Wilkes Bashford

Wilkes Bashford is a pair of men's and women's specialty stores in California. In November 2009, Wilkes Bashford was acquired by Mitchells Stores.

Wilkes Bashford
Industryclothing retailer
SuccessorMitchells Stores
Founded1966
FounderWilkes Bashford
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California
Area served
California
Key people
Jack Guillaume

The store was opened in 1966 by Wilkes Bashford, its namesake, and has long catered to the elite, including former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. The original store is in the Union Square Shopping District in San Francisco, California. Later the company expanded with an additional location in the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California.

The store was one of the first in the United States to carry Ermenegildo Zegna. It is sold alongside other brands such as: Brioni, Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, Kiton, Missoni, Pucci, Oxxford Clothes, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, and more. The store has a shoe department featuring Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Bontoni, John Lobb and Gravati.

The store's namesake Wilkes Bashford died of prostate cancer on January 16, 2016 at the age of 82.[1]

Controversies

In 1985, founder Wilkes Bashford and partner Jack Guillaume were charged with cheating the City of San Francisco out of $1 million in rent. [2]

Wilkes Bashford merchandise is an "addiction" for a wealthy closeted gay character, Beauchamp Day, in Armistead Maupin's eponymous first book from the Tales of the City series, which is mostly set in San Francisco.

References
  1. Carolyne Zinko (2016-01-16). "Luxury clothier Wilkes Bashford dies after battle with cancer - SFGate". M.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  2. Carolyne Zinko (2010-12-19). "Wilkes Bashford had rent trouble in 1985 - SFGate". M.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2018-05-15.


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