Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Having a Marilyn Moment

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There’s an interesting event at FIT tonight. I was alerted to it by gorgeous blogger Sister Wolf. Here’s how FIT described it:

Get tickled by plumes: Dr. Valerie Steele and Dr. Sarah Abretory, Professor of History at UCLA, discuss Dr. Abretory’s new book Plumes: Ostrich Feathers, Jews, and a Lost World of Global Commerce. This examination of the thriving global trade in ostrich feathers that flourished from the 1880s until WWI will be held on Thursday, May 7, 6:30 PM at the Center for Jewish History in NYC. For more information click here.

Sister Wolf summarized the above as “Jews and Feathers.” I think the discussion would be a hotter ticket with Sister Wolf’s title.

If you’re not able to catch “Jews and Feathers” tonight, the New-York Historical Society (the hyphen is correct) has two great photography exhibits that will be on view through July 12. The 100 photographs in Harlem 1970-2009: Photographs by Camilo José Vergara provide a fascinating time-lapse look at various locations in that neighborhood. You can see a block progress from ruined buildings to empty lots to new apartment complexes. The other exhibit, Landmarks of New York, was curated by my personal friend, the gorgeous Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. The 83 spectacular photographs of New York include one of the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway.

The Flatiron Building

After the building was completed in 1902, rumor spread that a downdraft created by the triangular shape of the Flatiron blew up women’s skirts to reveal their ankles. Scandal! Supposedly, the phrase “23 skiddoo” came from cops shooing away gawkers from the area. After seeing the exhibit last night, I wanted to run down to the Flatiron Building to take a skirt-blowing picture, but I settled for standing over a subway grate a la Marilyn Monroe.

Before subway arrival

During subway arrival


I know I just complained about my aging wardrobe, but I must admit that my “undone bow-tie dress” by Francis by Christian Francis Roth is brand new. You can get one of your own at Nordstrom.com. The silver, wood and blue topaz bangle that I’m wearing is one of my own new designs. But you can’t buy my bow shoes by Marc Jacobs anymore. How old are they? So old that Marc was still chubby when he had someone else design them!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I so wish I would go see the exhibitions. I really miss NYC at the moment. BTW – Love the dress.

  3. Hi there-I really love this post, you look adorable (as always!) and the new dress is fab-the undone tie feature is unique and stylish! Thanks for the history lesson on the Flatiron building too!

  6. Really like the dress…love the shoes. Marc needs to bring them back.

  7. I always wondered what the “23 skiddoo” was, and now I know.

    I love your new CFR dress!

    Your super-bright smile negates the city’s need for streetlights, by the way.

  8. You look awesome in that adorable dress. And I am so impressed that you can go sleeveless in NY at this point.

  11. Oh Wendy you look absolutely GORGEOUS in those photos. Absolutely in the Marilyn league. Your eyeliner, your legs and the DRESS – fabulous 🙂 x

  14. You look amazing! Love the grey colour of your dress; and that untied bowtie looks so fab!

  21. you are hilarious. i love the undone bowtie situation. and the shoes. all of it really!

  24. The event sounds wonderful Miss Wendy, and that dress? Darling on you, simply darling. You know how we are for bows!

    Have a sublime weekend!
    tp

  25. many peopele think of marilyn when they see those grates, i keep checking for teenage mutant ninja turtles.

  28. lovely dress – and thanks for the heads-up about the historical society exhibit!

  29. I ADORE that Roth dress, and you look amazing in it. you are such a marilyn!

  30. Oh Marc, think of this transformation and picture where he will be 20 years from now…the next Michael Jackson?

  33. What a wonderful exhibition. I love seeing those kind of pictures as incidental art, such as in a railway station or an old shop. Where you can look out the window at what the street looks like now, and then at the “then” photo.
    I would have stayed for hours.

    But now I have to go down to Town Hall and change my name be deed poll to Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel.
    How could a woman not succeed with such a magnificent name?
    xx

  34. You got to some pretty swank events, darling WB! Love your outfit (and hence, the new profile pic as well)!

    xoxox,
    CC

  35. Oh my gosh, Wendy! You look so adorable when you laugh! I love women who laugh. One more reason to adore you =D