• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

  • HOME
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • FAQ
  • CONTACT

Having a Marilyn Moment

May 6, 2009 by WendyB

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!

You might also like
Throwback Thursday: Who Is the Real Ostrich?
2001 Hair Flashback
Kneel Before Wendy Brandes

Filed Under: christian francis roth, dresses, pictures of me, shoes, things to do in nyc

Previous Post: « Do You Want It Wrinkly or Ignorant?
Next Post: Pun Intended »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. janettaylor says

    May 6, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    What a lovely dress, Honey!

    XoXo

  2. Fashion_Loving_Stylist says

    May 7, 2009 at 12:35 am

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

  3. Sharon Rose says

    May 7, 2009 at 12:41 am

    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!

  4. christine says

    May 7, 2009 at 12:43 am

    oh, I am in love with your dress!

  5. Alicia/InstantVintage says

    May 7, 2009 at 1:05 am

    Adorable dress.

    And LOLz at chubby Marc. LOLz, indeed.

  6. Renaissance Woman says

    May 7, 2009 at 6:58 am

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

  7. enc says

    May 7, 2009 at 7:04 am

    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. K.Line says

    May 7, 2009 at 7:54 am

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

  9. Sal says

    May 7, 2009 at 8:16 am

    Clearly that subway is having its way with you!

  10. WendyB says

    May 7, 2009 at 9:15 am

    K.Line, you can see my coat draped over the parking meters behind me!

  11. pretty face says

    May 7, 2009 at 9:38 am

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

  12. Patricia says

    May 7, 2009 at 10:26 am

    Perfectly marvelous dress and you look adorable in it!

  13. Leah says

    May 7, 2009 at 10:30 am

    I thought that was Mr.B’s bowtie!

  14. Penelope says

    May 7, 2009 at 11:50 am

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

  15. Farren says

    May 7, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    LOL. I love the face you’re making in the 2nd photo. =)

  16. Winnie says

    May 7, 2009 at 3:46 pm

    Aw, you look so cute and happy in that second photo, I love it!

  17. SOS! says

    May 7, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    scandulous!
    xx-LJ from SOS!

  18. Sister Wolf says

    May 7, 2009 at 6:26 pm

    Marilyn would adore you.

  19. Lizzi says

    May 7, 2009 at 9:35 pm

    I love your dress and draped bowtie look.

  20. the_kitten says

    May 7, 2009 at 11:23 pm

    ha! your marilyn monroe moment has been – mind blowing!

  21. SwanDiamondRose says

    May 8, 2009 at 12:39 am

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

  22. Natalie says

    May 8, 2009 at 6:24 am

    I love the untied bow tie!!!! im moving to NYC this summer, cant wait to catch some of these great exhibitions!

    http://natalieinboots.blogspot.com/

  23. misslikey says

    May 8, 2009 at 6:34 am

    marilyn would approve!! totally…love outfit

  24. thepreppyprincess says

    May 8, 2009 at 8:35 am

    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. jennine says

    May 8, 2009 at 9:23 am

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

  26. ambika says

    May 8, 2009 at 9:38 am

    I adore the dress! How do you find such fantastic things?

  27. Prunella Jones says

    May 8, 2009 at 11:31 am

    Cute dress, but where are the panties?

  28. miss sophie says

    May 8, 2009 at 4:39 pm

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

  29. fashion herald says

    May 8, 2009 at 8:15 pm

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

  30. The Clothes Horse says

    May 8, 2009 at 9:01 pm

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

  31. coco says

    May 9, 2009 at 5:12 am

    I really love that dress. I think bow ties are really chic.

  32. Miss Woo says

    May 9, 2009 at 8:43 am

    haha, awesome Marilyn moment indeedy 😉

  33. Hammie says

    May 9, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    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. Couture Carrie says

    May 9, 2009 at 1:45 pm

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

    xoxox,
    CC

  35. Frances says

    May 10, 2009 at 9:30 am

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

Primary Sidebar

MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ARCHIVES

CATEGORIES

Facebook Pagelike Widget

POPULAR TOPICS

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe for Email updates.
* indicates required

Original jewelry designs, photos and text are © Wendy Brandes 2007-2016. All rights reserved.

© 2016 · FOODIE PRO THEME COPYRIGHT BY · SHAY BOCKS GENESIS FRAMEWORK · BUILT ON THE WORDPRESS