Built by Wendy: Effortless American Cool
Built by Wendy has quietly become one of the most beloved brands for men and women who favor cool, subtle updates to classic silhouettes. The line launched in the early ‘90s while mastermind Wendy Mullin was still in college. After graduation, Mullen set up shop in the back of the NYC record shops she clerked in, selling her clothes and guitar straps to those savvy enough to purchase. Her instrument straps were a sharp contrast to the plain, less-comely ones that flooded the market then — Mullin’s wares would come in glitter or tweed fabric, and often appliquéd. The Built By Wendy flagship opened in New York in the late ‘90s, hawking the brand’s perfectly updated American classics.
The Built by Wendy signature is taking a time-honored piece and updating in a way that is both intuitive and fresh. Mullin’s take on a white blouse is to add fluttery layered sleeves; the Built by Wendy little black dress has gravity defying, voluminous sleeves and a latticed bib. The brand’s real crowning jewel — and interseason constant — is its collection of graphic t-shirts. Tops are printed with likenesses of off-kilter pop-culture icons like To Kill A Mockingbird’s Boo Radley and Scout sharing a porch swing, or the pivotal end scene from 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The shirts are the perfect mix of whimsy and kitsch — the perfect compliment to pieces from each season’s collection.
While Built by Wendy pieces are super elegant, they are also down-to-earth. It probably helps the label’s chill reputation that Mullin has released a collection home-sewing instruction books. Built by Wendy’s clothing seems to embody everything that the wearer represents — easygoing charm, slight kitsch tendency, and ultimately, understated coolness.
