Weekend Reads #291
I began Weekend Reads last week, but I knew I was heading out of town for a few days and decided to wait until this week so I could respond to any comments and wouldn't have to work on my getaway promoting and sharing and newslettering oh my. I missed y'all but dang that getaway was what the doctor ordered. I truly felt relaxed, and having it right after school ended provided a good hard reset. I think we may do a similar June getaway next year.
I shared a Reel of many of my looks over the getaway and have already started working on a summer capsule wardrobe based on what I packed. I feel revived and look forward to digging into creating some summer content!
My mom's house sold, and closing is next month. Final inventory for the estate is in September, which is a year from when she passed. These months have felt so incredibly long yet have flown by. My sister and I have been working so hard, moving and selling and donating and coordinating and organizing and documenting and we haven't let it sacrifice our relationship.
The other night I had a dream where my mom came back. She was in her 60's and it was surprising but great to have her return. I told her she had to contact one friend of hers who has been emailing me and my sister memories and things she'd likely be discussing with my mom on some hour-long phone call while washing dishes or folding laundry. I apologized that we sold or donated a lot of her stuff and she said that my sister and I did a really good job and she was proud of us.
I'm proud of us, too.
Weekend Reads
Why tried to steal Graceland? (NBC News)
How music helps us form travel memories. (Conde Nast Traveler)
F-A-T-T-O-G-O: On Chappell Roan and a lifetime of feeling weird at concerts. (Fat Hell)
Google is bringing AI answers to a billion people this year, but generative AI requires much more energy than traditional keyword searches. (Scientific American)
Crushing on this dress (Nordstrom)
Can Congress break our addiction to fast fashion? (Washington Post – gift article)
How “The Real World” created modern reality TV. (The New Yorker)
The American novel has a major problem with fat people. (The New Republic)
I bought these pants months ago, and love them so much. I took them on my getaway and with a sports bra or tank it was a breezy outfit for morning coffee on the water or having some sun protection without weight. They pack down to nothing. I have them in pink and got XL; I wish I went with LP but I make them work.
Why couches aren't built like they used to be. (Bloomberg)
America the air conditioned. (The Atlantic – gift article)
The highs, lows, and TV magic of ‘Antiques Roadshow.’ (Washington Post – gift article)
Is delaying menopause the key to longevity? (New York Times, ran out of gift articles sadly)
I was told I was too fat to freeze my eggs. (Time)
The mysterious tyranny of trendy baby names. (Washington Post – gift article)
I got the new Colleen Rothschild Bio-Azure Replenishing Oil and I am a big fan. My skin benefits from layered moisture at night, and I like using oil for WFH no makeup days. I have used the Face Oil No.9 but it's a bit too much for summer; the Bio-Azure is exactly what I need this time of year. Add a drop or two to your night moisturizer or your foundation or tinted moisturizer for hydration and glowing skin that doesn't feel greasy. Use code OXYGEN20 for 20% off your order!
The teen summer job is back. (The Atlantic – gift article)
Are you there, God? It's me, J, and I'm getting old. (Oldster)
As Asian groceries like H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch expand, they are reshaping American eating habits, and the American grocery market. (New York Times – gift article)
An influencer’s AI clone started offering fans ‘mind-blowing sexual experiences’ without her knowledge. (The Conversation)
What it's like to come out later in life, according to real women (who've been there). (Women's Health)
For Lauren Hutton, modeling was never the dream. (New York Times – gift article)
Sale Alert
The 4th of July sales have started early and below I am sharing the sales I plan to shop this weekend:
Universal Standard
Universal Standard is offering 25% off sitewide. On top of that, Universal Standard provided us with promo code INFS-SWSALISON to get an extra 10% off your purchase!
Above is a look I wore earlier this week – this top and these pants from Universal Standard in size XS. I find this linen blend to be super breezy and cool in the humidity while resisting wrinkles and getting softer with each wash. I have another Dawn tunic, the jumpsuit, the joggers, and styles from past years and really love these tunic pieces and how well they hold up.
I also recently wore the cooling cupro shirt and matching skirt on Instagram. I have worn the skirt with a graphic t-shirt and sandals and wore the top with black pants. It is cooling, but may feel a bit heavy in humidity.
The items I am considering buying during this sale is the Nailah tunic in Shibori print (I already have the matching shorts) or Baywatch Red (as a swim coverup), the Square Neck Swimsuit also in Baywatch Red (chic matching set), the Swim Trunks in black (these look like good active shorts as well as for water), the Suffolk Pima Cotton Shirtdress (heavier than jersey, Jardin color would look great all seasons), and the Odeon Shirtdress (rented it from Armoire and was pleasantly surprised as a dress but also a great swim coverup and duster). I own everything else I like; I've been on a US kick this spring and summer!
Talbots
Talbots has 40% off and free shipping on orders $150+. I plan on shopping this sale and these are the items I am considering:
This ribbed tank in white (I am reviewing different ones for Wardrobe Oxygen), this badass graphic sweater I've been considering for a while now, these shorts in navy (tempted to also get in white), this bag (Talbots bags end up being wardrobe classics for me and this mixes both colors I was looking for in a straw tote), this active skort dress (don't need to take it all off to pee!), this shirtdress (I have it in polka dots and it's a favorite but this print is more me), these pants (imagine with a simple camisole and gold sandals, with a white voile shirt tied at the waist…), and this shirt with the matching shorts.
Banana Republic Factory
It's weird but I often like Banana Republic Factory more than Banana Republic. The fit is better, the styles more wearable, and the prices nicer. And this weekend everything is 50-70% off with an additional 25% discount taken at checkout.
- This sweater is only $30. Great reviews for a lightweight drapey crewneck you can throw on now for a breezy evening, come fall wear with dress pants, in the winter wear under a blazer, in spring with chinos or white jeans.
- This cotton voile wrap dress is gorgeous, and the kind of dress you can enjoy year after year, dressing it up and down with a change of bag and shoes. This sale has it just under $60.
- This dress is stunning, and perfect for upcoming weddings, cocktail parties, fancy evenings, cruises, and more. Gets great reviews, comes in some gorgeous colors, and with this sale some of the colors are under $50 and all are under $75.
- I'm totally getting these pants, even though I know I'll have to have them hemmed. Sounds like they're tall-person friendly and they're around $40.
- This is a fantastic blouse for work, worn alone or under a blazer or cardigan and during this sale it's less than $25.
- I own this hat and love it, but know it runs a bit big.
- This is a fantastic price for a classic leather trouser belt. Brown and black available up to XXL for less than pleather from Amazon.
Other Sales Worth Checking Out
- Necessaire is offering their award-winning mineral sunscreen free with every purchase.
- Madewell has an extra 30% off sale with promo code COOLDOWN. This includes several colors of the Harlow pant which I love very much.
- ABLE has 25% off sitewide and an extra 30% off sale.
- The Ulta Big Beauty Summer Sale has started with a range of deals. Jumbo bottles are up to 45% off, skin and suncare is buy one get one 40% off, and the deals are constantly changing.
- Tory Burch has an anniversary sale going on with 25% off.
- Tanya Taylor has an extra 20% off sale.
Hear/See/Read
I have heard, seen, and read quite a lot in the past two weeks but I cant recall all of it! Below are the ones that I can recall and I will try to remember the others for next week!
I read Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone and it's a fabulous vacation thriller. Not so intense you're up until 3am to figure out whodunit, but enough to keep you wanting to come back to know what the hell is going on.
I saw Unfrosted (Netflix) so you don't have to. This movie is as out of touch as the star and director, Jerry Seinfeld. I know what they were trying to do, but this was no Best in Show nor was it The Grinch. It was painful and I wonder what blood oaths the impressive cast took to be in such a terrible movie.
I saw BRATS (Hulu) and I don't know whether you should see it or not. Essentially, we viewers went to therapy with Andrew McCarthy who couldn't get past the nickname “The Brat Pack” and watched him visit his past and the past said dude, move on. You can make it the worst thing that ever happened or a pretty great event. When you focus on the negative you attract more negativity. BRATS made me not like McCarthy, made me respect Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, but had me think a lot about that negativity breeding negativity and we all need to remind ourselves of that lesson once in a while.
I started seeing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and couldn't continue because it was so utterly a waste of the limited time I have on this earth.
I am halfway through Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (Hulu) and am savoring it. I think DVF is a badass. I have two wrap dresses in the attic waiting for my daughter to appreciate them, I've read many of her biographies and memoirs, and this documentary so far is quite enjoyable!
I read Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter because I am an influencer and I have followed Muenter, a fellow influencer as well as podcaster. The concept of this book is interesting – an 18-year-old mega influencer who grew up in the public eye goes missing. It delves into the influencer business, how influencers are seen by the public, the darker side of the job, and what happens to those cute kids who become famous from viral videos.
But this book didn't do it for me. I think it was trying to do too much and so some parts dragged while super important parts (like the end) felt rushed. This would make a far better miniseries or season storyline on a TV show than a novel.
For Your Entertainment
“Indie Sleaze” is a hot trend with the youngins and you can tell with this video from Harrison Patrick Smith, who performs under the name The Dare. The models that look straight out of a CK or Gap ad, the black and white, his skinny tie and a song that sounds like it could be by LCD Soundsystem. And these lyrics are begging to be licensed for an upcoming fragrance ad… maybe for Calvin Klein or Gap!
When I walk in a room, everybody agrees
Something's added to the air, but you can't really see
Something so, so sexy, but you can't really tell
All the boys and the girls ask me, “What is that smell?”
That's my perfume.
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Cracking up because every single person I know has had the exact same reaction after watching the Brat documentary: “Get over it, dude!”
LOL
I came out late in life – transitioned to non-binary 3 years ago at 39 and started identifying strongly as queer after two decades of thinking of myself as “not quite straight”. I wanted to share two things that impacted my late-in-life change in case they resonate for others:
1. There are terms for identities now that just didn’t exist decades ago. It’s not that I changed now, it’s that the words to understand myself weren’t in my vocabulary until recently. (For example, demisexual, asexual, genderqueer, agender, non-binary, pansexual.) I’m so happy that today we have more vocabulary (and pronouns) to understand that we are normal, just a different kind of normal.
2. The narrative has changed around being “queer enough” or “taking someone else’s place in the community”. Even 5-10 years ago, there was still a feeling that you had to be really, REALLY queer to identify as LGBTQIA+, as if it diluted the rights of others or took a finite piece of the pie. Now the attitude is “the more the merrier” – you can be bi or pan even if you have only had heterosexual experiences, you can be trans even if you look cis, etc. I think that is important because it removes some of the angst from coming out and reflects the many spectrums of gender and sexuality.
Thank you so much, Gillian, for sharing your experience and for helping to inform the community. You are so appreciated! <3
I think the niche that the Banana Republic occupies has been greatly diminished by the casual/WFH culture. I see that the BR at Montgomery Mall in Maryland is closing in July. The traffic just isn’t there. I find that BRF has sizing that fits me and hope they’re able to maintain that brand.
I think the other way at looking at “delaying menopause” is “extending reproductive years.” Isn’t the presence of women who are not burdened by reproduction demands in the lives of children supposed to account for the superiority of human social structures/development? Wise Female Elders who exist without the demands of childbearing and experience in raising children to supplement the exceptionally long period that humans need for development.
I am all for eliminating the suffering that women undergo when entering/experiencing menopause, but question whether reducing this phase of women’s lives this would be good for society. We need strong women, freed from hormonal swings and the demands of child-bearing to round out our society.
I’ve read that in societies where women are not allowed to go out and mix freely in society until they reach menopause, that menopausal symptoms are not experienced with the same degree of suffering as in our society.
I would like women to be freed from the suffering of diminishing hormones, but equally imports – to be liberated from the patriarchal attitudes they are subjected to because of their reproductive abilities/roles.
As someone who has been through menopause I can say that my brain is much more resilient, and less likely to be sidetracked by sensitive emotions about what other people are thinking/saying about me. It is liberating to be rid of hormonal swings, and I have to view these research efforts in the lens of a male-dominated society looking to extend their domination of women by extending their years of reproductive ability.
Thank you for all of this! And amen!
I’m so glad your mom visited you in your dream. I’ve received visits in my dreams from loved ones who have passed and it’s always such a comfort. My grandpa told me I did a good job with my kids, whom he never met. My dad told me I was going to be okay…he said that he raised warrior princesses and we could handle anything, including losing him. Big hugs to you and your sister.
E had a dream this week where she visited her, too with a similar message and looking similar!
It’s really cool when our loved ones visit us from the great beyond. I am glad your mom popped in to say she’s proud of you.
Thanks for the US code. I just got one of the linen shirt dresses for an upcoming trip to Europe! I suspect it’s going to be very hot, and I’m not used to no A/C!
I hope you love the dress! I love US linen, it has done me very well.
This is the first time I’ve heard someone else articulate what I’ve felt for years – I like BR Factory more than BR. It fits my shape better, I find the quality to be pretty good considering the price point (things actually last for years!), and the styles are wearable for me in my real life. I like looking at BR (especially these last few years since they made a very obvious pivot in viewpoint and presentation on the website)….but I buy from Factory.
That Odeon shirtdress is calling me but….how much ironing does it require…..I too have been in a Universal Standard phase. I have a LOT of items from them that are regularly worn!
Sorry for the delay… the Odeon is surprisingly crisp and hearty for poplin. If you wash it, you’ll likely want to iron at least the collar and placket, but it doesn’t turn into a crumpled ball. And when wearing it it hold up quite nicely; if it’s not dirty you can rewear it again and still look fresh without a steaming or iron.
Oh, this is such a great WR! I want to talk about everything—ha! The Brats documentary—you summed up my thoughts so well. I’ve been wondering if anyone else was as annoyed with Andrew McCarthy as I was. While I enjoyed seeing the different actors, the film clips, the music, etc., I also thought McCarthy spoke over many of the people he interviewed & made it all about him. Agree about Demi Moore & Rob Lowe—delightful & they seem well adjusted & happy. Can’t get over how much Emilio Estevez looks like his father (& would have enjoyed hearing more from him but McCarthy barely let him speak).
You mentioned on Threads that you were listening to the audio version of Rachel Hawkins’ Darling Girls. I read it this week & loved it! Her books always pull me in, make me think I know what’s coming, & then surprise me.
The sales— they are so good & I am really having to work hard at not over buying. I’ve got a Talbots order coming in soon & am hoping the linen pants I ordered will work. All I want to wear lately are soft linen pants with an elastic waist! 🙂 And, I agree with you about BR Factory vs. BR. For the last few years, I’ve been shopping the Factory store & have been really pleased with my purchases (& their prices). That Forever sweater is a winner in my book— I’ve got 3 or 4 & find them soft, comfortable, and lightweight. Regarding US, I so wish that Odeon blue & white striped dress was in linen. I want the Frank & Eileen longer linen dress in a stripe or light blue so badly but can’t justify the price at this point & the Odeon dress kind of gives the same look. Trying to decide if I’d wear it enough even though it’s not linen—I have a bad habit of buying cotton shirts that end up needing to be ironed & then I don’t wear them because I don’t feel like ironing.
Ok, enough from me. Glad to hear your getaway was relaxing & helped you recharge. I’ll look forward to your upcoming post about it!
Thank you for the reminder of Darling Girls! It has been such an intense few weeks I completely forgot and will share in the next Weekend Reads! FYI I deleted Threads for the month of July, we’ll see if it gives me more serenity or if I miss it and add it again. It’s the one social platform not necessary for this job and I like to think my social usage over the summer. And did you see the striped linen dress US has now? I got it in XS and I am obsessed. It’s good with the belt and without (I cut off the belt loops for versatility) https://imp.i240138.net/xk7P33
Thanks for the link for the linen dress—will be checking that out in a few minutes. Also—the sweater sprays from your post a few days ago (it was my question/comment on FB you referenced)—I’m going to order the one at Revolve. Thank you for finding a shipping option within the US! Threads—it is the social media platform I use the least. I was hoping it would take the place of Twitter for me but it just hasn’t. Twitter has been my go-to spot for quick news & I hate that Musk owns it & keeps making it worse. But, I’m still finding myself going there for quick news. Anyway, yeah, I can see why you’re not feeling the need to keep up with Threads. I do think people still seem nicer there though. Oh, all of Rachel Hawkins books are good, to me, so check out others of hers if you enjoyed Darling Girls. I love to read for pleasure and use a mix of library books & books I buy on my Kindle. She’s one of the authors that I will happily buy on my kindle when she has a new release!