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…
pictures of me
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…
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,…
Lean
I’m not sipping lean like rapper Lil Wayne or the late Pimp C. I’m not leaning in like Sheryl Sandberg. According to two recent photos, I’m living life on an angle, like the drag queens in La Cage Aux Folles. I’m the one in the leopard dress leaning back in this photo from the Patrick…
Throwback Thursday: Who Is the Real Ostrich?
I LOL’d this morning when I noticed that my designing friend Stacy Lomman Instagrammed a photo of me in which I’m wearing her faux ostrich jacket while hanging out with a friend in South Africa last year. I thought her captions were really helpful. This jacket always gets so much attention, and, sometimes, uninvited stroking….
Maya Angelou and Massimo Vignelli
The author, poet and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou died today, aged 86. I suspect some people know her work primarily from the Angelou epigrams that circulate on Instagram and Pinterest. This one is often posted by someone who is feeling burned. This one is also popular. But Angelou was much more than a dispenser of…