Four Floors of Fabulous Britex Fabrics!

The Britex Fabric Store front, located at 146 Geary Street in San Francisco. All photos in this Blog Article taken by Roxanne R. Rangel.

Britex Fabrics, located at 146 Geary Street in San Francisco's famous Union Square, is a historic retail fabric store, that has been family owned and operated by Martin Spector and Family, since 1952. Recently, Britex Fabrics has been declared A Legacy Business, by The Non-Profit San Francisco Heritage, in 2016.

On March 18th, 2017, my dear husband, and fellow creator, Javier Rangel, and myself, traveled from Hayward, California, to visit this iconic retail store. Javi and I had the special privilege of attending the FREE "Four Floors of Fabulous Britex Fabrics" Store Tour that is offered each Saturday. However, do to the popularity of the tour, and limited spacing, tickets are required to attend this weekly tour.

You can reserve your tour tickets through Eventbrite, by clicking this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/four-floors-of-fabulous-britex-fabrics-free-store-tours-tickets-23841887728?aff=eac2

Photo of San Francisco's Union Square, taken from the Macy's Building.

A map of a portion of San Francisco, for your convenience!

Four floors of Britex Fabrics!

When walking into Britex Fabrics, you will immediately see shelf lined walls brimming with fabrics from floor to ceiling, along side a     row of tables full of beautiful textiles, organized with extreme visibility in mind. The fabrics are also organized not only by color, but are also organized in sections of Fabric Type.  

On the First Floor of Britex Fabrics, beautiful Silks, Wools, and Couture Fabric are available for purchase, as well as Brocades, Couture Lace, and Lining. Deena, the store manager, calls Britex a "petting zoo", since you really can't help yourself from brushing your fingertips across all the luxurious feeling Fabrics! I chuckled when she said this, since I had been touching every fabric in sight for the previous thirty minutes! 

Fabric is organized by color, as well as fabric type. It is easily to find and access! This is a photo taken of the First Floor of Britex Fabrics.

Deena, was our tour guide for this trip, and I loved how informative she was about each textile, as well as her passion for fabric! Deena explained that Britex is truly a unique fabric store, because each fabric in stock is hand-selected, personally by the store's buyer. Many of the fabrics sold at Britex are truly unique and one of a kind. The fabric selection also can be limited in quantity, so Deena advises, "If you see it, and love it, buy it now, because once it's gone, it's gone!"

Taking our tour group, first to the back of the store, Deena pulled out some exquisite French Lace! The French Lace is stunning, and narrow in width. Deena explained that authentic French Lace, can be hard to find, and expensive, ranging up to $125 per yard!

Deena pulled out a beautiful Silk Tulle, that I had never seen before. The Silk Tulle was passed around so everyone could feel its soft, yet sturdy texture. Britex carries Silk Tulle in stock regularly in basic colors, such as Black and Cream. What a rare delight! 

Deena, the Store Manager of Britex, and tour guide, explains the characteristics of French Lace!

Silk Tulle!!

In addition to the beautiful French Lace, Wool Knits and Brocade fabric can also be found on the First Floor. Deena explained that Wool Knits do not wiggle the way other knit fabric might, it is also very soft. Britex Fabric also carries a Cashmere Mink blended fabric! 

Walls of Wool, and tables of Silk!

Deena shows us a beautiful Couture Fabric created by G.Rositani of Dulce and Gabbana!

Next, the tour group moved onto the beautiful rows of Solid Silks (there is an entire wall dedicated to Solid Silk!). Deena pulled out beautiful Crepe Back Satin, that can be utilized showing either side, and then she directed our attention to the wall full of  Bridal Satin! Some of the Bridal fabrics found on this wall are imported straight from Italy! Deena gave the helpful hint, that Silk can be hand washed with shampoo and then hung to dry. 

Also on the first floor, are beautiful Silk Charmeuse and Chiffon, many that feature textile  digital prints, that were made in Italy. I particularly loved seeing the Designer Couture Fabric designed by G. Rositani of Dolce and Gabbana (which can be purchased for $125 per yard), and the exquisite fabric by Gucci! When examining the Designer Couture Fabric, you can really see the quality of not only the fabric itself, but the quality of the print as well! Deena says, "These fabrics sell quickly!" 

Designer Couture Chiffon by Gucci

Another beautiful textile found on the First Floor! 

On the Second Floor of Britex Fabrics, Home Decor, Cotton, Linen, Rayon, Polyester, 
Velvet, Lycra, Metallics, and Sequin can be found!

The 2nd Floor of Britex Fabric.

Once on the second floor, the tour group immediately arrived in the Home Decor, or Furnishings Department. Deena explained how the textiles are organized, and then pulled out her favorite woven Turkish Upholstery Fabrics that are not only stunningly beautiful, but thick, soft, and luxurious. Deena pointed out that many upholstery fabrics are backed with a Poly-Blend for stability. 

A splendid variety of Turkish Upholstery Fabric!

Deena (pictured wearing black to the right), shows the tour group her favorite Turkish Upholstery Fabric!

Also on the second floor, are a wide variety of printed textiles, including the world famous Liberty of London Fabric. These gorgeous fabrics are made using both traditional printing techniques as well as digital Italian printing, and are often inspired by nature, architecture, and heritage. 

Liberty of London

Liberty of London

​Here are a few examples of Liberty of London Fabric's amazing prints! 

A wall of Liberty of London Fabric! So many fantastic prints to choose from!

Deena also pointed out some magnificent Japanese Indigo, which is rare and difficult to obtain. Japanese Indigo is made with a unique layer waxing printing technique. Another rare find, stocked on the second floor, are Authentic Swiss Eyelet Fabrics. Deena explained that many European Fabric factories have been closing in recent times, limiting the amount of fabrics produced. 

Velvets, Lycras, Metallics, and Sequin can also be found on the second floor of Britex Fabrics.

More Lace! The Lace found on the second floor of Britex are of a more modest price point then the Couture Lace found on the first floor, and are typically made with Poly/Nylon.

In addition to the printed Cotton, a wide variety of many other fabrics can be found on the second floor of Britex Fabrics, including (but not limited to); digitally printed Linen, printed Knits, Poly/Nylon Lace, Velvets, Flannels, Solid Knits, Sequin Fabric, Poly Satin, Poly Crepe Back Satin, Taffeta, Swimsuit Nylon, Oil Cloth, Laminate Cloth, Faux Leathers, Denim, and Cotton Velvet! Wow!

Now off to the Third Floor!

On the Third Floor of Britex Fabrics, Notions, Accessories, Buttons, Ribbons, Trim, Buckles, Tassels, Patterns, and Books, are stocked from floor to ceiling! 

Immediately to the right of the stair case leading up to the third floor, is a counter where purchases of lace and rare trim can be made. I was truly dazzled by the abundant selection and knowledge of the staff in this department. The woman tending the counter, I unfortunately failed to note her name, pulled out a splendid specimen of Austrian Trim. Just see for yourself how beautiful it is! 

Beautiful, and colorful, authentic Austrian Trim, found on the Third Floor of Britex Fabrics.

Next, the tour group was shown superbly made lace, rich in artistry and detail! Check out this Pink French Knot Lace Edging that took all of our breaths away! I also learned that there are several types of Lace, including Alençon Lace, as well as Chantilly Lace. Interestingly, both Alençon Lace, as well as Chantilly Lace are named after the French Cities in which the techniques originated from. Chantilly Lace Making dates back to the 17th Century!

Pink French Knot Lace Edge with Beadwork

Stunning White Chantilly Lace, placed over a tan background to bring out the shadowing detail of the craftsmanship!

Other notions located on the third floor, include every shade of zipper you could possible imagine, interesting elastic made in unique colors and various prints, as well as feather trims, floral accessories, and Silk Thread! 

Feather Trims come in many colors here at Britex Fabrics!

Check out these Floral Accessories!

Silk Thread in every shade and color!

​Now, we have arrived on the Fourth Floor of Britex Fabrics!
​
​This floor is just as intriguing as all of the other levels of this lovely shop! 
Fabric Remnants, Faux Fur, Felt, Fleece, Nets, Tulles, Vinyl, and Leather are all organized to perfection on this floor! There are even many discounted fabrics, located here, in what is called the "Britex 'YARD' Sale" section! 

On the shelf housing the Leather Goods, there are also many Specialty Skins, such as Snake, and Eel!

Javi and I really enjoyed attending this tour, in which we gained so much valuable information, not only of the store layout and merchandise, but also of the fascinating history and stories behind the textiles themselves!

Specialty Skins, located on the Fourth Floor, include Snake Skin, and Eel Skin.

Cow Hide

I hope you enjoyed my trip to Britex Fabrics as much as myself and Javi surely did! If you are in the San Francisco area, stop by this amazing store! You will not be disappointed!

You can also check out Britex Fabric's Website, www.britexfabrics.com, to stay up to date on store news, as well as classes offered!

Thank you for reading my Blog!
Ta Ta... for now!

This is me, Roxanne R. Rangel, in Britex Fabrics! (Photo by Javier Rangel)

This is my handsome Husband, Javier! We are almost always together, and I am thankful that he enjoys attending events like this as much as I do!

Related Links:

A Trip to Lacis Museum of Lace & Textiles- Berkeley, California 

High Style at The Legion of Honor 

Roaming Through a Mannequin Graveyard... with a Camera