Thom Browne Visits Brooks Brothers

Thom Browne put in an appearance at the San Francisco Brooks Brothers to promote the Black Fleece line recently. From the waist up, his clothes wouldn't turn any heads.


From a distance, his signature short trousers, bare ankles, and over-sized shoes are another story.


Some shopping went on at the event, but the flow of bags leaving the store was less than a tidal wave. Of course, at those prices they didn't need to be.

Photographs are courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography. © Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

The City Gives It Up for Barney's

San Francisco gave it up for the opening of Barney's New York this week, attracted by a combination of civic responsibility and one of the larger party extravaganzas of the year. The department store chain pulled out all the stops, tenting Union Square, but then the guests deserve a little something for their $400 tickets. Proceeds went to benefit the Nick Traina foundation.


Mayor Gavin Newsom was part of the crowd, in one of his typical all solids ensembles designed to look good on camera. That's author Danielle Steele saying hello.


A red bow tie helped make George and Charlotte Schultz easy to find. He's the former Secretary of State and she is the current Chief of Protocol and Director of Special Events for San Francisco. Other attendees included Vanessa Getty and actress Minnie Driver.


It's easy to tell where Barney's priorities lie. The first four floors are entirely given over to women's clothing and accessories, about which I have nothing to say. Regrettably for males of the species, the menswear is very of the moment. The fifth floor is given over to avante garde clothing and I saw nothing among the Richard James socks and Berluti ready to wear shoes on the slightly more conservative sixth floor that would be likely to bring me back.

Photographs are courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography. © Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.