Best Costume Shop

In other cities, a costume store can be a seasonal proposition, with a lot of downtime between Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. But San Francisco is not your average city: Its denizens like to party, and party in costume. Whether you're looking for a last-minute mustache to finish off a porn star outfit or a full kangaroo suit, Costumes on Haight has the goods. The store carries plenty of vintage clothes that you can buy or rent. A huge variety of accessories ranges from star-shaped sunglasses and eerie masks to gruesome vampire teeth and play handcuffs. And the salespeople are as cheerful and bemused as you could hope for. A recent Tuesday-night request for a Dolly Parton mess o' curls was met with a furrowed brow and a conspiratorial aside: "Going to a wig party?" Often, it's all you can stand not to invite them along.