San Francisco’s Betabrand, maker of such quirkily appealing apparel for men as the Sweatpant Dresspant, is making a play for the ladies. Debuting this week, the first item in its burgeoning women’s collection continues the label’s because-we-can approach to fashion with the Elope Dress, a little lace number just as ready for quick and easy matrimony as it is beat up boots and a denim jacket.

While the premise is one with no shortage of marketing appeal, this dress has serious potential for the wedding-bound and otherwise. A low price point (in the wedding realm at least) of $170, multiple sashes for changing up the look and details like a keyhole back make the dress practical and versatile, while the lace fabric and short length bring both a touch of vintage and modern edge.

More Betabrand women’s items are in the works, including a reversible skirt, casual short-sleeve top and a dress. Each is slated to arrive later this spring, and you can sign up in advance for an alert once they’re in-store (not a bad move, considering Betabrand’s more popular styles often sell out quickly).

More San Francisco fashion news…

The new wedding collection from Third Culture Jewelry

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue—heeding the age-old chant can easily leave a bride steeped in tradition and an off-putting assortment of accessories. Thankfully, the new wedding line from Third Culture Jewelry is here to stylishly cover the bases – and then some.

Combining vintage rhinestones, mixed metals and the occasional hint of blue, the latest from this San Francisco jewelry line continues designer Kate Gray’s fondness for Art Deco shapes and the contrast that results from juxtaposing old and new. The result is an extensive array of special occasion pieces with vintage-meets-modern appeal.

“[The collection is] for brides to get something different and show their individual style,” Gray explains.

Prices range from $120 to $345 for gold chain earrings, pearl necklaces accented with vintage brooches and bracelets with 1930’s rhinestones.

This is the fourth line from Gray, whose SF Love collection features jewelry inspired by San Francisco places. She also offers one-of-a-kind pieces and, earlier this year, released a Spring/Summer 2011 collection inspired by the many places she’s called home (Spain, Israel, Russia, England, to name a few).

For the latest from Gray, you’ll find her blogging here and tweeting here.

The Patricia necklace mixes vintage brooches with silver and gunmetal chains.

A narrow line of blue bling punctuates the 1930's-era rhinestone Stephanie pendant.

The Olga earrings feature gold-filled hoops hung with blue and white rhinestones sourced from a vintage 1930's necklace.

The Nikki earrings

Designer Kate Gray of Third Culture Jewelry wears her piece inspired by Dolores Park.

Photography courtesy of Third Culture Jewelry

More San Francisco jewelry…

Bringing a literal, eco-friendly twist to the something old, something new refrain every bride-to-be** hears sixty-five million times is Daughters of Simone, whose newly-available array of reconstructed vintage wedding gowns offers an affordable alternative to the traditional dress.

Designers Brittany Castanos and Christy Baird update gowns plucked from secondhand sources into feminine frocks with retro appeal. With many options for casual weddings and free-spirited brides, not to mention those on tight budgets (dresses are currently priced from $110-$400), this duo puts offers a take on aisle style that we can appreciate. Along with gowns, the Daughters’ etsy shop is stocked with accessories, including vintage bridal belts and frilly handsewn garters.

We caught up with Castanos and Baird recently to chat about girls, gowns and the Simone who inspired it all.

What inspired the name Daughters of Simone?

We loved the idea that before you are someone’s wife, you are someone’s daughter. There’s an innocence there that we wanted to capture. We also wanted our name to connect with strong femininity, something we’re both equally passionate about. The name Simone was taken from the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Christy studied her in college and was very drawn to her ideas and philosophical perspective. She was a rebel of her time, going against conventional expectations to strike out on her own with unusual ambition and strength. Nothing about her life was “run of the mill,” and everything seemed to be on her terms. Simone de Beauvior’s life and philosophy are the key means and inspiration for where we are and what we do. In many ways we aspire to be like her. Simone truly was a rare bird. And we believe because of her, we can, in our day, look at marriage as an extraordinary decision.

Where do you source the gowns you reconstruct from?

We find our bridal gowns from every place you can imagine, but mostly by scouring through thrift stores and hitting up our Saturday morning garage sale routine. Lately though, as word has spread through our family and friends, we’ve been lucky enough to have dresses handed down to us. All of our dresses are then dry-cleaned and ready for re-construction.

What inspired you to choose wedding dresses for your collection. Is there something about bridal wear that you are particularly drawn to?

To be honest, we found ourselves frustrated with the sameness of today’s traditional bridal gown and were at a loss as to where we would be able to find our dream gown if the day came that we would be looking.  We both feel strongly that “the dress” should represent the woman, and what is out now currently only seems to represent one type. Because of the generations of women before us, marriage isn’t something we have to do anymore. We are more career-driven, headstrong, and encouraged to live the life we want rather than the life we’re supposed to live. Marriage is a choice for women, something that is decided out of a great love, a love that doesn’t make sense any other way than to be shared together. We see our woman as an individual. This is not just any other bride getting married, and the dress must show that. This is what inspires us.

Since we both seemed to find these qualities of individualism, creativity and beauty in vintage clothing, we began to look into the possibilities of vintage bridal. Unfortunately, we found so many of the dresses to be too out-dated for today’s styles. But the fabric was there, and so was the vision, so we just began turning them into dresses we would love to wear, and it slowly came together from there.

What does your line offer brides that they might not find elsewhere?

Daughters of Simone offers one-of-a-kind, timeless, vintage bridal gowns. Each gown has an original story that our brides breathe new life into….We are dedicated to using quality material, while also staying in budget. Above all, we care about the happiness of each and every client. One of the best part of this passion project has been getting to know each of our brides personally, and we look forward to befriending more in the future.

For more, check them out on Facebook or read musings from Brittany Castanos on her blog Champagne & Sequins and from Christy Baird on Octavia Minor.

More San Francisco bridal fashion…

Photography courtesy of Tatum Mangus (1, 2, 4 ) and Eva Stoyanov for Daughters of Simone

**Here’s hoping the right to marry soon becomes a legal reality for all, as it should be.

Held at the San Francisco Design Center, the annual fashion show and its young San Francisco designers did not disappoint. While the show was the fifth in a string of annual fashion shows held by local schools, the Art Institute’s production stands out for offering select student designers the opportunity to show not only one, but multiple collections. The result is a chance for participants to prove their versatility alongside their creativity.

Autumn Carlisle’s inventive knitwear opened the show, setting the bar high for her fellow students. Carlisle raised $2,500 to fund her collection, “Geometric Nightmare,” through online fundraising platform Kickstarter. The collection was a brilliant mash-up of slick geometric shapes and neutral tones contrasted with subtle pops of color; however, what made Carlisle’s line so identifiable was its bulky chain-like detailing, which was made from rubber tubing generally used in industrial machinery. For her efforts, Carlisle was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for Most Creative Construction.

Knit dress designed by Autumn Carlisle

A knit dress by Autumn Carlisle

Jacket by Autumn Carlisle

Cameron Stewart’s menswear collection shined a light on the naughty side of Catholic school. His designs, which were primarily black and white with leather detailing, looked like a high-end, deconstructed version of the classic men’s uniform. Exposed zippers that had the ability to alter a garment’s length (as seen on the sleeveless jacket below) appeared in multiple pieces, making this line as transformable as it was edgy. Cameron Stewart was awarded the $2,000 scholarship for Best Overall Effect.

Designed by Cameron Stewart

Designed by Cameron Stewart

Many of the designers showed great creativity in their fabric choices, but Chad Leal’s collection featuring unused condoms (the M.C made sure to clarify) may have taken the cake. While garments designed from extreme materials such as this tend to lack a solid design aesthetic, no such problem occurred in Leal’s collection. Leal managed to create clean-cut garments that were evenly matched by the quirky condom detailing, making his collection as professionally crafted as it was interesting. Leal was named the runner- up for Most Creative Construction.

Designed by Chad Leal

Designed by Chad Leal

Designed by Chad Leal

Once the first red and black dress from Dallas Coulter’s Victorian inspired collection floated down the runway, the audience’s approval was audible. With pristine construction and authenticity, Coulter’s collection contained pieces that could have been straight out of classics such as Sherlock Holmes or Gone With the Wind. Her second collection was much more contemporary, featuring an abundance of black feathers, lace and leather. The extreme collar and corset seen on the black mini dress below tied the looks back to her obvious love for antique silhouettes. Coulter was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for Best Construction.

Designed by Dallas Coulter

Designed by Dallas Coulter

Designed by Dallas Coulter

A mini dress from Dallas Coulter's second collection

Here are some other noteworthy looks from the show…

Brittany Hassler's collection was reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's classically simple style.

Karen Perez's pieces were a feminine version of modern safari wear.

This fun dress from Samantha Armann's collection titled, "Minute à Paris" is our choice for a cocktail party must-have.

A tulle layered bridal gown from Kristin Murray

Rachel Poulos' show stopping little red dress

Photographs courtesy of John Agcaoili and Cortney Clift (pictures: 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14)

IGIGI Boulangerie Wrap Dress in Merlot Grape

As providers of local fashion content in a town that’s seven square miles and packs a population of over 800,000, we realize that not every person in this diverse city will look the same—let alone share the same body type. For those seeking sizes 12 and up, we offer this list of independent Bay Area-based retailers that focus on fashion for plus-sized urbanites.

• First up, San Francisco’s Eliza Parker makes shopping for plus-size threads as easy as possible.  And we mean easy.  As an online retailer that sells everything from dresses, skirts, tops and accessories with curvier frames in mind—ranging from size 10 to 28— Eliza Parker doesn’t just focus on one body type.  Click on the “Perfect Fit” category to find a selection of five different frames, select yours, and violà: a shopping experience tailored just for your individual shape. Making online shopping even more practical, the site offers a video of a model wearing each piece, free shipping and free returns with their “Try and Buy” feature. Peruse the website for designs starting at $34 up to $229.
• Shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding (or even one for your own wedding, for that matter) is a difficult task for anyone. Throw in serious curves and the task can become even more daunting. A solution comes from San Francisco-based IGIGI, a plus-size retailer recently named About.com’s Readers’ Choice Best Plus Designer for 2011. The site offers dresses in categories such as Bridal Party and Wedding Collection, that features gowns with lace, beading and sheer fabric alongside matching earrings, clutches and scarves. IGIGI also offers suits to wear to the office and casual garments for strolling around town – all in sizes 12 to 32. Prices range from $48 to $295.
• For those who prefer to snuggle up in a comfy sweater or cruise around the city in a casual top, there’s Harper Greer. The San Francisco boutique recently closed its location’s doors to instead focus exclusively on selling through its online shop, where you can find knitted pullovers, LBDs and Not Your Daughters blue jeans, all priced between $89 to $228.
• Lastly, take a trip across the bridge to Oakland’s Isha Couture to find celebrity-inspired “skinny” designs that are translated into sizes XL to 5XL.  From an off-shoulder charcoal polyester dress ($19.50) to a pair of white lace leggings ($23.00), the on-trend designs bring contemporary, youthful style to the plus-size market.

For more local retailers, visit our San Francisco shopping section.