A Little Paris in San Francisco
This Blouse Brings us Back to the Heyday of Retail Emporiums
Submitted by Caitlin Pellizzi | Commentary by Alex Stevens | Edited by Meg Chellew | Photo by Peter Pellizzi
Welcome to our first crossover post! Many of you who read the blog regularly are familiar with Alex Stevens, talented journalist, secondhand vendor extraordinaire behind St. Evens, and our resident ‘Vintage Detective.’ Alex sleuths out the history of our secondhand finds. Take a look at the lovely photographs of this vintage blouse from sewist and thrifty enthusiast, Caitlin Pellizzi:
How did you acquire this outfit? I purchased this top from Nowvintage on Etsy.
Why is this your favorite go-to outfit? I'm obsessed with white button-down blouses! Since they have been a fashion staple forever, white blouses are a great reflection of how styles have evolved over time in different places; it’s all in the details...
Any other comments? I am a sewist, so finding an entirely hand sewn vintage piece like this is really exciting (seams, button holes, embroidery, everything!) So much time and skill goes into making the things we wear. I've had to do little repairs on this blouse to emulate the stitches that someone else made decades ago on this piece; it connects me to this larger tradition of garment making. I enjoy acting as a caretaker for a piece of textile history.
I love the site and your approach to clothes. Clothing has felt like such a comfort to me this past year that has been at times very sad and isolating, which feels silly to say, since the idea of fashion as frivolity is so deeply ingrained within our cultural psyche. It's nice to read a blog that takes fashion seriously while at the same time examining and critiquing the elements surrounding fashion that ARE frivolous, superficial, or that DO feel unsavory to me (label chasing, excess, capitalism, exploitation, etc.) So thank you for taking the time to read this and thanks for doing what you do!
Caitlin originally submitted this blouse, requesting an antique-roadshow style dive into the origins of this outfit. Alex was able to unearth some fascinating background about the landmark department store that this blouse was originally sold from in San Francisco, CA:
The Vintage Detective Investigation
The blouse tag reads "City of Paris Dry Goods Co, San Francisco, Made in France" and it does appear to be entirely sewn by hand, including some really tiny delicate details. This blouse was likely made sometime between the 1910s - 1930s and sold from an early department store that itself seems to have an interesting history.
The ‘City of Paris’ was a historic department store located across from San Francisco's Union Square from 1850-1976. It was originally opened as Ville de Paris by French brothers Felix and Emile Verdier in the spring of 1850 following their arrival in California. The brothers docked at San Francisco Harbor with a chartered ship full of fine French wares. According to legend, they sold out of the ship’s entire inventory right there at the harbor, before even having the chance to unload. Their rousing success inspired the brothers to establish a permanent sales location, which eventually became one of the most important department stores in San Francisco’s history.
The name Ville de Paris was later Americanized, and became ‘City of Paris Dry Goods Company.’ The building barely survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; it was still standing post disaster but sustained extensive internal damage from the quake’s ensuing fires. A redesign by John Bakewell and Arthur J. Brown included the addition of a grand rotunda topped by a stained glass dome, which would become the hallmark of the store. An annual holiday celebration included the placement of a giant Christmas tree in the rotunda beneath the dome, which was eventually recognized as the official Christmas tree of San Francisco.
The store remained under the ownership of the Verdier family until its closure in 1972, when it was sold and briefly occupied by a Hawaiian department store. The building was sold again just two years later to Neiman Marcus. Despite extensive protesting, petitioning, and the building’s status on the National Register of Historic Places as a California Historical Landmark, the structure was demolished in 1981. Its replacement incorporated the original rotunda and stained glass dome, though the destruction of the original building is still felt as a loss to historians, architects, and nostalgic San Franciscans alike.
Storied garments are a major theme within the Slow Notion universe, and this is no exception. Thank you, Caitlin, for your contribution and kind words. We thrive on everyone’s collective support. The love and dedication poured into this blouse is evident from its exquisite quality, handmade features, and your careful mending. Many thanks to Alex for her research; we are reveling in the energy and intrigue of the Vintage Detective beat! Department stores -- now dinosaurs of retail’s past -- used to be cultural epicenters that promoted in-depth style exploration and were very much anchored within their communities... Meditating on this blouse harkens back to an exciting moment in American style history. Let’s keep these good vintage vibes going. We love exploring wardrobe history with you all; it’s such a fun way to connect and geek out about our favorite ‘not-new’ items. Keep sending us your awesome outfit repeater images for a closer look and let us know if you’d like Alex’s help to uncover the magic behind your most cherished clothing.
Send us a picture and tell us all about it. Strike a pose and interrupt conventional internet traffic with your timeless style HERE.
Want to contribute to the blog?
Keep Reading
