• 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

What Wendy Wore: Thanksgiving and a Birthday

November 29, 2011 by WendyB

Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday. There’s too much food and football, and a dearth of costumes, confetti and candy dioramas. I was happy to shake things up by going to a restaurant instead of having dinner at home. So happy, in fact, that I celebrated by wearing something other than my jeans-and-t-shirt uniform.

What Wendy Wore
Top: Moschino (2005-ish)
Skirt: Chanel (2005-ish)
Over-the-Knee Boots: Manolo Blahnik (previous guess: 2003)
Necklace: My own Gloriana design in white gold

This outfit makes me think of all kinds of trivia. For a start, the top had a bad dry-cleaning experience several years ago. The edges of its short sleeves shrank to become painfully tight. I moped to MrB, “But it’s only three years old!” MrB thought it was a sign that it might be time to buy a new top after three years. Instead, I took the top to Jean at Ghost Tailor and she saved it by cutting those tourniquet-like edges off and refinishing the sleeves. I never went back to that dry cleaner.

I remember the first time I wore the skirt because that night I met a woman who was Chanel-obsessed.  She was the type of person who bought the whole line each season. She asked who the skirt was by and was staggered when I told her. “They didn’t show me that one!” she gasped. I’m not Chanel-obsessed. I got the skirt because the silver threads in it are very festive, though they don’t show up in the photo.

I always wear the suede boots without socks or tights.

The 18K white gold and diamond Gloriana necklace design rarely comes out of the vault, because I prefer its yellow-gold sister. (You can read about the inspiration for the Gloriana necklace here.) I took the white-gold version out for a magazine photo shoot and decided to wear it once before sending it back to the safe-deposit box. I made this necklace years ago, when gold was inexpensive enough for me to make a yellow-gold and a white-gold version of nearly everything, just in case someone wanted a different color metal. Making two of every design is out of the question now that the cost of gold has tripled. I prefer the way my designs look in yellow gold anyway. I think the color is more inviting. It also looks better than white in the satin finish I like, and shows intricate details more clearly. If I’m adding a white-metal piece to my collection these days, it’s going to be platinum or silver. I use platinum for wedding/black-tie-worthy jewelry. Silver is much less expensive than gold (though its price has soared in the past year), so I use it to make somewhat less expensive jewelry. Of course, I will happily make jewelry in white gold for a custom order. The Empress Wu dragon ring in my collection was made with yellow gold, but I made special white-gold dragon cufflinks for my designing friend Zang Toi.

Empress Wu dragon ring in 18K yellow gold. Click for more information.

Custom cufflinks in 18K white gold. Click for more information.

By the way, when I say that I’m adding a piece to my collection, it means that I’m making it on spec, without an existing order, so that I can show it to potential customers and press. It’s the same thing that clothing designers are doing when they present their seasonal collections on the runway, but without the models and all the excitement.

If you ever want a custom piece — in any kind of precious metal — holla at me at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com.

The day after Thanksgiving I dressed up again for gorgeous designer/blogger Stacy Lomman’s birthday. We went out to dinner with MrB and I surprised Stacy by showing up in one of the dresses I bought from her Spring 2011 collection. She’d never seen me wearing it before.

The dress on the runway.

The dress on me.

What Wendy Wore
Dress: Stacy Lomman (Spring 2011)
Shoes: Prada (2010)
Jewelry: My own

Despite MrB’s best efforts, he failed to get an approved-for-posting photo of the birthday girl. Luckily, Stacy took a close-up of my rings against the “gems” that decorate the dress and photobombed her own picture! Do you see her?

All the rings are my designs. Minx manicure is by Tracylee Percival.

Gotcha, girl!

UPDATED TO ADD: Ha! I just realized I’m standing in the exact same position in both of those outfit photos, and it’s not even the official WendyB pose!

You might also like
Valentine's Day Splurge: The "Sophie" Twisting-Heart Necklace
My Customized Evelina Ring for Marian Kihogo
Holiday Gift Ideas From JCK, Teen Vogue and National Jeweler

Filed Under: Custom work, holidays, my designs, necklaces, outfit post, pictures of me, skirts, tops, What Wendy Wore

Previous Post: « Wendy Brandes Swear Rings in Life & Style
Next Post: Never Is the Next New Thing™: Animal-Toe Shoes »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cameron says

    November 29, 2011 at 12:25 am

    Sneaky dress is sneaky! Now, if you don’t wear socks, then how do you keep your feet warm during those cold, snowy NYC winters?!

  2. Eli says

    November 29, 2011 at 1:13 am

    The boots with no socks reminds me of the Friends episode with the leather pants.

    The dress looks gorgeous on you, it looks like a NYE dress too! You can see her a tiny bit in the reflections of the stones/mirrors 🙂

  3. Vix says

    November 29, 2011 at 3:19 am

    Wow! That sparkly dress looks better on you than the model, gorgeous. Love that dragon ring soooo much. x

    • DL says

      November 29, 2011 at 10:35 am

      I was about to mention that! The dress looks way better on you, Wendy. It’s nicely complemented by your accessories too. Also love the skirt and boots, by the way!

  4. Mary says

    November 29, 2011 at 3:20 am

    Love the dress! But how do you wear the boots sans socks? I wouldn’t be able to get them onto my sweaty feet, or off for that matter.

    • WendyB says

      November 29, 2011 at 6:20 pm

      They’re so soft, they feel like socks themselves.

  5. Collette Osuna says

    November 29, 2011 at 6:13 am

    LOVE the Chanel skirt, and of course you look equally gorgeous in the dress too…..I love black. Its simple, and sexy! You look great Wendy!!

  6. coffeeaddict says

    November 29, 2011 at 6:47 am

    Love the skirt. And not because it’s Chanel.
    As for aging gracefully: if an item of clothing does not intend to work its ass for me for the next 4 to 6 years, let me know in advance please. No lazy bums in my closet ;-P

  7. brett says

    November 29, 2011 at 8:05 am

    that dress is fabulous and i love the skirt
    aren’t you clever repairing your shirt instead of tossing it.
    can’t wait to see your spec piece of jewelry
    brett

    • stacy says

      November 29, 2011 at 6:16 pm

      Thank you Brett! I can make you one too…;-)

  8. mystyle says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:29 am

    Hi my dear! Staceys dress is really lovely and your jewellery works brilliantly with it! xxx

  9. Sheila says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:54 am

    You look amazing as always, Wendy! Love the Chanel skirt and the dress with the jewels.

  10. Susan Tiner says

    November 29, 2011 at 11:01 am

    Stacy is so talented! I love the dress and your jewelry goes beautifully with the dress gems.

    That woman had some nerve making that comment about your skirt. Honestly, what is wrong with people?

    • stacy says

      November 29, 2011 at 6:16 pm

      Susan…xoxo

  11. Julia, the Thanksgiving Girl says

    November 29, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    What a fabulous skirt! Love how you wore it with these over the knee boots! And the dress looks great on you too. Totally love how simple the outfits are, yet are totally festive!

    I don’t remember seeing the dragons in white gold before, must have missed the initial post, but woah, I love them like that!

  12. Pam @over50feeling40 says

    November 29, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    The skirt and the dress are both fabulous…I really love how sophisticated the dress is!

  13. Couture Carrie says

    November 29, 2011 at 2:49 pm

    Hi gorgeous!
    Love that dress and all your amazing rings.
    So great to hear from you, WB!

    xoxox,
    CC

  14. Megan Mae says

    November 29, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Both outfits are very gorgeous! I have to admit, I did reel about when I read you don’t wear socks! I am as much of a sock obsess-er as a shoe one.

    The Stacey Lomman dress is just gorgeous on you! I love your “ring party”, that’s a party I can get on board with.

    • stacy says

      November 29, 2011 at 6:17 pm

      Wendy’s my muse and she doesn’t even know it!

  15. That's Not My Age says

    November 29, 2011 at 6:13 pm

    Love the way you pile all your rings on and that skirt is cute – the label-obsessed woman isn’t alone, I’d never have guessed it was Chanel.

  16. stacy says

    November 29, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    Too bad you can’t see the lurex in your Chanel skirt in the pic. But, you CAN see it in my dress! And it’s black lurex, not even silver 🙂 Shoot, how did I photobomb myself? Ironically, my anti-spam word is sucker!

  17. Bonnie says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:28 pm

    I LOVE YOUR OUTFIT.

    I had to yell that because it really is that hot. It’s something I would wear. We’re fashion sisters. Fisters? That just sounds wrong.

    • WendyB says

      November 29, 2011 at 10:43 pm

      Bwah!

  18. Elizabeth says

    November 30, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    How nicely Jean salvaged the sleeves of your top; now your delts are displayed to perfection. I love that skirt, too!

    Great outfits for both occasions. You really shine in black.

    I’m starting to veer toward yellow gold now, for the first time since I was 14. The only necklace I wear anymore is my yellow gold Madame Royale Necklace, which has come from behind as my absolute favorite. (hmm, that didn’t come out right.)

  19. Kristin says

    November 30, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    Love that dress of Stacy’s that you bought! And I spy her in one of the gems!

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