The summer dip — bring the layer
Fog arrives with the evening and the temperature falls fifteen degrees in an hour. A sleeveless dress needs something over it, and it will stay on all night.
San Francisco · Oakland · Berkeley · Palo Alto · Marin
Designer dresses
Designer dresses
in San Francisco
A June evening here is colder than an October one. It catches out everyone who has not lived through a summer of it, and it decides what an evening dress needs more than any dress code does.
2–5 days
Tracked courier
after dispatch
after dispatch
Free
Shipping on orders
over $150
over $150
Signature
Required
on delivery
on delivery
14 / 30 days
Refund / store credit
after delivery
after delivery
The lookbook
How it looks on — ready for San Francisco
Real photos from our shoots, and every dress here is in stock right now. Tap a look to choose your size.
01 · Delivery
Getting it to you
Everything ships from our Calgary warehouse. Each dress is packed flat, folded where the fabric will forgive the crease, and handed to a tracked courier with signature on delivery. California orders are processed the same way as domestic ones — the tracking number reaches you by email the moment the parcel leaves.
San FranciscoPacific HeightsMissionOaklandBerkeleyPalo AltoMarin
- Delivery time after dispatch2–5 business days
- Shipping costFree over $150 · $15 below
- CarrierTracked courier
- TrackingEmailed at dispatch
- Delivery confirmationSignature required
- Order processingMon–Fri
- Returns window14 days · 30 with store credit
An order placed on Friday evening leaves on Monday. Any duties or taxes are set by the destination authorities and are the recipient’s responsibility — see shipping & delivery for the detail.
02 · The inversion
Evening temperature, month by month
One line, twelve months. It dips through the summer and peaks in September and October — the opposite of every other city on this list.
Evening temperatureWarmer ↑
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
The warm season
The two months when an evening is genuinely warm and a dress can stand on its own. Unsurprisingly, it is also when the city holds everything.
The hills decide the shoe. A gradient like Nob Hill or Russian Hill rules out a thin heel for anything involving a walk — which in turn sets the hem length, so decide the shoe first.
03 · Occasions
What the year asks for
The dressed-up part of the San Francisco year is short and concentrated: it opens in September, runs through the two warm months, and thins out again once the fog returns.
September
Opening season
Symphony and opera openings, and the one genuinely black-tie week in a city that otherwise dresses down. Long, plain and well cut is exactly right.
September – October
Wedding season
Napa and Sonoma weekends in the two warm months. Outdoors on grass, then a cold evening — the layer is part of the outfit, not an afterthought.
May
Graduation
Berkeley, Stanford and the city campuses within two weeks of each other. Cool mornings, warm afternoons and a lot of standing.
Autumn – spring
Benefit season
Museum and foundation evenings from October onwards. The register is quieter here than in Dallas or Houston — considered rather than decorated.
04 · In stock
Available now — ships to San Francisco
Everything below is in the warehouse today, with the sizes that are still on the rail. Prices are shown in the currency of your region.
Maxi dress with bodice velvet sequins black
$499.00
XS · S · L
Silhouette mini with lantern sleeves
$499.00
XS · S · M · L · XL
Wander midi with decorations
$499.00
S · M · L
Limited mini Red
$499.00
XS · S · M · L
Save $100
Midi dress
$399.00 $499.00
S · L
Dress mini limited Black
$499.00
XS · M · L
Save $100
Dress Limited — Black
$399.00 $499.00
L
Black printed midi dress with straps and a slit skirt
$499.00
XS · M · XL
05 · Fit
Getting the size right the first time
Measurements do the work. It takes ten minutes and saves a return.
For corset and bustier styles the deciding measurement is underbust, not bust — a boned bodice has almost no give and has to sit correctly vertically as well.
Want to try before you buy? Our New York boutique at 419 Broome St has the full collection on the rail — details here. Otherwise send your measurements and the dress you are considering to info@the-clipse.com and we answer with an honest recommendation.
- Measure over bare skin or thin underwear, wearing the bra you plan to wear with the dress — a padded bra moves the bust measurement by several centimetres.
- Take four numbers: bust, underbust, waist and hips. Keep the tape level all the way round; the usual mistake is letting it ride up at the back.
- Match them to the size chart, which maps our sizes to US, UK and EU equivalents.
- Between two sizes, size up on anything structured. A seam can be taken in; fabric cannot be added.
06 · Questions
Frequently asked
How long does delivery to San Francisco take?
Two to five business days by tracked courier after dispatch from our Calgary warehouse. Orders are processed Monday to Friday, so an order placed on Friday evening leaves on Monday.
How much is shipping?
It is calculated for your address at checkout and shown in full before you pay. Every parcel is tracked and requires a signature on delivery.
What should I wear to a summer evening event here?
Something with a layer that works as part of the outfit. Fog arrives with the evening in June and July and the temperature drops fifteen degrees in an hour — a sleeveless dress alone is uncomfortable by nine.
Can I try a dress on before buying?
Not in San Francisco — we have no showroom here. The nearest boutique with the collection on the rail is in New York, at 419 Broome St, open daily 11:30am to 7:00pm. If you can’t get there, email your measurements and we’ll tell you which size to order, including when the answer is that neither will work.
Are there duties or taxes to pay?
Any duties or taxes are set by the destination authorities and are the recipient’s responsibility. The rules are summarised on our shipping & delivery page.
Do you deliver outside San Francisco?
Yes — across California and the rest of the United States on the same terms. Shipping is calculated for your address at checkout.
07 · Elsewhere
Other cities we deliver to
San Francisco · Oakland · Marin
Shop in stock →