Fashion is one of the best identifiers of when a photo was taken. And if the wardrobe is just a little more fab or eccentric, you might assume it was also taken in San Francisco. For this week's throwback, we present a century of style in the city.
1860s: This photo, showcases the trends of the 1860s: a wide daydress with high neckline, and smooth parted hair made up in a braid with ribbons. (via eBay)
1879: This photo was taken by photographer Louis Thors in November of 1879. In the 1870s, dress silhouettes slimmed down and jackets were all the rage. (via History in Photos)
1880s: The Tepe Family was photographed in the 1880s by Thomas Brown, at his studio at 606 Kearny Street. Mrs. Tepe's sleeves are tight and cropped at the forearm, in keeping with the style of the time. (via Mae Ngai/Amazon)
1900s: This group is all decked out in Edwardian garb in Golden Gate Park. (via Red Poulaine/Etsy)
1927: Ethereal glamour in San Francisco at the height of the Art Deco period.(via Laura McPhee/Tumblr/SFPL)
1936: This group of ladies, dressed in '30s skirt suits and small hats, are pretending to hitchhike on the Bay Bridge. (via Tumblr/Pinterest)
1948: Photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe captured the drama of the 1940s, shoulder pads and all, before the Golden Gate Bridge. (via Louise Dahl-Wolfe/Deforest/Tumblr)
1950s: Nipped waists were de rigueur in the 1950s. The GGB is de rigueur always. (via Fashion Friends/Tumblr)
1960s:Six Women, by photographer David S. Johnson, shows '60s fashion in all its feminine and printed glory (actress Vonetta McGee is second from right). (via David S. Johnson/Vintage Black Glamour by Nichelle Gainer/Tumblr)
1970s: Model Merle Bulatao stands chic in Chinatown, wearing a green Guatemalan pantdress by designer Kaisik Wong. The brown tones, pattern, boots, and hair/makeup are so '70s. (via de Young/Legion of Honor)
1980s: This fabulous photo is from Pride in the 1980s. It's fun to imagine how much of these outfits are just '80s style, and how much are pure Pride razzmatazz. (via sarjane62/YouTube)
1990s: In the '90s, while some kids were wearing Calvin Klein, Polo, and Tommy Hilfiger, others were wearing black mesh, black lipstick, and a defiant attitude. Enter the goths. They partied at House of Usher in Oakland and at Roderick's Chamber in SF, among other haunts (see what we did there?). Here, we have Nakoeth and Sorrel Smith. (via Clint Catalyst)
2004: Fisherman's Wharf always tries to peddle trendy items to tourists. On December 27, 2004, this included knock-offs of Von Dutch shirts, the "Jesus is My Homeboy" shirt made famous by Ashton Kutcher, Playboy tees, and trucker hats. (via Michael Fraley/Flickr)
