Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Outfit Post: Some Things Old, Some Things Blue

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It took me nearly two years, but I finally wore the white lace Dolce & Gabbana coat that I bought from Trudie Styler (aka Mrs. Sting) thanks to some styling tips from gorgeous blogger/designer Stacy Lomman of taffetadarlings. In fact, I wore the coat two ways in one day. For our friends’ anniversary party at Bar Henry (congrats Jane and Norm!) on Monday, I wore the coat over a vintage Herve Leger dress.

A parking garage was the only place with enough light for a photo.

Dress: vintage Herve Leger (2007)
Coat: Dolce & Gabbana (2008)
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman (2009)
Lipstick: MAC Lasting Lust

I got the dress not long before Leger bandage dresses started being produced again. Everyone’s neck-deep in Leger dresses now, so that was a very bad purchase, timing-wise. Whenever I see the dress in my closet, I give it the side-eye. My toes decided not to make an appearance in this photo, which was for the best, because I painted their nails a regrettable fluorescent green. I’m glad they’re hiding themselves in shame.

Earlier in the day, for a lunch my friend Barbaralee had in honor of the 45th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, I wore the coat over a longer dress, with Yves Saint Laurent shoes from a few years ago, and the Prada bag that MrB got me for my birthday in December.

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Gigi the dog with the accessories.

Barbaralee is truly the hostess with the mostest. Not only did she introduce me to people as a journalist-turned-jewelry designer/fashion blogger, but she introduced my purse too, telling more than one person that it was a birthday gift from MrB. What a memory!

Maybe the purse got me extra-enthused for light blue, because the next day, I wore a light-blue, Spring 2005 dress by Zang Toi to a cocktail party in honor of the Tribeca Film Festival. I told superstylist Julie Matos to do anything she wanted with my hair and she wanted big and retro.

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Happy because I'm anticipating a glass of white wine.

Dress: Zang Toi (2005)
Shoes: Plein Sud (pre-2003)
Jewelry: Mine
Giant hair courtesy Julie Matos
Lip color: MAC lipliner in Berry

If that dress looks familiar, it’s not just because I’ve posted it before. The brown velvet gown I wore to the Malaysian party on Friday is the same dress. Zang liked the blue one so much that he insisted I have a long version too. I’m wearing those shoes instead of the sandals I wanted to wear because I didn’t want to see the Day-Glo green toes with the light-blue dress.

MrB and I had the good fortune to bump into our anniversary-celebrating friends Norm and Jane at the cocktail party. When we found out Norm was going back to work, we decided to steal Jane and take her to dinner, but we couldn’t decide on a restaurant. Then Jane spotted restaurateur Drew Nieporent, consulted with him and, next thing we knew, we had reservations at Corton. Nice work, Jane! And thanks, Drew. We had a great meal. But we might have had too much to drink because Jane and I realized later that we took a picture of the petit fours but didn’t take a picture of MrB looking like he was out on the town with two dates.

Before we left the cocktail party, I noticed three women in a group giving my Zang dress the up-and-down look in an uncomplimentary way. Humph! I thought I was dressed very conservatively compared to the last time I went to the film festival event, especially because I came “thisclose” to wearing my crazy dollar dress. The dollar dress would have justified an eye roll!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. The coat looks 100% amazing with that little Leger. And the strappy sandals make it all unbearably sexy! Though I’m sad to be missing the neon green toes …

  3. I think you look great, as always. I find it strange that people love to be fashion police, why do people really care that much.

  7. Two gorgeous outfits and a dog next to a purse! You’ve really outdone yourself with the eye candy in this post.

  8. You look fabulous in everything! The big hair is perfect for that dress.

    Eff the h8az, as the kids say. They’re just jealous.

  9. There is so much beauty and gorgeousness in this post that I don’t even know where to begin. I have to say that Gigi has fantastic taste in accessories and I love-love-love her hair bows. Also, I love the big hair!

  10. Stunning as always Wendy!

    Does Zang Toi do custom dresses for the fuller figure? I don’t have a ton of need for a gown, but it would solve a lot of last minute panic situations.

  11. Reading your posts about your nights out in NYC I kind of feel like I’m out on the town with you, until I pause to look out the window and see a chav kicking a cider can down the street.

  15. Just curious – do you ever take a bad picture?? You are as adorable as can be in totally disparate styles. The blue one is vaguely medieval lady – but modernized. Hmmm, I think, with truly meaningful descriptions like that, I should really work in fashion, no?

  17. Love the lacy coat over the dress! I hate it when I anticipate a trend too – I want to just stick that item back in the closet until it’s “out” again! Ha!

    Those women giving you the eyeball were probably just jealous at how freakin’ hot you look, Wendy! You look like fashion royalty in that (esp. with the Queen Liz hair, which I LOVE on you).

  19. Love the silver stuff! I wonder, would you have as many pairs of silver shoes as I do? I can barely resist them.

  20. You look fab in these pics! *This* is what made them give you the eye? What in the world is wrong with women? Jealous. That dress fits you perfectly and shows off your amazing figure. (It reminds me of Wedgewood china — in a good way!)
    XXX
    Suzanne

  22. Aww, I really like the blue dress and I don’t care what anyone says. I think it looks very flattering on you and I love the hair!

  24. OK… that white coat is insane and the total ensemble is amazing. So glad to see the final masterpiece and happy to help! I can’t believe how different that blue embroidered dress looks in your other post. Fabric makes such a difference! Oh, how sweet does Gigi look? So fluffy soft in that pic.

  27. Hi there-a big wow!! The D&G coat with the Leger dress is pure style and chicness, I adore this look and it was worth waiting for!! Your blue Zang dress is just stunning too-I’m loving all these outfit posts, keep them up!!

  33. The Leger with that coat and the sandals is just fabulously sexy, not a bit diminished by the parking garage. And you just look so fabulous in the blue dress that the evil-eyed ladies obviously just couldn’t control their jealousy. You pull off these disparate looks so well. And of course it is the commentary that adds the wit and spark.

  35. After gazing upon all this fabulosity, not to mention reveling in the stories from Friday’s Malaysian gala, we have to tell you that we are loving the wardrobe. We may not understand how you walk in some of those stunning heels (simply beautiful) or how to get the hair so plush, or the makeup so perfect, but good gravy, we love *all* of it, you are just so lovely in every image!

    Hugs at you Miss Wendy, you are such a treasure!
    tp

  38. LOVE the Mrs. Sting jacket-gorgeous! You are beautiful…not sure why those hags would be looking at your dress in an uncomplimentary way? Other than being jealous and not being classy enough to come up to you and give you the compliment you deserved for looking amazing.
    pshh.

    smiles,
    gina

  40. Speaking of petit fours, you look like a petit four in the best way in this dress (like in a modern Marie Antoinette way). Ugh, why do women have to be such haters sometimes? The strappy heels in the first photo are divine. You look gorgeous on both outfits!

  43. darling the ladies were giving the eye roll were simply hating!

    You looked gorgeous. I like that you have tha Zang dress in both the blue and brown.

    That first photo of you is GORGEOUS!! you are a hottie Wendy!
    xoxo
    marian.

  44. How anyone could have NOT appreciated your look is beyond me. I’ve never seen you in light blue. You look brilliant!

    I’m also intrigued by your “lipliner-as-lipcolor” choice. Does it stay put? I’ve never done that.

  45. you look beautiful Wendy! I love your coat! Its fantastic!! {and Gigi looks lovely as well!!}

    I hope you had a lovely Earth Day #40 yesterday! Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

  47. I think that blue is lovely. Im becoming quite a fan of zang toi because of you, actually.