Weston Wear — Local Here, National Elsewhere

Clothing that fits like a charm has a secret — one that Weston Wear’s Julienne Weston could tell you all about. Or maybe she’ll ask you to pop into her store along Valencia Street near 18th for a try-on yourself.

Today is a particularly good day to take her up on that advice, because the store’s sample sale at 2650 18th began at 3 p.m. and runs through Sunday.

Everything Weston Wear does — designing, manufacturing and distributing — is done locally at its warehouse at 18th and York streets. “She likes to pump money back into the economy,” says stylist Marlene Flores, dressed in a black, chunky knit Weston Wear sweater.

The clothes are all about being comfortable yet stylish. That material in your baggy sweats, lycra tops, mesh skirts? It’s also used in the clothing at Weston Wear. But it’s done with a keen eye to style.

Customers are catching on. “I always receive dozens of compliments on their clothes — the way they are cut, the patterns and materials, the way the pieces just flow,” says Arielle M. from San Francisco, via Yelp.

That “flow” comes from attention to draping and ruching, which accentuates any silhouette. It also comes from fabric the company uses heavily — cotton/lycra, rayon/lycra and nylon mesh. “This creates a ‘second skin’ aspect to the Weston Wear look,” says Weston on her website.

Weston, 55, studied ballet and modern dance at Stanford. Her clothes led her to the discovery of those stretchy and flattering materials. Then came her fashion epiphany: She wanted to wear her dance clothes into the real world. So she combined the best of both worlds and launched the company in 1980. She’s been in business ever since.

This actual Weston Wear store lives only in the Mission, making it the company’s flagship. And being their friend comes with benefits — the warehouse is only six blocks away. “Anytime a customer needs something, I can pop over to our warehouse and they’ll have it in a couple of days,” says stylist Lily Schoutsen.

Even more, “Here, you get a better deal,” says stylist Jen Judge. That’s because prices are wholesale; they are marked up at other wholesale buyers/carriers, like Macy’s, Nordstrom and Anthroplogie, for reasons related to relabeling and profit. “I’ve been buying their tops at Nordstrom for years,” says Blondie R. from Alamo, California, via Yelp. “Some of the tops that I bought at Nordstrom were on sale here at a great price.”

Some customers consider Weston Wear clothes a splurge. “I am sorry, but I want some silk and other beautiful textiles for clothes priced between $100 to $250,” says Sooj O., from New York City, via Yelp. But others don’t mind: “Yes, it’s mesh, but that’s what Weston Wear is all about,” says Nini M. of San Francisco via Yelp. “If the prices freak you [out], wait for the sales!”

Well, the sales are here. Weston Wear’s twice-annual sample sale begins today and goes until Sunday.

The only down side: Most everything — tops, skirts and dresses — runs extra-small to medium. But one could say that the prices are extra-small to medium, too. Since the clothes are 75 percent off, price points will go from $7 to $40. “[At the sample sale] I still found [a dress] and it was only fifteen dollars! Amazing, as I’m sure it’d be at least a hundred or so at Anthropologie,” says Kensey W. of Chicago via Yelp.

So, what’s the reasoning behind the rather small sizes? “They’re testers,” says Judge. They vary in terms of cut (cowl neck, V neck, scoop neck), arm length (short sleeve, mid-sleeve, long sleeve), armpit length (too low, too high) and pattern play (floral motifs).

“It’s subtle variations,” says Judge. “But they allow us to play around with sizing.” From there, they notice what’s “flattering” — code for what’s selling well. Then they’ll consider creating specific items for the full size run, from extra-small to large. That’s when other wholesale buyers/carriers get their hands on the goods.

But before that, it all begins in the Mission. “I love that it’s in our city,” says Schoutsen. “It has the Mission edge and the Mission influence.”

The sample sale takes place at 2650 18th St.: Thursday, 3-7 p.m.; Friday, noon–7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.