Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

About This Blog

by

If you are a new reader who is visiting due to my Marie Claire story, you might be wondering what the hell is going on here. If you’re an old reader who joined me at some point since I started this blog last July, you might be wondering the same thing.

A second photo from the Marie Claire story.
I’m wearing a vintage Ceil Chapman dress.

Please allow me to introduce myself!

This is, ostensibly, a fashion/style blog. You’ll notice that most of the other blogs I link to, over there on the right side of the screen, are fashion/style blogs.

This is my favorite look: a vintage dress, a faux-ny tail and a big smile.

I also write about my other interests, including history, books, feminism, dogs and things that annoy me. Occasionally, all those topics overlap. I swear a lot when things annoy me, and also when they don’t. If you have a problem with that, you should visit some other fucking site.

This blog is called Wendy Brandes Jewelry because I am a jewelry designer and started this to promote my jewelry. Sometimes I remember to do that. Luckily, most of my jewelry is inspired by queens or other fascinating ladies. I write about these women in my Book Club posts. Among my favorites are Anne Boleyn and the Empresses Wu and Matilda. Here are some links:

  • Anne Boleyn, Parts I, II and III
  • Empress Matilda, Parts I, II and III
  • Empress Wu, Parts I and II

I was trying to do my Book Club posts every Thursday at first, but I started writing biographies of the ladies instead of just listing books, so the weekly schedule became too much. The Book Club posts still come out on Thursdays, but not EVERY Thursday. While I will sometimes mention a movie or television show in these posts, they are primarily about books, as the title would suggest, so please don’t expect long reviews of The Tudors.

Two of my Boleyn-inspired necklaces
© Wendy Brandes 2007-2008

My motto is “Wear What You Want.” I’ve spoken about what that means to me a couple of times. You can check that out here and here. Need proof that I practice what I preach? Click here.

My favorite designer is the late Ossie Clark. In addition to women’s history, I like fashion history. Other vintage designers I’ve written about are:

I occasionally do music history, focusing on the ’70s and ’80s.

I offer practical advice:

I have strange obsessions:

And I like to explain why shit is sexist:

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I like to use a lot of links. Many of my photos are also links. You can mouse over the pictures to see whether they are links or whether they enlarge. As for comments, nearly everyone who has commented here has been delightful. (I love you bitches!) If you want to be anonymous and abusive, go elsewhere — approximately 99.9999% of teh Interweb is conducive to that, so you don’t need this blog as your outlet. If you spam my comments or abuse my regular commenters, I will delete your ass. I do read all the comments here and appreciate them. I used to try to respond to all of you who comment here, but sometimes I prefer to use my time to read and comment on YOUR blogs. So please don’t be miffed if yours is not one of the comments I reply to directly here.

All of the original content on Wendy Brandes Jewelry is copyrighted: jewelry designs, my personal photos and text. You are welcome to use photos in a noncommercial way as long as you give credit and link back here. If (as has happened) I find a spam blog has appropriated my content, I will hunt that blog down and beat its ass. If I use a photo from elsewhere, it will always be linked back to the source. If you have an issue with photo usage even though I link back to you, you can email me at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com. That hotmail address can also be used by anyone who wants to ask about jewelry or just say hello. All complaints should be sent here.

UPDATED JANUARY 2010 TO ADD:

I recently decided to answer some burning questions I frequently get about how and why I design the type of jewelry that I do. Enjoy!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Incidentally, that picture looks amazing. If I looked like that, I would post my picture roughly 18 times per post.

    Also, now I’m going to go have to find an issue of Marie Claire, and like 18 copies of Black Tail in the hopes that the cashier won’t notice the Marie Claire and revoke my dude card.

  3. Oh my God! Is it the current issue, or last months? If it’s the current issue, I’m totally going to go out and buy it. Congrats!

  5. Damn, I didn’t know you did all that. I’m looking forward to getting the issue of Marie Claire so I can brag to my friends that I know a celebrity. Yes, my life is sad 🙂

  6. Damn, I didn’t know you did all that. I’m looking forward to getting the issue of Marie Claire so I can brag to my friends that I know a celebrity. Yes, my life is sad 🙂

  7. PAD, I really wanted to get this article published in Juggs, just to make you happy, but they wouldn’t have me.
    Dilemma, it’s the brand new one! Not even officially on the stands till today (Tuesday).
    Sandra, thank you!
    Suze, I weep for you. Srsly.

  8. Just now when I read your comment on my blog about all of the fun stuff happening in Portland so why are you in NYC, I clicked on WendyB, like I almost always do, so that I can see what you’ve been up to ’cause I know it’s gonna be interesting, fun, crazy, opinionated, fun, worthwhile, way-out, informative, fun, and the truth as you see/know/live/believe it. With pictures and links.

    WendyB, despite the fact that your look includes your eye-catching big smile, the photo of you at the top is exquisite.

    I’m getting my magazine tomorrow!!!

  9. The first photo is so lovely! I’m glad I found your blog – your writing style is highly entertaining and you write about the things I care about…. (clearly that means we are all fabulous!)

    Congrats on the magazine article – your designs deserve to be recognised!

  14. Still looking for that Marie Claire. My bookstore was sold out! Must have been your article, WendyB.

  17. Ok I am MOST DEF LATE on reading this post (surprise, surprise, always late) but I just wanted to wholeheartedly agree with you on the matter of SATC reviews are sexist as all hell!

    And btw, I think we should start a WENDY BRANDES FOR PRESIDENT campaign across the internets… 🙂

  18. my comment didn’t show up. you are amazing. love your pictures, whether you are smiling or not 🙂 i can’t wait to get a copy of marie claire, and must echo suze by saying that i can’t wait to tell people i “know” a celeberty.

  19. Wendy! It’s getting crowded in here!!! Seriously, I’m happy for you and for your new readers… YOU ROCK!

  20. I just read your article in MC. You look beautiful. I’m so so sad that I can’t come to the trunk show in NYC. I will buy one of your Livia Poison rings one day.

    I’m thinking, why didn’t they put one (or 2…) of your pieces on the SATC gals????

  21. I actually love the MC pic. Very pensive and studious looking. I love this post too. It is one of those great ones where I can really hear your voice, and it really makes me laugh. Not that I need to tell you, but keep being your wonderful self. That’s what keeps us coming back, and back, and back….
    (I wonder if you could hide a couple of ice packs under your favorite skirt to cope with that nasty heat)

  22. WendyB

    I looked at the issue when I was in the store but didn’t see the article. I’ll have to make sure I wasn’t looking at a June issue. I hope this is going in the full run of the magazine and not a regional thing. I hate when they do that!

    Luv
    Poochie

  23. Riz, I prefer to think of myself as a benevolent-dictator-for-life.
    Princess, I suspect Google/Blogger is eating some of the comments that are submitted, just to be evil.
    RCT, don’t worry, it won’t get too crowded because I will never allow the anonymous peeps in! They’re just trouble.
    Shoeaddict and SKM, you guys better cut it out before I go ahead and get good self-esteem or something. Because if that happens, the devil will be like, “Holy shit, it’s cold here.”
    Poochie, see my latest post! You can read it online now. But if you want an autograph, it will have to be on a hard copy 😉

  26. Hi Wendy. I found your site when browsing shoe and fashion blogs. You’ve got some fab jewelry and great writing. I’ll definitely be back!

  29. You rock my socks off – “beat your ass”…love it!

    Excellent use of teh interwebs, by the way. 😉

    Come say hi on Pretty Shiny Sparkly sometime! I am rapidly falling in love with your Anne Boleyn necklaces and will be hunting down a pic of it in K to add to my wishlist.