What Wendy Wore: Black & White

It’s been a long time since I did an outfit post, but glimpsing my all-time favorite supermodel, Linda Evangelista, gave me some fashion-blogging inspiration.

Linda was signing copies of Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel at Marc Jacobs’s Bookmarc store on Thursday, and the line to see her wrapped around the block. I got there early, so I never dreamed I wouldn’t get in. But after I stood three hours in 90 degrees, the books ran out when I was two people from the door. OMG! The best I could do was take a photo of Linda through the window, stalker-style.

I had hoped to quickly thank her for the just-published interview she did with the Wall Street Journal, in which she revealed for the first time that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. After a double mastectomy, the cancer turned up again in her pectoral muscle. I thought that was an important experience to share, so that people who have been treated can better advocate for themselves if they notice further changes in their body. (Linda says her prognosis now is “good” but not “great.”) I had dressed for my message, wearing a t-shirt that showed my late friend Chiara flaunting her post-op chest.

Like I said, it was in the 90s and humid, so I put on shorts and an open-weave beret to hide my humidity-caused hair unruliness. I felt sweaty and like I was wearing “shorts and a t-shirt,” same as always, but I guess the accessories gave me an upgrade, because WHY is this one of the best photos I’ve ever taken?

What Wendy Wore
Beret: No-name brand from Poshmark (2023)
T-shirt: Chiara tribute shirt (2020)
Shorts: Levi’s from Poshmark (2023)
Belt: From I Need More (2020)
Shoes: Dolce & Gabbana (2015)
Bag: Telfar (2021)

I mean, the dreary hallway and neighbor’s door aren’t picturesque, but I really had it together, outfit-wise. That encouraged me to continue making an effort. To amuse myself, I decided I’d stick to a black-and-white theme.

What Wendy Wore
Dress: Alyn Paige from Poshmark (2023)
Shoes: Jil Sander (2008)
Bag: Telfar (2021)

I wore the zebra-striped dress to see the play “Job” at the Soho Playhouse. The play is by Max Wolf Friedlich, the son of a friend. Sydney Lemmon and Peter Friedman (Succession) play a distraught young woman and her new psychologist, and the script is darkly funny and thrilling. The play runs till October 8, and I urge you to get tickets before everyone finds out how great it is and the run is all sold out.

On Saturday, I went to a panel about jewelry at Sotheby’s, the auction house. My black-and-white theme got me to reach for some “I should wear this more often” accessories.

What Wendy Wore
Dress: Gap Factory (2023)
Shoes: Gucci (2007 or earlier)
Bag: Prada (2008)

The Sotheby’s panel was linked to the publication of Linda Kozloff-Turner’s epic book, 100 Women of Jewelry. I’m proud to say I was interviewed for the book, but that emotion doesn’t compare to the awe I have of Linda K-T! This is the culmination of years of work; Linda started this project in 2016. Think of the effort that goes into conducting, transcribing, and editing 100 interviews! Then there’s the photography and layout to take care of — it’s mind-blowing. By the way, Linda’s history is as impressive as her book project; she was the first woman bench jeweler in Boulder, Colo.

I started this post with a Linda so it’s tempting to end with a Linda, but I have to share something from an exhibit I saw while I was at Sotheby’s: Princess Diana’s famous black sheep sweater from 1981! (She was Lady Diana then, actually, and only 19.)

In a case to the left of the giant Diana image were two letters written by Diana’s staff to Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, who designed the sweater under the name Warm & Wonderful. The first letter requested a repair or replacement because the “much loved” sweater had been damaged. The second letter thanks the Warm & Wonderful designers for knitting a new sweater. In the letter, Diana’s secretary Oliver Everett apologizes for his delayed response to getting the sweater, citing the hectic atmosphere around the royal wedding.

WWD has a great little piece on all of this here, which explains how the company named Rowing Blazers revived the sheep design: Jack Carlson, the creative director of Rowing Blazers, was also a partner in Warm & Wonderful. You can buy the sheep sweater here. I’ve thought this sweater was adorable for decades, but I never craved it at all. Now I kinda do, just because I enjoyed those letters so much. The fact that Diana cared enough about the sweater to contact the original designers and ask for repairs is something I could relate to. It’s always the story behind a piece that gets me.

Well, maybe I’ll find the sheep sweater on Poshmark. If you checked the outfit details above, you’ll notice I have a bit of an obsession with Poshmark lately. I like to window-shop for various designers on the app — I browse much more than I buy — but sometimes the deals are irresistible. I initially turned to Poshmark for a solemn reason. I often play the role of a Human Being — representing someone lost to gun violence — in demonstrations by Gays Against Guns. The Human Beings wear all-white, and that wasn’t a color I had a lot of, so I would put random bits and pieces together and wind up with a “struggle outfit.” I finally realized that, tragically, my need for white clothes wasn’t going away. My budget was minimal, but thanks to Poshmark, I found an off-white sweater and parka for $10 and $20, respectively. You can find a lot of fantastic secondhand clothes in that range, in all sizes too. The zebra-print dress — which I’ve worn three times already — was $20. I swear this isn’t a sponsored post — I’m just addicted!