The Year in Life+Style

The pivotal moments that shook up the status quo in the Bay Area and beyond.

2018 was a year of growing pains and transitions as the country, and the Bay Area, shifted from a status quo that many people were used to — male mayors, heritage businesses, first ladies who cared — to new realities. These seismic shifts had been under way for some time but were reflected in the Bay Area this year with elections, the rise of “experiences” and the emergence of community-gathering spaces with social agendas. Pop culture responded to #MeToo with the red carpet blackout at the Golden Globes and more revelations about abuses of power in the entertainment industry and beyond — including stories of celebrity chefs and local tech workers.

Once again, fashion proved to be a potent communication tool that telegraphed both personal messaging and our tribalism. Red MAGA hats continue to be the biggest fashion movement to emerge from Donald Trump’s America, but the orbit around the president is filled with style narratives we follow for clues about the state of the administration. On the other side of the aisle, probable new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (DSan Francisco) caught meme-makers’ attention with her red Max Mara coat and sunglasses moment following a confrontational meeting at the White House. And Nike featured former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for its 30th anniversary ad campaign.

Fashion further kept its commitment to being #woke with more diversity on runways in New York and Europe, and more major labels becoming sustainabilityminded or banning fur (like San Francisco). Retail again contracted, with some legacy retailers spasming their last gasps, from Sears to San Francisco’s legendary Gump’s. The shocking suicides of lifestyle brand entrepreneur Kate Spade and cookbook author, chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain in early June brought discussions of depression to the fore. Maybe that’s why we’re all so anxious, as our fascination with wellness, CBD treatments and meditation apps can attest.

The plate tectonics of 2018 are not over yet: Who knows what revelations, lifestyle shifts or even sudden power transitions might have been set in motion this year that will reverberate in 2019? But if any region has a history of riding out earthquakes, it’s this one.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Maghan McDowell San Francisco Mayor London Breed just before her inauguration at City Hall on July 11. NEW GUARD POLITICIANS: What does one wear to make history? For London Breed, who became the first black female mayor of San Francisco in July, it was a cobalt blue St. John suit and blue Manolo Blahnik heels. And for record number of women joining Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Kamala Harris on Capitol Hill, it might be a head scarf (Ilhan Omar) or a red lip (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). But the most notable trend? More women and more diversity in public office, from Tina Smith replacing Al Franken in the U.S. Senate, Barbara Underwood replacing New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman — and even Robin Wright replacing Kevin Spacey in “House of Cards.” This theme was reflected throughout industries as women assumed positions of power: Christiane Amanpour as a new PBS host, Gretchen Carlson at Miss America and Christine Tsai at the helm of 500 Startups.—

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Draymond Green (center) walks through Oracle Arena in his Rich Fresh short suit after game 2 of the NBA Finals.NEW GUARD NBA UNIFORM: It was the NBA fashion sensation seen ’round the world, and the ultimate victor at this year’s NBA Finals (along with our Golden State Warriors). Then-Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James started the runway-to-court moment when he outfitted his teammates in Thom Browne suiting for the championship games. King James was the only one of his teammates brave enough to don Browne’s short suit, the designer’s longtime menswear signature, for the pregame walks and postgame press conferences. Conincidentally, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green already had a short suit look in the works from bespoke Los Angeles tailor Rich Fresh for game 2: In Carribean blue with wide piped lapels and tuxedo striping. At the conference following the Warriors’ victory in game 2, Green noted that he had already worn short suiting publically a year before James collaborated with Browne. What better way to show off those designer sneakers?— Tony Bravo

—Tony Bravo Tony Cenicola / New York Times NEW GUARD “FASHION”: Was 2018 the year the industry in-joke of “ugly” fashion saw its peak? From shapeless prairie dresses, chunky sneakers and fanny packs to Bay Area staples like North Face outerwear (which will relocate out of state in 2019) and Birkenstock sandals, many fashion pieces counter to the conventionally pretty or pleasing were among the hottest items of the year. While many of these “antifashion” trends speak to physical comfort (jumpsuits, pajama dressing, track suiting) they’re also part of a swing away from the overstyled, self-consciously sexy celebrity fashion of the Kardashian age. Some of these trends have become ubiquitious new fashion catagories (athleisure, the sneakers-with-everything movement), but some will likely die off when the trend cycle moves on and the eye craves a new aesthetic. Balenciaga’s Triple S sneakers from April 24 come uncomfortably close to parody.

Gordon Peters / The Chronicle 1948 Carolyn Block models with table settings at Gump’s Discovery Shop on July 28, 1948. NEW GUARD RETAILERS: The Gump brothers arrived in San Francisco in the 1860s to cater to Gold Rush millionaires, but 157 years later, the Bay Area’s concentration of tech’s billionaires wasn’t enough to keep Gump’s department store in business. Thanks to Google, Apple and Amazon, legacy retailers like Gump’s and Gap have faced a changing retail environment that prioritizes showrooms over sales, pop-ups over permanent and engagement over loyalty. The next generation of millionaires looks to the likes of Everlane, Rothy’s, ModCloth and Stitch Fix for new approaches to shopping in a landscape that is highly unlikely to breed the next Levi’s. Even 171-year-old Cartier is in on the game: To help promote its new store on Grant Avenue, it hosted a days-long event at Pier 48 — without a single product for purchase.—Maghan McDowell