Decades of Fashion

Halloween 2010

2011-01-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Myself and dance partner, Cliff Wigham, cut it up at the Zombie Prom 2010 at Club Verde.

Excalibur Birthday Party!

2011-01-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

This Birthday Party my family and friends threw for my grandson is going to be hard to top. My grandsons 8th birthday party last year was a 1950s style Rodeo. This year he gave his wish list about 6 months in advance while reading Robin Hood. Then he took archery classes, so, needless to say we knew he was serious. My grandkids, Hayes and Carlos, began practicing sword fighting while I gathered costumes for months. As you can see, it turned out to be a hit and everyone dressed the part.

There I am following behind my son JT, walking with our handmade banner that reads "SIR HAYES OF ELKHORN."

The Cool Black Couture Ball

2010-12-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Cliff Wigham (swing dance partner), Maraea Smith, and I leave Decades of Fashion to go to the Cool Black Couture Ball October 2010. We were graciously driven in a 1924 Limo by Mr. Toads. Joined by friends we danced the night away to Lee's Press On Nails. Thanks Roy for a great party! The night turned out to be extra special as Moraea met Mr. Right (Justin) that same night. They have been a hot item ever since. I can't wait to go again next year!

Me and Moraea's fun stockings!

Me, Cliff, and Gayle having a ball.

Decades of Fashion Celebrates A 20's Birthday

2010-12-18T16:59:00.000-08:00

Girl gang from Decades of Fashion celebrated Sarah's 25th Birthday by having a 1920's themed girls night out. We started the evening off by attending Madame Butterfly at the San Francisco Opera House. Then rounded out the evening by hitting a few hot spots without any of our diets in mind.

2010 Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild Mad Men Party

2010-12-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Me and my best friend, Gayle Lipman, WOWED them at this years GBACG Mad Men themed party held at Elks Lodge in the East Bay. Fun was had by all, especially, when the Giants won that nights World Series Game. Gayle, I'm sure most S.F residents will recognize, as she and her partner Bernie are considered two of the best dancers in this city.

2010 Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa

2010-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Me at the Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa, California 2010.

This event is a great chance to dress like My Fair Lady, however, it was 99 degrees!!! Thank heaven I brought a parasol. There were so many spectacular things and people to see and admire. Definitely worth going to.

My Interview at the Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo 2009

2010-12-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

Interview part 2

2010-12-18T12:43:00.000-08:00

The Gatsby Summer Afternoon 2010

2010-12-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Cicely at the 26th Annual San Francisco Art Deco Society Gatsby Summer Afternoon, September 2010 at the famous Dunsmuir House in Oakland.

I just love this event! Putting outfits together from the 1920's and 30's customers and myself is always a pleasure. The weather was absolutely perfect, probably the best the Gastby Picnic has ever seen. Spectacular ambiance!

S.F Symphony Gala: Opening Night

2010-09-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

I recentely attended San Francisco Symphony Gala and it was amazing. The clothing was over the top! Beautiful woman in their jewel tone full length gowns, I almost (just ALMOST) felt conservative in my 1960s sterling silver dress from Egypt, you be the judge (as seen below.)

Decades of Fashion Video!

2010-08-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a video made at Decades of Fashion for a possible reality t.v show. Enjoy!

The Great Gatsby Ball

2010-07-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Decades of Fashion was honored to be the judges at this years Great Gatsby Ball. Considering the economical climate, what a fabulous success having well over 100 attendees more than last year and all for a great cause, the Variety Children's Charity of Northern California.

Here is Jason and I in our authentic 1920s clothing judging all the fun loving participants at the ball.

Runner ups for Best Dressed Man and Woman.

First and second prize winners, both men and women, for the 1920s theme Great Gatsby Ball. Winners recieved both gift certificates and vintage jewelery donated by Decades of Fashion!

The Black & White Ball

2010-07-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

Day of Black and White Ball, of course, wearing black & white and had so much fun dressing people for it!

Waiting for my coach to arrive and take me to the ball.

Partner in crime, Soleil, and me in my vintage 1950s Dress, hat-a recreation from my store, at the ball.

Approached by fellow diva, we didn't want to miss the opportunity of having our photo taken together at the ball.

Turner Classic Movie Film Festival Photos!

2010-06-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of my journey to the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival in Hollywood. We had so much fun, the picture above was featured on the online Vanity Fair cover for the 1st TCM film festival!

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/04/tcm-classic-film-festival-comic-con-for-the-martini-set.html

Gayle and myself attending the first phase of the TCM Film Festival, Lady from Shanghai, April 2010.

Standing with the hosts of the Lady from Shanghai screening at the Castro Theater. On the left, filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and on the right film critic and show business reporter Jan Wahl of KRON.

Us after seeing 1930s movie, Top Hat.

The End.

The Cool Black Couture Ball

2010-06-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

The inspiration for this particular Ball is based on the multicultural material rediscovered from the 1920s,30s, and 40s. It was not just a dance culture but a fashion culture as well, both of which are the main highlights of the evening.

Decades of Fashion looks forward to be apart of this event, since vintage fashion is our strong suite we will contuct a fashion parade. There will be a grand prize for best dressed male and best dressed female of the evening. So, dress to the nines!

If you need more information come by Decades of Fashion (1740 Haight St San Francisco CA.)
Poster and handbills available.

P.S We two male and two female stylists who will gladly assist you in dressing for this event whether its adding to pieces you already have, or selecting from our large inventory of mens and womens clothing (1880s-1980s.)

Thanks Saint Ignatius!

2010-04-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

Warm thanks to all the faculity members from St. Ignatius College Prep who shopped here with us last month for their 1920s themed Auction. Big thanks to Pat for sending people our way, we had so much fun. Everyone looked amazing and we hope you come back for the next event!

The Bold Italic

2010-04-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Written below is an article written about our store by Nicole Grant for San Francisco's Bolt Italic. It definitely gave the SF community a good taste of what we are all about; helping men and women dress to impress with classic elegance.

My quest: to become a 1939 bon vivant. You see, I'm hosting this party, and I want to be the one. The one Herb Caen would have written about in his column, society snobs would have gossiped about behind gloved hands and men would have ogled shamelessly. Striking like Jean Harlow. Exotic like Marlene Deitrich. Statuesque like Greta Garbo.
What's the occasion? A celebration of the opening of the World's Fair on Treasure Island, with all of its oddities: Willie Vocalite the robot, who talks, smokes cigarettes, winks and waves, Chinese puzzles that confuse even the most tenacious, a peek though the largest telescope in the world and an actual demonstration of that twisted novelty called Television.
The evening's sure to be downright decadent as ladies and gents raucously drown out any memory of the depression with gin fizzes and bootlegged absinthe, the piano keys are tickled mercilessly and opulent fashion is paraded about Le Club. And with the Golden Gate bridge having just been flung across the Bay, there's the feeling that anything is possible.
I'm going to tog to the bricks, dahlings, and I know just the person to help me.

Cicely is a woman who transcends. Have you ever met such a person? Who seems to be from every era and yet none at all? When I arrive at Decades of Fashion, her shop in the upper Haight, she's so girlish and earnest and spirited I can't begin to guess her age. Her green eyes sparkle under her cowgirl hat, and she talks with the authority and charm of a hostess.
I ask to see some cocktail gowns from the late 1930's and we wade through the Halloween crowd to the appropriate rack, hung with silky purple rouging, red Spanish ruffles and metallic georgette chiffon. After a moment of shuffling through the dresses, she lowers her voice to a husky whisper. "Would you like to see the back room?" The back room? Why, of course.
Brushing aside a velvet rope, we enter her cabinet of curiosities. My eyes adjust to the light and then widen to see a room so full of wonderment it could have only been created by the obsessive hands of a collector: a wall of hats adorned with strange fronds and flowers, enough costume jewelry to make a drag queen cry and a startling array of clothing, dripping feathers and knotted beads and taffeta ribbons.
We go straight to the evening gowns. Though they're packed together tightly, Cicely pulls out each piece with reverence, explaining the different occasions they'd be worn for. The dresses are floor length slinky numbers, cinched to emphasize tiny waists and tailored to cling to each curve. The backs of the dresses plunge low, and the draping mimics the geometrics of art deco.
Aha! I find "the dress." I can't rest though until I have a fur, and her selection is pure decadence. My hands reach out to touch floor-length fox coats, mink stoles, ermine jackets and feather numbers – looking like retired royalty ready to return to their thrones. I spot the soft hide of baby seal adorning a tiny clutch purse. Apparently no animal was safe in 1939.
I’m excited about my party outfit, but Cicely is somewhat of a purist. Unless I wear a rhinestone necklace, long evening gloves, a perky hat, some Mary Jane t-strap heels and a matching handbag to boot, I'm not going to cut it.

Coming Up: Steam Punk Exhibition!

2010-03-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

Decades of Fashion is looking forward to doing the Steam Punk Exhibition in Emeryville for the first time March 12-14th! We've been loading the store to the gils with top hats, cutaways, tailcoats, ladies Edwardian garments and period accesories. We always have professional stylists and costumers on duty at our store, come by and let us dress or advise you!

The Edwardian Ball 2010 !

2010-03-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

2010 began with one of Decades of Fashions favorite events, the Edwardian Ball. We always do our display window in honor of this fun event. This year was no exception. We had our Edwardian fainting couch with fair maiden reclining, assisted by a dapper physician equipped with all his turn-of-the-century macabe, torturous, medical efemera equiptment. Thanks for all the encouraging comments from passer-bys and customers!

We attended the event, dressed in our finest but the most fun was dressing the other participants as we have an impressive collection of Edwardian and Victorian apparel in our store. Everybody looked terrific and it was a great start to the new year.

Dan at the Edwardian Ball.

Stephanie and Jason dressed the part.

Our Edwardian window display.

Hat available now at Decades!!

Recent News

2009-05-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

May was a great month which included the Art Deco Preservation Ball, the Kabuki Sundance Film Festival awards dinner, and not to overlook Bay To Breakers!

Thanks to all Art Deco members who came in to the store in search of that one special piece to complete your outfit for the Preservation Ball. We had a lot of fun helping you find a special dress, hat, tailcoat, gloves etc.

Neil and Joanna Nevesny

Some of the highlights of attending the Kabuki Sundance Film Festival awards dinner was being able to meet some extremely interesting people including directors, movie makers, stylists, and costumers (with the added bonus of having my picture in the Chronicle yay!)

Bay To Breakers was a blast! Thankfully, my staff were willing to accommodate participants who were in the store until nine o'clock Saturday night putting together fun outfits. Luckily we had just bought out a very large theater groups entire wharehouse full of amazing costumes.

June promises to be just as much fun. It's Gay Pride Month with the parade on Sunday June 28th one of San Francisco's highlight events! We're busy stocking as we speak with many unique, flamboyant, and sparkling clothing and costumes.

If anyone knows of any fun and interesting events or if your going to any come by the store, we'd love to help or hear from you!

We Love The Chronicle!

2009-05-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Owner and film fanatic Cicely Ann Hansen recently attended the San Francisco Film Festival awards fundraising dinner at the St. Francis Hotel with awards being handed out to the well know director Francis Ford Coppola and actor Robert Redford. The advantage and the bonus of wearing a green bias cut 1930's evening gown and matching hat was she's on page E8 in the "Datebook" section of Saturday's SF Chronicle!

Cicely Ann Hansen (from left), gala co-chairs Penelope Wong and Tim Kochis with Georgene and Stanley Pasarell at the film festival awards gala.

Cicely enjoyed dressing herself and many of her customers for San Francisco's Black and White Ball. Above photo: featured on the cover of SF Chronicle's "Datebook" along with performer Seal and fireworks over city hall.

Once again, SF Chronicle featuring Vintage Clothing stores on Haight St. with great color photos on the front page of the Style section featuring Decades of Fashion's numerous cowboy boots and men's Vintage wear.

Did we mention we have alot of hats? This is just one of the many walls covered in hats at Decades of Fashion. Photo thanks to SF Chronicle.