Vintage Glamour: The Grand Maven of Fashion: Janet Rhinelander Stewart

Janet Newbold was born in 1908, the daughter of Fleming Newbold, president of The Evening Star Company in Washington, DC, and Ethel Seckendorff. Her first husband was Allan A. Ryan, Jr. After having two children, they divorced in 1936, which cleared the path for the budding socialite to marry William Rhinelander Stewart. Beginning in the late 18th century, the Rhinelanders were prominent proprietors in New York City. For centuries, the family riches enabled a luxurious life, which produced ambiguity about their professional credentials.

Janet Rhinelander Stewart in 1947

Janet leaving The Colony after luncheon, New York, 1938

William Rhinelander Stewart was a frequent visitor to Manhattan's hotspots. Vincent Astor regarded him as one of his closest friends. He was frequently seen out clubbing with Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell. He never got up before noon, most likely due to the late nights. His butler was told to tell people who called before that time that “Mr. Stewart is out running around the reservoir.” Janet was dubbed "Mrs. Janet Rhinelander Stewart, New York's most beautiful woman," and was a member of the inaugural Best-Dressed List, despite her belief that "spending money on clothes was stupid." Her daughter, Serena, had no idea how her mother topped the best-dressed ranking because she never bought clothes. She once informed an admirer how much she paid for a dress she was wearing after she was praised on it: $5.98.

Janet Stewart, despite her social status and even fame, was a woman who was known for saying it like it was. When Vincent Astor's second wife, Minnie, divorced him, he immediately began searching for a new wife. He first went to Janet, the widow of his old acquaintance. When he proposed marriage, she responded, "Marry you?" Why would I marry you if I don't even like you?” And he is said to have responded, "Well, I'm getting on, I'm not in great health, and you know I have a vast fortune that would go to you." “Well, I have enough to rely on already... and... what if you didn't die?” she is said to have retorted. So, what now?”

Janet, photographed by Irving Penn

She was known in the social world for her "salons," or rather, her cocktail hour, which began every late weekday afternoon she was available. For people in the social and show biz worlds, such meetings were commonplace. It was an open invitation and a gathering place for people to congregate, and to see, be seen, and meet and greet, much as it is in public places now. She was also married to a great-uncle of President George W. Bush, James S. Bush, whom she divorced in 1952, and a member of the Thomas Fortune Ryan family.

An iconic photo by Erwin Blumenfeld of Janet in Tiffany jewelry with her face against a mirror has become a classic of photography. It was titled "Woman and Mirror", and was published in Harper's Bazaar in November 1941.