San Luis Obispo, Calif. - Decades Vintage Clothing and Collectibles in San Luis Obispo offers seasonal costumes for Halloween, costume parties, or any day eclectic wear when you want to look stand-out-ish. Decades, 785 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, California

I love shopping in SLO (San Luis Obispo). It's a college town and as such, nearly every clothing shop plays indie music that's top notch. So while you're shopping, you aren't distracted by Beatles' "Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" played as an instrumental with a xylophone. So maybe that sounds a bit funky and you'd like it, but the Lawrence Welk-style peppy champagne bubble music is just too much. It's the programmed musak you find in L.A. stores from Gap to Sears.

The music is great in many SLO shops and boutiques, and in addition, there's an edgy mix of clothes and other items.  We're not talking straight retro or Halloween themes as seen in the video above. We're talking bright red ankle socks, yellow heels and a cutesy-kilted skirt. While the window seems somewhat ordinary from this video showing the Halloween items in Decades Vintage Clothing, I've been there many times and found some great items ranging from a vinyl hot pink chair to Elton John glasses. One-of-a-kind clothes, hats, belts and shoes are just the start of serious shopping. One wall includes shoes solely (no pun intended). The store is one of those priceless places you could never replace the collection of clothes and goods. It would take a few days to dig down in and see it all. It is just that packed.

Located on the main street of San Luis Obispo's downtown shopping district, you'll find Decades next door to Hands, a store than began probably a decade ago and was once situated down by McClintock's on the perimeter of shops. While SLO has seen a drastic change in rents and shops within even a year, you'll find more of the standard female clothing attire entering the downtown region (mainstream). I really hope the alternate shopping doesn't give way to sameness that's already available in Ross, The Gap , Sunglass Hut and Barnes and Noble chain stores in downtown SLO. If it does go that direction, we might as well shop at Wal-Mart.

Higuera Street on Thursday nights features one of the oldest, hip Farmer's Markets in California. Locally grown vegetables, berries and fruits, great musicians and restaurants on the street set up food stands. Up and down the coast other cities have tried to create their own versions of this popular event. The best markets are those with locally grown foods and produce.  There's a circuit that many sellers travel around during the week and at those farmers markets you'll find the prices often as high as the grocery store, and the produce not much better. But SLO's event is top notch.

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