Cultural Analysis of a Metropolitan Neighborhood: Second-Hand Fashion in San Francisco

Written by Luxe Dante Aurano in Spring of 2024.

A cultural analysis within the Haight District of San Francisco and exploration behind the individuals who shop vintage and resale.

Introduction

The reality of sustainability has been an endless conversation within the fashion community. As different fashion brands try to implement sustainable practices into their new collections, is the process truly sustainable when there is constant production of new clothing? Second-hand fashion is an example of sustainable fashion. The fashion industry is its own culture, as it is defined by characteristics such as personal expression, evolving trends, and newness. Everyone within the fashion culture lives life with similar beliefs and behaviors, and also brings multiple demographics together to create one large community. The second-hand fashion industry is a growing subculture within fashion, because while it stems from fashion’s culture and its initial beliefs, it has evolved into new forms of beliefs such as up-cycling and the reuse of clothing. The individuals within this subculture are truly unique, because the hunt for clothing is also a hunt for individual personality. The individual is required to shop in an environment that does not have multiples of the same item, and results in creative development of who they are and how they wish to portray themselves in society. This aspect is not limited to any demographic as it includes many different types of personalities as a whole.

San Francisco is an urban city home to roughly 815,000 individuals (“San Francisco”). Within the city, there is a district called the Haight District. When roaming around the streets of Haight, one is able to experience a plethora of vintage stores and thrift stores that give a sense of what the second-hand fashion industry is like. Stores like Wasteland, 2nd Street, Held Over, and Blue Bin Vintage are some examples of retailers that serve as the neighborhood’s social institutions, as they maintain the functions of buying and reselling used/pre-loved fashion garments for this community. With a length that runs about six blocks, each store in the Haight District offers different aesthetics that define different customer profiles. At Wasteland, you are able to buy and sell used high fashion garments that caters to a client who loves fashion labels at a great price. Held Over is a curated vintage store that is organized by decades and end-use; if you want a top hat from the 1920’s, or a colorful windbreaker from the 1980s, Held Over has it. Then you have stores such as 2nd Street, which buys and sells clothing from a high to low range, including some examples of a well popular Louis Vuitton handbag, to a simple vintage and unbranded denim jacket. From Wasteland’s designer focus to 2nd Street’s inclusive range, these stores on Haight Street maintain the values of the second-hand fashion industry, by leading with sustainability through reselling vintage and pre-loved fashion goods. Through this elaboration on the impact of second-hand fashion in the Haight District of San Francisco, I will be using qualitative research–research based on interpreting human behavior through history and online article references–as well as ethnography– which is a breakdown of a specific group of people—to examine this niche subculture. In this case, the subculture will be defined by the individuals that visit the Haight District in search of vintage clothing and second-hand fashion items.

Research

The Haight district of San Francisco wasn't always an appealing place for fashion. The roots of this iconic neighborhood stems from the Summer of Love movement in 1967. Hippies being the force behind this counterculture, the individuals within this movement strayed away from society norms and committed themselves to anti-war beliefs, psychedelic drugs, and eclectic music. Being an opposed perspective in society, San Francisco was not favorable of a movement filled with impure habits. Although, being so unique and unconventional, this movement drew much attention in the media and attracted many supporters, but complete rejection from society was bound to occur.

It was mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle that, “As early as the first week in June, authorities reported sending as many as 10 young people home each day. Police sweeps on Haight Street quickly grew nasty, and all the old-timers on the street knew the scene had come to an end.” (Selvin, Joel). Jumping fifty-seven years later, the Haight district visually includes remnants of such a pivotal moment from the neighborhood’s history. There is reference to the Summer of Love through street art within the neighborhoods, stores dedicating a certain section of clothing resembling vintage tie-dye and musical bands t- shirts, to the modern day homeless hippies doing psychedelic drugs on the corners of every block. It is interesting to note the selective poverty these modern day hippies are experiencing, as they sit on the corners begging for food and money while Haight visitors are walking out of second-hand boutiques with bags of new purchases. While not all of the individuals in this category of poverty relate to this, many of the individuals in Haight seem to have the ability to be self-sufficient, but instead they turn to panhandling and asking for free hand-outs. Between those homeless and those who casually visit the Haight neighborhood, the distinct contrast creates a sense of organic solidarity. The sociological concept of organic solidarity was introduced by Émile Durkheim, which, “is social integration that arises out of the need of individuals for one another’s services. In a society characterized by organic solidarity, there is relatively greater division of labour, with individuals functioning much like the interdependent but differentiated organs of a living body” (Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia). In this situation, the homeless within the Haight district depend on the daily Haight visitors to provide them with money, food, or water; while the daily Haight visitor relies on the homeless as a clear defining factor for what is unfair in society. This results in those individuals speaking out to society leaders pushing for a change in the inequality, resulting in a social consensus where there can be a defining agreement that the homelessness in San Francisco are in despair.

San Francisco itself has its own issues that add to the reality of poverty and homelessness. It was mentioned in 2023 that the city could be set for a possible doom loop, which is, “A scenario in which one negative development causes another negative development, which then makes the first problem worse. A vicious cycle” (Arroyo, Noah). The city has yet to fully recover from the pandemic, and has resulted in many people working remotely. This has created a ghost town of sorts in the Downtown area/Financial District. Because of this doom loop, it has led to smaller company closures due to lack of foot traffic and business. It is then noted that many fashion stores in the luxury shopping district of San Francisco, Union Square, have unfortunately closed as well. We have seen store closures from Nordstrom, Arc’teryx, GAP, and Anthropologie to name a few that have removed their brick and mortars from Union Square. With this detail, alongside the idea of sustainability becoming a larger conversation in fashion, these closures could signal a pivotal transition in San Francisco in terms of shopping new to now shopping second-hand.

Fieldwork

The reality of the second-hand fashion industry is not just an alternative for shopping, but rather another source of income for those willing to sell their fashionable goods that are not being used. The second-hand fashion industry is a circular movement, as selling one’s useless goods may become another persons treasure. With the Haight district being a cultural enclave for selling vintage and second-hand fashion goods, it becomes a destination for those who wish to be apart of the circular economy. By constantly experiencing this process that Haight businesses thrive off of, it will affect one’s environmental determinism. Similar to a child being raised in a social household to then becoming a social individual, being surrounded by sustainable shopping habits will naturally be considered into one’s life.

Through personal observation, the Haight District is filled with a plethora of different types of individuals. In between these vintage and second-hand retail stores, there are local bars, small niche restaurants, and a handful of spiritual and ethnic gift shops placed as other destinations for visitors. Simply standing at the corner of any block on Haight Street, one is able to observe the previously mentioned homeless settled on their self-claimed corner as a couple coming out of their local grocery store; a older man with his well acquainted friend going in to a bar to have a drink and debrief; and a group of youthful friends shopping for their next surprise at a vintage store. This youth ranges from the late teenage years, up to the later twenties. Although, this demographic is not limited to this age gap. There are moments where you can see a middle aged individual also looking for some pre-loved fashion deals. Men, women, and those in-between can be seen shopping with different intentions. Some are looking for basic garments and it’s somewhat noticeable through their outfit presentation. The same can be said for the individuals looking to find a rare fashion piece, as those individuals can be distinguished through their carefully curated outfit. What’s characteristic to point out is how many groups of friends can be seen in such environments, usually between three or four individuals. These groups tend to walk in the store together then immediately disperse to their own treasure hunt. After a few moments, they come to regroup and bounce off of each other’s ideas: “Is this top cute for me?,” “What do you think of this styling?,” “Do you think I could use this for our next event?” The sounds of their conversation is community based, and as you can hear similar conversations from group to group, each group is a clique of a larger community: the second-hand fashion community. Even with the individuals and groups selling their clothes, you can overhear their excitement for how much money they got in return, and sometimes their reactions are a bit disappointing.

Adding on to the demographic that includes a large portion of Gen Z, it is also notable to include that this generation will become the leading voices of the future. Second-hand shopping is a theme that’s focalized in the Haight district, and there are some example of e-commerce businesses that revolve around a similar business model of buying and selling pre-loved fashion goods. Some of these e-commerce brands are The Realreal, Vestiaire Collective, and Thredup. As mentioned by Vogue Business, in relation to a report done by Thredup, “The Company’s 11th annual resale report, released on Wednesday, says Gen Z and millennial consumers will account for nearly two- thirds of incremental secondhand spend as their purchasing power increases.” (Benissan, Ezreen). Connecting this detail to social determinism, as one is influenced by this growing sustainable shopping behavior, that individual will be considered to do such practice.

Touching back to my observations of the neighborhood, I was able to experience Haight when I met with Daz Rivas a few weeks ago. He is a friend of a friend, and before our interaction at the Haight, our friendship was quite minimal. After finding out how often Daz visits the Haight, I asked him if I could join him one day—somewhat as his shadow. He agreed, and through this interactive day I was able to pick his brain a bit.

Daz is a twenty-seven year old male of African- American and Filipino descent, and has been coming to the Haight District since he was a child. The transition of Haight from before to now in Daz’s words, “has gotten a whole lot safer and more clean. The energy in the neighborhood has been the same, but it’s over saturated with second-hand/vintage stores.” He claims that these pre-loved fashion businesses take up more than half of the other business types in the Haight District, although that isn't said in a negative way. When Daz was in high school, his interest in high fashion brands started to develop. He mentioned he would work part time, as well as trading and selling sneakers to put money aside to buy some luxury brands he was attracted to. These brands included: Givenchy, Maison Margiela, Rick Owens, and Balmain to name a few. Compared to the name brand luxury stores in Union Square, his high fashion purchases from Haight Street allowed an easier financial access to such an exclusive lifestyle. He mentions that with the unique options of vintage and second-hand stores in the neighborhood, it creates a unique experience and community for any visitor that isn't offered anywhere else in the city.

Analysis

The Haight District is truly a unique community within the larger society of San Francisco, and it can be related to the functionalist paradigm. The functionalist paradigm is a perspective on society in which society itself is made up of multiple necessary parts, each providing something important to society’s overall function. Within this, it can be seen as you walk the street that each store, boutique, bar, and restaurant are all exchanging a business transaction with a common customer. Because as a certain individual finishes their lunch, they are then guided to the next experience whether that be getting a drink, or even wandering into a vintage store to see what item catches their eye. The Haight District is a small society in which many business aspects rely on others to maintain business, foot traffic, and daily experiences. The same can be said about Haight being one of the many other districts that maintain San Francisco’s economy in different ways.

Conflict theory on the other hand is the opposite of the functionalist paradigm, and explains that society is run by conflicting ideas. And with many conflicting ideas in society, each has their own beliefs and agendas, and each are all fighting for common resources. While the functionalist paradigm allows understanding for different parts of society, conflict theory allows more realization for the unfairness in a society. Connecting conflict theory to the second-hand fashion industry within the Haight District of San Francisco, these vintage and resale stores are not catered to an exclusive audience. While some stores–Wasteland and partially 2nd Street–have a higher price point with curated designer garments, majority of the stores on Haight Street are driven by accessibility and by the circular economy. With this in mind, there is conflict between two demographics of shoppers. The first demographic would be the fashionable individual looking to find their next treasure purchase. This individual shops with a sense of privilege and comfort, while the second demographic shops in absolute need. The second demographic would be those placed in certain tiers of poverty, as newer clothing may be too expensive, they turn towards the stores within Haight to find cheaper alternatives. Emphasizing this integration of two different shopping demographics, each are shopping for the same resources for the same use, but with the different intentions. The fashion driven shopper is able to leave a store without buying anything, while the individual who is experiencing poverty may not leave the store until they purchase a needed item.

Conclusion

In conjunction to the previously mentioned themes, the Haight District of San Francisco is a community full of culture, history, and diversity. There are urban aspects within its environment such as certain levels of poverty, and this comes with being settled in an urban city such as San Francisco. The Summer of Love movement can be seen throughout those few mentioned living in poverty on Haight Street, but can also be felt through the artistic expression on the streets and within eclectic stores. The demographic of this environment is one to call out, as its results in a mixing pot of multiple types of individuals. This then creates a subculture driven by vintage and resale fashion stores that contribute to the circular economy, but also contributes to the San Francisco economy in a way that is distinct to the Haight District. This cultural enclave is filled with many personalities that rely on each other to maintain its overall structure. Overall, this enhances the experience of anyone who finds themselves in the Haight, and their ability to consider the fashion habits of this historic district of San Francisco.

Citations

• Arroyo, Noah, et al. “Cities are struggling. San Francisco could be in for the biggest ‘doom loop’ of all.” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 March, 2023. https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/city-economy- doom-loop-17846412.php

• Benissan, Ezreen. “Gen Z will drive explosive growth in second hand sales, says Thredup.” Vogue Business, 5 April, 2023. https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/gen-z-will-drive-explosive- growth-in-secondhand-sales-says-thredup

• Bitter, Alex, et al. “Nordstrom closes flagship location as office vacancies and fears of crime rise in San Francisco. Here’s the full list of stores pulling out of the city’s downtown neighborhood.” Business Insider, 29 August, 2023. https://www.businessinsider.com/san-franciscos-union-square- store-closures-since-2020-2023-5

• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mechanical and organic solidarity". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Feb. 2010, https://www.britannica.com/topic/mechanical-and-organic-solidarity. Accessed 13 October 2024.

• “San Francisco.” Data Commons. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/0667000? utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=en

• Selvin, Joel. “Summer of Love: Paradise that never was lives on in legend.” San Francisco Chronicle, 4 April, 2017. https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Paradise-that-never-was-lives-on- in-legend-10987611.php