I wish I knew who shot this classic photo of Babe Paley, darlings! The person is probably not alive today--neither is Babe--but I could get someone to recreate it, using me. I mean, the lighting, for that creamy skin!!!!!!!!!! I have just GOT to have it! But I won't smoke, girls! I may mysteriously cover my mouth, but I won't smoke.
If I am to be the Baby Boomer Truman Capote, then I have got to hit the social scene! But where is it, these days? The East Village? God, I hate going down there! La Grenouille? I guess I could show up there, for a couple of meals!!!!!!!!!!!
I've always thought, especially since the birth of this blog, that the New York social scene was anywhere I just happened to be. Clearly, I am the Babe Paley of Bay Ridge, but how many people actually know it?
I simply cannot stop staring at the photo. If I had to name my favorite glamour photo of all time, this would be it!
Maybe I should add some red nail polish?
Oh, and just so you are all up on things---Sunday, we are seeing the new Charles Busch play, "The Tribute Artist." So, that is the place to be that day, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And let's hope the Ground Hog sees its shadow.
See you all at the Colony Club, girls! Or whatever equivalent I can find!
There is a wonderful book on Babe Paley and her two sisters titled "The Cushing Sisters" by David Grafton published in 1992. Her two older sisters both married into money and prestige: Minnie Cushing was the second wife of Vincent Astor, and Betsey Cushing married James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and then later John Hay Whitney. Babe Paley's personal style was inspirational to thousands of women who tried to copy her, but as Bill Blass once observed, "I never saw her not grab anyone's attention, the hair, the makeup, the crispness. You were never conscious of what she was wearing; you noticed Babe and nothing else." Even Babe Paley herself had this amazing quote: The look of being too deliberately dressed, with everything cautiously matching, always bores me." Perhaps that's why she herself has remained fresh and timeless. As Truman Capote once said of Babe Paley, "Babe Paley had only one fault, she was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect."
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteTruman was right, Marc. Thanks for
reminding me of this book; I have been
wanting to read it for a long time; you
may be the impetus. When I do, I
will post it on here!