May Stu will reply? Flying to SF this week - what is the normal attire for walking around during the day? How about restaurants for dinner time - dressy or casual? Business casual or jeans?
thanks much

I'm not Stu and don't know who Stu is, but I'll give this a go anyway.

Daytime walking attire is whatever makes you comfortable. It's a big city. No one else will care what you're wearing, and you'll see all levels of attire from business people through to teens in torn sweats and jeans. People live here, and you should wear whatever you're accustomed to wearing where you live.

As to dinner, there are casual restaurants where jeans would be totally find, but that's not to say you couldn't wear dressier clothes to them. And there are very upscale restaurants where jeans would at least be frowned upon, if not specifically forbidden.

I'll reiterate - this is a big city, and you'll find it all here. There's no "uniform".

Thanks much. Saw Stu respond to a number of SF questions. Your comments were very helpful. It was pretty much my thinking, but wanted another opinion. Looking forward to the sites and a few good meals.

jlm gave some good answers.

Fashion police are not going to arrest you if you "stick out" too much.

Here is what I wear. If I'm in the financial district or downtown, I'll wear casual pants and a sports shirt or Polo shirt - business casual. If I'm in a neighborhood (Noe Valley, Haight, Cow Hollow, Marina, North Beach, etc), I'll wear jeans or cords or khakis. If it's hot (unlikely), and a weekend, I'll wear shorts to a neighborhood. If you don't want to look like a tourist, don't wear shorts downtown or to the financial district.

For dinner: For the "top 10" restaurants (Masa, Gary Danko, Fleur de Lys, Aqua, La Folie, Farallon, Postrio, Boulevard) I wear dress pants and a dress shirt or sweater. If it's a special occasion, I'll wear a sports coat & perhaps a tie. My wife wears dress pants, very nice top, and a nice jacket. As a very general rule, locals dress up more to go to a downtown/financial district restaurant, than they do for a neighborhood one - except for perhaps the Presidio Heights neighborhood, which is surrounded by elegant homes and elegant people.

In the Mission, Haight, Noe Valley, jeans are common, but I wear casual pants (business casual). For an ethnic restaurant (Thep Phanom) jeans are the norm - I wear them. In the Union/Fillmore/Chestnut area (perhaps 30 restaurants in this region) I do business casual, but there are jeans also - mainly the younger crowd.

Shoes for dinner. I wear dress shoes everywhere for dinner, except when I'm wearing jeans, and then I'll wear deck shoes. Never tennis shoes, but you will see many in very caual places.

Shoes for daytime. If you don't want to look like a tourist, don't wear big, bright jogging shoes. I wear deck shoes 100% of the time. My wife has feet problems, and she wears black low cut Reebok shoes during the day.

At the Wharf, do anything you like. Most people who go there are first or second time tourists, and I've seen everything. Once, while dining at Gary Danko's (very elegant, but it's next to the Wharf), a guy walked in with a jogging suit, bright jogging shoes, and a back pack. He was not seated (may not have had a reservation - don't know).

Hope this makes sense.

Stu Dudley

Hello wesals,

I go out to dinner regularly in S.F., and most of the time I'm going straight from a day at the salt mine/office. "Business casual" is quite all right for 90% of restaurants here. So is dressing up, if you want to. I'm wearing a knee-length skirt, wool sweater, a scarf and mid-heel shoes, with a light all-weather coat on top. I'd be ready for dinner with the flick of a lipstick. For a man, khakis or wool slacks with a shirt or sweater, blazer or leather jacket, is more than o.k. The look to be avoided for restaurant-going would be the sloppy tee-shirt/baseball cap/cargo shorts thing.
For walking about during the day, jeans are fine, comfortable shoes a must. I'd say shorts are o.k., but when is it ever hot enough to spend the whole darn day in shorts here? Answer: mid-October!

I will be in SF the last week of March and I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out what I will need. The weather is the most baffling to pack for! It says on the the weather.com that temps will be between 40 and 60 and that is year round! I am thinking black pants and jeans and khakis, comfortable black shoes, and a short lightweight wool jacket that can be worn over a thin shirt or a turtleneck. How does that sound? Those will be my staple items.

dear girlonthego,
You are on the right track wardrobe wise. The only addition I would make is another lightweight coat, with some rain-shedding ability (something "all-weather", NOT a rain slicker). Do make sure your tops have some layering ability - it will really pay off during our sudden moves from high to low temps and vice versa. A cardigan in lightweight wool, cashmere or featherweight fleece would be a good addition too.