Leandra Medine's Blog, page 15

The Pandemic Made Me Learn to Love My Only Vacation Option: Camping

For the last three months, I’ve been glued to the news, like everyone else. In theory I wanted to stay informed—but in reality, it compounded the anxiety my husband and I felt being across the country from our families. One day, he had enough of watching CNN and switched over to YouTube—which is how we entered the wormhole of fancy Asian camping videos.

Prior to the pandemic, camping ranked extremely low on my list of preferred vacations. My husband and a select group of friends were fans but I’d only join after a lot of coaxing. There were your standard concerns: bugs crawling into my sleeping bag, using the bathroom outdoors, and no easy access to a clean shower. But I was also weirded out about spending extended amounts in remote locales. I’m your quintessential city kid, born and raised in New York City to a Chinese immigrant family who definitely did not see any merit in paying for gear just so you could sleep outdoors. I’m most comfortable in an urban setting, surrounded by a diverse mix of people and I’m wary in rural destinations where residents may not exactly be used to a face like mine.

Camping, and outdoor activities in general, are a predominantly white space, and most non-white people are like me.

My fears are not unfounded: Just this week there was a near-lynching of a Black man in Indiana, a multiracial family harassed in Washington, and an Asian-American family confronted on a hiking trail. Camping, and outdoor activities in general, are a predominantly white space, and most non-white people are like me: We don’t grow up doing these activities and we have to teach ourselves how to do them. It’s intimidating because there’s so much to learn: what stuff to buy, how to set up a campsite, and above all else, outdoor safety.

Outdoor safety isn’t just containing a campfire or protecting your food from wild animals—it’s also about ensuring you feel comfortable and welcome at a campsite. Where do you begin if you don’t have friends or a partner who is knowledgeable and googling makes you even more confused? Diversify Outdoors is a great resource. Founded by a group of activists, athletes, and entrepreneurs, they’re devoted to helping everyone feel comfortable out in nature. Melanin Base Camp is another helpful site, with a focus on BIPOC who love adventure sports like climbing, hiking, and more. And on Instagram, Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, Native Women’s Wilderness, and Outdoor Asian are among a few accounts where you can connect with outdoors loving individuals who are happy to offer advice.

The hardest reservation to get in Los Angeles right now isn’t a table for two at N/Naka, it’s a campsite in Joshua Tree and Yosemite.

In the age of COVID-19, heading outdoors has become one of the few vacation-like activities you can do relatively safely. And you can see it reflected in the amount of people camping: It’s surged in popularity as the 2020 vacation of choice. The hardest reservation to get in Los Angeles right now isn’t a table for two at N/Naka, it’s a campsite in Joshua Tree and Yosemite. With national parks limiting visitors to half capacity, those who do get spots are lucky: You get to enjoy all of the amazing views without a giant crowd.

This new reality had me reconsidering my camping aversion. I’ve had to ditch my usual vacation plans as hotels seemed too risky. The idea of being in the confined space of a hotel room, where a stranger had stayed just hours prior, made me panicky. Suddenly camping seemed like it might be a viable, if not my only, option. Even if I chose a site with a shared bathroom, it was still relatively low risk. Still, I wasn’t fully convinced, which is where that wormhole of Asian YouTube camping videos came into play.

My husband knew how to win me over: He introduced me to a South Korean creator who goes by PICNICAMP. Unlike other YouTube personalities, there’s no peppy greeting or overly enthusiastic commentary packaged into a neatly edited five-minute long video. Instead you listen to gentle acoustic music for 20 to 30 minutes as he sets up camp with his little dog, Anna. The inside of the tent is immaculate, typically furnished with a rug and maybe some lanterns. And the food! He roasts lobster over a fire, shucks fresh scallops, and even makes breakfast rice porridge (with a little portion set aside for Anna). PICNICAMP creates a five-star hotel experience, except he’s parked at a campsite.

It also opened my eyes to what the outdoors looked like when it wasn’t informed by a white gaze.

The appeal of these videos isn’t just because he makes camping look beautiful and luxurious. It also opened my eyes to what the outdoors looked like when it wasn’t informed by a white gaze. It’s not just campfires and hot dogs at the end of a long day of hiking, it could easily be sitting by a beautiful river while enjoying steaming bowls of noodles and dumplings like what PICNICAMP does. There’s no one “right” way to camp if you’re respectful of the outdoors. All you need is to see someone like you doing it and you’ll want to get out there too.

Ready to Get Out There?

Here are some of the best products that helped get me started.

Kelty Discovery 2-Person Camp Bundle

You can easily sleep in your car if your seats fold down and you have a sleeping bag—but you’re more likely to be more comfortable in a tent. This set features a four-person tent, which means it’s nice and roomy for two. Plus it also includes a footprint (a layer of fabric that protects the bottom of a tent), sleeping bags, and inflatable pads (to cushion your sleeping bags from the hard ground). Bonus? It’s on sale.

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Yeti Roadie 24 Hard Cooler

Yes, you can buy a cooler for $20, but take it from me: don’t. You’ll waste so much money refilling the rapidly melting ice. There’s nothing better than Yeti, which can keep a bag of ice cool for days at a time. Your groceries remain perfectly cold, which is important: You don’t want to accidentally get sick from spoiled vegetables.

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Goal Zero Crush Light Lantern

This tiny but mighty light, which can illuminate a space for 3 to 3.5 hours, will be handy when the sun sets. Featuring a USB for recharging, it comes with a solar panel in case you can’t plug it in.

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Black Diamond Astro 175 Headlamp

How do you find your way to the bathroom at night? No, not using your phone’s flashlight. You’ll need an affordable, lightweight headlamp, like this one.

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Snowpeak 3-Piece Titanium Cookset

If you own a cast iron skillet, you can easily pack it up and use it to cook every meal. Should you want something less bulky—or if PICNICAMP’s elaborate videos inspire you to make fancier items—Snowpeak is a Japanese camping brand that makes superior cookware. You can go all-in and spring for their tabletop grills, but this more reasonably priced three-piece set is ultralight, durable, and versatile. Pack a knife, utensils, and bowls from home; you don’t need to buy special camping ones if you’re a newbie.

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The North Face Class V Brimmer

One of the best parts of camping are the daily hikes to spectacular views. You’ll want a breathable hat for when it gets hot—preferably one with a drawstring, so you can take it off and hang it around your neck. This one comes in lots of fun colors.

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Salomon X Ultra-3 Mid GTX

Good hiking boots will protect your ankles, especially when you walk down uneven, rocky trails. It’s a personal preference as to what brand fits you best, but you can’t go wrong with Salomon for a starter boot.

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Patagonia Baggies Shorts

As someone who lives in black leggings, two hours in 100-degree heat changed my mind: I’d rather wear these lightweight shorts than melt in long pants. Just put on plenty of bug spray to protect your legs.

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Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt

Sunscreen on your exposed skin is a must, but a shirt with built-in 50+ UPF protection adds another layer of protection. This one also has odor control, which is great if you can’t shower after a sweaty hike.

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Osprey Siskin 12

A light bag with a built-in water bladder and room for snacks, a first aid kit, and sunscreen is key for keeping safe on hikes. This one fastens securely against the body.

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LL Bean Buff Coolnet UV Plus Multifunctional Headwear

While you can choose quieter trails, you’ll still need to bring a face covering to be safe. This one wicks away moisture and can also protect your neck from the sun.

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Unsun Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 30

This award-winning, moisturizing sunscreen won’t leave a white cast, no matter your skin tone.

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Repel Plant-Based Insect Repellent

Mosquitoes are inevitable… but mosquito bites can be prevented. This top-rated, all-natural bug spray will keep you from turning into an insect buffet.

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The post The Pandemic Made Me Learn to Love My Only Vacation Option: Camping appeared first on Man Repeller.

Reliving the Thrill of Getting My Makeup Done by My Sister in Quarantine

For “Whatever You Want” week, Beth Sacca, photographer and member of Team MR, reached out to photographer Steven Molina Contreras. Born in El Salvador, Steven captures his family, himself and the immigrant experience through a staged, documentary lens.

I’ve recently watched, alongside everyone else, the consequences of time spent indoors—of time spent in a demanding solitude. We’re all being asked to weigh the safety of our loved ones and those we see in “limited” ways. The most visceral interactions I’ve had during the past few months have been with my family. While my artistic practice focuses heavily on notions of home—and uses my family’s narrative to speak about the broader experiences of immigrant households, at home and abroad—this forceful push to return home has nonetheless forced me to abruptly relive experiences from childhood. It’s as if my consciousness dug deep, and resurfaced experiences I haven’t lived with or thought about since my childhood in El Salvador.

I set the scene: A cramped, concrete-built room, one small window, and a sheet-less blue mattress. In the room is my older sister Yeemy, alongside my female cousins, and we’ve all begun to hang out and play a game of dress up. I, as the only boy in an all-female environment, have become their “muse.” In a rush, I remember the transformation: the laughs, the heels, the utter enjoyment of what was a brief moment but felt like an eternity. I was becoming something else—and in a way, becoming more like them, all in a patriarchal, “machismo”-led culture. Why would this memory present itself to me now? Why does it arrest me now more than ever before?

In a way, I believe I was craving to be my sister’s muse once again—to feel the exhilarating joy of letting her turn me into something else, and, once finished, feeling like we’ve gotten away with something. With this sentiment, I took to photography, and the studio, and referenced the work of Paul Mpagi Sepuya, to set the stage for us once again, to fulfill the memory for the both of us. Often, in my own work, I interact with the camera as an additional member of my family unit, acting both as a voyeur and as a human presence, collaborating with my family to make depictions of ourselves that work towards our narratives.

Never had I been the one to be transformed in such a manner. Under my sister’s subtle brush strokes, glitter applications, and artful touch, we transported ourselves back in time. We pushed our relationship towards the future, and I came to realize my need to photograph this—to relive it in a new manner, the childhood experience of us in El Salvador. In that hot, cramped room, I experienced what I now consider one of my first and purest “queer” experiences. It was full of joy, comfort, and secrecy, but most importantly, childlike support and love from my older sister. It’s as if she saw a part of myself in her innocence, and it buried itself into my subconscious until I needed to see it once more, to understand who I would become.

In this support, I came back to her, to elevate and work through these visual depictions of our past, to confront the changes I wanted to see in myself in the present/future, and to join in solidarity the secret experiences kids like me had, with women who had raised them. The application of makeup on anyone is not necessarily seen as a revolutionary act, but to me, the images we’ve made during this time validate an experience that at the time was life defining—and for many, including myself, can still be seen as an act of revolution.

The post Reliving the Thrill of Getting My Makeup Done by My Sister in Quarantine appeared first on Man Repeller.

How to Start a Revolutionary Mariachi Band: A Step-by-Step Guide

Tess Garcia has always been a whip-smart reader of Man Repeller and she even once created one of the most show-stopping intern applications we’ve ever seen. So, for “Whatever You Want” week, we asked what she most wanted to see on MR. Below, Tess tells the story behind Mariachi Femenil, an all-femme mariachi group based in Detroit. Yes, it’s a guide to starting a band, but, really, it’s also a guide to doing anything you’ve never done before—and finding purpose along the way.

I first discovered female mariachi band Mariachi Femenil as a sophomore in college. I’d been living in Detroit that semester, taking classes on urban development and racial justice while interning at the parks and rec department for the city’s Southwest neighborhood, a majority-Latinx cultural hub where the band happened to be based. I don’t remember much about the event where I stumbled upon them other than the fact that their performance nearly brought me to tears. As a Latina myself, watching a trio of women meld together the traditional sounds of brass, strings, and pridefully-belted Spanish lyrics tugged at something I didn’t even know I was already feeling.

When I explain that sensation to Camilla-Isabella Cantu, a 20-year-old college student and the founder and director of Mariachi Femenil, she understands immediately. “For people who are not aware of the gender gap in mariachi music, or who are unaware of how mariachis are represented in the media, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s so cool, female mariachis. Let me get a picture,’” she tells me over a Zoom call. “But for the Latinx community, people who are aware of this gender gap and have maybe even accepted themselves that mariachi’s just not something that women do, it blows their minds.” Cantu’s path toward dismantling sexism in mariachi has been anything but linear, but she manages to boil it down for me. Here’s how Mariachi Femenil became a revolutionary musical force in the city of Detroit.

Step 1: Embrace Tradition, Then Reject It

“At first I was very much against mariachi because, to me, it was very ancient music. It was something my parents and grandparents listened to,” Cantu explains. But then a mariachi musician visited her 8th grade class. “A couple weeks later, I came around and he started teaching me guitar.” Those guitar lessons led to an invitation to join a local youth mariachi band. Cantu played with them until she was 16, when she began to feel isolated as the only female member. Her experience of sexism in the group came to a head when she tried to correct a sheet music error during rehearsals. “I told our music director, ‘Hey, this is actually off, this piece of music isn’t right,’” she recalls. “Everyone fought me on that. Two minutes later, another guy pointed out the same mistake and the leader of the group was like, ‘Yeah, this is kind of wrong. Just ignore this part of the music.’”

Cantu decided to quit the band, but held on to her love for mariachi. Then, the following summer, she was offered the chance to perform with Mariachi Flor de Toloache, New York City’s world-renowned female mariachi ensemble, at a Frida Kahlo exhibition at the New York Botanical Gardens. “I played a song with them and I fell in love,” she says. “It had become completely normalized to me that I always played with men. I had never even thought of what it would be like if I played with women: What does that look like? What does that feel like? What does that portray for other people?” That’s when the idea for Mariachi Femenil was born: “I was like, ‘We’re going to do this. We’re going to bring this to Detroit.’”

Step 2: Try (and Almost Fail) to Start Your Own Band

Cantu started the process of forming her own band in August 2016 by setting up an open call for women to play music together in a safe, informal setting. “I thought it was going to be cool,” she recounts. “We used the local community center and I promoted it on Facebook.” But only two women, a mother and her daughter, showed up to the community center that day. “I was super disappointed,” Cantu says. “But I was like, ‘Okay, let me see what we can do.’” Today, Alida Càzares, the mother who came to that first session, is one of the lead singers for Mariachi Femenil.

During the past four years, that initial two-person duo has grown into an ensemble of four female musicians, in which Cantu performs vocals alongside the other members, occasionally picking up a vihuela or guitarrón. The first song Mariachi Femenil performed together was “De Colores,” a classic Mexican folk ballad that Cantu says is the bread and butter of mariachi. The song took on a special significance for her when she learned more about its history. “A month or two after we started playing as a band, I found out that ‘De Colores’ was actually one of the songs that they sang during César Chávez’s movement for farmworkers’ rights,” she explains. “It was a song they used to sing in the fields when they were protesting. That made it so much more important to me.” (Her bandmates eventually grew so sick of the song that they now refuse to play it, she adds with a laugh.)

Step 3: Wear the Pants

Though female mariachis have existed in some capacity for over a century, there’s something particularly special about Mariachi Femenil’s approach to the art form. For one, they wear pants. Historically, a woman mariachi is expected to wear a long, full skirt with her blazer and moño, or traditional embroidered bow fastened to the shirt collar. “I think it’s very respectable, but it’s just not the image I had for the group,” Cantu says. I ask her how she managed to get ahold of authentic mariachi pants that properly fit the female body, and she erupts with laughter: “Oh, girl, we had to get them made. I’m telling you, they don’t exist.” Each member of Mariachi Femenil bought her own black pants, while Cantu got ahold of the gala, or metal adornments used as trim. A friend of Cantu’s attached the gala to the sides of each pair, and the rest, as they say, is history. When I first saw Mariachi Femenil perform, their androgynous costuming was the first thing that made me fall in love with them, all tailored pleats and crisp shirts that made their dark purple moños shine.

Step 4: Ponerse las Pilas — Get It Together

Cantu and her bandmates practice one to three times a week for three to four hours at a time, depending on members’ schedules and whether they have a gig coming up. Each of the band members has other significant responsibilities—they’re all mothers or students—so they often juggle hectic schedules. Last year, when a member of Mariachi Femenil had a baby, the group relocated practices to her home without a second thought. Another member even brings her infant son to rehearsals, where Cantu says he occasionally messes with their instruments. Perhaps as valuable as the time they spend playing music together is the way the women bond over their shared experiences. “I always talk to the other college student during practice,” Cantu says. “Like, ‘It’s finals week, I’m dying, how are you?’”

Step 5: Show Up for Your People

Over the past several months, gig opportunities have been sparse for the group because of the pandemic. Mariachi Femenil has used the time to shift their focus to the fight for Black lives. Most recently, they performed a set at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in their neighborhood of Southwest Detroit. For Cantu, the experience has given her a renewed sense of purpose—she’s just become involved with Detroit-based education organizing network 482Forward and will be assigned to one of their specialized committees in about a week. “People hire mariachis as a token of how important an event is, whether it’s a baby shower, a wedding, anything. I feel like that was extremely appropriate,” she tells me. “This was a big thing happening. This was Southwest Detroit showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all the organizers in Detroit who are protesting daily.”

For Cantu, the experience has given her a renewed sense of purpose—she’s just become involved with Detroit’s City Council and will be assigned to a committee in about a week. “The big thing right now is abolishing the police presence in schools and finding different solutions to the underfunding and school closures happening right now in Detroit,” she says. “I’m on it.”

Want to see and hear Mariachi Femenil in all of their glory? Check out this video of them performing for fellow women in the streets of their neighborhood, or this intimate look at an at-home rehearsal, where even Cantu’s brother, a fellow mariachi, makes the cut.

Photography by Cydni Elledge

The post How to Start a Revolutionary Mariachi Band: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Man Repeller.

Michael Jordan Is My Late-Summer, Early-Fall Style Icon

It has crossed my mind a harrowing number of times recently that Michael Jordan and I would make great friends. I say “harrowing” because spending any amount of time entertaining the possibility of a friendship with Michael Jordan requires a baseline belief that you exist in the same universe, and that… is just delusional.

But Michael and I actually do go way back. I come from a big basketball family: my dad prides himself on his jump shot, my oldest sister played through high school, and our family pastime growing up was playing 21 in the driveway. Michael Jordan was a big name in our house. We DVRed reruns of Bulls games. We watched Space Jam on repeat. We gave my dad the gift of new Jordans two Christmases in a row. I always knew Michael and I had a lot in common, too. We’re both dark-skinned with long arms, had respectable basketball careers—I retired from my YMCA league at 8 years old, thank you—and are perfectionists to the core.

[image error]I guess I was fascinated by MJ because my dad said he was the best to ever play the game, and I absorb my dad’s sports opinions by osmosis. His football team was the Steelers, so mine was, too. Cowboys? Well, that’s my Uncle’s favorite team, so we dislike them for the sake of good-natured rivalry. A lot of teams apparently have “sorry” coaches—I took notes and criticized accordingly. And apparently Stephen A., an ESPN commentator with a brassy voice and big opinions, is getting paid to do what my dad and his friends do every day: talk smack. All this is to say, when it came time for the 10-part ESPN docuseries The Last Dance to air in May, my dad said it was a must-see, so I cleared my nonexistent schedule and tuned in with him every Sunday night.

The Last Dance tells the story of Michael’s final, record-breaking years in the NBA, his iconic teammates Scottie Pippen (“Scotty” to the real ones) and Dennis Rodman, his family, and the inner-workings of the league. (If you haven’t seen it, I suggest setting multiple reminders for July 19th, its Netflix release date.) But don’t let the core plot points dominate your attention, because betwixt the gravity-defying dunks and 63-point games, the next-best thing about the series is his wardrobe.

Michael’s outfits are mainly composed of baggy suits, t-shirts paired with dress shirts, and lots of textured layers, and I realized while watching that they’re the perfect template for late summer, early fall. His style was charismatic, but always comfortable and, to this day, still hotly debated as being the worst. That, my friends, is my sartorial preference to a tee: easy to move in, borderline ugly.

So, naturally, after watching The Last Dance I made plans to ransack my parents’ closets and recreate the best looks. Here’s how it went.

The First Season – Getting Layered

This outfit was inspired by a scene from the first episode of The Last Dance. It was 1984, Michael’s first year with the Bulls, and he was getting a lot of attention. This look is simple, he’s just caught in the middle of signing autographs, but I loved the layering of all the textures—leather, wool, cotton—and once I found these old headphones in the basement, the deed was done.

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Rookie of the Year

This is arguably my favorite look of all. In fact, I’m upset I didn’t jack this coat from my dad and take it back to New York. Michael won Rookie of the Year for the 1984-85 season, and accepted the trophy in a suede, camel shirt and gold chain. I styled mine with no shirt underneath (for breathability), my favorite Rolla’s jeans, my mom’s kitten heel pumps, and thick hoops. The suede is hot, so save this one for an early fall day.

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The Practice Fit

I’d wager that even if you haven’t seen The Last Dance, you’ve seen Michael Jordan in this practice outfit. It’s become somewhat iconic, like Cher’s tennis uniform in Clueless. My version features a sweat-wicking Nike t-shirt, a red mock turtleneck, and Nike track pants. Oh, and an attempt at the famous, Michael Jordan split-leg dunk. That goes with the outfit, too.

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The Championship Game

Michael’s fourth championship win! This is a homecoming tee from my dad’s Alma Mater, the KU Jayhawks. The graphic was the closest I could find to resemble the NBA championship shirt, so I wore it as a dress and tied some lime green ribbons on the sleeves for a chic, pool floatie effect. Remember, “borderline ugly” is one-half of my style flavor, so I like to add something random, right before the buzzer. The hat is Air Jordan and the shoes Air Maxes, as ALWAYS.

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Rendezvous in Paris*

If you haven’t caught the theme by now, Michael was so smooth! He knew he looked good when he put this suit on. This was 1997 when the Bulls went to Paris and you can tell it’s near the end of his career because he looks mad confident. For this, I took some comfy slacks, a netted top from the 90s, and a leather belt from my mom’s closet. Paired with my dad’s tweed sport coat, my leather beret, and a little gold hoop in the left ear. Just like Mike.

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*Read in thick french accent

That’s it. That’s the tweet! If you take a crack at recreating these looks yourself (please do!), do me a favor and lean into the mismatched-ness of it all. Mike, if you are reading this (may I call you Mike?) I salute you. Thanks for being my personal hero, and if you want to be friends, you know where to find me.

Photos by Olivia Clark.

The post Michael Jordan Is My Late-Summer, Early-Fall Style Icon appeared first on Man Repeller.

I Asked 9 Women for Their Best Pregnancy Style Advice, and… They Delivered!

When we entered quarantine in New York, no one knew I was pregnant. We’d lost a baby the year before, and I wanted to feel a little more certain that everything was going well before telling friends and family. Once we got the all-clear in the spring, I started to share the news over Zoom and FaceTime, screenshotting the joyful reactions for posterity.

Given the circumstances, this obviously has not been the pregnancy I’d expected—most of my prenatal appointments were cancelled, understandably, as the virus surged in New York and hospitals struggled to keep up. In the early days, it was hard to find conclusive information on the effect of COVID-19 on unborn babies. I knew pregnancy qualified as a compromised immune system, so I’ve erred on the side of caution, only leaving the house to buy groceries and other essentials, and, most recently, to protest.

Virtually all communication with family, friends, and my midwife became digital, and I missed connecting with other pregnant women as I had in the prenatal exercise classes I’d been attending pre-quarantine. Instead, I noticed my Saved folder on Instagram filling up with images of other pregnant women as I subconsciously surrounded my digital self with other women simultaneously sharing this experience.

As evidence seems to indicate the relative safety of spending short bursts of time outside, kind friends have stopped by my stoop for a socially-distant, mutually-masked visit and I’ve been venturing out for fresh air a little more. I’m in my third trimester now and starting to feel a little sentimental about this experience coming to an end. In these new expeditions outside, I’ve been trying to dress in a way that celebrates my changing body, to memorialize this fleeting moment.

When “Whatever You Want” week presented the opportunity to reach out to the women in my Saved folder (some of whom I know IRL and some I have only admired from afar), I jumped at the chance to ask for advice on how they’d approached pregnancy dressing. Scroll down to meet some of the mums who have inspired me from a cool, social distance during the past seven months, and to hear what’s worked for them.

Regina Adewunmi, a.k.a. Reggie

Reggie is a wife, vibe curator, and birth doula born, raised, and currently living in Long Island, New York. She’s most passionate about women’s health and enjoys facilitating conversation around periods, sex, and birth over on Tacos Tequila + Tampons.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? I’ve been living in dresses my entire pregnancy! I usually go for a simple, below-the-knee smock or shift dress. Dresses have been perfect for the frequent trips to the toilet and for midwife appointments (easy access!).

Any tips for pregnant dressing in the summer heat? Being a plus-sized pregnant person, it’s almost impossible to find “maternity clothes” in my size, so my solution for summer pregnancy wear is going up a size or two in cotton materials. You tend to sweat more often when pregnant, so I find sticking to airy fabrics is the best way to stay dry and comfortable.

Djuna Bel

Djuna Bel is a wardrobe stylist who currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband Nikolai Haas, their son Fox, and their cat named David.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? Judging by the majority of the photos I have, I spent a lot of my pregnancy in a bikini. When I was clothed, my go-to pregnancy looks were slip dresses and wrap dresses: I needed easy access pieces that would grow with my belly. I also didn’t like the feeling of anything tight on my belly, so jeans and leggings were generally out of the picture.

Any tips for pregnant dressing? I didn’t want disposable pregnancy clothes—I wanted to use what I had in my wardrobe and invest in pieces that I could continue to wear when I breastfed (wrap dresses are so ideal).

Ida Polnaija-Kakisina

Ida Polnaija-Kakisina is a 30-year-old Moluccan woman and happy wife in Breukelen, the Netherlands. She’s sometimes a model, and always a fashion lover and a full-time superhero to her one-year-old twins and three-year-old toddler.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? Oversized dresses, even though I never wear dresses in regular life… but I was pregnant with twins. I wanted to walk naked all day every day, ‘cause wearing two babies was already uncomfortable enough, but I couldn’t, so, dresses.

Any tips for pregnant dressing in the summer heat? Loose-fitting clothing with coverage for your legs and arms so the sun doesn’t touch your bare skin, but with material that lets your skin breathe.

Alice Fox

Alice Fox is an Austin-based designer and co-founder of Fox Fox Studio. She’s the mother of two girls, aged 3 ½ years and 9 ½ months.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? I wore this MNZ bodycon dress nonstop throughout my pregnancy. With sneakers and a tee underneath or dressed up with heels, it was a workhorse. [In the photo at the top of this story], I’m wearing a Priscavera silk slip dress that felt like heaven, so light and airy on my heavy belly. You could see baby kicks and punches through it.

Any tips for pregnant dressing? I bought some maternity basics, but they felt drab and I only ever wore the leggings. I wanted to wear special clothing to honor and celebrate my body in such a magical state. If we are nuts enough to do it again, I’ll invest in a few new pieces I really love from designers I want to support (that happen to work for pregnant bellies) and build around those.

Sydney Porter

Sydney Porter is a model, mom, and advocate for fearless and empowered birth in North Georgia.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? My style during pregnancy varied so much. For the most part, I stuck to my free-spirited roots and let my bump be seen as much as possible! In the warmer months of my pregnancy, I wore crop tops, sustainable swimsuits, and long, flowing dresses 24/7.

Any tips for pregnant dressing in the cooler months? What really saved me during the cold was having some really versatile maternity basics that I could layer as well as mix and match. I highly recommend investing in a few bump-friendly pieces that you really love. For me, jumpsuits were my go-to!

Linda Bui

Linda Bui has worked in beauty for almost a decade, specifically in operations, supply chain and data management—she can help you get any lipstick made in an efficient and timely manner. She also has a creative project working with ceramics and florals called ma dam, arranging flowers in handmade ceramic pieces.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? It’s funny because I’m unsure if I would have worn this dress before I was pregnant, but when I had more of a bump, I had an urge to show off my body more. I mean, this Marcia dress is sickn’ing!

Any tips for pregnant dressing? Maternity wear was a no-go for me. I refused to purchase any clothing that I couldn’t wear again after my pregnancy. I always try to be very conscious of my purchases whether I’m pregnant or not, only investing in pieces I love and in designers that I want to support. It also helps if that piece makes me feel good about myself, especially when my body was changing. Clothing that made me feel bump-positive was a must. Honestly, any clothing that makes you feel good is a must, no matter what shape your body is.

Daphne Javitch

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Daphne Javitch is an integrative nutritionist and the founder of Doing Well.

What’s your favorite pregnancy look? I mostly wear vintage dresses, caftans, nightgowns, and slips. When it gets cooler, I’ll wear knit pants with men’s shirts or sweater-dresses. Aside from workout leggings and one-size-fits-all undies, I don’t buy new clothes for pregnancy. When my jeans finally fit again, it feels like having a brand-new wardrobe!

Any tips for pregnant dressing? Slip-on shoes. These were a must for my early months of motherhood as well, when I was often wearing my son as I walked out the door. Easy on, easy off!

Ryan Norville

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Ryan Norville is an editor at L’Officiel and founder of Oat Cinnamon.

What was your favorite pregnancy look? Especially with the hot weather, I recommend comfortable dresses that can grow with you.

Any other tips for pregnant dressing? I didn’t want to buy any maternity clothes, so making sure I had comfortable dresses with either the ability to stretch or hang really loose has been a lifesaver. What I love most is I can wear these same dresses again once the baby is here as well.

Synmia Rosine

Synmia Rosine is a mother, lover, food grower and herbalist in Los Angeles, California. She’s a facilitator in Ancestral medicine, “‘cause no one can heal you better than you can heal yourself.”

What was your favorite pregnancy look? My favorite pregnancy look includes oversized workwear pants worn with any top that’ll allow my stomach to breathe. Both of my pregnancies were during the summer, and it’s too hot to be self-conscious about your belly being exposed. I had so many folx staring or giving me the shifty eye—I loved it! We need to see more bellies to normalize pregnancy as a beautiful journey!

Any tips for pregnant dressing? I never got into maternity wear. For me, it was a waste of money, most likely bad for the environment, and there aren’t maternity brands I really like. When we could thrift, thrifting for looks to match my growing belly was my favorite pastime. My go-to cozy looks are: workwear overalls and a tank, XL trousers, a silky pajama set, or a muumuu for those extra hot days.

The post I Asked 9 Women for Their Best Pregnancy Style Advice, and… They Delivered! appeared first on Man Repeller.

Miss Movie Theaters? I Know a Spot

As some states begin the slow process of reopening, there’s currently one out-of-home option for cinephiles that has seen its popularity suddenly sky rocket: the drive-in. Photographer Jasmine Clarke visited four New York drive-in movie theaters to ask people—from a distance—what they’re watching and how they’re doing.

Overlook Drive-In Theatre

In operation since 1955, this drive-in movie theatre, located in Poughkeepsie, will be showing a number of classics including Dirty Dancing, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Gremlins through July.

Patricia (41) and Jamie (14)

What movies are you guys here to see?

Patricia: Love and Basketball and Crazy Rich Asians.

What’s the last movie you guys watched?

Patrica: Well, we do family movie nights. We plan to see Knives Out next, which she has seen, but I haven’t seen.

Have you guys been to this drive-in before?

Patricia: We haven’t. We’re from Massachusetts, so we made the trip out.

That’s so fun.

Patricia: Yeah, something to do in a pandemic on a weeknight—it’s just under two hours of a drive. So we said, Why not?

That’s awesome. How have the last few weeks been for you guys?

Patricia: They’ve been good. I’m working from home, and my daughter just wrapped up the school year. So we’re just looking forward to the summer.

Jamie: I’ve been doing online summer camps. I’ve been Zooming and FaceTiming friends, so that’s been good. But it’s just not the same as being in person, obviously.

Lola Hewitt, 17

How’s your day been?

It’s been good! I had to teach a class.

What are you teaching?

Wilderness survival skills.

Oh, wow. Are you teaching it online or outside? How’s that going?

Online. And it was good. The kids are super interactive with the class and they ask a bunch of questions and everything, which is fun.

That’s awesome. What movie are you here to see?

Love and Basketball.

Have you watched it before? Or do you don’t know anything about it yet?I haven’t. I watched a quick clip of the trailer but I turned it off because I feel like it ruins the rest of the movie for me.

Kiki Artis, 30

So, how was your day?

Oh, it was pretty good. I’m happy to be outside, finally. I’ve been working on my online boutique, myshiascloset.com. I’m actually wearing one of my items.

Nice. What movie are you here to see?

I’m here to see Love and Basketball.

Have you seen it before?

A million times. I’ve never seen it outdoors though, so that will be a new experience.

What’s the last movie you watched?

Creed and Creed II.

What did you think?

I loved it because Michael B. Jordan is in it.

What’s one of your favorite movies?

Anything with Michael B. Jordan.

Angie Aguilar, 17

What’d you do today?

Shoot, I don’t even remember. What did I do? Oh, wait… I have no clue.

How’d you hear about this drive-in?

I Googled drive-ins, and this one just popped up. And then, I did a little research, and I was like, Oh my God. It’s a free movie night. So, I came.

Yeah, it’s really cool. What’s the last movie you watched?

I think it was Clueless. It’s my favorite movie.

Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre

Located between Catskill and Coxsackie in Upstate New York, this theater is currently showing The Goonies, Jaws, The Shining, and other classics.

Taylor Hais (23) and Justin Gagner (24)

So, what movie are you guys here to see?

Taylor: We’re seeing The Exorcist.

Have you seen it before?

Taylor: No. Right? Yeah, no.

You guys like scary movies?

Taylor: I do.

Justin: Kind of….

How’d you hear about this place?

Taylor: I used to come here when I was a kid. He’s from Boston, so he’s just visiting.

Nice. What’s the last movie you watched?

Taylor: I think it was at the drive-in? Actually, we watched Howl’s Moving Castle today.

Erin Magee Bolduc, 41

What movies are you guys here to see?

ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Have your kids seen the movies before?

No. Actually—ET, yes. Close Encounters, no.

Cool. And how did you guys hear about this place?

We live two miles away. I’ve been coming here my whole life.

Wow. And what’s the last movie you guys watched?

Jurassic Park was the beginning of it. And Jaws! We saw the whole Jaws, from beginning to end, and that I’d never seen in a movie theater before. Parents of the year.

How have the last few weeks been for you guys?

The last two weeks have been good for us, because we’re both teachers, so this has been a break.

Anna Morris, 31

What movie are you here to see?

We’re going to see The Exorcist.

Do you like scary movies?

I do.

Have you been to this drive-in before?

Yeah. I’ve been the past couple of weeks—three times.

What’s the last movie you watched?

I saw Evil Dead. On that screen. It was really fun.

Skyline Drive-In NYC

Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Skyline is currently showing a number of films including Moonlight, Black Panther, Grease, and Get Out.

Yaira Taveras, 29

How’d you hear about this place?

Well, actually, Google. We just searched for drive-ins because there’s no regular movie theaters to actually go to right now, and we needed to get out of the house.

Do you guys live nearby?

You could say that. We live in East New York, but I’m from Bushwick. Before all of this was converted to a theater, this was somewhere that we used to come and hang out to sit on the rocks by the water. It was really cool.

How have the last few weeks been for you?

They’ve been boring, you know? Staying at home, eating a lot of fast food. And just working. Being essential.

Shea Smith, 27

What movie are you here to see?

I believe it’s Terrified.

How’d you hear about it?

My sister. I’m from New Jersey, so she asked if I want to come see it. When I was a young girl and lived in California for a couple of years, they had drive-in movies, so when she told me, I was like, Yeah, let’s do it!

It’s really nice down here, too.

Yeah, you get the best of both worlds. You get a movie, and you get some water.

Kaitlyn Chen, 19 (and her date)

What did you do today?

We were just going on a date. Before this, we got food, and this is the end of our date.

That’s so nice. And what movie are you here to see?

We’re here to see Parasite.

Have you guys seen it before?

I’ve seen it before, but he hasn’t.

And how’d you hear about this drive-in?

My friend came here last week! And it’s on TikTok, too.

Chelsea Galindo, 25

What did you do today?

I celebrated my friend’s birthday in Battery Park, at a social distance.

Nice. What movie are you here to see?

I am here to see Parasite again.

How would you describe it to anyone who hasn’t seen it?

It’s honestly an incredible movie. Just the whole story, the plot line, everything is just incredible. I told my mom to watch it a billion times. She’s like, “Why are they winning all the awards?” I’m like, “Dude, just watch the movie,” so she’s going to watch it tonight.

Asad Siddiqi (37), Nada Siddiqi (33), and Shahbaz Siddiqi (2)

How’d you hear about this drive-in?

Asad: Well, it’s our anniversary.

Oh, happy anniversary!

Asad: So we were looking for pandemic-friendly things to do to celebrate, and this kind of popped up.

Wow. That’s really cool. And what’s the last movie you guys watched?

Nada: We watched Hamilton—

Did you like it?

Nada: Yeah, we loved it.

Shahbaz: We watch Hamilton!

And how have the last few weeks been for you?

Asad: They’ve been okay, yeah. Just getting into the new normal, right?

Bel Aire Diner

This Astoria diner recently transformed its car park into a drive-in movie theatre. In addition to movies, they’ve also been hosting drive-in stand-up comedy and trivia.

Mari, 26

What movie are you guys here to see?

Ice Age.

How have the last few weeks been for you?

I’m a nurse, so I’ve been out.

How has that been for you?

It sucks. It’s hard, but it’s good.

Jeff, 51 & Co.

How’d you hear about this drive-in?

We just did a Google search for drive-ins close to New York City, and this came up. All the other ones are upstate or whatever, about an hour and a half away. So we figured we’d give this a try.

What’s the last movie you watched?

What is it called? Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy—Bowfinger.

Oh, did you like it?

Oh yeah, it was hilarious. It was about a washed-up movie director and his last chance to make a movie.

Do you guys live nearby?

Yeah, we live in Rego Park.

How have the last few weeks been for you?

I didn’t see my kids for about four months, so I just saw them for the first time two weeks ago. They’re in New Jersey part-time. Now that I can see them, it’s been great.

Denise Cordova (33) and Kristyn Capito (33)

What movie are you here to see?

Both: Ice Age.

How would you describe Ice Age?

Denise: I would describe it as…

Kristyn: Survival of the fittest!

Denise: Yes! Survival of the fittest—for kids.

How’d you hear about this drive-in?

Denise: We saw it at the beginning of the pandemic.

Kristyn: On Instagram!

Denise: They [Bel Aire Diner] were showing pretty good classic movies, like from the ’80s, so that’s what pulled us in.

Kristyn: I just love going to movie theaters and obviously since it’s not safe right now, this is a good alternative.

The post Miss Movie Theaters? I Know a Spot appeared first on Man Repeller.

The TikTok Algorithm Knew My Sexuality Better Than I Did

Despite being a Social Media Manager and having an embarrassing relationship with my screen time reports, as soon as I became aware of the rise of TikTok, I promised myself I would never get into it. I spent an hour on it about three months ago and managed to feel older and more irrelevant than I’ve ever felt, even though I’m 26 and live online.

But a few weeks ago, in a desperate bid to escape some of the unhappiness of having spent three months in my apartment, I re-downloaded the app. The bar was low—at most I was hoping for a dog eating a corn cob. I got the comedic relief I wanted almost immediately.

The TikTok algorithm is smart. Or, at least, I think it is. Over the past few weeks I’ve continued liking the things that I like with abandon (e.g., rollerskating, sweet moments with elderly folks, teens being teens). There are obviously problems in the way the algorithm machinates in that, depending on who you are and what you like, it can reinforce and cater to your worldview in an unproductive way. But it can also be illuminating. My feed has become curated so specifically to my tastes that it has alerted me to parts of myself I hadn’t fully embraced yet: It’s a medley of absurd animal videos, spooky happenings that are more than likely hoaxes… and queer femmes.

@catherinesofia3945

she really said “sexually…???” anywho i came out to my mom today with cupcakes #fyp

♬ original sound – catherinesofia3945

The first video I liked was of a young woman coming out to her mother with cupcakes, which spelled out “I like girls” in frosting. After she sets up the camera and nervously walks her mom through the three-word phrase, her mother gives a gruff, awkward but ultimately accepting-enough response. “Sexually?” she asks. They hug. The daughter’s excitement in sharing who she is with her mother is palpable, but at odds with its lukewarm reception. Something catches in my throat still when I watch it.

The more queer content I was served, the more I engaged. I liked videos of best friends declaring crushes on each other, which has since become an entire theme of video content on the platform. I liked videos from lesbian women married for 23 years sharing their love stories, so tender they made me cry in 15 seconds. I liked videos that made me laugh about clichés in the queer femme community (you will not find me at a Lowe’s, but you will 100% find me in the skate parks, thrift stores, and your local “forest”).

@officiallydiane1

How hot is she?? Just introducing my baby. #gay#pride#lgbtq#love #23years

♬ original sound – officiallydiane1

I’m not going to say that TikTok knew I was bisexual before I did, because I’ve had inklings for a long time. I’ve spent years denying them as the maxims of internalized biphobia dominated my conscience. Queerness was celebratory, lovable, beautiful for the people I care about, but would it be that way for me? Would the people in my life still accept me the same way? Would the love between me and a partner still take the same shape? And would my life be harder?

I’ve seen women here and there in the past, but quietly. I faced an unreasonable amount of denial about my sexuality in the past because of my background and my known desire for men. I’ve undergone enough self learning to finally acknowledge my queerness for what it is. I’m not officially “out” with everyone I know. I guess, in a way, this is it.

Spending time on TikTok has opened my eyes to the glorious breadth of identity, presentation, and sexuality in the world. I don’t mean that I was unaware of it before, per se, but the narratives I see on TikTok are uniquely joyful. I sound like a millennial when I say that for so long I associated queerness with hardship, having seen and felt the painful stories of some of my closest friends in coming to terms with their identity in their families and communities. This is not to say that stigma, trauma, and fear don’t still exist in these spaces. I know they do, tragically, and at varying levels based on which family, community, and to which identity you belong.

Queer TikTok has given me the gift of believing that my bisexuality can be a source of light, not a burden. It is a unique space of celebration, expression, empowerment. How strange to think that a platform I formerly avoided ultimately gave me the push I needed to come to terms with who I am? In a way, it makes a lot of sense. It’s my job—and my passion—as a Social Media Manager to invest time and energy in emerging social spaces to see how new stories can be told.

I didn’t expect for my own story to be revealed to me in the process. But I’m so grateful it was.

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post The TikTok Algorithm Knew My Sexuality Better Than I Did appeared first on Man Repeller.

Two Sisters Capture a Portrait of Hair Loss–and Personal Growth

During a brainstorm for “Whatever You Want” week, Beth Sacca, a photographer and member of the MR visuals team, pitched a story with her older sister Mandy, who has had alopecia since she was in high school. Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder where the body mistakes hair follicles for foreign cells and kills them. Below, Mandy shares the evolution of her journey to self-acceptance, from shaving her head to running without a wig.

On finding out she has alopecia, and wearing wigs

When I was in ninth grade, my best friend found a bald spot when she was straightening my hair. I spent the remainder of high school parting my hair a certain way or wearing headbands during track practice to prevent any bald spots from showing. By my senior year, I had a full head of hair, and was relieved to feel like I could finally wear it any way I wanted.

Your first wig is easy to get wrong.

During my freshman year of college, about 80% of my hair fell out. I decided to shave what was left with the encouragement of some girls who lived in my dorm. I sat in front of a mirror in my room, and my roommate shaved my head. I started wearing wigs that month.

Your first wig, when you have alopecia, is free with most health insurances. However, your first wig is easy to get wrong. I had no idea what I was doing. I wish I could help people who are buying their first wigs so they won’t make the same mistakes I did. My first wig lasted about one month, because I got a synthetic one.

I learned the hard way that when you try to straighten a synthetic wig, it ruins the hair. It’s also challenging to work out while wearing one because you can only wash it once a week, and the heat from my neck would sometimes melt the hair. After that, I began the long process of educating myself about the world of wigs–lace front, full lace, synthetic hair, human hair, open weft, closed weft. How do you glue down a wig? Are you even supposed to glue down a wig? I looked like an idiot for a good portion of the next couple years while I was still figuring things out.

I’m confident completely bald and I’m confident with a full head of hair, but if it’s patchy I start to doubt myself.

On running with alopecia

I’ve always been a runner. I ran competitively in college and ran a marathon right after finishing school. During alopecia flare-ups, I would wear a wig with a baseball cap because it felt most secure, but that came with its own set of challenges. One time at a track meet, the guy who was supposed to shoot the starting pistol stopped everyone at the starting line and asked me why I was wearing a hat.

I only recently started running outside without my wig. This was a big moment for me because I’m confident completely bald and I’m confident with a full head of hair, but if it’s patchy I start to doubt myself. However, at a certain point I decided I didn’t want to wear a full suction wig for 6 miles in 90-degree heat. Running without my hair gave me a new type of freedom and ownership over my body.

On confidence

In my last few years of college, I started losing my eyebrows and some of my eyelashes. I didn’t have hair anywhere on my body. Granted it was nice not to have to shave my legs.

I could tell that sometimes people looked at me and assumed I wasn’t confident because I wore a wig and covered up my bald head the majority of the time. It was a struggle when people, especially family members, told me things like, “you don’t have to wear your wig.” Many tried to give me confidence to let the wig go. This really frustrated me. It was my choice to wear a wig, and at a certain point I was confident enough to not wear a wig but still chose to.

I usually tell guys on the second date that I don’t have hair, if they haven’t already noticed.

Ultimately, it was less about confidence and more about the fact that I love picking out outfits and doing my hair in different styles. Without hair, these interests felt less fun. Also, to be honest, my head gets COLD, like so cold, and if I was forgoing a wig, I’d have to wear a hat to keep warm in upstate New York most of the year. To me, there’s no difference between a hat and a wig. When people say “you don’t have to wear your wig around me” they think they’re making me feel comfortable, but in actuality they’re making me feel bad about my choice to wear hair.

I love when girls with Alopecia rock their bald heads, and I love when they play with wigs and hats. It’s your choice to wear whatever you want on your head, and it doesn’t change how confident you are if you prefer one over the other.

I never really feel different unless I’m confronted with a situation when there’s something everyone else can do that I can’t. Before alopecia, I loved the beach and looked forward to diving into the waves. I never thought that one day I wouldn’t love it, because my hair would fall off in the water and a man would pick it up further down the wake. I never thought I would be nervous for a race not because the competition was tough but because my wig tape wasn’t stuck on right. The thought of having to hold my hair on while riding a rollercoaster, or deciding when to tell my boyfriend I was actually bald, would have never crossed my mind before Alopecia. I usually tell guys on the second date that I don’t have hair, if they haven’t already noticed. Sometimes I get worried they won’t accept me because of it, but if they don’t then they’re not the right person for me anyways.

Over the past year, my eyebrows and most of the hair on my head has fully grown back. This was such a surprise to me, as I had been completely bald for over 7 years. I almost have a full pixie cut now. I still wear a wig most of the time because I love long hair, but occasionally I’ll wear the pixie cut. I am hoping that this hair stays put, because it would be so much easier to maintain on a day-to-day basis than a full wig. I’m not relying on that, though. I’m in a place where I am so okay with whatever this hair of mine decides to do, and I’m excited to see what happens next.

Photos by Beth Sacca.

The post Two Sisters Capture a Portrait of Hair Loss–and Personal Growth appeared first on Man Repeller.

Post-Quarantine, Stylist Lord Landon Michael Is Going to Dress However He Wants

As serendipity would have it, we first crossed paths with Lord Landon Michael in a Man Repeller story. Photographer Jasmine Clarke met and interviewed him outside of the Sisters Uptown bookstore while surveying patrons about their selections and once the story was published, Michael’s friends tagged him on Instagram. After a few taps, we knew we needed to know him—some rudimentary research revealed that Michael works as the visual director and lead curator at Next Century 21, and that he does just about everything with creativity and flair.

Once we got to talking, we discovered that Michael is a kindred spirit when it comes to contemplating the relationship between clothes and identity. In keeping with this week’s theme, we asked Michael what would fall under his personal umbrella of whatever-the-heck he wants and he told us that while sheltering in place for months, he’d ushered in a new philosophy, both personal and sartorial. Now he’s living and dressing exactly the way he wants. Pre-COVID? His style was “muted, obedient (in following the rules of gender roles), and lackluster.” After his quarantine incubation period? Michael will emerge empowered and transformed, toting three new adjectives: “vibrant, genderless, and (stylistically) contagious!” Keep reading to get the story, and the looks, straight from him.

Along with many others, I’ve often tried to diminish the gay and femme sides of myself, fearing the clapback of our community. 

Now, I look to live out loud. COVID may not have been the right prescription, but it offers lasting opportunities for growth, self-reflection, and a mental check up. The quarantine gave me time to self-reflect, to be able to sit with myself and hash out all the negative things that stopped me from being and dressing as truly as I want to. As a result, I think Britney Spears said it best: “I am stronger than yesterday!”

Now, getting dressed in the summer of 2020, I’m ready to embrace my full non-binary realness. From the basketball court to the swings, on this playground of gender identity, I’m playing for keeps, showing my new normal, with an aesthetic to match. I put together three looks using some of my favorite pieces from my own closet—an eclectic mix of suiting, blouses, and basketball shorts—in new ways.

An Angelic Buzzer Beater

This look is one of my favorites: the free-flowing blouse paired with the basketball shorts, beautiful! It lends itself to who I am: soft yet masculine, runway yet street.

My sense of style definitely shifted when I discarded the fear of wearing the pieces I want to wear and pairing things the way I see them in my head. I talk about this a lot with my friends—how you are seen in the street and how, if you’re male, you do have to maintain that masculine touch… you can’t be too femme, because you can get backlash for that. Now, I’ve definitely gotten more in tune with myself. Now the things I wear are loud and take-no-prisoners.

Black Seersucker, Prince-Purple Gloves

I always told myself I would never be the guy confined or defined by a suit, but this look with these gloves—all I can say is pure opulence!

The gloves are almost like COVID fashion protection. They’re giving you the best of both worlds. That’s kind of where my style is, especially as it’s non-binary: I like to give the best of both worlds. Take the gloves and the suit for example: the suit is normally tied to an association with masculinity, whereas the gloves play off of this, creating fun and excitement and bringing the look to life.

City Greenery

Here I play with mixing prints—you have to dive in headfirst and just have fun.

These days I’m seeing lots of people taking chances and being adventurous in their day-to-day style. I think it’s absolutely amazing to see men, women, everyone, who aren’t afraid to take risks with what they wear when they leave the house.

5 PHOTOS
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Concept & Styling: Lord Landon Michael

Photography: Kevin Aranibar & Shaq

Grooming: Tito Love

Editors’ note: In solidarity with Blackout Tuesday (today, July 7), MR will only be linking to Black-owned brands for shopping suggestions. (If you haven’t visited strategist Elizabeth Tamkin’s database of more than 600 brands led by Black entrepreneurs, check it out now!)

The post Post-Quarantine, Stylist Lord Landon Michael Is Going to Dress However He Wants appeared first on Man Repeller.

Low Stakes Hot Take: Coffee Tables Are a Secret Menace Lurking in Your Living Room

While Sable normally writes about beauty (and occasionally kissing) for Man Repeller, in the lead up to “Whatever You Want” week, we asked her if there was anything she was itching to write about beyond brow gels, overnight masks, and eye shadow. It turns out, the thing she wanted to write about most was coffee tables… and why they suck.

Home decor has become leagues more creative and Pinterest-ing in our blog-filled world. There’s inspiration at every price point. That said, I’ve personally created enough atrocities with a hot glue gun that I’ve come to accept I’m just never going to be the craft diva I aspired to be. But now that I, and the rest of the country, have little choice but to embrace a homebody lifestyle, I’ve been more invested than ever in my living space and how it makes me feel. It was about a year and half ago, though, when I moved into my own apartment, that I first realized the very elephantine thing that never made sense to me: coffee tables.

After living in a shared space for 10 years, my new apartment was my first opportunity to “curate” a space that could be a residential museum of my most elegant tastes, reflected in the objects and doo-dads I chose to fill it with. Sure, I live in a fifth-floor walk-up, replete with uneven floors and haunted radiators, but they’re my wonky floors and cursed radiators. (And I truly do not miss my former building and its tenants who lived as though they were in a 24-hour Euphoria simulation.)

Perhaps it’s an internalization from the childhood belief that the floor could at any moment become lava… but I don’t understand why the default surface in so many living rooms has to be some land yacht that you can put dinky drinks on. There is but one steadfast rule in my house and that rule is: no coffee tables. Their name suggests their function, of course, but that is irrelevant when you consider that you can place your coffee cup on any flat, level surface within reach. A surface that is not a menace in plain sight.

Smart money is on that glass coffee table getting absolutely smashed for dramatic effect.

Coffee tables come in many forms and sizes but ultimately dominate all rooms, squatting at a height that is only convenient to a seated position, always wider than they are tall. They make you accommodate them, having to do an awkward shimmy to get to your sofa, unless you have a breadth of space to position them thusly out of the way (so, not any NYC apartment within my tax bracket). Do they hold things for you? Sure they do. But they also become a repository for all the cups, magazines, random contents of jean pockets, and other bric-a-brac on its transient journey to its rightful place in your home. The coffee table is like the airport lost and found for possessions mindlessly dropped during a layover.

If you have ever watched a movie featuring a glass coffee table, action (Fight Club) or otherwise (the Arrested Development episode where Mrs. Featherbottom attempts to float down into the living room from a second-floor landing with an umbrella), smart money is on that glass coffee table getting absolutely smashed for dramatic effect. How could anyone witness that time and again and not always see a potential murderer quietly lurking in their living room, delicately holding their art photography tomes, magazines, and beverages?

I am often momentarily wooed by their beauty as they draw the eye like a domestic siren.

As for unintended function, coffee tables are platforms for pets and young children to get into trouble. Anything on top of one becomes fair game for the knocking over or pilfering. I once had a pet rabbit when I lived with a friend in an apartment with a really broad wooden coffee table. When I allowed him to run around out of his cage (necessary for exercise), he’d immediately run to the coffee table and hop on board to harass whatever object caught his eye. This usually meant beverages and snacks. His favorite thing to do would be to rip tea bags out of mugs by their string and whip them across the room with his mouth, which probably would’ve been less accessible if it were on a taller and narrower surface.

Now, I’ve seen some majestic coffee tables that are sculptural works of art. I see them all the time on Instagram and I am often momentarily wooed by their beauty as they draw the eye like a domestic siren. Those are perhaps the most dangerous coffee tables of all, on account of their own inherent fragility, coupled with their ability to karate-chop your shins should they get too close at even a slowed walking pace—a common likelihood considering how they sit in the middle of the goddamn room directly in the pathway of traffic. They know exactly what they are doing.

What coffee tables don’t want you to know is that side tables exist. There are even tables so small and slight that they’re called “drink tables.” I do think drink tables are a bit more prescriptive than may be necessary, but a side table is a glorious thing! It fulfills the function of a coffee table in a much more compact way—and that’s not to say it’s any less aesthetically pleasing either. Especially if you live in a small home, as I do, side tables have been the saving grace of my living room activities. Anything I can do on a coffee table I can do just as well with a side table (eating, charging my phone, placing a book, painting my nails…).

A side table knows where to be so it’s not in the way. A side table gives me space and allows me to roam the living room unencumbered and do my YouTube workouts without having to rearrange the furniture. My shins do not have to live in fear of being accosted, and I do not have to resent the furniture that I have thoughtfully selected. My Instagram explore page may entice me from time to time with its quirky, vintage 80s furniture reproductions and chic Scandinavian minimalist designs but what’s even more beautiful to me is the vast, open space between my sofa and my third re-watching of Hulu’s High Fidelity.

Feature Image via Getty Images.

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