Is S.F. The Poster City For Normcore?

San Francisco gets a lot of stink-eye thrown its way when the subject of style comes up in conversation. And, as much as we’ve seen S.F. evolve and become a smidge more fashion conscious, the streets are still be peppered with Patagonia and Betabrand. That’s just the way it is.

With normcore (dressing like a Seinfeld character, in frumpy jeans and '90s-era tees) at a fever pitch, we have to wonder: Is S.F. (SoMa to be exact) at the center of a trend, for once? Is our fair city the poster child for dressing up like a middle-aged suburban man and not giving a damn in the process? Take a glance around the hilly environs and see if the outfits you spot support that theory. New York Magazine delves deeper into the issue, wondering what is it about S.F. that lends itself to such function-driven attire. Could it be that locals just can’t compete with the glimmering Bay and candy-colored architecture? Or, perhaps in S.F., “your ideas do the talking,” as a Google employee told the mag, so there's no need to get all ostentatious with your outfit. One might also chalk it up to the active lifestyle among residents who apparently need to be ready to take a hike at the drop of a dime. All of the above might be true, proving that windbreakers and relaxed-fit jeans won't be departing our closets anytime soon. At least, for now, they're in style.