Martin + Osa

Yes, it’s sad that they’re closing soon but on the upside, I got new furniture!
That’s right folks, you loved the front white table too? Well I got it! Bahahahahaha. I wanted the rectangular, console-​like tables too but Kendra beat me to it! *smf*
Also got one of the low wooden tables for a coffee table. It’s solid wood and super heavy. You have to bring your own human-​power when you do pick ups.
Wooden hangers at 50 cents each.
It’s been a long time since the days of the tyvek bags… I miss those days. The day they started wrapping my clothes in tissue I knew that it was all going to be over soon.
So long M+O! I’ll miss you and your pleasantly scented rooms.

Agree that the closure (all 28 stores, announced in March) will be a loss! Stopped in today to use up a gift card… EVERYTHING including clearance is 30% off.
Funny thing is that there are no signs to indicate closure, just ubiquitous reminders that «all sales are final». Staff were still putting out new merch and I picked up a stunning top with a draped silhouette only found in higher-​end lines or in little boutiques throughout Europe.
Get over there and grab some unique pieces before it’s too late.)-:

Just bought a really cool sweater recently on their current 30% sales. All sales final!
The staff asked me a few times if I needed help finding anything or picking sizes… I definitely appreciated the gesture. Many times, in places like these, the employees tend to ignore the customers and leave them to fend for themselves. For the most part, it’s a good thing… but not always.
I found everything I was looking for and ended up leaving with one item. The entire sales floor was very well kept. neat, organized, and just overall appealing to the eyes.
For a store that’s going out of business, they definitely kept it very professional still. When I made my purchase, they wrapped my sweater in some nice tissue paper and put it in a very fancy bag with a nylon strap. Though it was definitely not necessary, it was nice to see.
Oh well, Martin and Osa… you will be missed.

I shop at Martin + Osa at Valley Fair quite frequently and am accustomed to their level of customer service which is pretty much always available for the customer (and friendly). This store is quite the opposite. No one talked to me until I got to the cash register, and when I got there they snapped at me «all sales are final, did anyone tell you?». Well, if I was at the Valley Fair store I would have had one or two people already talk to me and tell me that, but no snotty ma goo, no one told me.
The line was long to try things on, so I just went to the side and slipped the two shirts over my tank top. Okay, good… go back to cashier. New person, still kinda snotty. WTF?
Today, I stopped into the Valley Fair store… and there was a friendly greeter, and when I left, just as friendly.

I am so sadden to find out that AE is shutting down its higher end line. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? (A&F ceased Ruehl, which was right across from M+O). I still remember when it first opened. The bright atmosphere made it really elegant, yet the wood seen throughout the store really paid homage to whom the brand was named after and the lifestyle. They used to sell Vans slip-​ons! All that’s left for mens is Jack Purcell Converse with laces. M+O is generous with coupons and promotions both in-​store and online. Winter clearance is the all time best to stock ip on bargains but I don’t get to relive that this winter. I got a pair of black Rainbow flip flops for $ 23.99! I think that’s even cheaper than the factory outlet.
The fitting rooms are awesome (but nothing beats Ruehl’s fitting rooms); each room is narrow but the ceilings are astoundingly high. The lighting controls help you gauge how you look in front of the tall mirror. The door is pretty darn heavy and it’ll be sad to see it all go. The staff are so kind and tuned to suit all of your needs. You won’t find blasting music here. It’s pretty soothing and tranquil, as if you’re in the woods shopping for an outfit. There are usually no more than 5 customers in the store. There used to be a bar at the back that served Fiji water but I think that ceased operation a long time ago. AE advertised M+O much more than A&F ever did with Ruehl but success was sluggish I guess. After the summer, that floor of that wing will be dead.

Good quality clothing. Very nice styling. Funky sizing. At J. Crew and Banana Republic I always buy a small when I purchase shirts. Unfortunately, the smalls from Martin + Osa are too long and the x-​smalls won’t button at the neck if I want to wear a tie. Boo.
As a side note, I ordered some clothing from the website that didn’t fit and when I went to return it I noticed there was no pre-​paid shipping label. That’s a tacky practice for a company that wants to appear high-​end.

This place is like what Banana and J. Crew wants to be like. Unique, good quality clothing, top of the line, and chic. I am the average American woman when it comes to body image and size. Some parts of me are a little too wide, some non-​existent and my legs are definitely shorter than short.
For some reason, Martin + Osa gets it. I have an ass, my legs look awesome and I don’t have to do some weird tuggy pully thingy with my waistline. For once. And if the length is a little off, they do alterations. Which is a really nice service that accommodates to all men and women.
I enjoy perusing through their cardigans which hit at the waist perfectly and feel great. I just discovered their t-​shirts which paired with the also newly discovered skinny jeans with side zippers make me feel younger than I am and effortlessly put together. I swear I could twirl around and land on something I’ll love. The fact that the stitching holds, the fabric doesn’t pill and the prices are so reasonable don’t hurt at all either.
I think all women should check this store out. Just pass by once and give their dark indigo boot cut jeans a try.

Once i was walking around the Marina and was stopped by a girl and her guy friend. She said, «i love your jeans. Who makes them?» To which I replied, «Martina and Osa». She was like, «Who?» and the guy was like, «Shut up! No way!» With all the premium jeans that I have I must say that these jeans that cost under a bill as just as good if not better than some that cost over a bill.
The jeans got me hooked but now I come back for the Neysa’s excellent service. Beware though, I’ll walk in with the intent of browsing and Neysa will point out all the great deals but I’m not really complaining every time I walk out of the store I feel great knowing I got incredible deals and great help.

I call this the American Eagle for older people.
I found this place online, through American Eagle. It’s the sister company or something. I like these clothes, the quality is good. I could never buy anything here at regular price.
The only time I come here is to return stuff that I bought from their site online. I find it intimidating to walk into this store. There is usually not that many people, since this place is tucked away in a corner somewhere.
I would say I can find better M+O deals online with the many coupons they send me through email. They use to send 30% & have free shipping all the time, that has changed now. Now coupons are only 20% and free shipping starts when you buy $ 125+ worth of stuff. Sometimes they will have free shipping on any purchase, but it seems rare these days.
You can get your pants altered here, I’ve never gotten it done yet. I found out when I told the cashier that I was returning it that it was too long & not stretchy (the way I like my jeans).
Workers are nice.

So with my killer fashion know how (cough, cough) — I think everyone will be excited to learn that I’ve graduated from UGGs to green Hunter rain boots.
Very chic. Cutting edge if you will.
I’d been admiring a pair of simple forest green rainboots from here. From afar. For awhile. But this weekend I went there. I slid those green glossy rubber things on my feet — and have barely taken them off all weekend. I even wore them out of the store.
I couldn’t wait to stomp in puddles. Tromp through muddy grass. And go with them — where none of my wussy shoes have gone before.
This weekend — women’s bathrooms were a breeze. No tip-​toeing around suspicious wet spots. With my green rainboots in tow — nothing phased me. This weekend — when I spilled hot sauce all over me — all I had to do was wipe down my boots. This weekend when a hookah coal fell on my foot — it landed splat on my rubber green toe — and I just lightly brushed it aside.
Seriously.
I have taken them to the club. To Hippie Hill. And I plan on sporting them rain. And shine.
Martin & Osa has once again changed my shoe existence with a powerful and beautiful touch.
Green Hunter Rain boots — That’s What’s Up.
Trust.

Started coming here about 2 years ago and have been coming back since. Many pieces in my closet are from here. Quality of clothing is good, but it seems to have gone down in the past year for some reason (or the clothing has gotten thinner and started to cost more –most likely to compete with the other places like JCrew or Banana Republic). There’s a mailing list –coupons and other offers sent are very generous and frequent, ranging from 30% to 50% off.
The atmosphere in the store is unpretentious and open. Dressing rooms are very spacious and at one point they even passed out bottled water prior to going into the rooms (odd, but a nice touch!). Store staff are always on hand to answer any questions or provide insight on what might look good on me –great customer service.
Cardigans are one of the best items here. Pants are also of good quality, as are the blazers. The hooded light jackets sometimes fit awkwardly, but are very warm. Shoes are also really nice here and are of very high quality. Sizes run a little larger on the shoes and cardigans, smaller on the swimsuits, and just right for the pant sizes.
Men’s clothing is also quite a steal — seems to be a better deal and of higher quality than the women’s clothing recently. I always find something nice to purchase for a birthday or gift-​giving holiday that is just right. The clothing is warm and very soft.
Definitely like this place and will keep coming back for more window shopping even if I don’t purchase anything. This place isn’t always quality and fit for women’s clothing, but most pieces are nice.

I can’t stop. Popping into the Corte Madera store a couple of months ago, I felt like what I had been searching for had finally been found.
For the last year or so, probably longer, I’d been trolling the racks of my usual sartorial standbys, J. Crew and Banana Republic, and was coming up empty time after time. I couldn’t figure out why — had I outgrown these places (I’m 42)? I think maybe part of that is true, but I also just started to notice the quality slipping more and more at these places. It was like disposable clothing for wanna be hipster teens. And Banana Republica was becoming a bit too. I dunno, all style, no substance. The quality and the prices were no where in sync.
Oh, but M+O. I have spent hundreds in here over the last few weeks, both at the Westfield and at Corte Madera. The look, the quality, the service, the store’s design, the aesthetic, all fantastic. I don’t know if anyone knows the late, great Australian clothing retailer Country Road — they left the U.S. market a few years ago and I was crushed. M+O reminds me a little of them. Good quality, timeless look (I still wear Country Road things I“ve owned for 15 years). Check out M+O!!!

I wish I were rich or had a sugar daddy to buy my clothes. I would buy all the nicer things in life. Especially clothes from Martin + Osa. I stumbled upon one of their fliers that was sent to my house (my roommates) and saw some cute clothes. A little pricey but the styles were different from what I’ve seen. I looked online for a sweater and they didn’t have my size. Bummer. When I went to the store I found the exact sweater in my size! I lucked out. It looked awesome on and I bought it right away. The employers were friendly and weren’t clingy at all. They were so helpful and down to earth. Love this store!
If anyone wants to be my sugar daddy, please contact me. I need clothes from Martin + Osa.

Continuing my love affair with Martin + Osa…
Today I stopped by to buy some thin cardigans that had mostly sold out online. The sale section only had a couple colors, but I asked a sales guy if there were any left in navy and he said that he seemed to recall that they did, so he went to the back to get one. He also brought one in olive, and told me that if I bought three he’d cut me a deal. Tried on the cardigans: a little too big (they were out of the size below), but as usual, great quality fabric. This was a mix of cashmere/​silk/​modal.
I told the sales guy that I only wanted two, not three, and he said if I purchased any other item in the store, he’d give me 30% off the entire purchase. Added another great-​fitting v-​neck tee, and ended up getting paying only $ 40 for two cardigans and a t-​shirt.
Love this store.

If Banana Republic and JCrew had a baby, and you mixed in GAP as the evil stepsister, you’d get Martin & Osa. What I love about this store is the variety of brands they have; in addition to their clothes… Havaianas, Tigers, some books, even North Face accessories.
The one thing I noticed immediately, was the fabrics. They had everything from amazingly soft cashmere sweaters, to these great combed cotton v-​necks. My friend purchased two of these v-​necks, and I honestly contemplated buying a pair of my own. By far the best basics I’ve come across, comparing the v-​necks and crews of GAP, American Eagle, and even American Apparel.
Another great thing about this store are the fitting rooms. I mean, you’ll just have to go and check them out yourself. And the free Fiji water? Ummm… awesome!
So if you’re looking for some great quality essentials, definitely check this store out. The customer service was awesome, and customer experience was rather pleasant.
Except when we met this guy who was OBSESSED with Martin & Osa. As in, he gladly repeatedly exclaimed that what he was wearing was all M&O. Okay, dude, we got it.
Intervention anyone?

I think the older I get the more picky I get about my clothes. Not picky metro, picky I don’t want big logos plastered all over my body. I don’t want to be a walking billboard for Roca wear or hollister or whatever.
So I walk into M+O one day thinking its gonna be like every other store in the mall. And as I’m walking through its like wow! this is nice. This is nice too… I had to stop myself from not redoing my complete wardrobe.
When I got home with my new favorite clothes, I looked up Martin and Osa online to find out who they were. *sigh, spin off from American Eagle. I thought I found some hidden find… but I fell directly into their target market — 25 – 35 year old people.
Regardless, online free shipping, free returns, and stuff that feels high quality with out ginormous logos on them. I even bought my mom a cashmere sweater from here. Nice!

Went here with Clara after Boss of the Sauce and running into my cousin and H&M. Clara said it was American Eagle’s upscale store. It looked like a cross between J. Crew and Banana Republic. Not as outdoorsy or buttery as J. Crew (read: no pastels or argyles) but there was a ruggedness to the men’s clothing. It also was not as metro as BR’s. I could definitely shop here but I just didn’t find anything I really wanted at the moment.
Clara bought a few things here. She spent about 90 minutes here while I toured the entire Westfield shopping center. She said they treated her very nicely and even gave her a Fiji bottled water. I got nothing but I only spent about 3 minutes looking around there.
Will have to find this again in a few months. It’s not always suitable for work but I wouldn’t mind having some nice casual clothes when the weather improves.

I don’t know if it’s because they are still somewhat new?, but the workers were extremely friendly and the store was very clean.
Service — During my stay, I had at least 3 workers come up to me and ask me twice each if I needed help.
The fitting room was the nicest fitting room I’ve ever been in. Even has some fancy blue light you press if you want a different size.
Environment — was very clean and everything was nicely organized I felt bad pulling out my size. I felt they either don’t stock up that much or kept the floor clean by not bringing out all their stocks. For example, if I find a shirt I like, there seemed to have 1 of each size which made it easy to find.
I felt there was a little lack of selections, but overall, my feedback is positive :)

I’m with Dan and Philip:
1. I love free bottles of water, especially Fiji (my fave brand although I hear they’ve got traces of mercury in ‘em)
2. 60% of thermals. My boyfriend is a thermal whore and I seriously bought 6 of them in different colors knowing he’d be a happy camper, no pun intended.
However, I wish they had different lengths for pants (for women). The in-​seams were way too long for my shortie legs.
I was rung up twice because I came back for more. They were both friendly, but the second one stood out because he seemed to genuinely care about the brand and how it differed from the pack.

We had the chance to visit Martin + Osa in the new Westfield Centre this Friday, which actually turned out to be the opening day for the store.
It’s the new concept from American Eagle, except meant for a slightly older demographic. Sort of like Abercrombie is doing with Ruehl (see my Unilocal about them!).
The store has an adventurous chic theme going, think weathered buttond downs, frayed sweatshirts, windbreakers with hoods. All pretty cool actually, plus they have books, sneakers, some other accessories to fiNish off your look. I’m not sure if they are real people or not but Martin and Osa are supposed to be a husband and wife team of adventurers, and the clothes are supposed to reflect their spirt. Well, now, not sure if that’s the case but I do like their clothes so far.
The staff was really friendly, but not in an overbearing sense. Definitely a welcome addition to San Francisco, since it’s just silly of me to be spotted in American Eagle gear at my tender age. I’ll be back for sure.