Monday, August 03, 2009

The Empresses' Old Clothes



Large, sparkly dresses have appeared on Hayes Street near the corner of Gough...



...in the space where the Hayes & Kebab restaurant used to be.



The store is only open for the month of August, and is designed to empty out the closets of various Empresses of San Francisco...



...led by the legendary Marlena (above) who owns the eponymous drag queen bar a half block away on Hayes Street.



The store is a wonderland, and the prices are recession specials...



...with fancy pairs of shoes going for $10.



The customers seem to be evenly divided between men and women, and it was amusing to hear the woman above lament not being able to fit into the slinky, fur-lined dress which was designed for somebody who was well over six feet tall.



"I'm having a ball with this," Marlena said. "People find their own treasures, and it makes them so happy that it makes my day."

5 comments:

Lisa Hirsch said...

Wait, wait, wait. Where Hayes & Kebab USED TO BE? I ate there last in June.

thestandingroom said...

hayes and kebab is gone? sad.

Civic Center said...

Dear Lisa and Sidney: I've heard they are moving to a location nearer Laguna and Hayes in the old market that was there, so don't despair.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Every block they move away from Davies and the opera house reduces the chances of my eating there!

Rachel said...

Wow.
I love this story... If only I was taller!