The impeccably dressed Wilkes Bashford, the tastemaker behind San Francisco fine fashion, gives Haute Living a peek into a normal day. Bashford’s eponymous boutiques have grown from a single flagship store stocked with the finest European menswear to several other locations, and the inclusion of women’s wear and accessories and later, home furnishings by Pratesi. A collaboration with high end, family-owned clothier Mitchells followed. From visiting stores to attending fashion shows to dressing notable clients, Bashford seems to do it all – and in perfect style, no less.
6:00 AM
Duchie (my dachshund) and I get up and go for a walk in our neighborhood of Noe Valley.
7:00 AM
Fruit and cereal while devouring the The San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times, which I read religiously every morning. Breakfast is the only meal I eat at home. I’ve been living in the same house for 22 years and I still don’t know how to turn on the stove.
8:30 AM
Arrive downtown. First order of business – go to the Starbucks near the store, where I order a double tall latte with one Splenda – there it’s known as the “Ford Special.”
10:30 AM
I usually meet with my personal clients in the morning. Today, it was working with Brent Johnson to select a made-to-measure suit for his 6’4” frame. We end up selecting a beautiful fabric for an ErmenegildoZegna suit.
11:00 AM
Conference call with the East Coast to discuss the “re-fit” of the San Francisco store. On the line: the Mitchell family, who bought the store back in 2009, Christine Robbins, our Women’s Director at Wilkes, Jeff Garelick, Director of Sales, and I.
1:00 PM
Lunch at Le Central with former Mayor Willie Brown and Harry de Wildt. We play “Boss Dice” to determine who pays for the check. Unfortunately, I tend to lose most of the time.
3:00 PM
Meet with Tyler Mitchell to discuss upcoming trunk shows. On the agenda is Temple St. Claire’s upcoming personal appearance at the store for her 25th anniversary on Oct. 21 and a fabulous BrunelloCucinelli event at Ma(i)sonry in Yountville on Nov. 6. We love events!
5:00 PM
Meeting at the Opera House for the San Francisco Veterans Memorial Project. As a member of the War Memorial Board of Trustees, I’ve been working on this project for the last 18 months. We’ve raised 80 percent of the $2.5 million needed to build this important new site, which will honor all of our nation’s vets.
6:00 PM
Four to five nights a week, I’m out at charitable or civic events. Tonight, it’s attending a ground breaking event for a new College Track center that’s being built in the Bayview- Hunters Point neighborhood (www.collegetrack.org). This is an incredible program that puts underprivileged kids on a pathway to college.
8:00 PM
Dinner at North Beach Restaurant with friends StanleeGatti, Matthew Goudeau and Jonathan Moscone. I’ve been going here for more than 20 years. I always get the Rigatoni or Veal Scallopini and some of owner Lorenzo Petroni’s wine.
10:30 PM
Head home and hit the hay.
