Leandra Medine's Blog, page 22

All the Best Memorial Day Sales, According to Your Personal Shopper

Have you signed up for MR Thoughtline yet? It’s Man Repeller’s new text-based service that lights up phone screens with good bits from around the internet, opportunities to chat with cool people, and digital recesses to help your mind take a break from the news in favor of a recipe, physical activity or, trust us, very useful WFH outfit ideas. Subscribe here.

Last week, the inevitable happened: Elizabeth Tamkin became the next gen answer to Bergdorf Goodman’s legendary personal shopper, Betty Halbreich, when she offered to give custom shopping advice to anyone who asked in our comments section. Today, she reprises her role, sharing her top picks for the categories that came up most frequently last week. Even better: It’s all on sale.

Memorial Day sales come with even more consumerist baggage than usual, in this financially tumultuous time when some of us are shopping and others are abstaining. Elizabeth sought to shop smarter, not harder: In addition to her top picks, she’s also included a list of all of the long weekend sales on her radar, including lots of small brands worth supporting.

I would keep writing this introduction but I’m already chomping at the bit, ogling those cherry red, tie-dye Opening Ceremony board shorts Eliz found, so I’ll let her take it from here.

1. Summer Dresses, Comin’ Right Up

Alyssa’s request for a summery graduation dress was a joy for me to answer. I looked for dresses that, while appropriate for graduation, would also be easy to repurpose for future events. Cue the florals! The frills! The airy whites! The nautical stripes!




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2. *The* Perfect Shorts for Literally Anything

(Ed. note: I extended the below selection beyond black and kept near but not to exact budget for a wider assortment!)

Jess wants everyday shorts in two categories: a couple pairs of athletic shorts (which Team MR knows a thing or two about), and a second pair that are a bit more sophisticated. For the athletic category, I looked for shorts I know are good (like these Nike ones) and ones that had good shape and cut (nothing worse than a see-through or flimsy pair of shorts). For the “smarter” pair, I looked for versatility, length, and quality, ranging from a modest length denim pair, a satin bermuda and this exceptionally cool flap skort.

The “sporty” pair:




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The “smart” pair:




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3. The Perfect Button-Down Shirt Does Exist

This is a staple I truly believe we all must have. Button-down shirts are timeless, season-less and so very versatile. Wear them buttoned to the collar, wear them buttoned on the top and left open on the bottom, leave it completely open (over a swimsuit perhaps!?), or tie it in a knot around your waist. I found classic white shirts with a perfect length for leaving untucked or tucked, shirts with flare like this one with corset ties (oOoOoh!), ones with pattern like this red or blue striped one from Solid & Striped (I have it in another color and the material is lovely), or a denim one which, in my opinion, is a closet must.




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4. For a Future Casual Day at L’Office

We aren’t quite there yet, Allison. But when the time comes, I agree, a workwear capsule wardrobe is a very, very helpful thing to have. And even more helpful? Items you can wear from work-to-date like this painfully adorable red scallop collared cardigan or this sheer blouse you can dress up with silk trousers or dress down with jeans. I leaned into comfortable but sophisticated pants with a pair of belted khakis by one of my favorite brands—Officine Générale—at 40% off, a great pair of dark jeans with a finished hem, some checked trousers, these perfect black everyday pants and a pair of quite excellent wide-leg white pants to kick off MDW!

Some tops!




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Bottoms!




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5. Wear-All-Day Summer Jackets

I’ve collected many a jacket in my days of living in the city. A jacket can instantly dress up something as simple as a pair of running shorts or leggings. It can sophisticate a work lewk or simply shield you from that sneaky evening breeze. I recommend going linen, cotton, or lightweight tweed to keep it airy, and a fun cut—like this one with the cinched waist—is always a welcome bonus.




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6. Not-Another-Old-Tee Pajamas

Pajamas have been the unsung hero of my quarantine. I find myself still wearing them hours after waking up, barely leaving time to change before the day’s first video call. I’ll always appreciate a good cotton set. Or! Perhaps a lightweight, pretty tank that could double as a blouse (no need to change for that video call!). This statement set will let me feel cute even with the covers up to my chin, or what about this tie-dye top and these shorts that you could actually wear out and about? Love a multipurpose pajama.

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And now for a breakdown of sales that will be updated all weekend!

Apparel and Accessories:

MATCHESFASHION – Up to 50% off.

Farfetch – Up to 50% off the Best Of The Season.

The RealReal – Up to 80% off Summer Kick-Off Sale and 20% regular priced items with code ‘REAL.’

Need Supply – Up to 50% off sale.

Ssense – Up to 50% off.

Verishop – Up to 70% off.

Shopbop – Up to $150 off your order of items labeled ‘Key Style’ with code ‘JUST4U.’

Nordstrom – Up to 60% off in The Clearance Sale.

Luisaviaroma – Additional 30% off already-discounted styles at checkout.

Opening Ceremony – Additional 50% off sale with code ‘TORCHPASS50.’

Bloomingdales – Up to 50% off regular priced items plus an extra 50% off items marked ‘EXTRA 50% OFF’ until 5/25.

Outdoor Voices – Up to 50% off select styles.

Madewell – 30% off all dresses and sandals with code ‘HAPPYTOGETHER’ through 5/26.

W Concept – Up to 65% off select items. Buy 1 and get 1 for 20% off through 2/25 with code ‘MEMORIAL20.’

Solid & Striped – 25% off site-wide with code ‘MDW25.’

Lisa Says Gah – 20% off Final Sale with code ‘SALE20’ through 5/25.

Ralph Lauren – Up to 40% off.

x Karla – 30% off everything automatically applied at checkout through 5/25.

Splendid – 40% off site-wide with code ‘THISISBIG’ until 5/25.

Anthropologie – 25% off all clothing, shoes and accessories plus an extra 50% off sale from 5/22-5/25.

Khaite – Further reductions to sale.

Tibi – Up to 50% off Resort 2020 collection.

Vince – 25% off site-wide with code ‘MAY25.’

7 For All Mankind – 40% off site-wide.

Universal Standard – All jeans are $65 from 5/21-524, 12 Summer Outfits (four released daily) at a discount from 5/22-5/24, and 25% off site-wide one day only on Memorial Day, Monday, 5/25.

Uniqlo – Essentials on sale through 5/20.

COS – 25% off orders of $200 or more until 5/25.

& Other Stories – Up to 50% off Spring/Summer styles from 5/22-5/25.

Mango – 30% off site-wide until 5/31.

Spanx – 50% off select styles.

The Kooples – Archive Sale up to 80% off through 5/25.

Sandy Liang – Up to 50% off.

Bonobos – 50% off sale and final sale items with code ‘GOODTIMES.’

Marks & Spencer – 20% off any $150+ purchase through 5/25.

Teva – Up to 30% off women’s and men’s styles through 5/26.

L.L. Bean – 15% off site-wide at with code ‘SUNNY15’ through 5/25.

Manduka – Up to 50% off women’s and men’s apparel through 5/27.

Alice & Olivia – Online sample sale with up items up to 80% off until 5/25.

Abacaxi – 20% off site-wide until 5/25 with code ‘SUNSHINE.’

Batu – 20% off summer flats until 5/25 with code ‘MEMORIAL20.’

Nomasei – 15% off select styles until 5/25 with code ‘Memorial Nomasei.’

Havva – 20% off site-wide with code ‘THANKYOU.’

Giovanna – 10% off site-wide with code ‘TenforTen’ and 10% of each sale will go to Project PPE.

Sleepy Jones – 20% off site-wide, with three special one-day only events with surprise deals on some best-sellers until 5/25.

Marysia – Up to 70% off Resort and Spring 2019 styles.

Tory Sport – Up to 40% off.

Dolce Vita – 50% off site-wide with code ‘FIFTY.’

Aritzia – Up to 50% off starting 5/22.

Blundstone – Select styles 25% off through 5/31.

Zappos – Deals on apparel, footwear and swim.

Coclico – Up to 30% off select styles through 5/24.

For the Ages – 20% off through 5/25 with code ‘summer2020.’

Intentionally Blank – All shoes up to 60% off (no code necessary) plus all sale shoes an additional 60% off with code ‘EXTRA60SALE’ through 5/25.

IMAGO-A – Archive Sale up to 65% off previous collections through 5/25.

Loup – 25% off site-wide (excluding tie-dyed classics) with code ‘SUN!’ through 5/25.

Wol Hide – 20% off spring collection sweaters through 5/25.

Mr. Larkin – Extra 20% off online stock and sample sale with code ‘LASTCHANCE20’ until 5/25.

Still Here – 20% off sale with code ‘HAPPYDAYS’ from 5/22-5/25.

8vo Ático – 20% off for Collection 02 and an extra 25% off final sale items from Collection 01. Use code ‘MAYFLASHSALE’ through 5/25.

Ansea – 10% off plus free shipping on select items with code ‘INHONOROF’ through 5/25.

Jade Swim – 40% off site-wide with code ‘MEMORIAL.’

SAME Los Angeles – 10% off the Memorial Day edit.

Beauty:

Marc Jacobs Beauty – Up to 60% off select items with code ‘SALE10.’

Sephora – 50% off select items until 5/20.

Ulta – 50% off haircare essentials with new deals daily until 5/30.

Dermstore – Up to 20% off Summer Event.

Violet Grey – Automatic discounts to your purchase applied at checkout.

Nordstrom – Up to 60% off in The Clearance Sale.

La Roche-Posay – 20% off site-wide with code ‘MDW2020’ from 5/19-5/21 plus one day extended only on 2/25.

eos – 20% off site-wide + free shipping on all orders $30+ through 5/25.

Lavido – Get up to 30% off.

Boscia – 30% off your entire purchase.

Home:

Bed Bath & Beyond – Up to 40% off.

Parachute – 25% off site-wide until 5/25.

Floyd – Up to $125 off with code ‘SUNSHINE.’

Brooklinen – 15% off site-wide with code ‘WKND15.’

Sur La Table – 20% off outdoor dinnerware until 5/25.

Wayfair – Up to 70% off.

Brooklyn Bedding – 25% off site-wide with code ‘ANNIVERSARY25.’

West Elm – Up to 60% off.

Serena & Lily – 20% off with code ‘LIVEWELL’ through 5/25.

Overstock – Up to 70% off.

Casper – 10% off full-priced items until 6/1.

Article – Up to 25% off until 5/25.

Macy’s – Up to 60% off.

Home Depot – Up to 40% off on appliances until 6/4.

Target – Up to 25% off on furniture.

Ralph Lauren – Up to 40% off.

Feature image via Marley Rizzuti.

The post All the Best Memorial Day Sales, According to Your Personal Shopper appeared first on Man Repeller.

Who You’re the Most (and Least) Compatible With During a Crisis, According to Your Sign

Have you signed up for MR Thoughtline yet? It’s Man Repeller’s new text-based service that lights up phone screens with good bits from around the internet, opportunities to chat with cool people, and digital recesses to help your mind take a break from the news in favor of a recipe, physical activity or, trust us, very useful WFH outfit ideas. Subscribe here.

It would seem that we are in a crisis. I don’t think I need to spell it out, but I understand if you might expect a few links to some articles related to how we all feel about it, what the issues are, and where the discourse is right now.

Life will probably continue to serve up crises, in different shapes and sizes, as it always has. What follows is a sweet little zodiac compatibility analysis for every sign. Who you are under duress is not who you are in peacetime. As the conditions change, what we need from our partners changes, too.

Aries

Who you are in a crisis: Aries likes to fight through pain. The way you manage external threats is by taming them into submission with your brute strength. This allows you a reprieve from your fear, which is a hard feeling for Aries to sit with. You’re pumping iron. You’re machete-ing your way through a to-do list. You’ve donned several wigs. You’re writing hilarious characters for each bewigged persona, all of whom will perform in a virtual revue. (Which you’re also hosting.) You’re alive, goddamnit.

Most compatible with: Gemini. You need a freaky pixie whose brain can metabolize your energy and feed you with new facts, angles, and analyses. A Gemini can function as your outsourced frontal lobe, all while your id takes the wheel. But instead of slowing you down, your Gemini can help focus you—ironic, because they often cannot focus themselves—and help you shift into a more productive and sustainable path forward.

Least compatible with: Taurus. You don’t need that “stay in bed until 2:30 p.m., light 32 ylang ylang candles, eat creamy foods, and swaddle yourself in soft fabrics” agenda. To them, it’s a nourishing return to life’s simple pleasures; to you, it’s giving up.

Taurus

Who you are in a crisis: The days are short, not long. Before you know it, it’s 11:00 p.m., and you only masturbated once. You’re cooking. Your meals are well spiced. Your pajamas are luxe. You’re not showering that often, but you don’t smell bad. You miss your friends and would pay $4,000 to be touched by human hands. The home office is elegant, and when you step away, you’re not at work.

Most compatible with: Another Taurus. Two cozy bulls right now would just be more of a good thing. And in a crisis, “you can’t have too much of that,” you say with a mouthful of hazelnut chocolate spread (not Nutella—some private-label bougie decadence that only you know about).

Least compatible with: Aquarius. Now is not the time for you to tax yourself by interacting with a cold, abstract genius. You’re trying to find your balance on earth; they are trying to colonize outer space.

Gemini

Who you are in a crisis: You’ve already cycled through a few identities. Ironically bad chef, pretty good bread baker, Twitter scold, Instagram poet, master sexter, push-up queen, early bird, night owl, and so on. As the most mutable of mutable signs, no one is better at change than you, which doesn’t mean you don’t feel the heartbreak of parting with old ways of life (along with the old selves who lived them). But you know you preserve more of yourself by adapting than resisting. Therein is the key to your survival.

Most compatible with: Sagittarius. The philosopher-kings of the zodiac can supply much-needed wisdom. Some feel their way through a crisis, but the centaur’s scholarship and compelling, dialectical approach will animate your inner student, feeding your brain new perspectives that enable you to make sense of this crisis—even if you can’t transcend it.

Least compatible with: Capricorn. They see your meandering curiosities as a waste of precious mental resources. You see their advice (which you will not take) as the most arduous to-do list in the world.

Cancer

Who you are in a crisis: No one knows, because you are often hiding. Whether physically or mentally (usually both), you need to retreat when the heat is on. But when you’re on, you’ve got a brave face, you’re full of life, and you’re orchestrating really well-run video parties to celebrate your friends and family. You’re also baking a lot and sending 20 percent of what you make to your loved ones—who are very, very lucky to have you at this time.

Most compatible with: Capricorn. They make you feel safe, because they are able to prioritize survival and fun accordingly. They are the most trustworthy people in the world, which is helpful when the outside world is so threatening. Plus, they have a real knack for growing basil, which is a key ingredient in your homemade tomato basil sauce.

Least compatible with: Gemini. When you ask them what’s up, you get multiple paragraphs detailing an extremely personal anecdote and two links to Atlantic articles. We’re just not there yet, Gemini. Boundaries!

Leo

Who you are in a crisis: You learned all the TikTok dances. (You probably created a few.) If anything, you’re wearing more lipstick now. And although it may mortify your family, you’re completely unbothered by how embarrassed everyone is, as you swan around the house in the literal gowns you’ve found in the back of your closet.

Most compatible with: Aries. They’re the only ones who get your need for attention and validation right now. The two of you can form a closed loop of mutual admiration and hyping each other up, which can last you months before you’ll need to seek other sources. Months.

Least compatible with: Virgo. They keep going on about what an “appropriate” amount of time is between when you dirty a dish and clean it, and their “jokes” always feel like low-key roasts. The only articles they share are depressing ones. (They would rightly argue that that’s 98 percent of articles right now.)

Virgo

Who you are in a crisis: Smug. Everyone’s a Virgo in a pandemic, and while you’re glad to see so many converts to the Church of Hand Sanitizer, they are doing it all wrong. You don’t expect perfection, but you know what six feet looks like, and you won’t tolerate compromises. Virgos know they are bodies who must submit to the physical realities of the world. Disease is a fact; the virus doesn’t care that you really, really want to see your friends right now. Virgos are right.

Most compatible with: Cancer. Together, you form an orchestra of broad disapproval, tsk-tsking the neighbors standing too close to each other, criticizing the administration’s slow and inadequate response to the crisis, railing against rich people who hoard toilet paper. Under normal circumstances, complaining would make you happy. Now, it’s an essential practice.

Least compatible with: Leo. They Zoombomb your meetings with no pants on, and they don’t intend to stop.

Libra

Who you are in a crisis: Productive, but beating yourself up for not being more productive. You’re getting good at yoga. You’re writing a pilot. You constantly ask your friends for the hot gossip, even though there is none at this time! You got that good hand sanitizer that doesn’t dry out your hands. Erotica is really important these days. You need to be touched soon.

Most compatible with: Taurus. They are feeding your body with delicious, well-spiced, homemade meals, and an enveloping warmth. You delight them with your resilient sense of purpose and optimism. Also, you’re both sexy.

Least compatible with: Scorpio. Their intense moods linger in rooms after they’ve left, and you’re running out of sage. They play songs on repeat you wouldn’t listen to once. Your cry schedules are completely off.

Scorpio

Who you are in a crisis: Long phone calls. You turn your camera off for video meetings. You’re delivering extra masks and hand sanitizer to those who need it. You’re home, but you miss home. While you’re known for strength and resilience, what it looks like in a crisis is much smaller. It’s incremental steps, getting out of bed when you feel like hiding under the covers forever. Feeling hurt by something your mom said, but calling her anyway. You’re often painted as this fearsome superhero black-magic witch—and you probably are, who’s to say—but you’re also very much a human being who is listening and responding to the world as honestly as you possibly can.

Most compatible with: Virgo. They are trying their best (always!). Their thoughtfulness and sweet gestures—like making you eggs in a basket for breakfast on Saturday morning—makes you feel safe and loved and protected. Most important, Virgos aren’t silly dumbasses, like everyone else.

Least compatible with: Sagittarius. Silly dumbasses.

Sagittarius

Who you are in a crisis: Facilitating discourse in group threads, emceeing family video chats, performing funny little songs on Instagram Live. The way out of a crisis is up, and you never lose your sense of hope and purpose, even when the facts on the ground look grim. You will make it through because you believe it.

Most compatible with: Leo. They are still fun, even during a global catastrophe, and your life will never feel empty when they are in it. You’re both clowns, which means neither of you bear the sole burden of keeping your spirits up.

Least compatible with: Pisces. You’re a clown; Pisces is a sad clown. You’re improvising new choreography to “Make ‘Em Laugh,” while they’re drinking wine in a bathtub, contemplating the ennui of existence. Two talented storytellers working in opposite genres.

Capricorn

Who you are in a crisis: You’re surprisingly texty. You’re keeping it together but you feel crumbly inside. (It’s relatable, and people need to see it!) You have touched base with family, inner circle, reading group, co-workers, old bosses, and even your high school teacher, and you may or may not have created a calendar of outreach to help you manage it. You are happiest when you can sit, uninterrupted, with a book.

Most compatible with: Pisces. They are actually grateful for your sense of structure and sound advice. They soften you in a way no one else could.

Least compatible with: Aries. They don’t like being told what to do, but you have no shortage of things to tell them. They love interrupting you when you’re reading. They like that it makes you mad, because that makes them horny. But it actually makes you mad.

Aquarius

Who you are in a crisis: You’re returning more texts these days… at least, you thought you returned them. (A few of them.) You miss sex, but isolation isn’t that bad. You go for long walks at odd hours. You block off hours on your calendar to sit and think your thoughts. You’re re-watching and re-reading things you already know you love. You’re wondering why everyone’s talking about sweatpants when you’re into bike shorts right now. Some days you’re amazing at Twitter.

Most compatible with: Libra. They’re the only ones who can satisfy your taste for beauty, romance, and sweetness while stimulating your mind with all the right opinions on art and politics.

Least compatible with: Another Aquarius. Two self-contained little aliens. They acknowledge each other and wave peacefully. Then they retreat to their respective planets, unchanged.

Pisces

Who you are in a crisis: Feeding others your homemade bread before you feed yourself. Leaving audio diaries (they are just voicemails!) on your friend’s phones when they don’t pick up. Getting really into turmeric right now. Thinking about moving. Disappearing from social media but still using it to send memes. You make the best ones.

Most compatible with: Scorpio. You’re completely on each other’s schedule when it comes to being cozy, horny, hungry, sad, happy, social, reclusive, etc. They can weather your moods because they’ve got the moods themselves.

Least compatible with: Libra. Their brand of cheerfulness reads as insincerity (it’s not!), and you can tell they are hiding how scared they really feel (they are!). You feel better when you wear your wounds on the surface and connect with people at their most vulnerable. For Libra, they feel better with lipstick and yoga.

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post Who You’re the Most (and Least) Compatible With During a Crisis, According to Your Sign appeared first on Man Repeller.

12 Ways to Wear Athletic Shorts, According to Everybody From Leandra to Cat Cohen

Have you signed up for MR Thoughtline yet? It’s Man Repeller’s new text-based service that lights up phone screens with good bits from around the internet, opportunities to chat with cool people, and digital recesses to help your mind take a break from the news in favor of a recipe, physical activity or, trust us, very useful WFH outfit ideas. Subscribe here.

For those who can’t stomach wearing sweatpants once the thermostat hits 67 degrees, athletic shorts are sweats’ natural successor. I love every permutation of gym shorts: the mesh short, the track short, the basketball short, the tennis short, the bike short. And I’m not alone in my enthusiasm, based off of how quickly the Staud/New Balance shorts sold out in most sizes.

For whatever reason, unisex and mens’ athletic shorts often nail the silhouette with more consistency than womens’ do. I’ve got my eyes on some Only NY, Boast, and Tracksmith options in that genre, as well as the Everyday Shorts by Everybody.World and Petrified Goods’ take on the Patagonia baggie. Eric Emanuel’s shorts product page is like my adult equivalent of Dylan’s Candy Bar. Etsy reigns supreme as my personal favorite source of nylon soccer and collegiate mesh shorts: The site is ablaze with vintage options that combine a good, old-fashioned fit with high-quality materials and retro logos. Looking for ways to style the infamously casual gym short, I asked around and secured some recommendations from friends near and far.

Leandra Medine Cohen, founder of Man Repeller

How did you land on these shorts? I did not technically land on them as it seems like that would necessitate air travel, but I bought them last summer, about a year after Harling gently tucked them into my subconscious, with the intention of styling them for work/socializing (so not for exercise). A month later, I ended up finding these, which I actually like better, but this outfit asked for the white ones so here we are.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: These days, I put on clothes to accommodate the desire to motivate myself to go outside (it’s not as easy as I’d have thought to push myself out the door when I’m leaving to walk aimlessly). To do this, the outfit has to be comfortable enough in the event that I’m compelled to walk really far once I’ve stepped outside, but it also must get me excited enough to get out there and parade around in, for example, a ridiculous collar, because putting on a T-shirt and leggings often won’t do it if, as mentioned, I’m doing so aimlessly. A good indicator that I have succeeded is when I want to take a picture and immortalize the outfit.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? 89th and 5th: Hit up the reservoir (with your gym shorts) after a tango at the Guggenheim (funky collar, do you like art or something?) and breathe in the Fifth Avenue air (fancy jacket).

Catherine Cohen, comedian

How did you land on these shorts? I needed tight li’l shorts that wouldn’t go up into my hole when I jogged! Also, as someone who was traumatized by low-rise jeans in the early 2000s, I always need the safety/nuance/elegance of a high waist. I typed “high-waisted bike shorts” into a search engine and the rest is HERstory! XO

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: I’ve been wearing this fur-collared yellow cardigan on all of my business Zoom calls to “bring the fun.” Is it working? No one knows! Also, I took an improv class (brag) in 2011 with this cool girl (had short bangs), and she wore bike shorts with everything, so this is an homage to my past… in a time when we are so uncertain of the future? That’s beautiful. Top it all off with a bejeweled headband (star on top of Xmas tree vibes), and you’re set for a day of sitting near your devices!

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? This is a great look for lounging on the couch and comparing yourself to everyone you’ve ever met via Instagram or gazing into your open fridge while picking a fight about something your boyfriend said seven months ago as he does the dishes for the fourth time in a row. The possibilities are endless!

Harling Ross, brand director at Man Repeller

How did you land on these shorts? These are the ultimate sweats-to-shorts transitional style, because they resemble and feel like sweatpants in every respect except length. Speaking of length, they happen to hit at what I would consider the sweet spot: somewhere between thigh and knee. Not too long, not too short. As Goldilocks would say: just right.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: I wish there was a thought process to walk you through! Beyond the fact that tie-dye and stripes are two of my favorite patterns to intermix, and that I tend to prioritize comfort above all else these days, there’s not much else to report.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? I would love to add a navy bucket hat and white Tevas over the socks and wear it to a farmer’s market.

Ziwe, Comedian

How did you land on these shorts? These shorts are absolutely from high school. My athleticwear consists of free T-shirts from Walk for Hunger and whatever gear I didn’t throw away from my years running track. I got these shorts from a grizzly, bearded man named Blaine, who ran my high school’s equipment room.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: The thought process behind this outfit is, “How do I trick myself into caring about anything?” Doing my makeup and turning looks are the only things that energize me during quarantine.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? The ideal place to wear this ensemble is hiking through the Spanish countryside with my future husband, Raul (name + region subject to change!).

Ansley Morgan, stylist

How did you land on these shorts? I came back to Georgia for my birthday in March and never left. I only packed for four days. As a result, I have become reacquainted with my college wardrobe, which consisted of oversized T-shirts and Nike shorts—the uniform for southern sorority girls. I sold a lot of my Nike shorts before I moved, but held on to the most unique and fun ones. I kept this orange and pink pair for obvious reasons.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: When I make the decision to wear something as bold as these shorts, I decide to commit to that color palette. This Nikki Chasin top, which I’m very thankful I packed, fit the bill. It is cool and comfortable, making it appropriate for spring and summer. I wanted to style the shorts in a fun way that also elevated them. So I threw on my necklaces from Brinker & Eliza and Hey Harper. The final touch were these shoes from Labucq that I can’t wait to wear on the streets of New York when I finally return.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? I would wear this outfit to lay about in the park with my friends. We would all be safely distanced and dining on our own personal wine and cheese pairing.

Tiffany Wilkinson, creative director at Man Repeller

How did you land on these shorts? The past four summers, I’ve been a faithful Patagonia Baggies devotee. They are the perfect short to take you through a summer’s day, whether hiking, biking, jogging, swimming, or just trying to stay cool on the subway platform when it’s 100 degrees. They pack well and dry quickly. You can fit a tennis ball in the pocket, and the five-inch inseam offers a good amount of thigh coverage, without looking too frumpy.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: Memorial Day is around the corner and like most folks, I’m going nowhere! As the adage goes: “Dress for the vacation you want, rather than the vacation you have.” So here I am ready for the beach. No travel, no problem!

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? This outfit’s spiritual home is Jamaica, a place I’ve never been to but would love to visit one day. Seeing as a trip to the Caribbean is off the table for the foreseeable future, I’ll be wearing this outfit to brighten up my regular walk through Greenwich Village to the Hudson River and back to my apartment in Alphabet City.

Naomi Elizée, Associate Market Editor at Vogue and Podcast Host

How did you land on these shorts? They’re from Outdoor Voices! OV is my go-to athletic brand, and I have these bike shorts in every color.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: It’s all about comfort for me these days. I have an action-packed day full of Zoom meetings, so I wanted to remain comfortable but still be stylish. I opted for my beloved Chopova Lowena top so I can give the illusion on Zoom that I am more dressed up than I actually am! I paired the top with my OV bike shorts and these incredibly comfortable slippers from Nomasei. I added the sunglasses for a bit of flair for when I work out of the backyard this afternoon.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? From my couch to the kitchen to the backyard! This is the ultimate WFH fit.

Elizabeth Tamkin, market strategist at Man Repeller

How did you land on these shorts? I saw someone wearing them on Instagram’s Explore page—which I frequently visit these days—at the very start of quarantine. I love that they’re sweatpants material, flare out a little bit, and, because they’re mens, a bit oversized. Oh, and the pockets are fantastic for hiding dog treats to distract my dog while I’m working,

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: I usually wear these shorts with just a tank top or cami and a bunch of necklaces (must look presentable on my video calls!). Here I am wearing a cream-colored fisherman sweater over the cami. I find myself dressing monochromatically a lot these days. So from start to finish: I pulled out the shorts from the pile of clothes I wear the most, put on my favorite ribbed tank, got chilly so added a sweater, and put on shoes that I actually just wear around my apartment these days (yes, their soles are clean!).

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? The Man Repeller office, which is where I wish I were. Or sitting cool and comfortable at brunch with friends… or more realistically with my quarantine partner—formally known as Man Repeller’s Friday Happy Hour bartender—on the couch with a giant bowl of cereal (light on the milk please!)

Iman Hariri-Kia, Sex & Relationships Editor at Bustle and MR contributor

How did you land on these shorts? These Nike basketball shorts were stolen straight out of my partner’s closet. I stumbled upon them when I was looking to steal a pair of his fun, patterned swim trunks, but I couldn’t find them, and thus, settled for these bad boys instead. (Plus, I don’t think he “balls” that often.) I love the navy, white, and gray color combo, and the fit reminds me of my high school P.E. shorts, pre-rolled, which I’ll admit I never thought I’d be nostalgic for. But alas, here we are!

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: Well, I started with the shorts, which are sort of hilariously long and oversized, so I knew from the get-go that I wanted to play with proportion. My white Dickies T-shirt is perfectly cropped, but this vintage lightweight blazer is similar in dimension and scale to the shorts. In some ways, they feel like a set, even though they’re complete opposites. The concept makes me giggle—the idea that I could break into a brisk jog or a power walk on my way to a business luncheon. If I had literally anywhere to go, I’d pair this with a naked heel from Staud. Instead, I’m wearing white ankle socks. Still chic, no?

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? I’d wear this to a breakfast meeting with an old co-worker, who started at the company as an assistant. We made our way up the ranks together, but he made a surprise departure from the business. Mid-way through deviled eggs and whipped buttermilk pancakes, he tells me he’s starting his own firm and taking half my clients. I’m devastated! I take my cold brew and splash it right in his face, blam! But then, the big reveal: I had him tailed and knew what he was planning. And I’m suing him for breaking his non-compete. He confesses that he’s in love with me, and we passionately embrace. Then I tell him that I still intend to take him for all he’s worth, before strutting out of the restaurant, still sipping on the remainder of my coffee and leaving him with the check.

Also, in this scenario, I am Samantha Jones.

Lauren Chan, founder and CEO, Henning

How did you land on these shorts? In a former life, I was a basketball player. These are the team shorts from when I played on Team Ontario as a teenager.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: Since the shorts are super Canadian, I grabbed the most Canadian top I could find: a vintage Roots sweater. Everything I’m wearing these days is comforting, and above all else, easy. No styling, all ease.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? Am I socially allowed to say anywhere beyond my apartment?

Zoe Schlacter, textile designer and artist

How did you land on these shorts? I picked out these athletic shorts because I like that they are masculine-looking while still fitting well. Wearing them right now because they have an elastic waistband.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: This top by my friend Tyler McGillivary is my current favorite garment—I’ve been wearing it a ton lately. It’s pretty silky and glam, and I love how it looks with something casual on the bottom. I’m wearing the boots because they make me feel tough!

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? For a walk around the block with my partner and their dog!

Hannah Mosman, apparel designer & stylist

How did you land on these shorts? I love these shorts because they’re made from a super comfy tricot knit and have piping down the front. They also remind me of Armie Hammer’s shorts in Call Me By Your Name.

Walk me through your thought process of putting together this outfit: I enjoy looking to athletic styling from the 1980s and ’90s, when workout pieces were less “technical” and more casual, and often paired with denim, button-downs, or other non-athletic apparel. Taking that direction in combination with any excuse to dress like Leo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet, I paired it with my favorite tropical-print camp-collar shirt belonging to my partner. I live in this cotton Calvin Klein sports bra already, but it also felt like a key inclusion. Tube socks and neck chain followed suit as parts of a natural ’80s progression.

What’s the ideal location for wearing this ensemble? Ideally, I would wear this ensemble with a tan while exploring Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Nike


Lou & Grey


Outdoor Voices


Nike


Patagonia


Starter


Under Armour


Nike


Nike


Vintage


Nike


Adidas


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Spill the Gigante Beans: What’s the Best Thing You’ve Cooked Lately?

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I made pizza for the first time last night. I carefully folded the dough until it was smooth, watched it rise, stretched it into a hot cast-iron skillet, added layers of mozzarella and soppressata, and brushed the crust with sticky, hot honey. I ate it while watching an episode of Love Island Australia, and before I’d even finished the first slice, I started wondering what I’d cook next.

In the last two months, cooking has become one of my favorite joyful distractions. It’s calming and the right amount of time-consuming but—most important, for me—I get to eat good food. Some of the best things I’ve cooked recently, listed from simplest to most complex, include:

These extra-crispy tossed potatoes that were by far the best I’ve ever roasted (and I’ve roasted quite a few)
This salt-and-pepper roast chicken (again, the best one I’ve ever made)
This , served on a bed of greens and vermicelli noodles
This chicken ramen that I made with homemade stock using scraps from aforementioned roast chicken in my Instant Pot
A loaf of Mark Bittman’s bread, which didn’t require kneading, but did call for a lot of patience
And these pork and chive dumplings that I spent the better part of a day making

Two months is a long time, as I’m sure everyone currently living through the mess that is 2020 will agree. During the first two weeks of quarantine, I bookmarked and screenshot so many recipes I was sure I’d never get through them all—but alas, pizza dough was one of the final conquests on my to-do list, so I’m here asking for some inspiration.

What’s the best thing you’ve cooked recently? I want recipes, I want unlikely snack combinations, I want anything that will fill the void of café breakfasts and servers who dutifully recite the evening’s specials. Feed me with your recipe recommendations!

Cover Animation by Lorenza Centi.

The post Spill the Gigante Beans: What’s the Best Thing You’ve Cooked Lately? appeared first on Man Repeller.

I Only Want to Wear Button-Downs Right Now (& These Are the Best Ones)

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I was surprised when the edit team asked me to write this story, unaware I had developed a reputation as an aficionado of the button-down shirt. As I sat down to write, though, I realized that my ardor for these shirts had grown over time, without my even noticing it—basically, it’s the plot of all the best love stories. 

Here’s where it starts: When I was a child, my mother drilled into me the importance of keeping your shoes shined and having a smart coat. Maybe this is an English obsession—this longing to look “smart.” Carrying anything (besides groceries) in a plastic carrier bag was forbidden. Smart—never sloppy or schlumpy—was always the goal. 

The other factor is my weight. Throughout my adult life, it’s fluctuated up and down, along a 50-pound range. Sometimes I can wear my most beloved garments—and sometimes I can’t. By this point, I’ve developed a filing system of “too small right now” and “too big right now.” My most cherished items are the ones that I can wear at both ends of the spectrum, and oversized button-down shirts fit firmly in this category. (Along with Pleats Please and Chantelle Soft Stretch Underwear, which are also the shapeshifter’s friend.) Now, in my sixth month of pregnancy, I’m experiencing an entirely different kind of weight gain. I’m now at the point where I’ve maxed out even my biggest pants, but the button-down shirts still fit. 

Pregnant or not, I still maintain that the button-down shirt may be the most valuable player in your work-from-home wardrobe. If you’re shopping right now, adding a button-down to your cart can provide flexibility, comfort, and pizzazz in one, tidy package. (If you’re not shopping presently, I bet you have one at the back of your closet that’s due for a reevaluation.) Here, some advice for how to style it like a pro.

The First Date

My shirt obsession started with Phoebe Philo’s Céline. Here was a silhouette that looked smart, comfortable, AND fashionable. I was hooked. 

I purchased one at a Barney’s sale: oversized and white. I wore it at least once a week, with narrow black pants and sneakers—mostly Stan Smiths or slip-on Vans—for Phoebe’s entire 10-year tenure. I added similar styles from Cos so I could give my prized shirt the day off.

Phoebe styled the humble shirt with pants (of course) and as the foundation to a suit, but also in more unexpected ways—with the shirttails peeking out from under a mini skirt or as the underpinning to a short, sleeveless dress, making what would have been merely a sexy LBD suddenly more intriguing. In case you need further evidence of the powers of a button-down shirt, I present to you, 50 ways to style a shirt, courtesy of Phoebe Philo. 

50 PHOTOS
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The Rose Ceremony

After Phobe left Céline, I searched for a new look. Around that time, The Gentlewoman profiled a pregnant Martine Rose in her London studio, and I knew I’d found my gal. (This image of Martine, beautiful and smiling with her pregnant belly peeking out from her sweats, remains burned into my memory.) I was working for Outdoor Voices at the time, and Rose’s sporty, genderless collection, with a little twist of English humor, felt completely aligned with how I wanted to look.

Martine Rose’s Spring 2018 menswear collection was inspired by Canadian photographer Trevor Hughes. I became obsessed with his photographs of bike messengers and bookmarked half the collection in ShopStyle, waiting for my favorite pieces to be reduced. Come sale time, my main score was the pink shirt from look #19. If you know me, you have seen this shirt a hundred times—I wore it mostly with biker shorts or with something sporty (like Patagonia Baggies or an Exercise Dress) underneath. Most recently, I’ve been wearing it with these Juliet Johnstone pants. You can find other shirts like this pink one for a similar look.

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The Perfect Shirt for a Zoom Call

As my pregnancy progresses, I’ve been reluctant to shop. Not only because we’re in a global pandemic and shopping feels different, more loaded now, but because maternity clothes don’t appeal to me. (Maybe I haven’t found the right maternity brand? Please tell me in the comments if I’m missing a trick here!) I’ve slowly watched my wardrobe get whittled down, as my belly outgrows everything. 

Thankfully, this shirt from Kwaidan Editions—the last of my pre-pandemic purchases—is still serving me well. If you’re a regular Man Repeller reader, perhaps you’ve seen it before, here and here. The strong color and interesting collar make it exceedingly Zoom friendly. I’ve mostly been pairing it with sweats during WFH hours or just underwear and socks for some big Risky Business energy.

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The European Vacation 

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ROSALIA

Open Thread: What the F Should I Cook in This Dutch Oven?

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My first understanding of a Dutch oven was… well I’ll let you Google that one. I have juvenile friends.

In any case, I didn’t know that a Dutch oven was an actual piece of cookware until I lived with an 82-year-old woman named Annie who spoke not a lick of English, while I was in Paris for a semester abroad. She simply called it a “fourneau.” Annie was curmudgeonly, in the endearing way that older people are entitled to be. It quickly became clear that cooking was her love language. Her grande sortie every day was the mile round-trip walk to her specific boucherie, boulangerie, and marché. She was only obligated to feed me three times a week, but by week five, she insisted on cooking every meal. I spent months eating the most delicious blanquette de veau and coq au vin—watching carefully, but never daring to interrupt, as she tied lamb legs with twine and painted duck breast with glaze.

Le Creuset


Great Jones


Cuisinart


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I didn’t learn any of the technicalities back then because she really didn’t let me. It was her greatest joy to see me gasp and “Oh là là!” every time she served me something new. If I said I had no room for seconds, she would consistently cajole: “Si tu ne l’aimes pas, je jette. Je jette!” (If you don’t like it, I’ll just throw it out. I’ll toss it!)

I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately, in self-isolation, how she’d be so proud of me for really trying to cook. A few weeks ago, I made my first ambitious meal: homemade chicken stock which led to stove-top coq au vin, simmered for two hours until sweet, served atop egg noodles, garnished with sprigs of parsley.

I finally bought a Dutch oven. It still hasn’t turned up on my doorstep–I’m sure because it probably weighs as much as a box of bricks and, well, times are uncertain. French cooking, and my mini foray into it, was really fun. But I don’t have Annie’s recipes, and that makes my heart hurt. I really have no idea what the fuck to make in this thing that wouldn’t require one whole stick of butter. And don’t get me wrong—I’m very much into that as a concept, but I just want to explore my options.

Some recipes I’ve been digitally leafing through include:

This Thai-inspired meatball soup, recommended to me by many. It seemingly combines two of my favorite things: Thai flavors and… meatballs, duh.
This fruity, squashy vegetarian tagine from my girl Smitten Kitchen, who has never done me wrong.
This creamy risotto with crispy mushrooms, which is already seducing me, texturally.

Do you own a Dutch oven? What’s your go-to recipe? Does the recipe have stove-top and in-oven components? Does that consistently blow your mind, that there’s a big old pot that can do both? Let me know where I should go in the comments… just… give me a moment before you mention any bread.

The post Open Thread: What the F Should I Cook in This Dutch Oven? appeared first on Man Repeller.

Is 2020 Destined to Be the Year of the Neard?

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When I type the word “neard” into Google, it assumes I have made a spelling error. When I texted one of my group chats, “how does this group feel about neards??” the first person to respond said, “I love nerds rope soooo much.” These misunderstandings have lead me to conclude that sharing my theory–that 2020 is destined to be “The Year of the Neard”–might be slightly premature. Nevertheless, as a journalist and a cultural scholar, I feel duty-bound to press onward with my corresponding investigation.

For the uninitiated, a neard–according to Urban Dictionary–is “a growth of facial hair which is intentionally concentrated BELOW the neckline, a portmanteau of Neck and bEARD. Usually very scraggled and harsh-looking until it gets some body.” Given the relaxed hair-grooming standards of quarantine, it is my observation that neards are becoming ubiquitous.

Where it once may have been common for those in possession of facial hair to keep things neat and trim, the aesthetic of the past two months has trended in the opposite direction, and what used to simply be a beard has now morphed into a neard. My point is that facial hair is currently being permitted to roam free at–dare I say it?–unprecedented levels.

me with all this quarantine beard growth… pic.twitter.com/6alYNgTIeu

— N A T H A N A E L (@Nathanael_FM) May 14, 2020

Beyond my anecdotal observations of this phenomenon on the face of the person I’ve sworn to make out with forever, I also bore witness to it on various Zoom calls with friends, not to mention social media at large. It’s even becoming an A-list movement: LeBron James compared his appearance to Tom Hanks in Castaway. Will Smith captioned a recent Instagram post, “Who else lettin’ their beard grow out?!” Jim Carrey launched the hashtag #letsgrowtogether, imploring his followers to join him in conquering “the uncutting edge.”

During a recent Office Hour on MR Thoughtline, I asked people to share their thoughts on quarantine neards, whether they happen to possess one themselves or love someone (a friend, brother, significant other) who does. Responses were varied in nature but united in passion:

“Neards are hot and I wish I had a nearded person to cuddle with during quarantine.”

“I want my mans to be mistaken for a yeti in the mountains. So yes pro neard!”

“If I wanted to hug and kiss someone with a neck full of hair, I’d get a dog.”

“If you can grow one, grow one. It’s basic virility. Like… the basic law of attraction.”

“No body hair shame, but neards are hairsona-non grata in my book!”

“Noah Centineo’s neard is not it. But Beck Bennet’s neard… definitely passes the vibe check.”

“I’m not sure about neards, but I have noticed that the few wayward beard hairs I’ve gotten with hormonal shifts don’t worry me much in quarantine. I have one an inch long right now that I just glance at in the mirror and keep it moving. I’m even excited to see a gray one pop out any day now.”

“No!!!! I can’t wait to see that beautiful bone structure on men’s faces again.”

“I love love love them. It’s the one good thing to come out of quarantine.”

“I am very into the neard and my boyfriend does in fact have one right now. Silver linings.”

Personally, the longer I’ve been in quarantine, the more neards have grown on me (pun intended). As conversations persist about what quarantine-induced adjustments will remain part of our lives even once social distancing protocols ease, I can’t help but hypothesize that neards–or rather, any form of facial hair in its most abundant, expressive glory–will be one of them. What say you? Are neards the new black?

Feature Image Via Getty Images.

The post Is 2020 Destined to Be the Year of the Neard? appeared first on Man Repeller.

This Tasty Quiche Will Solve Lunch for a Week

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I was proud enough of learning how to make a DIY salad taste good to enjoy eating DIY salads for lunch almost every day for the first month and a half of quarantine, but sometime in the last couple of weeks, I hit a wall. I stopped wanting to have a salad at lunchtime, perhaps because I had eaten so many of them, or because they take some time to assemble and I’ve been feeling increasingly lazy, or a combination of both.

The solution to this conundrum revealed itself to me accidentally, when I decided to make two spinach quiches last weekend. One of them was consumed by my family in a single sitting, leaving the other for me to consume slowly over the course of the following week. Every day at around noon, I cut a sizable slice, put it on a piece of tin foil, and heated it in a toaster oven until the cheese started to bubble. Then I plated it, alongside some tortilla chips and whatever “side” I happened to have on hand–carrot sticks, apple slices, leftover asparagus–and that was lunch. By the time Friday rolled around and I consumed the last piece, I was thoroughly convinced that making this quiche was the ultimate solution to my quarantine meal fatigue. Here’s why:

It keeps well in the fridge
It requires very little prep
It provides a serving of vegetables (see spinach) alongside a brush with indulgence (see: pastry dough and melted cheese)
It feels just the right amount of fancy-for-no-reason, which is hard to come by these days

Any quiche will do, but I’m particularly fond of my mom’s recipe, which I’ll share below. Not only is it easy to make and super adaptable (you honestly can’t really mess it up), but it also has a unique composition where the cheese kind of sits on top in a really thick, satisfying layer. It’s delicious.

Thought you’d never ask—here’s how to make it!

The Best Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

1 savory flaky pie crust (I recommend a deep dish pie crust and dish if you can find one, since that will allow for more cheese!)

1/2 stick unsalted butter

3 lbs frozen spinach

1/4 cup minced onion

8 whole eggs beaten

1 1/2 cup heavy cream (I often use whole milk, though–whatever you have on hand)

12 oz shredded Jarlsburg cheese (can sub with any type of cheese, I like to use cheddar)

Instructions:

-Thaw frozen spinach in the microwave and wring out all the water you can (this is KEY–you really need to squeeze out as much water as possible, or else your quiche will be watery. It’s a great arm workout.)
-Chop the spinach with a chef’s knife (you can skip this step if your frozen spinach is pre-chopped)
-Sauté with minced onion and butter until hot
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Place spinach in pie shell and spread evenly
-Mix beaten eggs with cream, then pour into pie shell (I suggest putting the pie shell on a baking sheet first so it’s easier to carry to the oven)
-Top with tall mound of shredded cheese
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min (I usually turn on the broiler at the end to get the cheese extra bubbly and golden)

Happy lunching!

The post This Tasty Quiche Will Solve Lunch for a Week appeared first on Man Repeller.

Dispatch #010: Cooking Is My New Getting Dressed, Madeline’s Like Her Dad

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Last night was one of those nights that find you awake at 1:30 in the morning feeling like it’s time to wake up, or at least certain that you will not be going back to sleep. Instead, you will lay awake and chew on thoughts that will make you feel like you’re running an emotional marathon even though when you return to the present, you will remember that you have not moved an inch. Perhaps an hour, or two hours, maybe even three, have gone by, and you probably can’t even remember what you were thinking, even though it seemed so urgent while you were thinking it. You are still physically in exactly the same place you were when you woke up all that time ago.

This seems to be a recent theme on the internal hamster wheel. Do you ever feel like you’ve run an emotional marathon even though technically, nothing has happened? I have been trying to ground these dispatches to the anecdotal events of my life—the way in which The First Big Quarantine Fight incited a revelation, how Laura running across the street unattended invited me to map out the kind of parent I’m becoming, but you know what? I have nothing to report today. I had nothing to report yesterday, or the day before, and I might not have anything to report tomorrow.

I have been taking my coffee the same way every morning, and toasting the same kind of bread, and blending the same kind of smoothie, then retreating to my room, which sweeps me up into a haze of self-imposed deadlines and video meetings and all of these conversations that are so difficult because I’m terrible at saying what I mean in a direct way. I didn’t realize this until quarantine. I mean, I must have realized it, but I never paid much attention to it. Look at that sentence, even! “I am terrible at saying what I mean in a direct way.” Wouldn’t the easier, more straightforward sentence read, “I’m not direct”?

Or maybe that’s not it, because it doesn’t sound right. My thinking is direct, but maybe my language is not. Or maybe there is something else. In any case, it’s all the same. I look out the window and when the sun is shining, I feel a wave of pressure consume me because I wish I was among the masked walkers huffing down the West Side Highway. But I’m on self-imposed deadline, so I stay inside and think about whether the muscles in my legs are starting to atrophy.

Then I hear my kids in the other room and think: How is it possible that even from quarantine, I don’t have time for them? Then I look at the time and realize it’s about to be 12:30 p.m., which means that the morning shift—time I set aside to write and think and do “the deep work,” has ended. And thus the flurry of meetings begin until it’s 5 p.m. and the greatest treat—making dinner—meets me on the other side of this door.

I set out crackers and olives and cut up vegetables, which my kids and husband eat while I basically continue to iterate on my newfangled creative pursuit of cooking. It’s no doubt replacing the mental space that getting dressed used to occupy.

And by the way, the reason it’s possible that even from quarantine I don’t have time for my kids is because I have designed it that way. I’m on a self-imposed deadline and prioritizing that. I didn’t realize this before I asked the question out loud, but Abie often has to remind me that “I’m the master of my domain” because I routinely act like someone else is ordering me to live my life this way.

Back to the cooking: It’s different from getting dressed because even though the desire to do it is the same (create something new), it is much more satisfying to create something for the express purpose of giving it to another person. Sure, an outfit can inspire an onlooker, even provoke joy or incline them to take action, but the direct satisfaction of making something that fills another person up… it is a different kind of pleasure. Last night, for example, I fried shallots and capers in olive oil then poured it over a bed of arugula to serve with the fish I was baking, also drenched in capers and olive oil—with pitted kalamata olives and a couple of Meyer lemons, sliced up.

It was tasty as anything— I loved it so much, but even more, I loved that Abie loved it so much and that my kids scarfed it down. At one point, Madeline bit into an olive that had a pit in it and Abie yelled, mostly because he was scared she would choke, but it embarrassed her, it seems, and she started to quivering-lips-blue-in-the-face cry rather hysterically. This isn’t the first time it has happened—this enormous sense of embarrassment that arrives when she thinks she has done something wrong even though she has not. It causes her to cry hysterically which leads me to believe she’s very sensitive. I don’t know what it’s like for her — the way her sensitivity manifests, but Abie does, which I know because every time it happens, he’s triggered. He says, “Oh, Madeline, you’re like your dad.”

So I try to think about how to expel the shame. Is she feeling shame? She did nothing wrong. She is not wrong. Lately, instead of saying, “Don’t cry, it’s okay,” which I admit is a tempting reaction, I explain to her what is happening. I say, “You bit into an olive that had a pit in it and Dad got scared you would choke on it and that scared you. I know.” And I let her cry. I don’t say anything about wrong or right and I don’t tell her to stop, but I hold her hand if she will accept the grasp. I’m not sensitive in the way that she is, so theoretically, I could say I don’t know if this is the right response, but I know that it is because when I do it, it opens up my heart too. It enables me to see that:

-I’m not a terrible communicator. It just takes me more time to get to the point.

-I’m choosing to sit in this room and write. It is not a dungeon. It’s a fortress. My leg muscles are fine.

-If I feel that I’m not spending enough time with my kids, I can change my process. It is as simple as that.

I am the master of my domain and this—approaching a conclusion, feeling the relief of giving myself permission to unleash the process of getting there—is my domain. What is yours?

Graphic by Lorenza Centi.

The post Dispatch #010: Cooking Is My New Getting Dressed, Madeline’s Like Her Dad appeared first on Man Repeller.

If You Can’t Cut It, Grow It: How to Get Thicker, Longer Hair in Quarantine

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My only quarantine project is growing my hair. This is partially, okay totally, because growing your hair is a project that requires basically no effort.

I’ve had an on-and-off bob for the last six years, which has involved a constant cycle of wanting to grow my hair longer, realizing my hair is too thin to be so long, then chopping it back above my shoulders. I usually love my bob—it’s easy to style and it suits me—but recently I’ve been dreaming of long hair. It might be all the reality TV dating shows I’m watching (is there an official ban on bobs on Love Island?) or maybe it’s just the desire to feel hot—all I know is that I want long hair, and I want it now.

And so I decided to call in the experts. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about fixing hair damage, preventing more damage, and encouraging hair growth (through more than wishful thinking), so you can have the kind of hair that would at least get you through to the second round of reality TV auditions.

Fix Your Damage, If You Realllllly Need To

When trying to grow hair with seriously damaged ends, it can almost feel like your hair is shrinking, rather than gaining length—and that’s because, well, it kind of is. Split ends and breakage take precious length off your hair, so it’s important to know when to address your damage head on (lol) and when to just make peace with it, especially if you can’t go to a salon right now.

With a Very Careful Trim

It probably goes without saying, but trimming your hair at home generally isn’t a great idea. However, if your split ends are getting out of control—as in, you can visibly see them—you might want to consider trimming them yourself.

According to celebrity hair stylist and Biolage brand ambassador Sunnie Brook Jones, the biggest mistakes people make when trying to trim their own split ends are using kitchen scissors or working in sections that are too big. Instead, she recommends cutting dry hair in small sections, with professional hair cutting scissors, so you can “dust” your hair rather than properly trim it.

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Dusting is a technique hair stylists use to gently trim flyaways and ends without dramatically altering the length. It requires sharp scissors and a lot of patience.

 

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A post shared by SAL SALCEDO (@salsalhair) on May 29, 2019 at 6:52pm PDT

If you have curly or kinky hair, Robin Groover, hair stylist and African Pride brand educator, recommends starting any at-home hair cuts by dividing your hair into 6–8 sections. After twisting or braiding those sections, she suggests blow-drying your ends straight, then snipping your least dense strands. “It’s easier to do frequent tiny trims than trying to cut everything at once,” says Groover. Don’t feel the need to cut all your split ends in one go.

Or, With Some Thoughtfully Selected Products

According to Jones, hair masks are essential, especially if you’re skipping trims. She suggests Biolage HydraSource Deep Treatment, which has aloe and spirulina for a dose of hydration, once or twice a week. Olaplex’s Bond Maintenance range also has a huge cult following (for good reason) and is formulated specifically for split-end repair.

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Then, Be Sure to Prevent Further Damage

Once you’ve addressed your damage it’s important to switch your focus to preventing more of it happening. Our poor hair can be damaged by everything under the sun (including the sun) so it’s important to assess every step of your hair routine, looking for clues like a tiny, damage-seeking detective.

When You’re in the Shower

Avoiding products with sulphates and parabens is a solid, general recommendation, but it’s especially important for those trying to prevent damage and grow their hair. “Strong shampoos can injure hair follicles,” says Dr. Richard Firshein, founder and CEO of Layla Health. “One of the worst things you can do is over-shampoo your hair, as soaps can reduce the oils that naturally keep your scalp happy.” The less you wash your hair, the better.

When You’re Drying Off

Heat (see: your hairdryer) isn’t great for your hair. But what may be slightly more eye-opening is that rough towel-drying and sleeping with damp hair can also be capital-B bad! “The best way to dry your hair is with a smooth towel or T-shirt that’s made from cotton. Use this to blot your hair and remove any moisture, then leave to air dry,” says Jones.

You should also avoid going to bed with wet hair. “Wet hair is a lot more fragile than dry hair, so your hair is much more susceptible to damage caused by the friction between your head and pillowcase. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase can also help reduce this friction,” says Dr Angela Phipps, medical advisor and hair restoration expert at HairClub.

And When You’re Actually Styling

According to Jones (and my hair after every summer vacation, imo) sun, wind, and water all put the same kind of stress on your hair that hair-drying, straightening, and curling does. The best thing you can do for your hair is avoid these things as much as possible—makes sense!

However, if you don’t want to totally forgo everything that makes you and your hair look and feel good, the best thing you can do is keep the heat of your styling tools as low as possible and apply a heat-protectant product. Excessively brushing your hair, combing it while it’s wet, and backcombing can also lead to breakage, so the same rule applies: Do these things as little as necessary, and when you just need to, go easy.

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Even if you’re not heat styling, it’s also important to consider how you’re wearing your hair. According to Phipps, wearing your hair in a tight ponytail, bun, or braids can also cause damage. “This constant pulling on the hair shafts causes tension and pressure on the follicle roots,” she says. “Over time, this tension causes damage that leads to breakage and, eventually, could permanently damage the follicles and lead to hair loss, also known as traction alopecia. If these styles are required for certain events or activities, only leave the hair in that style for as short a time as possible.”

Encourage Some Extra Growth

Ah, growth. Personal, career, physical: We’re all chasing it, especially those of us who have big, Rapunzel-inspired hair dreams. But when talking about hair growth in particular, it’s just as important to talk about hair loss, which is often at the root (literally!) of our personal gripes.

“If you’re noticing more hair than usual in your drain, hair brush, floor, or bed you may have a hair loss problem. The first step here is to find the underlying cause of your hair loss, because there are so many. See a doctor (by tele appointment or when it’s next safe to do so), if you haven’t already, and discuss whether or not you could have a thyroid condition, allergy to hair products, or an underlying hormonal deficiency,” says Firshein. Once you’ve either addressed those issues, or ruled them out, you can start thinking about at-home remedies.

From the Inside, Out

First some bad news for anyone who was hoping a home remedy was going to completely change the way their hair sprouts out of their pretty lil’ head: According to Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, chief medical officer and founder of PFRANKMD, there’s nothing you can do at home to create new follicles for hair growth. “Minoxidil, a prescription, can help to stimulate growth from present hair follicles, but that’s something that would need to be discussed with a GP,” he says.

However, there are things you can do to try and prevent hair loss. “I recommend silica, zinc, and collagen to prevent hair loss. But it depends—I’ve also had patients with anemia respond to iron or B12,” says Firshein. “Biotin is also helpful since it actually improves and thickens the hair shaft and promotes stronger hair. It also improves your body’s keratin infrastructure.”

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And From the Outside, In

There have been a number of studies that have found that scalp massage can actually encourage hair growth and physically thicker hair follicles. The research is pretty limited at the moment, but look, I’ll take any excuse for an extra few minutes massaging my scalp in the shower. The most important thing here is to massage gently because any damage to your sensitive scalp can—and will—impact your hair.

Photography Leila Fakouri.

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