The striking black and white striped awning of the Ambiance clothing boutique is a signature landmark of 24th Street. A small, locally-owned shop, Ambiance is a long-time Noe Valley favorite, and a destination shopping spot for those in and out of the neighborhood. Ambiance has four locations throughout San Francisco. We are a bit biased toward the Noe Valley location, but we think they are all terrific.

Here are a few reasons why we love this shop:

1. Fashion. Fashion. Fashion.
This may sound shallow, but we are writing about a clothing store, so let’s be honest. The best thing about Ambiance is their continued commitment to offering high-quality clothing and accessories that are stylish, on-point, and on-trend. Ambiance has the unique quality of featuring real-life-looking models on their website and in their advertising that truly reflect the diversity and culture of all of San Francisco. Plus they showcase actual Ambiance customers modeling their clothes on their Instagram feed. The styling is down-to-earth and accessible, so that everyday women get clever ideas on how to wear beautiful Ambiance clothes in real life.

2. Body-friendly.
Ambiance offers something for women of many shapes and sizes. Unlike other small fashion boutiques, Ambiance embraces many body types, with choices, lengths, and coverage options.

3. Age-friendly.
Take your teen daughter and your retired mother with you for a shopping day challenge at Ambiance. Maybe you all need a party dress or a new jacket. With so many choices available, everyone can find something that works. And believe it or not, the teen won’t feel like she’s dressed like a grandma (and vice versa) at the end of the Ambiance experience. 

4. Wallet-friendly. 
What? You just paid the rent on your $3,000 a month studio and then bought some $8 toast and now your BFF is throwing herself a spontaneous birthday silent disco in Dolores Park? Stop into Ambiance before you head down the hill and pick up a lovely scarf, a charming hat, or a spiffy pair of sunglasses. You will still be able to afford a $10 bottle of wine to contribute to the party. The folks at Ambiance will even wrap up your gift in their signature black and white packaging.

5. Theme weekends and great sales.
Ambiance offers sales for just about every holiday, plus major discounts at the end of each season. Sign up for the Ambi-Insiders Club and find out about deals and special offers before the mad rush. 

6. One-on-one help.
All this stuff is great, right. But maybe you still don’t know how or where to begin your body-friendly, age-friendly, wallet-friendly, stylish-as-heck Ambiance shopping experience? Maybe you want to copy that Instagram feed but your look suggests more of a desperate bid to mimic the style of your 12-year-old nephew (who looks fabulous, by the way). Maybe you are just busy and need someone to cut your shopping time in half. Have no fear! Ambiance books Shopping Appointments with in-house stylists who can help you pull your look together. 

7. Gift cards.
What do you get for the fashionista who has it all? An Ambiance gift card. Enough said. And if you don’t spend it all at once, Ambiance will store the balance in their database to be used at any of the stores. This is a great gift to hint at someone out of San Francisco to buy for a local. 

8. Ambi-Care packages.
For folks who need an Ambiance fix, but don’t live near enough to make it into a store, Ambiance offers Ambi-Care packages. It’s like one of those fancy personal shopping mail order systems, but better because it’s Ambiance. Get a customized goody package of Ambiance fashion sent to your door as often as you like. 

9. Private shopping parties. 
Gather a group of your besties and book Ambiance after hours for a personal shopping event. The store provides sparkling wine, snacks, and discounts. Ambiance also works with local schools to give back percentages of parties and special events.  

10. Birthday Wednesdays.
Celebrate your birthday with Ambiance. On the second Wednesday of each month, Ambiance offers a cupcake, a gift with purchase, and exclusive savings to everyone with a birthday in that month. Sign up for their mailing list (and be sure to list your birthday) to get reminders for this fun event. 

The tagline at Ambiance is, “Remember, at Ambiance, we really like you.” Same to you, Ambiance, same to you. 

Robin Dutton-Cookston is a writer and editor based in San Francisco. She has a day job as Director of Communications at Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco. Her night job is managing her three children, sipping bourbon, and eating chocolate, although not always at the same time.