Phyllis Newhouse

Phyllis Newhouse
06/17/2025
Phyllis Newhouse, a fashion leader, innovative businesswoman, and a downtown fixture in Palo Alto for decades, passed away at 89 on June 17 at Stanford Hospital.
She was a remarkable women's clothier, both in style and staying power, inheriting a family business from her father, Albert Newhouse, who started it in the 1930s. She then was named one of the Bay Area's 100 best businesses by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The store's name, which she changed from the original Stanford Clothing to, appropriately Phyllis, led the way in fashion trends as she journeyed yearly to New York City to bring home the latest female wear.
Phyllis was a fashionista in every sense, dressing in the very clothing she wished to sell, and keeping her loyal customers on their high heels with her aggressive salesmanship. She would blatantly tell a prospective buyer that the clothing she had just tried on did not suit her, then recommended something else that turned into a sale.
Such honesty became her hallmark, resulting in loyal, longtime customers. Her clothing store became her life. Married briefly at a young age, she had no children, thus looked upon her customers as a second family, while mesmerizing her own family.
"There was nothing cliche about Phyllis, who seemed to do everything her own way," said a cousin, Benjamin Rosen of New York City. "She would visit my family when she was here for fashion week. The easy way she spoke, the things she chose to say, the poetic non-sequiturs, the feral bursts of laughter that seemed to be always ahead of the humor, all of it suggested a higher personality. She was certainly a one of one."
Phyllis was unique, no question. She lived life as she pleased, regardless of what others might think or say, a committed individualist to the very end.
She grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School, then attended the University of California and U.C. Santa Barbara before leaving college as a sophomore. She had underdeveloped theatrical talent, but enjoyed the theater and museums throughout her life.
A businesswoman was her true calling. She transformed her father's outdated collection of derbies, tuxedoes and shipping trunks into women's attire, offering the trendiest fashions on the Peninsula and beyond.
Personal health issues brought an end to a family clothing tradition. She then moved into the Webster House in Palo Alto and Villa Toscana in Mountain View for medical care.
"Phyllis was unapologetically herself, bold in her opinions, quick with her wit, and full of heart," said Lisa Root, a Webster House executive who became a close, caring friend. "She made people look beautiful, but also feel beautiful. She noticed little things, a smile, a thoughtful gesture, the way flowers brightened a space. She appreciated it all, and celebrated it out loud. She was a rare gem, unforgettable, one of a kind."
Phyllis is survived by a brother, David (Patsy), cousins Franklin (Steve) and Paula Newhouse, Francey (David) Levy and Shari Ruvkin. There will be no funeral as her body was cremated, but a celebration of life is being planned at an unscheduled date.