Birds of a Feather

Courtesy photo/Kevin Killian

The recent passing of "Dear Abby" twin Pauline Friedman Phillips (whose nom de plume was Abigail Van Buren) reminds me of the passing of another half of a more locally famous twin couple. Vivian Brown and her sister, Marian, were known in San Francisco for their consummate sense of fashion. These petite women strolled the streets in impeccable style, always identically dressed and coiffed. I remember seeing them often around Union Square when I would visit the city with my mother, and it was hard to take my eyes off them. They seemed always to be content, a self-contained unit, and seemed to know everyone ~ or, at least, everyone knew them, and they responded politely to every hailing. Catching a glimpse of them was one of the highlights of my trips into the city. They made me smile, and for that ~ and their delightful insistence on high sartorial standards ~ I thank them: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-san-francisco-twins-20130112,0,7541274.story