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Sui Generis Brings Vintage Clothes at Bargain Prices to Upper Market
Sui Generis co-owner Miguel Lopez stands next to
his employee Parker inside the store.
By Roxanne Bequio
Walking into the Sui Generis clothing store, the entering shopper will see high-quality, second-hand apparel that looks completely new. The rare pieces found may compel you to purchase them immediately, due to the low prices and concerns that someone else may seize them and beat you to the register.
The store exclusively sells men’s clothing and is still relatively new to the Castro. Located at 218 Church St., Sui Generis first opened in October of 2006 specializing in vintage wear. The business later expanded in February of 2007 with the opening of a consignment boutique on Market Street.
Miguel Lopez and Gabriel Yanez summed up the essence of their store with its given name – the Latin phrase sui generis means “of its own kind.”
Yanez and Lopez lived in Mexico, ran two boutiques there (Giusto Moda, in 1992; Irala Moda, from 1995 to 2000), and created their own label and collection for distribution to boutiques in Mexico’s urban cities.
After traveling to San Francisco in 1997 and the following year, they decided to move, closing down their shop and label before settling here in 2000. Lopez focuses on administration, public relations, and merchandising while Yanez specializes in buying and visuals.
According to Lopez, clothing at Sui Generis Vintage is essentially “men’s vintage from the late 70s and early 80s,” whereas the attire sold at the consignment store “is all current, and no more than five years old.”
The variety of styles offered accommodates men looking to convey individual personality through their apparel.
“Artistically expressing myself through clothing really interests me and is a big part of my life. It’s fun to kind of be able to play dress up everyday,” said Parker, a Sui Generis employee, who also relates to communicating emotions through clothes.
Since opening, Sui Generis has gained a following with people looking to sell or buy used clothing.
“When people bring clothes here, we pick what we like, what we can sell, and what we’d like to sell here. Not everything that everyone brings in makes it to the floor,” explains Lopez.
High quality vintage garments stocked at Sui Generis Vintage are normally acquired by Yanez who browses thrift shops and other clothing stores while traveling.
Lopez, who is short on time and busy three days a week as a senior sales professional at Ralph Lauren, relies on his preference for stores with an excellent selection when selecting clothes.
At first glance, the clothes in Sui Generis’ consignment store look anything but used.
“Sometimes we have to tell them [customers] that it’s secondhand when they get excited,” said Lopez. Typically, the clothes are sold at one-third of the original retail price.
Yanez and Lopez are able to stock their shops with uncommon finds due to their keen taste for fashion, and a sharp eye capable of discerning clothes of poor quality from those of actual worth.
“They look like they have a lot of vintage picks that are really rare,” said TJ Chan, who frequently passes by the shop on Church Street. “My major problem is they don’t have a lot of sizes that would fit me. But I like a lot of their selection. It’s different than what you can get in a mainstream retail store.”
Sui Generis is located at 218 Church St., (415) 436-9661, Visit myspace.com/suigeneris_sfo for more information.
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