The Columbia Daily Spectator — the undergraduate news organization of Columbia University in New York — had its annual fundraiser last Friday. This was a pleasant change, because the dinner has been held in January or February for ages. Last year, the students told the board of alumni trustees, of which I’m a member, that…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X the Style Crone, Part 2
It’s time to reveal the second image from my new brand campaign with Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone. In this one, she’s modeling my turquoise skull ring. The hand-carved skull is set in 18K yellow gold and accented by 192 rubies weighing a total of 1.84 carats. This one-of-a-kind piece is available on my…
RIP, Tim Conway and Doris Day
Occasionally, when I feel down, I watch two Tim Conway clips from the great Carol Burnett show. I’m sure you’ve seen both absolutely everywhere today after the announcement of Conway’s death at the age of 85. I managed to work the “Elephant” clip into a fashion post about the SAG Awards in 2016. The “Dentist”…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry X the Style Crone
Just in case you missed her yesterday on the blog (and Instagram and YouTube!) I want to be sure you take a good long look at the new face of Wendy Brandes Jewelry: Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone. Behold — and click to see the full horizontal image on my website)! In this photo,…
Wednesday’s Video: How to Cast a Model
If you’ve ever wondered how and why particular models get cast in fashion shows and ad campaigns … well, I can’t answer for anyone else, but you can find out what my process is in this week’s video. I’m excited to introduce my new brand images featuring OG blogger Judith Boyd, aka the Style Crone,…
2019 Met Gala: Best of the Rest
Have you ever had that experience where you’re trying your damndest to get a life-changing opportunity, and you’ve put in your best effort, and you’ve been your best self, and you’ve gotten to the final round — and the people in charge pick your fucking Tether? Whether it’s a school admission, a job, or a…
My Best Dressed at the 2019 Met Gala Is …
I’ve had an eagle eye on the attendees of tonight’s Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Só Observando GIF from Robertdeniro GIFs As I wrote earlier, I wasn’t convinced that the celebrity guests were going to live up to the theme of the exhibition the Met Gala is promoting, which is “Camp:…
Met Gala 2019: Preview From Bitter, Party of One
The Met Gala — the informal name for the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — takes place tonight and, as always, I am bitter about not being an invitee. Not because I want to rub elbows with celebrities and billionaires, but because I LOVE theme dressing and I LOVE to shop…
Still Life With Fibroids
I was MIA on the blog this week because I was recovering from a minimally invasive embolization procedure to treat fibroids. For those who don’t know, fibroids are benign tumors of the uterus. Most people with a uterus have fibroids at some point in their lives, but not everyone experiences symptoms like pain and excessive…
Going Wide With Frame Jeans and Diane Keaton
I need to do a YouTube video about my whole history with jeans. I’ve realized that since my teenage years, I’ve always been searching for a style that’s not readily available. Over the past decade, I’ve been bedeviled by the persistence of skinny jeans/jeggings, which was a style I loved in the 1980s — when…






