, another relatively old photo. From 7/9 this time. I used to take photos, but then lacked the time to post them for some reason. But I’ll post one today since it’s my last day of being a style icon for the month. :)

This pretty much sums up my summer look (when it’s actually warm outside). Kind of vintage, girly vaguely preppy, and with pretty platform sandals. It’s really all you need.

Nothing terribly notable, but I do love that skirt. It’s got the prettiest multi-polkadot print on it. :) I bought it to replace the first skirt I ever bought and wore regularly, which had a similar dot print but on white. I think that skirt is still around somewhere. I had found it in Forever 21 and though I never wore skirts at the time, I felt immutably drawn to it. It was the beginning of my skirt obsession which continues to this day. But enough reminiscing.

Thanks for choosing me as July style icon, and sorry I wasn’t able to post more of my outfits for you guys. I’ll do better soon, I hope.