For Sale: Pieces of Willie Brown’s Style

In January 1996, shortly after taking office, the new mayor of San Francisco noticed something amiss at City Hall. One of his aides had shown up wearing a linen suit—in the middle of winter. Appalled, the mayor promptly sent him home to change.

The takeaway? Always follow the fashion calendar. And for Willie Brown, style isn’t just important—it’s essential.

During his tenure as San Francisco’s mayor from 1996 to 2004, Brown was widely regarded as one of California’s most impeccably dressed political figures. His Baldini suit featured a pocket square folded at just the right angle, in just the right shade. He even once raced a Municipal Railway streetcar down Market Street—suit, wingtips, and a wide-brimmed Panama hat included—to disprove claims that pedestrians could outrun the transit system.

Now, at 91, Brown is opening his closet to the public. His green Gucci high-top sneakers? Yours for $105.50. A luxurious ivory Kiton cashmere crew-neck sweater? Just $36. Around 50 pieces from Brown’s personal wardrobe—shoes, tracksuits, T-shirts, sweaters, and jackets—are being auctioned online by Goodwill, the nonprofit retailer.

For years, Brown quietly donated clothing to Goodwill, purging his closet annually of items he no longer wore. This time, Goodwill San Francisco Bay opted to create the “Willie Brown Collection” on eBay, allowing bidders to compete for pieces of his stylish legacy.

“If I don’t wear it for a year, it automatically goes to Goodwill,” Brown explained in an interview.

Few politicians, retired or not, have wardrobes worth raiding, but Brown has always stood out. In a political world dominated by rolled-up sleeves, khakis, and blue blazers, he embraced fashion as a means to inspire confidence. He despised casual Fridays at City Hall, believing that dressing well was an essential part of leadership.

“We took pride in preparing ourselves for work this way,” recalled P.J. Johnston, Brown’s former press secretary. “Looking the part matters. You want the public to have confidence in you, and part of that comes from dressing appropriately.”

Johnston, incidentally, was the very aide sent home for the linen suit faux pas in 1996.

Having auctioned off clothing in previous years, Brown believes good style boils down to two things: fabric and fit. He learned this lesson early. At 17, when his mother sent him from Mineola, Texas, to live with an uncle in San Francisco, he discovered a new world of fashion. His uncle dressed like the stylish men of Harlem in the movies, and within days of arriving, Brown was taken shopping.

“I got my first blue serge suit, a white shirt, and a yellow tie,” he recalled. “That Sunday at church, everyone wanted to know where I got it.”

A lifelong Democrat, Brown made headlines last year when he threatened to sue Donald J. Trump for defamation after Trump falsely claimed that Brown had nearly died in a helicopter crash with him—and had badmouthed Kamala Harris during the ride. Both claims, Brown asserted, were entirely untrue.

Few items in this year’s auction are politically themed. One exception: a navy blue T-shirt, listed for $14.99, reading “Willie Brown for President 2024.” As of Sunday morning, it had zero bids.

His other wardrobe pieces, however, drew much more attention. By Sunday, the green Gucci sneakers had racked up 12 bids. The Kiton sweater had 10. The highest-priced item, a brown Burberry reversible jacket, had reached $167.50 with 18 bids.

Despite the wide selection, many of Brown’s more extravagant pieces—his signature fedoras, for example—were absent from the auction. He was particular about what to part with and what to keep.

In fact, he had second thoughts about one donation. After giving up a black striped suit, he turned on the television and saw Rev. Al Sharpton looking sharp in an identical one. “Like he had already bought my suit at Goodwill,” Brown joked.

Realizing he wanted it back, he called Goodwill and asked for its return—though he conveniently claimed it had never belonged to him in the first place.

Now, the suit is back where it belongs: in his closet.