Bay Area Fashion


Fashioning San Francisco at the deYoung Museum review

Christian Dior fall/winter 1948

Louise Boulanger winter 1927

Callot Soeurs 1908

I finally got a chance to visit the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit located at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco. I have to admit, I did not really read the description of this exhibit when I purchased my tickets. From the name, I thought the exhibit would be a history of fashion in the city including Levi’s and The Gap, but instead, it was a collection of couture and demi-couture from the earthquake era to modern times worn to events in San Francisco by collectors of couture.

When we first arrived, we went into the virtual try-on room first. It was fun to try-on couture dresses, even though my Gap shirt was peeking out from underneath the gowns. haha, you can see the result below.

pictured: virtual try-on of a Valentino gown / on me: shirt / nail polish / earrings /

There were a total of three gowns to try-on virtually, which to be frank, seemed thin. I would have loved to try on more couture gowns, but I assume it is a lot to put this virtual try-on exhibit together and three was not a small task. Although it went by way too fast, it was fun and I ended up with some hilarious photos from the experience.

My favorite portion of the exhibit was the first section when you enter; the earthquake era fashion. I loved seeing gowns from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The fabric, texture, and attention to detail was amazing.

Another section of the “Fashioning San Francisco” exhibit I enjoyed were the shoes! I actually spotted a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s a co-worker of mine used to wear in the office a little over twenty years ago. I have to admit, I felt a little old seeing a pair of shoes I knew from the wild inside a museum on display. Yikes! But I digress. . .

Sommer and Kaufman 1940

My favorite pair of shoes from the exhibit was this pair pictured above. The structural silhouette seems modern, yet they are from 1940. Love that!

Of course, if you scroll to the bottom of this post, you will see one of my favorite designers of all time; Chanel! I love how the deYoung was clever and featured both a Gabrielle Chanel gown, and Karl Lagerfeld gown together. It really shows how Karl Lagerfeld was so good at channeling Chanel’s original intent in modern designs. He really was genius.

The “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style” exhibit will be on display at the deYoung Museum through August 11, 2024. If you are local, or plan to visit the city, I highly recommend seeing it. Your ticket to the special exhibit will also grant you access to the regular collections, which I recommend as well.

You can learn more at famsf.org.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Chanel: front by Gabrielle Chanel 1939, back by Karl Lagerfeld 2012 /


Small Business Saturday 2023

small business saturday san francisco bay area christmas gifts

Pictured: cozy sweater from Margaret O’Leary in San Francisco /

Happy Small Business Saturday! As we go through our shopping lists for the holiday season, it is important to visit our local, small businesses to find the perfect somethin’ somethin’ for our loved ones. The most unique and special gifts are often found locally. Why give someone something everyone else has?

This year, I would like to highlight four small businesses here in the San Francisco Bay Area which can be visited in person or shopped online. These are small businesses I love and own items from, so they are fabulous, stocked with gifts, and local! Love that!

So, without further ado, here are four small businesses to visit on this Small Business Saturday.

The Perfect Provenance: This fabulous shop is located in downtown Tiburon, and they also have an online shop. You can find clothing, accessories, home decor, and the perfect gift! Check them out at ThePerfectProveance.com.

Have Need Want Luxury: Looking for the perfect gift under $50? You will find it here! Have Need Want is based near Santa Cruz and is completely online. You can find whimsical tees and more! Please visit their shop online here.

Margaret O’Leary: I recently became acquainted with Marget O’Leary and I am in love! They have the most amazing sweaters and more! In addition to clothing, you will also find fabulous gift ideas from their accessories both in-store and online. There are multiple Bay Area locations as well as an online shop at MargetOLeary.com.

Spirit Sox USA: This amazing sock company was founded right here in Silicon Valley and is women owned and run. They make the coziest socks with fun designs! Socks are a great stocking stuffer and always make the perfect gift. Check them out online at SpiritSoxUSA.com.

I hope you love these small businesses as much as I do! Happy shopping!

XOXO
Cathy


Rainy day event outfit

rainy day event outfit ideas

Wearing: blue and silver earrings / puffy faux leather jacket / dress (original post here, current version here) / black handbag / fall nail polish / boots (old, current version here) /

This is one of my favorite dresses, and I rarely have the opportunity to wear it! I purchased it in the fall of 2019 to wear to fashion week, and then in early 2020, everything shut down. This meant my dress just hung in my closet for quite some time! Now that events are starting to make a comeback, I finally had an opportunity to wear my dress again. Yay!

Last week, when it was raining here (yes, we got rain! Yay!), I attended an event at the Olympic Club which was originally scheduled in 2020 and had to be postponed for obvious reasons. It was so nice to finally be able to have an in-person event! The Bay Area has really been shut down, so it is only now that life is starting to look normal; including rush hour traffic, but I digress. . .

This dress is really fun because it looks like a skirt and top, but it is one piece. It is really easy and comfortable to wear, plus, it makes people think you are good at tucking in your top. haha I love the new versions of this dress in stores for fall, maybe I should pick up another one now that I have places to go! Love!

If you are looking for an investment jacket, this one is fabulous. I purchased it last year and the brand continues to have it on the market. It is a classic puffer jacket, and since it is faux, you can wear it in the rain. Love that! I’m looking forward to staying cozy in it again this year. If you are in the market for a fabulous and cozy jacket, I highly recommend this one!

Shop my rainy day event outfit online:

Is there anything in your closet you are excited to wear again now that life is back to normal?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Olympic club brunch event san francisco