When I graduated from college and entered the working world — a long time ago — I bought into the notion that it was good to stock a wardrobe with basic black. Supposedly, if everything you had looked the same, no one would know how many or how few clothes you had, how often you…
Fashion
Happy Birthday to Paul McCartney; Outfits for Ringo
Happy birthday to my almost-husband, Paul McCartney! He turns the big SEVEN-TWO today. When I was 13, I desperately wanted to marry Paul, who was inconveniently married to Linda at the time. I subdued my jealousy by telling myself that it would never work out between us, even if he got divorced (and divorce was…
What Wendy Wore: Green Jacket, Green Ring
Last week, I went to visit gorgeous editor Tina Huynh at W Magazine. I can never resist taking a photo by the big W in that office. What Wendy Wore to W Jacket: Castelbajac (2011) T-shirt: Splendid Jeans: Acne (2008-ish) Shoes: Louis Vuitton (2004-ish) I wore that Castelbajac jacket practically every day for a year…
Ready for my “People of Walmart” Photo Op
Last week, I asked my hair guru, Keith Carpenter, for a mullet-y haircut. As the Beastie Boys song “Mullet Head” goes, “Cut the sides, don’t touch the back!” I was inspired by Lady Gaga’s longtime friend and DJ Lady Starlight. I was hyp-mo-tized by Starlight’s hair at Gaga’s Roseland concert this spring. #482086591 / gettyimages.com…
Throwback Thursday: Cap and Gown
A lot of high schools had their graduation ceremonies last week, so for Throwback Thursday, I’ll go way back to my graduation in 1985. This was the public school whose newspaper adviser censored my music review because it mentioned homosexuality. Before that, some bitch teacher tried to keep me out of the National Honor Society…
Who Wore It Best: Maleficent or …
Angelina Jolie wears an impressive set of horns in her starring role in Maleficent, Disney’s retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. The horned headpiece originated in the 1959 animated Sleeping Beauty movie. But I kept thinking that someone else had worn some hot-looking horns relatively recently. And I was right! Here is a still of…
How to Wear Wendy Brandes Jewelry With Your BFF
You know those “best friends” heart-shaped necklaces that you’re supposed to split with your closest gal pal? If you and your BFF like the idea of a jewelry connection but crave an edgier design, Jennifer Gandia of Greenwich Jewelers has a sassy solution. She split a pair of my middle finger emoji stud earrings with…
What Wendy Wore: Platinum and Bricks at JCK Las Vegas
Last weekend, I attended JCK Las Vegas, the ginormous jewelry trade show, for the second time. In 2013, I was there to speak about the next-generation customer, alongside jewelry expert Cheryl Kremkow. This year, I was invited by Platinum Guild International, so, naturally, I wore a lot of platinum! The first thing I did was…
Throwback Thursday: What Wendy Wore in Europe in 1989
Twenty-five years ago this month, I went to Paris for the first time. It was chilly and breezy during my stay. Here I am huddled in my denim jacket, wearing the leggings I wore all over Europe that summer. You can see the front view of the outfit here. I also went to London, Spain,…
John Duka, Plus the Week in Review
The New York Times has a good story today about John Duka, the late Times fashion reporter and a founding partner of the public-relations firm now known as KCD. Duka is thought to be the inspiration for the character of Felix Turner in The Normal Heart, which will air tonight on HBO. The movie is…