Clothing, shoes and accessories

Clothing is the biggest retail category in Palo Alto by a wide margin. OpenStreetMap, the open map our directory starts from, tags about 100 clothing, shoe, jewelry and accessory stores inside city limits. Roughly three quarters are clothing stores. The rest are jewelers, watch boutiques, shoe stores, bag and accessory shops and a couple of tailors. The mix runs from global luxury houses to small California brands with a single shop in the Bay Area.

This page works in two parts. Below the guide, every store we have verified appears automatically as a card. Above them is the context: where clothing stores cluster, how to find what you need and the practical details on returns, alterations and tax. For the shopping centers themselves, our guides to Stanford Shopping Center and Town & Country Village go further.

What this category includes

• Clothing: department stores' apparel floors, designer boutiques, mid-range brands, activewear, children's clothing, swimwear and lingerie
• Shoes: shoe stores and running shoe specialists
• Jewelry and watches: fine jewelers and brand watch boutiques
• Accessories: handbags, luggage and fashion accessories
• Tailors: alterations and custom tailoring

Dry cleaners and shoe repair are in everyday services. Eyewear shops sit in health and medical. Beauty and fragrance shops are in beauty, hair and wellness. Department stores as a whole are listed under books, gifts and specialty shops.

Where clothing stores cluster

Stanford Shopping Center

About two thirds of the category is in this one open-air center at El Camino Real and Sand Hill Road. Four department stores anchor it: Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. The luxury lineup is unusual for a city this size, with Hermès, Louis Vuitton, CHANEL, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, ZEGNA, Max Mara and Wilkes Bashford. Mid-range brands include Aritzia, J.Crew, Madewell, Banana Republic, Gap, Levi's, Reformation, Everlane, Free People, Vince, Veronica Beard, Eileen Fisher, Tory Burch and Ralph Lauren. Athletic and outdoor brands include lululemon, Vuori, Alo Yoga, On, New Balance, Arc'teryx and Backcountry.

Town & Country Village

Town & Country across from Palo Alto High School has around a dozen apparel shops, mostly smaller brands with a relaxed California feel. The center's directory lists Athleta, Evereve, Everything But Water, Faherty, J.McLaughlin, Johnny Was, Margaret O'Leary, Marine Layer, 27 Miles Malibu, Fillmore & 5th, Lingerie République, Marigold Row and Ruti. Tennis Town & Country sells shoes and apparel for tennis and pickleball. The Stanford Shop sells Stanford apparel.

Downtown

Downtown holds most of the remaining stores, on University Avenue and Emerson Street. The mix rotates more than at the centers because rents are high and leases turn over. Expect a few national brands, independent boutiques and jewelers between the cafes. Our University Avenue shopping guide explains how the streets fit together.

California Avenue and Midtown

Only a handful of clothing stores sit outside those three areas, on South California Avenue and Middlefield Road. Tailors and alteration shops are more common there than boutiques.

Finding what you need

This table is a starting point built from the shopping centers' own directories in October 2026. It shows where to look, not which store is better.

Returns, alterations and tax

Returns and exchanges

Each store sets its own return policy. California law requires a shop to post its policy at the register, the entrance or on the tag if it does not give a full refund, store credit or exchange for at least seven days. Custom-made items and goods marked final sale are exempt. The state's Department of Consumer Affairs guide has the details. Department stores and large chains are generally flexible. Small boutiques may give store credit only. Ask before you buy a gift and keep the receipt.

Alterations

The department stores offer alterations and personal shopping at their service desks. Independent tailors handle hems, sleeves and fittings. Ask how long the work takes. Graduation in June and the winter holidays are the busiest weeks, when a simple hem can take longer than usual.

Sales tax

Tag prices exclude sales tax, which is added at the register at a combined rate of 9.75 percent (effective October 1, 2026). Clothing is fully taxable in California. International visitors cannot claim a refund. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration lists the current rate.

Buying jewelry and watches

For a significant purchase, a few habits protect you:

1. Ask for documentation. Larger diamonds and valuable colored stones usually come with a grading report from an independent lab. Ask which lab and get a copy.
2. Buy watches from authorized dealers. Brand boutiques and authorized retailers carry the maker's warranty. Ask how service works if the watch needs repair.
3. Get the terms in writing. Return windows, resizing and engraving policies differ. Engraved and custom pieces are usually final sale.
4. Insure it. Ask for an appraisal or detailed receipt for your insurer.

When to shop

Stanford Shopping Center's regular hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with longer hours in the holiday season. Town & Country and downtown shops set their own hours. Most open by 10 or 11 a.m. Weekday mornings are calm. Weekend afternoons and December are the peak. Commencement weekend in June and Stanford move-in week in September bring families shopping for Stanford gear.

Parking, Caltrain and getting there

Both shopping centers have large surface lots that fill first near the department stores and restaurants. Arrive before noon on weekends. Downtown shoppers use city garages and lots, where short visits are generally free with posted time limits. The City of Palo Alto parking page has current rules. Stanford Shopping Center is roughly a 15-minute walk from the Palo Alto Caltrain station. Town & Country is about a 10-minute walk. Our getting around guide covers buses and the Marguerite shuttle.

How we check clothing listings

Every page in this category follows the same process. We start from OpenStreetMap data for the name, location and any posted hours. Then an editor opens the store's own website or its shopping center's directory and confirms that the Palo Alto location is current. Chain and brand locations are labeled as part of a chain. If we cannot confirm a store is open, we do not publish a page.

Each page describes the store in neutral terms from its own published information. We do not publish customer reviews, star ratings or rankings and we do not quote prices. Stores cannot pay for a listing or a better position. Every page shows the date it was checked. Location data is © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.

Browse the clothing and accessories listings

The verified stores appear below in alphabetical order. Each card leads to a page with the address, nearest Caltrain stop, parking notes, hours where we could confirm them and what else is nearby. More stores are added as editors verify them. For the rest of the directory, return to the directory home.

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Frequently asked questions