Dudes, Oakland Surf Club is rad. A surf themed lifestyle store with a bonus upstairs gallery space for art shows and events, it's a fresh addition to downtown and the growing independent shopping scene that's been largely absent from Oakland until recently.
When we stopped in, I chatted with one of the super friendly owners (who happened to be from the same beach town where I grew up, so topical). I told him I had found them by chance looking for places that carried Ace & Jig, and that I was super excited for Oakland to have a new shop. We had just returned from New York where we stayed in the LES again which has such an amazing concentration of boutiques that I couldn't help but feel jealous and disappointed Oakland had nothing to match. But when I walked into Oakland Surf Club and saw their selection, some of it literally straight out of an NYC boutique (viz. these little necklaces from In God We Trust), was just as awesome, current and well designed but California-centric — even Oakland-centric — well, I was stoked.
OSC stocks a range of brands and price points, and they even have a small, tightly-curated vintage selection, which is where I scored a vintage Bob Mackie linen tank and Levi's cut-offs that I practically lived in this summer. Traditional surf brands like Quicksilver and Billabong spin-off RVCA are represented, but they also carry labels like Ace & Jig, Edith A. Miller, and soon Mara Hoffman, that are more fashion forward but still heavy on the surf vibe. There's a focus on Oakland and Bay Area based skate and streetwear brands, plus they have their own tees, tanks and hats emblazoned with the snappy, modern/classic Oakland Surf Club logo, and actual surfboards by Mangiagli.
They've already put on art shows and live music events, and this weekend they're hosting the Juniper Ridge field lab, a mobile set-up that distills natural fragrances inspired by California's desert and mountain landscapes live, in front of your very eyes.
If you live in Oakland or are visiting, definitely stop by Oakland Surf Club!
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