First Round of Voting: Hayes Valley vs. the Marina/Cow Hollow

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Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for Racked's first Neighborhood Style Showdown, a week-long quest to determine which part of San Francisco has the best local style. Today and tomorrow, we'll be pitting eight first-round picks against each other, Wednesday and Thursday we'll narrow them down, and on Friday we'll crown a winner. Of course, we can't do it without you, so get ready to vote!

For the first round, we're pitting Hayes Valley against the Marina/Cow Hollow. The latter has been a shopping destination for as long as we can remember, while Hayes Valley is a bit more of a newcomer. And the folks walking around in each hood tend have distinctive styles.

Even before Hayes Valley was the chic 'hood that it's become over the past decade or so, Modern Appealing Clothing was a destination for high-end and hard-to-find designers like Margiela, Dries Van Noten and Commes des Garcons. Now that Azalea, Welcome Stranger, NIDA, Acrimony and others have joined the party, the folks shopping in the area are super stylish and brand-savvy.

We sometimes joke that in the Marina/Cow Hollow, women are fond of yoga pants. But truth be told there are plenty of stylish folks to be found meandering down Chestnut and Union streets. Chloe Rose, Conifer, Uko, Jack's, Simply Chic and many other great boutiques have the chic set flocking. But how do they hold up to the street styles on Hayes?

You decide! It's all up to you, our readers. Vote in our poll below for the most stylish neighborhood. And stay tuned, tomorrow we pit two more neighborhoods against each other!

· All Neighborhood Style Showdown Posts [Racked SF]