Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California San Francisco Dangling Legs at the Piedmont Boutique

Dangling Legs at the Piedmont Boutique

The giant pair of sexy legs sticking out the window of this costume store have become its main draw.

San Francisco, California

Added By
Lew Blank
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Boutique below and legs above   torbakhopper / CC BY 2.0
Legs from below   torbakhopper / CC BY 2.0
Picture with mustached street sign and legs in the background   Ashleigh Nushawg / CC BY 2.0
Second floor of Piedmont Boutique   torbakhopper / CC BY 2.0
Madame Tussauds replica of the legs   Trisha Fawver / CC BY 2.0
October 2011   alisam9 / Atlas Obscura User
  JoeBenSimo / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Missed it   hamiltonhouston / Atlas Obscura User
Sexy legs   adrienneleighm / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Selling faux fur, disco outfits, feathery dresses, wigs, and 80s bangles, the Piedmont Boutique in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco sprung out of the 60s hippie counterculture. But this boutique has evolved to sell a racier selection of wares over the years, today selling lingerie, fetish wear, cigarette holders, and as the store facade suggests, fishnet leggings.

A simple sign wasn’t enough for the Piedmont Boutique to attract the bawdy costume buyers it desired. Something more was needed. So the store hired local artist Barry Forman to stick a pair of gigantic legs out of the shop's second floor windows. Complete with fishnet stockings and seductively bent knees, Forman says that the most difficult part of painting these legs was adding “sparkle” to the red high heels.

The unusual advertising technique has worked. Nowadays, the Piedmont Boutique is often known as “the store with the legs!” It's come to be that this sexy attention-grabber is really the main draw. The legs have not only brought in new female shoppers but also a handful of male selfie-takers making poses beneath the legs. It’s a hotspot for photographers; many angle the camera to place the legs in the background of the adjacent “Haight-Ashbury” miniature street sign, which is personified with a thick mustache, yellow-tinted sunglasses, and a peace sign necklace.

The legs of the Piedmont Boutique have become a neighborhood icon and are even featured in San Francisco’s Madame Tussauds wax museum, in a slightly smaller yet less-weathered form.

Related Tags

Sex Clothing Shops Marketing Hippies

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

adrienneleighm, SEANETTA, alisam9, JoeBenSimo...

  • adrienneleighm
  • SEANETTA
  • alisam9
  • JoeBenSimo
  • hamiltonhouston
  • bigassrabbits

Published

August 15, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.haightshop.com/pages/piedmontboutique.html
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/20551
  • http://www.zoominfo.com/s/#!search/profile/company?companyId=368836500&targetid=profile
Dangling Legs at the Piedmont Boutique
1452 Haight St
San Francisco, California
United States
37.770263, -122.44629
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Buena Vista Park Tombstones

San Francisco, California

miles away

Free Gold Watch

San Francisco, California

miles away

Uncle John's Tree at McLaren Lodge

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Buena Vista Park Tombstones

San Francisco, California

miles away

Free Gold Watch

San Francisco, California

miles away

Uncle John's Tree at McLaren Lodge

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Related Stories and Lists

8 Cool Shops in San Francisco

List

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • The entrance to Afflecks.

    Manchester, England

    Afflecks

    Over 70 independent businesses have set up shop in this former Victorian department store.

  • London, England

    Huntsman & Sons

    The real clothing store that inspired a fictional spy organization's front.

  • Weaving a traditional palm leaf basket

    Vaiaku, Tuvalu

    Tuvalu Women’s Handicraft Centre

    Ancient weaving techniques are used to create these colorful souvenirs.

  • Edinburgh, Scotland

    Gilbert the Phone Box

    A former telephone box found new life as a photo booth and charity fundraiser.

  • The exterior of Quimby’s

    Chicago, Illinois

    Quimby's Bookstore

    The beloved home to all publications indie, erotic, and punky.

  • Blue nankeen on exhibit.

    Shanghai, China

    Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition Hall

    A small gallery and shop dedicated to an ancient style of hand-printed textile.

  • Red “Ronnies Sex Shop” lettering

    Breede River DC, South Africa

    Ronnie's Sex Shop

    “The oddest pub in South Africa,” inspired by a practical joke.

  • New Orleans, Louisiana

    Storyville

    Storyville was New Orleans' historic red light district and hotbed of jazz music, sometimes referred to simply as "The District."

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.