Henri Bendel — the New York department store with the instantly recognizable brown-and-white striped packaging — is closing after 123 years in business. Bendel’s was one of the four chic “B” stores in New York along with Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, and Bergdorf Goodman. For a long time, the store was near and dear to my heart,…
Fashion
What Wendy Wore: A Challenging Zac Posen Skirt
I’ve been challenged by a particular Zac Posen skirt for 13 years. The vibrant pattern from Posen’s Spring 2005 collection caught my eye as I was transitioning from my corporate job at Lehman Brothers to running my own jewelry business. Posen used it in dresses … Embed from Getty Images … and in skirts. Embed…
Thinking of Kyrzayda
I’ve met many fascinating women through blogging. Sometimes I’ve been lucky enough to get to spend time with them in real life, while others have remained good email/Twitter/Instagram pen pals for years. Then there are those that I follow enthusiastically even though I haven’t had the pleasure of making a personal connection. Kyrzayda Rodriguez is…
What Wendy Wore: Temple Fancy, Square Casual
When I mentioned last week that I’d been admiring the Egyptian jewelry in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I held back on what brought me to the museum. This was not your ordinary cultural outing, but the fantastic wedding reception of Ben Cotton and Abigail Fisch, which was held in the museum’s Temple of Dendur….
Throwback Thursday: Appropriate for Tennis
Ten years ago — as part of a runway collaboration with a fashion designer — I created an enormous silver tennis-racquet necklace. Here is a photo of it next to regular-size tennis balls. I took that photo to help people judge the size of the piece (I had the measurements on my website too, but…
Wednesday’s Video: Vintage Clothing FAQ, Part 5
Last year, I did four FAQ videos about vintage clothes. If you missed them, check ’em out now! Vintage clothing FAQ, part 1: Cleaning, storing, collecting. Vintage clothing FAQ, part 2: Vintage sizing and alterations. Vintage clothing FAQ, part 3: “New with tags” and other ways to find unworn vintage. Vintage clothing FAQ, part 4:…
Never Is the Next New Thing™: Skinny Eyebrows
My “Never Is the Next New Thing™” fashion rule states that the most provocative/grating/startling looks — the ones that make you say, “I would NEVER wear that!” — are the ones most likely to become trends, big or small. I first pointed this out in 2008, when Katie Holmes wore “pegged jeans” and the fashion-conscious…
Out With the Old-Old Haring Kicks, In With the New-Old
My old Reebok x Keith Haring sneakers — which were in dire shape to begin with — were beyond repair after I sloshed through a torrential rainstorm recently. So … out with the old-old and in with the new-old! I’m happy that I accidentally got two pairs of these in 2013 when these first came…
Transformation Tuesday: Redesigns Galore
I’ve written plenty about my love of redesigning old jewelry — including engagement rings. Once in a while, I’ll redesign clothes, which is how I wound up in a completely redesigned outfit last Saturday. I didn’t get to take a proper outfit photo due to an uncharged camera, so we’ll have to make due with…
Thirty-Five Years of Madonna Fandom
On July 27, 1983 — 35 years ago today — Madonna’s self-titled debut album was released, and I became an instant fan. I have a big video about Madonna that I’ll post next month, but to celebrate the album anniversary, here’s a little teaser in which I talk about choosing a Madonna concert over my…