I’ve always wondered if Madonna held onto at least some of her iconic clothes and accessories. My question was answered on Monday, when she wore a Versace slip dress from 1995 to Donatella Versace’s afterparty for the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. versace versace versace versace… #madonna #versace #metgala A post shared by…
Fashion
2018 Met Gala: The Best of the Rest
I feel like I should do one of those “Previously on …” intros that new television episodes start with. Read this to yourself in an announcer-type voice: Previously, on this blog, Wendy Brandes bestowed her Best Dressed/Wear What You Want combo award for the 2018 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art —…
My Best Dressed at the 2018 Met Gala Is …
Damn it! Catholicism is going to force me to write up a storm this week. via GIPHY I confess that I half-hoped the attendees of tonight’s Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum would be flummoxed by the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Then I could get away with writing a…
The Week in Review
In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog this week. Tuesday, May 1: Snakeskin is back, and I have to dig up a photo of my shiny snake-pattern pants from the late 1990s. Wednesday, May 2: In this week’s YouTube video, I talked about how I changed my career and what you…
Byron Lars and My Met Gala Dream Look
My designing friend Stacy Lomman teaches at the famous Fashion Institute of Technology, her own alma mater. Every year, during the final semester for graduating students, the school brings in designers to mentor the students as they work on their final projects in the categories of intimate apparel, special occasion, knitwear, children’s wear, and sportswear….
Fashion Repeats Itself: It’s Snake Time Again
I was pleased to see Fashionista.com report that snakeskin looks are hot for spring. In 2011, I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post that included snakeskin as a hot trend for fall. Basically, snakeskin is good all year round! And for more than one season or year, as I noted at the time. “It’s…
Throwback Thursday: Jil Sander Boots From 2002
Since I started this blog in 2007, it’s been easy to keep track of when I’ve purchased clothes or accessories, but anything pre-2007 can require a bit of guesswork because I wasn’t taking deliberate “outfit photos” back then. For instance, I knew I got these Jil Sander boots before I left the corporate world in…
Coachella 2018, Day 1: A “Short” Wait for Beyoncé
Good news! As you could tell from yesterday’s post, I survived my third Coachella … and, once again, I did it without using alcohol, drugs, or face paint. It’s possible, so don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. My Day 1 was actually Day 2 of the festival’s first weekend. I missed Friday, when The…
Cardi B and Linda E
I can’t wait to see Cardi B at Coachella this weekend. CLICK FOR MY CARDI B FAN POST. I tuned in to Cardi’s Saturday Night Live performance last weekend, and on Monday, I watched the Tonight Show for the first time in years to see her co-host with Jimmy Fallon. MrB watched with me both…
A Fashion Playlist for My First YouTube-a-Versary
I’ve had my Wendy Brandes Jewelry YouTube channel up and running for one year, as of last Thursday! To celebrate, I’m putting together some playlists for you for the next couple of weeks. First up is the best of my fashion-related videos. In these, I explain “slow fashion” and “homegrown vintage”; talk about my earliest…







