Leandra Medine's Blog, page 26

11 Ideas for Turning This Tricky Mother’s Day Into a Really Good One

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

Great minds think alike: I just found out that Elizabeth and I both got our moms Overose candles for Mother’s Day last year. I also recently hopped on MR’s Thoughtline for our daily Office Hour and received some splendid suggestions for how to treat your mom this weekend.

— “If you’re staying at your parents’ during quarantine, deep clean a room in the house that’s been left alone for too long.”

— “I sent my mom a gift card for a massage from her local spot! Of course it will be used at a later date, but it’s a nice thing to look forward to plus supporting a local biz!”

— “Rewatch old home videos over Zoom with the family. Childhood memories of normal times feel even sweeter now.”

— “There are a few new businesses that have popped up from out-of-work bartenders where they make specialty cocktails and home deliver! My mom has been not-so-subtle in her request for it to be her Mother’s Day gift!”

— “My mom throws her own pottery and she has a ton of empty pots around the house. I’m sending her plants that have been on her wishlist for forever to make use of all of her beautiful pieces. There are so many gorgeous options on Etsy!”

— “Send her a Cameo from Chris O’Dowd.” (Okay, this is my idea)

Eliz has some more ideas for you, too—the goal here being to find gifts that will bring you and your mom closer together. If you order within business hours today, each of these gifts should arrive before Sunday. (But be sure to confirm when you check out!)

Puzzles and Games to play “together”

Send one gawgeous puzzle to her and one to your address, and do it together while apart over Zoom or not (sometimes, mom’s aren’t great with Zoom, huh?)

See All 3

Stationery for keeping in touch

Send mom a pack, keep a pack, and mail each other a hand-written note every week.

See All 3

Give her a nice break

Let her have her energy for your 1+ hour phone calls by giving her alone-time with some at-home spa-level pampering.
















See All 4

Loungewear to match in

Some pajamas and loungewear I suggest you match in. Per the Man Repeller Thoughtline dressing prompts, tell each other how to style it and send each other photos of your looks.













See All 3

Get in the kitchen “together”

Simultaneously make the same recipe using that Nutella jar from childhood. Perhaps make cocktails together (with or without booze) for your daily chat. Or! give her the night off from cooking with a gift card to order in.













See All 3

Heads up: This post was originally published as an email newsletter. Are you signed up for those bad boys? If not, you can do so by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

Your May Horoscope Is Here and It’s Going to Help Your Cabin Fever

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

Hello and welcome to another month!! I know it has been another month because the moon has waxed and waned and my cell phone and laptop tell me so but honestly what even is time anymore!! I have to say, writing horoscopes right now feels like a combination of doing standup and a TED talk while an oncoming stampede of thestrals (those horse monsters that are invisible unless you’ve seen death in Harry Potter) comes charging at us and I’m just like, wait wait what’s your rising sign!!? Was the thestral reference too dark? I don’t know! I haven’t spoken to a human being in real life in uncountable days! What do people talk about these days?!

I don’t know how to interact with people in normal, non-macabre Harry Potter-based ways anymore because I am one of the incredibly fortunate people who is able to still self-isolate, and it just feels incredibly gross to talk about this moment as if we’re all experiencing it in the same way. And, look, I know you don’t come to the horoscopes to contemplate your station in a broken system, but I want to take this opportunity to say that if astrology has a job right now, that job is to be both a mirror that encourages us to reflect on how we are attending to our emotional and spiritual needs, and a window, which allows us to look out at the world beyond us and cultivate a more generous worldview. And, if you are looking through that window right now and wondering how you can help, here is a great list of orgs to donate to, plus other, non-financial ways to lend a hand.

This month’s horoscopes will focus on two celestial events that manifest this mirror/window function. The full moon in Scorpio on the 7th will amplify all signs’ emotional aspects and encourage us to look inward, at our relationships to resources, to our domestic lives, and to ourselves. Meanwhile, the Sun in Taurus encourages us all to tune into our commitments and stubbornly stand for what we believe is important, all while taking care of ourselves tenaciously.

Taurus

Omgosh birthday bull!! Yayy!!! If you are a regular consumer of these dispatches from the celestial realm, then you know that I am not generally one to pick favorites. But! Today, Taurus, you are the anointed one!! Imagine a 100-gun salute in your honor, but instead of guns it’s kazoos sustaining one long, strange, celebratory note. Because that’s what I would get you for your birthday if kazoos weren’t possible disease vectors just shooting spit particles out into the air like tiny gross invisible missiles. Anyway! Come full moon in Scorpio on the 7th, you’re in for some catharsis, although it might not be an easy row to hoe at first. Scorpio is a sign full of secrets, and the full moon is all about the completion of cycles. This means that it’s likely that some buried info could come to light, and most likely in the more intimate realms of your life.

Have no fear, you perfect, sun-washed creature that miraculously exists in a universe full of primarily darkmatter.not only should you take heart in the fact that you exist when it is so statistically improbable that anything at all should exist, but also in the fact that this month is chock-full of opportunities to cut dead weight and make space for new things, such at Venus’ retrograde on the 13th! This celestial event will have you taking the long view of relationships. What patterns can you notice that span from 2012 to now? Take stock of who and what brings you that comfy cozy sweet feeling of when you’re falling in love and you have finally decided that the person you’re doin it with might be, like, your actual partner and you get a drawer at their house. That is the vibe we’re looking for. Amp that up and minimize relationships where you don’t feel soothed.

Gemini

Hello there, you human hummingbird—welcome to Taurus season! With the sun in Taurus, you are called to consider whether or not you’re getting as much as you’re giving. Being friends with a Gemini is like the friendship equivalent of someone at a rave doing a sick light-up glove performance in front of your massively dilated pupils. It’s awesome. It’s so friggin awesome in the moment that you’re like, Whoa, I really am gonna be okay. And then you weep from the beauty. That is how good Geminis are at being friends! This month the stars insist that you ask yourself: Are you being that good of a friend to yourself right now? My mother always told me, Honey, don’t wait on someone else to change your life, you’ve gotta be your own light-up-finger-glove show. And I’m telling you the same thing. You better hop-to, because Venus retrogrades on the 13th, and if you’re not taking a good, long look at the ways you may have over-extended yourself for others (and under-extended yourself for yourself), old patterns in your love and friend life could really get out of hand.

The biggest celestial theme this month is taking stock of patterns, integration, and learning. The full moon in Scorpio on the 7th welcomes you into May sort of like a swift slap on the ass—but in the cute fun way. Like a tap—a tap between friends! Like you just scored a goal on a hypothetical sports team. Only instead of setting up a little good-natured eroticism between athletes, this full moon will ask you to reflect on which crutches in your life you’re strong enough now to shed. I, for example, have been eating a cubic ton of ice cream nightly for second dinner. Which is morally fine in my estimation, but also according to many internet sources, probably not the best idea, long term. So find your version of eating the weight of a human baby in ice cream every night, and see what it feels like to scale back. By the time your solar return comes around on the 20th, you will be ready to celebrate in a more moderate, balanced state.

Cancer

Hello there, you perfect, completely whole and brilliantly made star child! Welcome to Taurus season! The Sun in Taurus this month is all about filling up your own chalice, so that you have abundant internal resources. Use this time wisely by tuning in to the things that make your body feel good. I suggest sensual self massage and setting reminders on your phone throughout the day to scream creative profanities into a couch cushion.

Also, I think that if Cancers were a candy bar, they would be a Snickers bar that someone put in the freezer. Like, a hard shell of chocolate that is delicious in and of itself, but the star of the show is that rich, nourishing, nougaty inside. And sure, you may be all, like, Sarah, that metaphor could have worked with any number of chocolate-coated candy bars. Which is a fair point. But I am really angling for a Snickers sponsorship, so bear with me. This rich internal world you’ve cultivated will be of real benefit come the full moon in Scorpio on the 7th. This celestial event will have everybody getting real emotionally contemplative—which, lucky for you, is familiar territory, since you’re generally such an internally oriented candy bar. I mean, human.

Respond to the influence of this full moon by listening to those nagging intuitions that won’t leave you alone. That idea for a short story about the internal life of the toaster oven you feel might be secretly a super judgemental personality and burns your toast out of malice? Write it! The weird recurring dreams in which you are both a baby and a Tudor prince? Start a dream journal and/or call a therapist! Actually, in general, call a therapist. That is just always good advice.

Leo

What’s good, mon coeur? No, seriously, I need someone to tell me what’s good because I just listened to way too many news podcasts, and I could really use some lists of things that are good so hmu in the comments if you have a cute cat or baby or, like, you made a great pasta. I’ll take anything.

Here’s my list of things that are good rn: your fortune! Also air conditioning, popsicles, songbirds, and tiny versions of things that are still functional. Back to you! The sun in Taurus lights up the sector of your chart that rules your fortune. This is an encouraging energy that will push you to align your choices with your innermost dreams and goals.

You also have a full moon in Scorpio coming your way on the 7th. This will be an emotional peak this month, and around this time, you may feel that weird pressure in the back of your eyes like you’re going to start crying at any moment. My professional advice is to go ahead and get those tears pumping at full capacity. If I were you, I would watch a playlist on YouTube of unlikely animal best friends, like a goat and a duckling or a li’l teacup pig and a cockatiel. If that didn’t work, I would pull out the big guns and listen to “A Seat at the Table” by Solange while I looked at pictures of myself as a child. What I’m saying is that you have a lot of options.

When the new moon in Gemini comes to town on the 22nd, you will be revived by the chatty, flirty Gemini energy. This is perfect timing, as you’ll be freshly cleansed from your period of ugly-cries and maybe an ego-death. All signs point to you finishing out the month like a newborn lamb with a tiny (but functional) bell around your li’l lamb neck, ready to be adored as you lightly bound across the pastures of your social life.

Virgo

Hey there, Virgirino, fancy seeing you here—and by “seeing you” I mean visualizing a crowd of many-gendered maidens with label-makers sharing pointers on how to effectively label the jars of preserved tomatoes and jams and things to prepare for the new world order. I’m not saying that all Virgos are preppers (#notallvirgos). I’m just saying that many of you Virgos would likely be very good at doomsday prepping, if you and your Virgo-kin were so inclined. Also, if you get rid of the hyphen the word “Virgokin” sounds like the name of a German electric car company, doesn’t it!? Oh man, Virgo, we have fun. Speaking of fun, Tarus season is here, and she brings you good tidings. The Taurus sun shines in the sector of your chart that rules learning. Think of all the things out there that would be so fun to learn! Some possible topics that might appeal to the Virgos out there: tying knots, non-alphabetic languages, French sauce techniques, and candlemaking.

When the new moon arrives in Gemini on the 22nd, you will enter a new cycle in your vocation and in your public persona. Again, I’m not saying that all Virgos are or should be doomsday preppers, but I am saying that if you learned how to tie some good knots and make some bomb candles, there might be a thirsty market for that kind of content and the new moon would be a great time to launch your new career as a tastemaker in that cultural enclave. Think about it. Let me know.

Libra

Hello Libra, it is I, your fellow Libra, writing this dispatch to you in the fetal position while wearing the same WFH shirtdress I have been wearing for days. And, when I say “shirt dress” I want you to know that I am using the term “dress” very loosely. In fact, tunic might be more appropriate. Fine, what I’m saying is that I am not wearing pants and I am sad. How about you? The stars say that many of us Libras are in the same, stained, pantsless boat right now.

No, it’s not just the global pandemic, PMS, and weeks of eating boxed macaroni and cheese for dinner that’s getting us down, it is also the Taurus sun illuminating the sector of our chart that deals with transformation. Perhaps you are a highly evolved sunofagun that takes transformation on the chin and asks for more. Or perhaps you respond to the transformation urge by acting like a sleepy toddler that knows they need to take a nap but will fight with their life to continue having a tantrum and stave off the inevitable oblivion of sleep. Honestly toddlers resisting nap time is the energy that our elected officials need to have in their advocacy for our basic human rights and universal access to affordable healthcare. But I digress.

This transformation will hit us Libras in the deep, challenging parts of our hearts. We’re talking love, shared resources, and grief. Luckily, Taurus is an earth sign and the prince of grounding energy and nourishing. This will give us a stable foundation upon which to hurl our weeping bodies. Sorry baby, transformation comes for all of us and this is our time. The good news is, on the other side of Taurus season lies the self we are becoming, and that bitch looks great. The Sun in Gemini on the 22nd will find Future Us glowing and attracting all kinds of new opportunities. So buckle down and meet me in June, you got this.

Scorpio

O, my long lost Scorpling, how I have missed you. I have a growing stack of odes written in praise of your dark and sexy depths and if I wasn’t busy delivering astrological guidance I would spend this whole horoscope comparing the first blooms of Spring to the terrifying set of “lateral eyes” that Scorpions apparently have along their bodies ( some species even have photosensitive “eyes” on their scary little tails) and O! how I love each one! But, there is pressing astrology business to attend to and I am, as you know, a professional.

The big theme of Taurus season for you is relationships, specifically the way you are communicating with your special so-and-sos. Scorpios are known to have a bit of a suspicious streak, or a tendency to spin a narrative wherein their worst fears are true. This energy might be amplified this month so be sure to make a special effort to extend grace to your partners and ask the questions that you are afraid to hear the answers to.

When the new moon in Gemini comes to town on the 22nd, you will be moved toward a light and easy version of yourself. This is good news for those who are languishing on the infamous Scorpio shitlist. If you have it in your heart to bury a hatchet or two, this is the time to do it. I promise you will feel lighter and more ready to embrace all the good things coming your way.

Sagittarius

Sag, don’t you hate it when snacks are labeled “guilt-free” like, as if guilt is some hidden evil ingredient in all yummy things that you can expunge by way of air-frying or stevia? As if indulgence necessitated guilt! You know who is totally anti-guilt when it comes to indulgence? Taurus. That’s right baby you know what time it is! Taurus season, known around town as full fat ice cream season, is in full swing and this cosmic energy asks you to take some time to find out what truly makes you feel cared for and nourished. I am not saying that we should all grant ourselves carte blanche to engage in a wild tailspin of hedonistic delights, although I am also not not saying that. But consider what activities or objects make your body feel really good in a sustainable way. The full moon in Scorpio on the 7th encourages you to do the kind of soul-searching that will help you figure out what this looks like for you right now.

On May 20th Gemini season sweeps into the room and brings with it a flirtatious je ne sais quoi that will make your relationships sparkle. Like, the new moon in Gemini on the 22nd is the new moon equivalent of an excellent body glitter, dusting everything with a previously unrealized lustre. So spend the full moon going deep to find out what gives you joy and trust that by the end of the month you will feel renewed and ready to get your flirt on.

Capricorn

Taurus season has you vibrating at a whole new frequency, my friend. Like, have you burned toast recently and swore that you could see a portrait of Leslie Knope smiling defiantly up at you from the charred surface of your bread? Have you been having vivid dreams that compel you to jump out of the bed in the morning and begin sketching vistas and still lifes? Have you been making your bed in an extra skillful manner? Your creative mind is working on overdrive this month as the sun in Taurus illuminates the sector of your chart that rules fun and creativity.

Now, if you haven’t been feeling a harmonic resonance with the divine source that animates us all, that is totally understandable. When our minds are taxed by stress, we tend to lose the bandwidth required to be inspired. Spend this month using your infamous Capricorn-style focus and problem solving to take stock of the things that drain your energy and see what you can do about insulating yourself from these forces. If you spend Taurus season clearing out all the unnecessary stuff in your emotional and professional life, the new moon in Gemini on the 22nd will be especially rewarding. This will be the optimal time to make fresh choices and launch creative projects that have been percolating in all that proverbial space you made. What a perfect set up! Yay for stars! Yay for growth! Yay for ruthlessly blocking the numbers of people you actually never want to hear from again!

Aquarius

Aquarius you wonderful water-carrying, ever-generous, benevolent alien wearing a human suit, I am here to say, Good job buddy. Do you feel the sensation of someone approvingly patting you on the back? Nope, that’s not a ghost! It’s me! Which, to be fair, you can not be one hundred percent sure that I am not a ghost, haunting a laptop somewhere and just tapping out messages from the stars to goad you onward toward your destiny, but hey! That’s just the uncertainty of the digital age, amiright?

So speaking of consciousnesses occupying your home, the sun in Taurus is illuminating the sector of your chart that rules home and family, making this an excellent time to lean into the terrestrial comforts the world has to offer us. Many of us are separated from our families right now and longing to be closer to them. Many of us are spending more time with our families than ever and struggling to cope with the sudden overexposure. Take this Taurus energy as an invitation to step back and consider how you might make your home feel more comforting and how to make your relationships with your family more harmonious, no matter whether you’re sharing one bathroom and haven’t beaten everyone else to the hot water in days, or if you would trade a week of hot showers for a hug from your Aunt who always smells like peanut brittle.

The new moon in Gemini will arrive just in time on the 22nd to mark the beginning of a new golden era of creativity for you. This doesn’t just mean painting watercolor portraits of your cat in a variety of snazzy outfits and tropical locales. It could also mean getting creative about the way you connect with others. It could mean holding hands like two lil cupped paws rather than laced fingers style, or it could mean a little roleplay in the sext thread. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to dive down that rabbit hole for a while and take stock of how vast your creative potential is.

Pisces

Oh Pisces, you dreamy gift from another realm, what a month you have ahead of you. The sun in Taurus is supercharging the sector of your chart that deals with all things communication. This is a season where you will feel compelled to express yourself and reconnect with people on the more peripheral reaches of your social circle. The full moon in Scorpio on the 7th is another striking presence in the forecast for your month. Scorpio is the sign of secrets and transformation and the full moon is always an emotional time that signals the completion of a given cycle or era. Trust your Piscean intuition and let it guide you toward the area of your life most in need of some closure.

Many Pisces have an aversion to conflict, which is totally understandable as they are notoriously empathetic. A Pisces is the sign most likely to come to a confrontation, well prepared by their therapist and best friends, with a written out opening salvo full of I statements, and also to start crying within the time it takes to utter the first sentence. This isn’t a weakness, the compassion you bring, even to the relationships that you have conflict in, has the capacity to heal and traverse the walls people put up to protect themselves. The new moon in Gemini on the 22nd will help clear the air and you will start to see the payoff of the difficult transformational work you’ve been doing all month. In the meantime, take really extra good care of yourself and try and notice when your intuition is speaking to you, or when your inner critic is shouting into your temporal lobe and generally just being a dick. Give the intuition a cookie, give your inner critic a one-way ticket to shut up town.

Aries

Greetings you grab-life-by-the-horns, never take no for an answer, front of the pack phenomenon! Taurus season will present you with exciting opportunities for growth, if you’re willing to shake up the status quo in your life and inquire more deeply into your motivations. Case and point: the full moon in transformational, mysterious Scorpio on the 7th. Full moons are always energetically oriented towards a fulfillment of a cycle and to emotional release. A full moon in the highly emotional sign of Scorpio, will amplify this equation. Aries tend to run hot. Anyone who knows anything knows that crossing an Aries is the quickest and most efficient way to ruin your life. That said, there are likely a few people on your shit list that you miss, even though you’ve been telling everybody that they’re dead to you.

The stars suggest that this is the perfect time to release some anger and or bury some hatchets. Train your sights on a relationship in which a secret has festered, maybe there is something you haven’t told them, maybe they spilled the beans about a secret you trusted them with.

This generous act will prime your spiritual pumps (which organ would be your spiritual pump if there was a spiritual pump organ? I think that that’s probably what the appendix is actually for ) for the new moon in Gemini on the 22nd. Gemini energy is light, fun, and craves connection. So hurry up and get your forgiveness and mercy renovation on because you’re gonna need that software updated, 2.0 refurbished spiritual infrastructure to embrace all the new love coming into your life.

Illustration by Olivia Healy.

The post Your May Horoscope Is Here and It’s Going to Help Your Cabin Fever appeared first on Man Repeller.

(Another) List of Things I Miss, Don’t Miss, Won’t Miss, and Won’t Forget

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

About a month ago, Mallory published a list: “Things I Miss, Don’t Miss, Won’t Miss, and Won’t Forget.” Today, Leandra shares hers from the vantage point of May.

What I Miss

The thrill of nailing an outfit

And the first several steps you take outside while wearing it on a sunny day

Smelling like I haven’t been home in hours

Picking up my head to ask a question across my desk and getting a live response

The gorgeously paradoxical quiet of an early morning in Soho and the preparational buzz you can feel vibrating off the sidewalk as it gears up for opening hour

Chattering strangers

Chance encounters

Asking Abie how his day was and genuinely not knowing the answer

What I Didn’t Think I’d Miss

Squiggly chairs

The sound of honking cars

Feeling real distance between me and my bed and longing to get in at the end of the day

Brunch lines snaking around the block where I live

Running home to change, then going right back out

I guess I mean: being in a rush

Occasionally wanting to wear makeup

What I Don’t Miss

The smell of residual beer on and around the trashcans of Bowery Street early on a Sunday morning

Waiting 16 minutes for the Q train

Not “having time” for people who matter (Love you, mom)

Sitting at an office, or really anywhere, when I don’t have to be there, just because it’s the middle of the day

Getting caught on the hamster wheel because it’s easier to speed up than to slow down

Taking things—like buying a cup of coffee or my walk to work—for granted

Feeling like an absent parent

What I Won’t Miss

Leggings

Depending on my phone for human connection

Cooking three meals day

Live newsfeeds of coronavirus updates

My bathtub as a makeshift office

Waking up with a lump in my chest, almost every morning

Feeling irresponsible every time the constant, nagging reminder of our collective mortality lifts from my mind

The frequency with which I wonder if I’m depressed

The 30-minute process of sanitizing after a visit to the grocery store

Not knowing

What I Won’t Forget

That even though I won’t miss not knowing, we never really know

The grocers who enabled my visits

How much I rely on the restaurants of my neighborhood to make me feel at home

That sharing a bedroom-as-office with my husband wasn’t that bad

Precisely what stay-at-home moms “do all day”

How much having a sense of humor helps

That New York needs me as much as I need it

Your turn.

Graphics by Lorenza Centi.

The post (Another) List of Things I Miss, Don’t Miss, Won’t Miss, and Won’t Forget appeared first on Man Repeller.

Are You Ready to Let the Instant Pot Make Your Life Easy and Delicious?

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

Outside shoes? Now lodged in the very back of my closet. Hairdryer? Forgotten, untouched. Jeans? Haven’t heard that name in years. But my kitchen appliances? THRIVING. My blender has expanded its job description to include weekly dip-making. And my prized juice squeezer has helped me make more margaritas than ever before. But only one appliance could be awarded the blue ribbon of quarantine cooking: my beloved Instant Pot.

See All 1

Since I got it two years ago—after finally relenting to the hype that made its way into food blogs, news outlets, and a surprising amount of IRL conversations—my Instant Pot and I have had what you’d call a slow burning relationship. It took me months to unpack it and try to learn the different functions. Even after I experimented with a recipe or two, I thought I’d probably just use it as a glorified rice cooker (though it is worth noting that the IP makes damn good rice!)

Then, quarantine happened. I used to eat out (or order in) more often than not. Now I’m getting delivery just once a week—if that—and cooking every other breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is where my Instant Pot comes in.

The Instant Pot has a whole bunch of functions—egg, broth, porridge, slow cook—but I primarily use the pressure cooker function, which allows me to perfect everything from basic staples to the (almost) restaurant-quality meals I’ve been craving from inside my apartment.

Basic staples I make in my Instant Pot in… an instant!

Steamed veggies (

Quinoa (1 minute)

Rice (4 minutes)

Soft boiled eggs (~5 minutes, depending on how soft you want to go)

Complete meals that are way easier than they taste

This chicken ramen that’s as simple as throw it all in the pot and press go

This al pastor-inspired pulled pork that temporarily satisfied my Mexican food cravings

The wild rice and mushroom soup I make whenever I want something that’s hearty and vegetarian

And these hot honey ribs I’ll be making as soon as I can find ribs and remember to buy more mustard powder

In the past two months I’ve very quickly progressed from “I should wipe the dust off my Instant Pot” to Googling “Recipe for Instant Pot that I will love as much as the Instant Pot itself” every time I want to cook something new. Nothing in my apartment works as hard as this pot. Whether you’re looking to cook staples faster (and in a generally more enjoyable way) or to replicate your favorite restaurant dishes at home, I highly suggest you consider joining the cult of the Instant Pot because, even in 2020, it’s still going strong as ever.

The post Are You Ready to Let the Instant Pot Make Your Life Easy and Delicious? appeared first on Man Repeller.

5 Hot (So Hot) Takes on “Normal People”

Hulu’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People has its champions and its critics. The show, which follows two secret high-school sweethearts as they negotiate first love, is prime fodder for housebound debaters. The manufactured nostalgia for its millennial viewers (laid on thick with the inclusion of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” in the show’s soundtrack): visceral and resonant or unmoving? This was just one of many points of contention that polarized our Slack channel this morning.

Below are a handful of hot, hot, hot takes from a weekend spent watching the show. I, for one, had resisted reading Normal People until last week, when I impulsively bought the e-book in preparation for the show. Per Amalie’s advice, turn on a fan, brace yourself, and prepare to descend upon the comments with a take of your own. It’s about to get heated.

5. “I did not like the soundtrack. I just find it too pop-y, takes me out of the show!” —Harling

[Edith’s annotation: While the soundtrack is employed to tell you how to feel versus building up and earning your emotion—which I also find distracting—Frank Ocean’s “Nikes” playing at the college party is one redeeming moment—though Ocean’s song was released in 2016, and the party is supposed to take place in 2012 or 2013.]

4. “The shots that are super close up of their faces to symbolize emotional introspection drove me crazy, where just their noses are in focus, or just one eye.” —Edith

[Gyan’s counterpoint: I didn’t mind shots like that or the music because I preferred that they dramatize it like that, rather than add more action to the plot to make it compelling TV.]

3. “I am perplexed by all of it. I liked the book fine, but I’m curious why it inspired such fanaticism. I can’t imagine the show without reading the book.” —Edith

[Gyan’s counterpoint: “Edith?!”]

2. “A friend of mine, who has bangs, posted on Instagram that Marianne’s bangs are an unrealistic portrayal of what having bangs is actually like—I wholeheartedly agree.” —Gyan

[No opposition here.]

1. “It’s Twilight for the adult female. We’re all just horny and heartbroken.” —Amalie

[Mic drop.]

??? In the spirit of agreeing to disagree, I request your hot takes below, post-haste.

Images via Hulu. 

The post 5 Hot (So Hot) Takes on “Normal People” appeared first on Man Repeller.

How to Style an Oversized Top for Big Boobs, and Other Outfit Solutions

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

I rely on my group chat for many things, especially during quarantine. Recipe ideas for using up leftovers? Constantly. Book recommendations? Routinely. Relationship advice? Far too often. It’s better than Google in most cases, and yet frustratingly deficient in one: solutions to particularly challenging outfit dilemmas. On this front, my group chat is lacking, perhaps because solving a particularly challenging outfit dilemma requires a certain expertise and a precise visual demonstration. For both of these things, I find it most helpful to turn to people who are in the literal business of providing them: stylists.

Enter Mecca James-Williams. I tapped Mecca to answer some of the timeliest—and trickiest—of the outfit dilemmas posed by the Man Repeller community. Below, she tackles three sartorial challenges with her special breed of aesthetic inspiration, one which doesn’t skimp on style for the sake of ease.

Challenge #1: “I find that it’s hard to style oversized or relaxed shirts/tops etc. with my H cups, but always wearing something fitted is quite tiring, especially during quarantine. Any outfit recommendations that would solve this?”

For this particular challenge, Mecca recommended a compromise: finding an oversized shirt that shows skin in a different way–like, for example, transparent fabric. That way you can still achieve some definition without having to wear anything super-fitted. Mecca demonstrated this solution with a roomy mesh top paired with a sports bra and biker shorts (and to that point, biker shorts are always a great means of complementing the proportions of something oversized). Alternatively, she suggested putting on an oversized button down, cuffing the sleeves, buttoning the two middle buttons, and pairing it with a crop top or bra for another iteration of skin action that’s still supremely comfortable.

See All 7


Challenge #2: “What’s a good hack/style approach for adding new life to clothes you’ve had for a really long time?”

Mecca’s solution is simple but potent here: to add new life to something you’ve owned forever, pair it with something you can hardly believe you bought in the first place because it’s so! dang! trendy! To illustrate this hack, Mecca styled vintage jeans she’s had in her closet for years with a tie-dye turtleneck she’s seen all over her Instagram feed. The jeans were feeling dated and the top was feeling over-played, but in combination, they balance each other out. (Isn’t it weird/fun when you don’t love two things separately, but when you put them together they’re suddenly amazing??? This became abundantly clear to me the first time I tried a gin and tonic.)

See All 7


Challenge #3: Is it possible to wear pajamas and look put-together simultaneously? If so, how?

According to Mecca, you can totally wear pajamas and look put-together simultaneously. I absolutely agree with this in theory but struggle with it in practice (so thank you to the community member who posed this Q from the bottom of my ratty T-shirt-clad soul). Her approach is to style a pajama set (a matching set is preferable, because nothing screams “put-together” more than two garments that already coordinate perfectly) as if you were wearing it out. Like out out–on a Saturday night, potentially somewhere fancy. For visual evidence, Mecca styled a white set with her favorite purple bra and pumps, plus some jewelry and a bold lip. The result is, objectively, A LOOK–perfect for a date night, virtual or otherwise. To make it more Zoom-friendly, Mecca suggested swapping out the bra for a nice top.

See All 7

Any other outfit dilemmas in need of solving? Tell us in the comments!

The post How to Style an Oversized Top for Big Boobs, and Other Outfit Solutions appeared first on Man Repeller.

Dispatch #008: Construction on Crosby Street and The Crosswalk Fiasco

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

Have you ever realized something fairly simple about yourself in what feels like a very delayed amount of time? Last week was the best and the worst. It was the best because I’m emotionally steadier than I have been since Before Corona (BC onwards). I’m feeling more like my legs are tree trunks with years worth of roots in the ground. These trunks and their roots are substantial enough to weather severe winds or worse because they have experienced enough to know that atmospheric conditions are fleeting.

It was the worst because being an adult sucks sometimes. When I’m overwhelmed, I think my knee-jerk reaction is the temptation to shed the armor of responsibility and hatch an escape plan, even though I never intend (or want) to pursue either of those options. It seems I am more a proponent of fight mode, but that I can only arrive at this conclusion after I have cycled through all the ways I’m certain flight—fleeing—will never work. It took me 31 years to figure this out, but isn’t it simple?

It’s Wednesday afternoon right now—I’m looking out the window above a desk in my bedroom and even though it’s daytime, my desk lamp is lit, which I hate. The clouds outside are too heavy for me to shut the light and I’m watching a layer of mesh that is tied to four metal poles as if a makeshift roof, swaying from the top of a building across the street. Next to this makeshift roof, there is another sheet of white fabric. It looks like a plastic table cloth that is about to rip off of itself. I have known work was being done on this building, that mesh layers and plastic cloths have been covering the various construction materials that are on it, but before quarantine, I never stopped to wonder about the intended purpose of these materials. Or the construction. The building looks good to me. But what do I know? It just never occurred to me to ask, acknowledge, or wonder about it.

But lately, I have marveled in keeping a digital chronicle of things I have noticed, per a recommendation that Gyan made last month. Logging what I see instead of what I feel is, I think, its own form of meditation. Dare I call it healing.

Another thing I saw that filled me up with hope: Yesterday, I took Madeline and Laura for a walk through Little Italy (I live on its precipice) and three masked men were power washing a row of umbrellas on the corner of Mulberry and Hester. Madeline shouted at one of them, “What are you doing?” And graciously, he replied, “Getting our umbrellas ready for the summer.”

It seems unlikely that they will be needed this summer—I hope I am wrong— but it doesn’t matter either way because for a moment yesterday, while the sun was shining and my kids were in shorts and I was wearing sandals, I could see a pathway toward normal. In this daydream, restaurants were so busy, you could feel the vibration coming off the sidewalk. Tourists were asking for shade. I could smell oregano emanating from moving plates.

A pathway toward but not back to normal. There is a distinct difference because no matter what happens next, we are changed. I hope I don’t forget it.

Meanwhile, I spent the first 10 minutes of our walk, all three of us on foot, explaining to Laura and her sister that neither was allowed to cross the street without holding my hand. They are relatively good listeners, particularly when I speak with a sort of gravity; sometimes I can hear myself and think: If my mom spoke to me like this, I’d disobey her all the more. But I don’t know how to stop! Even so, both were pretty great about adhering to the order. Madeline seemed to be exploring her own understanding of boundaries as I kept my mouth closed and she ran up a sidewalk, holding neither of my hands but stopping just short of the curb that separates the sidewalk from the crosswalk to ask for an embrace

Then Laura released her tiny hand from the palm of mine and floored it down a crossing. I was next to her, fine, and there was neither a car nor a person in sight, but what the fuck? What sort of action is a parent supposed to take when their 2-year-old so unapologetically gets a thrill out of doing exactly the thing they know they’re not supposed to do—and believe me, she knows. So I didn’t do anything. I mean, I yelled her name as she was running because it scared the shit out of me that she could be so fearless (maybe I was inspired? Is fearless the word?), then I kneeled and said: Why’d you do that?

Of course, she didn’t answer. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I asked anyway because, I guess, my jerking knee told me I should. I thought about punishing her, but how would that have worked? We were like five blocks from home and by the time we returned, we would have cycled through so many experiences, there is no way she’d have been able to track the crosswalk fiasco to the punishing. And honestly speaking, I hate punishing them. It doesn’t work, I mean, it works, but does it work? Every time we’ve done it, I wonder why our method is to create this dynamic of threatening them to make them listen to us. It’s either that or bribing them to get what we want.

But won’t raising them like this totally fuck up their perception of how the world works? Or am I wrong—is this how the world works?

I know from experience that it’s idealistic to assume they’ll just comply—that if they did, I’d probably hate it because I want them to test their own senses of curiosity, to experience the adrenaline rush of fearlessness, the pang of sometimes-consequent, but never fatal, recklessness and the spectrum of all that sits between the opposite ends of coming into your own agency. But I guess I wonder if these pursuits are idealistic too—if I say I want these experiences for my kids but have mentally omitted the fact that I don’t want them at my expense because: I’m tired (it was a long day), my fuses are short (dad and I had a big argument), I’m impatient (I need to make dinner), and on.

Sometimes I forget they are two. Of course they can’t see where I’m coming from. Do I really expect, even want them to? It’s my job to evaluate where they are, to meet at their levels, where the armor of responsibility has yet to weigh them down. Where every plan is an escape plan because that is the default setting: there is nothing to escape yet. How lucky they are, how lucky I am. What a finite privilege to facilitate their living like this. Did I forget that?

I have known that my kids are growing up. That even if everything looks the same—much like that construction scene out my window—there is much more to it. They see and think and perceive their worlds a little more fully every day. I guess it just hadn’t occurred to me to ask about it, even acknowledge that it’s there.

But here it is. Here we are.

Where are you?

Graphics by Lorenza Centi.

The post Dispatch #008: Construction on Crosby Street and The Crosswalk Fiasco appeared first on Man Repeller.

Debate: “Do Jeans Actually Suck?”

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

There are two types of people in this world: Those who love jeans, and those who pretty much don’t. I learned this after initiating a conversation in our Slack channel with the seemingly innocent “I miss wearing jeans” following weeks of stretch waistbands. I was met with so much backlash about the “denim cage formerly known as ‘jeans’” that I was affronted. And I call them my friends!!!

It quickly became clear that, out of everyone on Team MR, Mallory Rice is the eminent scholar of Anti-Jean thought. And, like any good high school debate student who has long held on to her days of contentiousness, I decided it was time to take it to the stands. Below you’ll find a debate between the two of us that started hot and ended warm. I guess I like Mallory too much to get TOO spirited, huh.

Read on and stake a claim for your team in the comments.

—Amalie

Amalie: Alright, are you ready for The Great Denim Debate? We’ll structure this like a Public Forum debate (shout out to my nonexistent life in high school!), which means each side will open with the case on why they are Pro or Con when it comes to jeans. Do you want to open?

Mallory: I think as the seasoned debater you should begin [continues to furiously jot down notes]

Amalie: Hahah okay I shall. Off the record, my case is much less predicated on stats and evidence than it is…. just biased. But I’ll do my best!

[Mallory note: Rookie mistake—Amalie did not wait for me to agree to this statement being off the record.]

Amalie, resplendent in head-to-Blundstone denim.

Amalie: I miss my jeans so much. Sometimes I just look at them in their neat stacks and think about all the different ways I would be wearing them during this spring weather that Edith correctly labeled “New York’s most sparkling spring.” Jeans are the tabula rasa of fashion! The blank slate upon which you can build an outfit! The perfect neutral. They have hold and starchiness to make you feel like you’re really getting capital-D Dressed, and can be moved in so many creative directions with shoes, tops, jackets… I believe it’s actually criminal to be anti-jean.

Amalie: I open the floor to the Con team to present their case.

Mallory: [Strides confidently onto the debate floor wearing only cotton underwear.] Oh no!… [Wakes up panting and realizes this was just a bad dream. Looks down and is relieved to find that I am actually wearing soft sweatshorts, an appropriate garment for life indoors.]

Mallory, resplendent in… pants that are not denim.

Mallory: Amalie! Thinking about you missing your jeans upsets me. I’ve seen the kinds of outfits you turn out when jeans are involved, and I’d never want to stand in the way of that. However, I strongly feel that jeans are irrelevant, if not forever, definitely for now. And I think now is the perfect time to reevaluate our relationship with them. Jeans are for going places—for casual birthday gatherings and horse-lassoing parties, things like that. At this moment, we need to be honest with ourselves: We’ve got nowhere to be. Denying this essential fact could lead to madness or, at the very least, an unnecessary dent near your belly-button that too-tight jeans always leave behind. The dent leads me to my next point: There is enough discomfort in our lives right now, our clothes should relieve the burden, not exacerbate it. If you’re jonesing for a workwear fix, Carhartt pants will do you better than your true blues. And if you’ve reallllly gotta have your denim, I recommend taking it in small doses, via a 69us mask, an exercise-appropriate hat, or a cute lil scrunchie a la Mikaela.

See All 4

Amalie: I’ll make us relax, now is time for the CROSSFIRE where we ask each other pointed questions. I’ll start.

Amalie: I have to ask: Is there any part of you that misses even the promise of going places that’s associated with wearing jeans? Don’t you ever feel when you put them on that they’re worn with intention?

Mallory: Oh, for sure! But of all the things I miss right now, my lower-level corset is not one of them. I’d rather lounge around and reminisce while wearing something with drawstrings.

Mallory: Crossfire question: Can you list the top 3 materials/fabric that you associate with comfort?

Mallory: And don’t you dare try to interpret comfort in a poetic way!

Amalie: Hmm… French terry cotton, cashmere, and probably faux-shearling. BUT! Comfort is what I’m thinking about in my day-to-day here at home, when I’m not seeing anyone and certainly not being seen. When I am doing both of those things, though, nothing feels better to me than jeans! There’s an undeniable cool factor. And I miss feeling cool, now more than ever. The coolest I’ve felt during quarantine is when I cosplayed as Samantha Jones for a Zoom party and that wasn’t even on brand for me.

See All 3

Amalie: Okay, so I have to know: What makes you so opposed to jeans in a general sense? I think I have seen you in jeans maybe a handful of times at most. Is it still the comfort argument?

Mallory: I definitely find them constricting, but I also think I wore them more when I had less fluency in other pants at my disposal—fun knits, dressy trousers, etc. Once I started wearing those, I had less desire to buy jeans, especially because I find the fit of denim to be the fussiest of all pant options—they’re either right or wrong, and there’s very little wiggle room.

Mallory: Here’s something of an olive branch for you — 1. What are the most comfortable jeans out there? 2. What’s your secret for finding a pair that fits?

Amalie: I have a multi-faceted response to this. The first thing I’ll say is that I have only ever found one pair of jeans that was perfect and they were orange tab Levis that I ordered from a vintage shop online, and they just so happened to fit me like a glove. They also did that magical thing that only some denim does, where it’s starchy but super comfortable. BUT as far as jeans I have purchased new, I have a few faves: This pair is the closest pair of denim I have to feeling like I’m not at all wearing denim. But also not wearing jeggings.

Amalie: Remember jeggings? I also have a pair similar to these that I got from Tibi in a size up from my usual, and I wear them all summer long

Amalie: And, it must be said, I bought a pair of FEELs a few years ago, and the hype is real. I had them tailored (if you find a pair that fits well and you love them, take them to a really good tailor), and they’re now perfect

See All 3

Amalie: I care a LOT about denim which is why I spend on it. I don’t really have a lot of pant alternatives in my closet. I wear my denim until it’s completely worn through, which for some of these really good pairs will be never. My secret for finding a pair that fits is making sure that it’s comfortable in the hips and waist. I’ve convinced myself to buy too many that have been a little tight in the hips because I liked the shape they gave me, only to have my hips hurt after a long day of walking. Once you find a pair that fits you like a glove there, a good tailor can rip the seams and make them into the best jeans you have in your closet. End rant.

Amalie: Is there at least one pair or brand of denim that you’re devoted to?

Mallory: OK, before I answer your question I just want to say that this conversation has already revealed a few things to me. 1. I have unresolved issues from jeans never fitting me properly as a teenager. 2. These days I only enjoy shopping for jeans if they are vintage, because it feels more like a fun thrift-store hunt and less of a slog through the offerings of a brand that doesn’t make stuff for my bod.

See All 5

Amalie: I definitely agree with that latter point. My only tip for buying thrift jeans or vintage jeans (which is kind of a no-brainer and I’m sure you know) is that any boutique making you spend above $100–realistically like $70, even on a pair of really hard to find Levi’s or Orange Tabs–is gouging you!!

Mallory: Oh, yeah totally, vintage denim prices can be insane. To answer your question on pairs/brands… Right now, I have one pair of jeans that I wear (lol), and they are vintage Levi’s I found in the California desert (a mirage????? jk). I got them tailored to be a little cropped, and I think I might go a little shorter yet. A few years ago, when I wore jeans more, I exclusively wore Acne for no other reason than they were always long enough. I will say! The “denim that got away” is a pair from Carleen that I tried on at a sample sale but were too tight to button. This was last summer and I still think about them. They were kind of like these, but the patch was just another shade of denim.

See All 5

Mallory: Here’s something I’d like for you to debunk—I think part of me feels like jeans are just “phoning it in”… and maybe that’s why I like the Carleen pair, because they feel special. What are your tricks for keeping an outfit with jeans from being the wrong kind of simple?

Amalie: I’m kind of half with you and half not! Sometimes I do feel like jeans are phoning it in, but in the right way! They consistently look good, and not to sound like a broken record, they have a cool sensibility to them without being “effortful.” Most of the time when I wear them, I do feel like they’re the perfect canvas upon which (lol) you can build an outfit. They ground something that’s floaty, frilly or overly feminine, and they elevate (kinda) an otherwise boring sweater or sweatshirt. Obviously accessorization (not a word) is key to me here. The less intuitive the better. I learned from the best.

Amalie: What’s an outfit that you feel most “you” in if it’s not jeans?

Mallory: I think my Platonic ideal of an outfit is Phoebe Philo’s fashion show uniform. I can’t think of one particular outfit in the world that I’ve spent more time looking at. I think it presents a contrast that I like more: a soft sweater and a dressier pant paired with sneakers and a pretty undone beauty look. Why is that… maybe because it looks sharper but every aspect of it is more comfortable?

Amalie: It is also like the perfect “I’m an executive editor at a cool fashion digital media brand” uniform. It’s just right for you. I guess my question is, where does one find those “dressy pants” anyway??

Mallory: Not so dissimilar to jeans, I think it’s a matter of finding a brand that’s consistently cut for you. On the cheaper side, I used to buy suit pants from Topshop a lot. I also love to buy them at vintage stores or via The RealReal—Stella McCartney and Marni have never done me wrong and SM pants on The RealReal are almost always deeply discounted.

See All 6

Mallory: One thing I will say about the “bosslady in jeans” thing that actually disproves my own point is that this outfit of Leandra’s is one of my favorite things I’ve seen her wear and probably the most likely ensemble of hers that I’d carbon copy onto my person.

View this post on Instagram

Hey Mr. Mirror! How many shots does it take to get to the most publishable version of a selfie pop?

A post shared by Leandra (Medine) Cohen (@leandramcohen) on Jan 29, 2020 at 9:33am PST

Why do you think it works?

Amalie: Ahh, yes, I remember this one!! The long hem and baggy pant leg is so right. And back when life was normal, those black Adidas shoes were having a little renaissance. I think what makes it so good is kind of what I spoke to above—about the marriage of the unexpected, maybe? We have a very ladylike cardi on top—like, dinner with my great aunt style—which is then paired with a lower half that could be skating on Venice Beach right now. So many multitudes in one look. And they don’t war with each other. For you, it’s not exactly those labels (lol), but I do feel like your style has these pretty different component parts that mesh with each other to create a whole?

See All 3

Mallory: For sure.

Mallory: OK, I always (er, have once) described my style as “Francoise Hardy googles skateboarding”—can you pick out an outfit with jeans for me that you think communicates this???

Mallory: If you do I will both consider laying down my sword and be forever grateful

Amalie: Found it

View this post on Instagram

a look was born⠀ ⠀ #2000s @lindsaylohan

A post shared by 2000s (@2000sgal) on Oct 22, 2019 at 3:37am PDT

Amalie: lmao jk

Mallory: lol how dare u Amalie

Amalie: Tbh I’ve had that photo pulled up since the start of this story, was waiting for the right moment

Mallory: Lol just waiting to unleash

Mallory: Like me with my Roxane Gay tweet (hold pls)

Mallory: Been saving this for you for a week

Jeans are oppressive

— roxane gay (@rgay) April 10, 2020

Amalie: HAHAHA

Amalie: I saw that on Twitter and I was like…. I have a feeling I will see this again.

Amalie: I’m going to forever be hunting for a photo that embodies the above. Jane Birkin with an edge.

Mallory: Well, you can just link me to some items that you think will make an outfit with that vibe. That’s what I’m asking for, really. Hehe.

Amalie: hahaha sometimes I need a helping hand thank you

Amalie: (pulling together some options)

Amalie: Hello hi I have returned. My secret is that I love personal shopping more than anything in the world, but I never try to steal Eliz’s thunder. Anway, jeans:

See All 3

Amalie: Nobody’s trying to do anything other than light wash rn let’s be honest!!!

Amalie: Cardigans for your multitudes:

See All 5

Amalie: Also I keep going back to Doen to help stretch my imagination of what a more feminine top or blouse could do for me. I’m almost ready to pull the trigger.

Amalie: (Okay I’m done)

Mallory: Those AGOLDE Lana Low Rise Vintage Straight Jeans are so exactly what I would like to have. I’m beside myself.

Mallory: Can I make a non-denim outfit for you and we can entertain calling a truce?

Amalie: Yes!!

Amalie: I oftentimes do not understand non-denim outfits and worry they don’t look right on me so I’m ready to be shown otherwise!!!

Mallory: OK, obvs I know your style generally, but can you give me a line like “Francoise Hardy googles skateboarding” to guide me in the fancy-pants dept?

Amalie: Hmm wow sometimes I have truly no idea how to classify my own style

Amalie: I don’t know what it is and it never feels cohesive??

Mallory: Fiona Apple leaves Venice for Colorado Springs??? Kacey Musgraves wanders into the Paloma Wool pop-up?

Amalie: Hahahaha I had like… Connecticut mom lets loose at a Stevie Nicks concert but that’s not right.

Amalie: I vote Fiona.

Mallory: OK great. Back with you shortly

[Fetch the Bolt Cutters hold music]

Mallory: OK here are some concepts for you….

Mallory: Look 1:

See All 2

Mallory: Look 2:

See All 2

Mallory: And here is a wild card that you should feel free to reject:

See All 2

Mallory: OK, one last thing, not seasonally appropriate anymore but for a fall weekend in CO? Full Rochas, go nuts:

See All 2

Amalie: Upset that you sent me these because now I want to buy

Mallory: I feel like you really need to get the cardigan and the denim J at least. Not sure how Fiona or Colorado any of this is, but I do feel it is Ü

Amalie: You’ve fully tempted me!! And maybe someday when we meet again in the Man Repeller office I can give you a hug in my faux-fur cuffed cardigan. But I’ll probably still be wearing jeans. If I need to have a closing argument–they call this ‘Final Focus’ in Public Forum debate–I’d say that I plainly see the negatives of jeans, but I think they’re too much a part of my personal style DNA to sacrifice. They’re as essential to me as contact lenses! Without which I’d be extremely visually impaired. The Jeans Team rests their case.

Mallory: Amalie, I look forward to seeing you at the MR office so much that you could be wearing a full wizard costume made of patchwork denim and it would not distract me from the happiness of seeing you again IRL. In terms of jeans, here’s where I’m landing: Perhaps quitting them cold turkey is an overcorrection, but I do think this time of WFH has highlighted a number of things in our daily lives that we were possibly overdoing, or that we were doing on autopilot and not really being served by (see: a time-consuming makeup routine, excessive air travel, all manner of food wastefulness, etc etc.). My position is that jeans, while they may not deserve total banishment, have revealed themselves to be better players in a supporting role, somewhere in the realm of their similarly impactful-yet-impractical partners in crime, the high heel. I hereby rest my case and accept the very real possibility that almost everyone is going to disagree with me. Thank you, Amalie, this has been a pleasure.

Mallory: Anyway, how do we finish this? A complicated handshake?

Amalie: Very ‘Parent Trap’ handshake, yes. I’ll accept nothing less.

The post Debate: “Do Jeans Actually Suck?” appeared first on Man Repeller.

A Running List of Fashion Brands Making Donations, Offering Discounts, Trying to Survive Right Now

At the intersection of a conflict that finds us wondering how to responsibly support the brands—both big and small—that have often supported us through the philosophical mechanisms of empowerment, expression, community, inspiration, and so forth, resides a gigantic question mark that seems only to get bigger as the weeks proceed, the quarantine persists, and the pandemic grows more catastrophic. The schools of thought tethered to this conflict are many ranging from those that encourage conscious consumption from the small businesses you like (if you can) to those that reinforce the risk at which we put the various hands that must touch the product in order to get it from brand to you. 

I don’t know what the correct response is, but I do know that I care to support, sustain (even celebrate) the labels that have been there for me when I’ve needed them. This doesn’t have to mean commerce, as Harling aptly pointed out in an e-mail conversation we recently published, “Small things add up. Engagement/community/awareness is a form of value, even if it’s not as tangible as money in the bank. It still matters, especially because it can have a cumulative effect.” It also does not supersede the urgency with which we can all donate something.

And thus, a good thing, I think, that we can do right now is to make you aware of which brands are doing what to support who (be it an organization or themselves) and how. Below you’ll find a list of designers, which we will be updating in real time, with links to their sites and brief summaries of their efforts. Do with this information whatever you want and above all else, stay safe.

—Leandra

Oh! Before you scroll on: We’re going to be updating this story regularly as more brands do more good things. This post was last updated on Friday 5/1.

Brands contributing to relief efforts

May 1:

Cuyana – For every gift purchased from Mother’s Day Gift Guide through the end of May, the brand is donating 10% of all proceeds to Every Mother Counts. Additionally, Cuyana is donating 100% of proceeds for every Mini Travel Case purchased.

Lapima – 30% of proceeds on sunglasses in their Mother’s Day curation will be donated to NGO Gerando Falcões.

CAMP Collection – For every purchase, CAMP has been donating to people on the frontlines and to essential businesses.

Crown Affair – 10% of all sales will be donated to No Kid Hungry.

Michael Stars – Donated $10,000 from One-Size Tee purchases to One Fair Wage’s Service Workers Emergency Fund and have committed to donate another $10,000 to various organizations. Also producing non-medical masks for healthcare workers to LA Protects and other health clinics. Half of the ~1,000 masks produced a week will be donated to the healthcare workers and half will be sold on the website.

Nili Lotan – Launched Nili Lotan Giving Back which features pieces from previous seasons, discounted at up to 60% off. At the end of the month, they will donate 10% revenue to a charitable organization, changing monthly. The first will be NYU Langone Hospital.

April 24:

Rowing Blazers – Donating 10% of proceeds from all online orders to Direct Relief and offering 10% off with code ‘BRANDSXBETTER’ through May. They are also launching face masks, made from leftover scraps of blazers, suiting, and shirt fabric. A handful of masks will be directly donated to workers at NYC’s Food Bank, and the rest are available on the site now, either to purchase or donate.

KES NYC – For every mask purchased by a customer, KES is meeting that with a 1+1 match in mask donations. The masks are available for purchase online. The first 500 of these masks were donated to Montefiore Medical Center in New York and the next 20,000 cotton and silk masks will be donated to medical centers and organizations providing aid to homeless New Yorkers.

Prabal Gurung – Donating 3M manufactured N95 respirator masks to New York hospitals and frontline medical workers in partnership with The COVID Foundation. Plus, the option to donate on their site here.

Polkadot England – A portion of all sales will be donated to the CDC’s Emergency Response Fund.

Daphne Wilde – 10% of all sales will be donated to the International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Fund through April.

PatBO – 20% off all online sales with code ‘PATBOLOVESYOU’ through April 30. 10% of all online sales will benefit Baby2Baby for the month of May.

La Perla – Donating 10% of proceeds to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. 10,000 masks have been donated to the brand’s hometown, Bologna, and 10,000 masks have been donated to the Porto City Hall Field Hospital.

April 17:

Parachute – Every time a customer buys a pack of five face masks, Parachute will donate five face masks to those in need.

Boll & Branch – Customers who use the code ‘GOODNESS’ will get 10% off anything from the bath collection, and Boll & Branch will donate an additional 10% towards the production of mattresses for pop-up hospitals around the country.

Clare V. – Making and distributing non-medical masks made from deadstock fabric to those in need by taking suggestions from customers of organizations in their local communities that are in need. Also offering free shipping and delivery for all orders.

Parade – Donating $1 to Feeding America for every photo tagged in underwear (Parade or not) that Parade is tagged in for the #ParadeTogether initiative, using the hashtag and tagging Parade.

Catbird – $10 of the purchase price of our Mother of Pearl Love Token is given to Direct Relief and $10 from the purchase price of the The Light You Shed Token is given to the Women’s Prison Association.

Veronica Beard – 80% off select styles with a portion of proceeds from each sale going back to the Veronica Beard Gives Back partner, Good+Foundation.

Henning – $50 per Hudson Jacket sold will be donated to the Food Bank for New York City.

April 10:

Jack Erwin – 20% off all purchases site-wide, now through the end of April, using code THANKS20. Also donating 10% of net proceeds to Food Bank For New York City to help those in need.

LoveShackFancy – Donating 300 masks to frontline workers.

La Ligne – Beginning this week and lasting for the duration of quarantine, La Ligne will offer 15% off sitewide and will donate 15% of total sales to a different charity each week, including Baby2Baby, World Central Kitchen, and Roar NY.

Reformation – Partnered with the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti on LA Protects to make five million non-medical masks, to ensure medical-grade masks can be available to healthcare workers. Plus, Reformation is selling mask packs on their website for personal use, small businesses, or donation.

Hunting Season – Hosting weekly auctions on Hunting Season’s Instagram Stories, auctioning samples worn by women who are friends of the brand. 100% of the total winner’s bid will be given to charity.

Edie Parker – 15% of sales will be donated to Feeding America, Citymeals on Wheels, and No Kid Hungry.

Lingua Franca – $100 donated to the Food Bank for New York City for every sweater purchased.

Cult Gaia – Offering 10% of sales to No Kid Hungry, plus 20% off almost everything with code GIVEBACK.

Collina Strada – Making masks for Masks4Medicine, a group of New York City doctors who started an Instagram account to ask people to donate unused masks or to sew fabric masks. Collina Strada offers a fabric mask with every purchase from the website.

Roxanne Assoulin – For every Remind Yourself bracelet sold, 10% of proceeds will be donated to the COVID-19 Direct Relief Fund.

Greats – Until April 30, Greats is donating $15 to City Harvest with every order, plus get 25% off site-wide with code ‘COLLECTIVE25.’

Fleur du Mal – Launched the Fleur Gives Back campaign to benefit COVID-19 health care workers. 10% of proceeds from online sales will go to NYC Health + Hospitals.

Alexander Wang – 20% of proceeds from the Alexander Wang Vault pop-up online archive shop will be donated to the United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 response fund in support of the World Health Organization.

Patou – Introduced #PatouGether, launching an organic sweatshirt and T-shirt with 100% of the proceeds donated to the WHO’s Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

April 3:

Rosie Assoulin – Everything on the site is 20% off, and if you email the team when you receive your order confirmation, they will donate 15% of your purchase to a charity of your choice.

Tibi – An online sample sale at up to 80% off. The Tibi warehouse has also set aside 1,000 pieces for you to nominate a worker to which you’d like to send an outfit by tagging @tibi on Instagram or completing the form here.

RIXO – Donating 10% of profits from rixo.co.uk to Age UK; RIXO launched a ‘Stay at Home’ T-shirt, of which 50% profits will go to NHS Charities COVID-19 Urgent Appeal.

Monogram – Use Code “Together” at checkout for 25% off + donating 10% of sales to Feeding America.

Emily Levine – 10% of sales will be donated to the hospital of Bergamo, Papa Giovanni XX.

Live The Process – 20% of proceeds will go to Food Bank NYC to support local communities and ensure access to food for so many in need. Every $1 provides five meals.

Tanya Taylor – Creating 5,000 non-medical grade masks for distribution to NYC hospitals. 100% of site donations will go directly to the creation and distribution of more masks. Website archive sale with styles up to 60% off and with every purchase made, they will produce and donate 5 more masks.

Viva Aviva – 20% of all online sales will be donated to Food Bank NYC.

SVNR – Donating 50% of web sales to Meals on Wheels to provide food for the elderly.

NST Studio – 20% of all proceeds from each purchase are being donated to Covid-19 Charities plus up to 35% off select styles.

Khaite – Stay at Home Sale, save 40% on select styles. Khaite is also donating $10,000 to the nonprofit organization
Staud – 10% of all proceeds from Hand-Painted Pet Portrait Bags will be donated to Muddy Paws Rescue.

Brinker & Eliza – Donating 10% of the profits from all purchases to the Domestic Workers Coronavirus Care Fund plus receive 15% off site-wide until 4/30 with the code ‘OneLove.’

The Nue Co. – Donating 30% of all proceeds (inclusive of their 600% increase in immunity-boosting products) to Hospitality in Action in the UK and direct donations to small businesses in NYC on a rotating basis.

Pamela Love – The designer is making jewelry from home out of polymer and selling them with 100% of the proceeds going No Kid Hungry.

Donni – Donating 15% of all proceeds to LA Food Bank, which distributes food and other essential items to children, seniors and families in need.

AGL – Donating 30% of online sales to support the medical staff in the region of Marche where the company has its headquarters and factory.

Sleeper – For the entire month of April, the brand’s blue merchandise will be 40% off, and 20% of those sales will be donated to civic organization Happy Today.

Koio – 35% off merchandise sample sale. A percentage of sales will go to the Red Cross and Food Bank NYC (details here).

Linda Farrow – 10% of online sales from a curation on their site will go to the COVID-19 Urgent Appeal through April.

Lele Sadoughi – Donating 5% of proceeds to Meals on Wheels.

Everybody.World – Bundles added to Factory Flea from which 25% of each sale will go to Rainy Day Fund to cover the lost wages of factory workers who can’t work from home.

Universal Standard – Offering a free piece from the Foundation collection to every doctor, nurse, and medical worker who wants one, while supplies last.

Mansur Gavriel – With every purchase of the Bucket Bag (of any size and color), 10% of sales will be donated to GlobalGiving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, which supports immediate and long-term relief within vulnerable communities.

Fivestory – Take 15% off the entire site, 15% of all proceeds will support the WHO’s Covid-19 relief efforts.

Machete Jewelry – Has partnered with Mask Match to donate masks to workers and hospitals who need them now by selling about 10,000 pieces of jewelry on their website at 50% off (pieces will range from $12 – $78). For each sale and piece purchased, they will be able to donate up to 25 masks.

Marina Moscone – Producing Level 1 protective masks, donating directly to the staff at Mt. Sinai and Bellevue hospitals.

Coco Shop – 20% of proceeds to Feeding America plus 10% off your first order

Loup – 15% of proceeds to Meals on Wheels

Mr.Larkin – Donating 10% of proceeds from their collection to Houston Food Bank plus an additional 25% off new season arrivals with Mr. Larkin’s Thank You Sale.

Still Here – Donating 20% percent of sales to local NYC food bank Sephardic Food Fund.

Wol Hide – Shibori dyed tee proceeds are being donated to the Philadelphia food bank Philabundance.

Brands offering discounts

May 10:

The RealReal – Up to 80% off.

Verishop – Ongoing sales throughout May including a Mother’s Day sale with 15% off Items with code ‘LOVEMOM15’ and 25% off women’s full priced items from 5/7-5/10 with code ‘MAY25.’

OhSevenDays – 15% off site-wide with code ‘OHSTAYHOME.’

Luisaviaroma – 25% off SS20 womenswear with code ‘JOY25’ until May 4.

MATCHESFASHION – 15% off new customers first orders with code ‘NEW15.’

Stuart Weitzman – 30% off with code ‘EXTRA30’ until May 6.

Brooklinen – 20% off site-wide.

Frame – Sample sale up to 80% off.

J.Crew – Up to 60% off.

West Elm – Up to 60% off.

Intermix – Up to 50% off sale.

April 24:

11 Honoré – Offering 60% off exclusive styles with the Archive Sale through Thursday, April 30th.

Sephora – Robust sale section on site.

Madewell – Extra 50% off sale with code ‘BIGTIME.’

April 17:

Wolf & Badger – Up to 50% off.

Shopbop – Up to 40% off.

Goop – 20% off select styles in THE STAY HOME SALE.

Need Supply – 25% off site-wide with added items to sale.

Totokaelo – 20% off site-wide.

April 10:

Emily Dawn Long – 10% discount on all online orders using code ‘THANKYOU10.’

Warm – 25% off with code ‘WARMLOVE25’

Veda – New items added to sale section, plus get an additional 25% off with code ‘FRIENDOFVEDA.’

Sies Marjan – Up to 40% off archive sale.

Proenza Schouler – Up to 75% off archive sale.

3.1 Phillip Lim – Up to 75% off archive sale.

Opening Ceremony – 40% off site-wide with code ‘HEADSTART.’

April 3:

Susan Alexandra – 20% site-wide applied at checkout plus complimentary domestic shipping.

Lisa Says Gah – New loungewear added to sale section on site. 

Batsheva – Free shipping on US orders and a robust sale section.

Pretties – Loungewear and intimates selection curated on site.

Terry T – Free express shipping on all orders within Australia with the code ‘STAYHOME’ at checkout.

Ciao Lucia – 20% off the site with code ‘STAYHOME20.’

Brother Vellies – Orders placed will ship in 3-5 business days. Complimentary ground shipping is available for orders over $100 within the US.

Knickey Underwear – Free Shipping on US Orders over $60.

Parade – Save 20% on select styles.

Kule – Free shipping and returns.

Megababe – 15% off site-wide with code ‘STAYHOME15.’

Alison Lou – Fist-ever sample sale now online. Get 15% off with code ‘SPRING15.’

Rachel Comey – Up to 60% off sample sale.

11 Honore – 20% off with code ‘MAR20.’

Rebecca Minkoff – 30% off site-wide using the code ‘WFH30.’

L.F.Markey – Mid-season sale, discount applied automatically.

Wolf Circus – 15% off sitewide with code ‘CYBERHUG.’

Big brand donations of note

April 17:

Louis Vuitton – Will re-purpose American workshops to produce non-surgical cloth face masks to aid in the battle against Covid-19 within the United States with the goal to create hundreds of thousands of masks. – Louis Vuitton

April 10:

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation – $1 million commitment to COVID-19-related causes, allocating $750,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation, and $250,000 to The New York Community Trust’s NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund. Tiffany & Co. will also match employee donations to any qualified nonprofit organization supporting COVID-19 relief, dollar for dollar. – The Tiffany & Co. Foundation

Mayhoola – The parent company of Balmain, Valentino, and Pal Zileri will donate €1 million to the French charity La Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris – Hôpitaux de France. – Mayhoola

April 3:

The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation – Ten million dollar commitment to help teams, partners and communities impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. – RalphLauren.com

Gucci – Two million euro pledge to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. – Gucci.com

Armani – Giorgio Armani has pledged to donate a total of 2 million euros to Italy’s Civil Protection and various Italian hospitals – Armani.com

MAC Cosmetics – Will distribute $10 million to 250 local organizations across the globe supporting COVID-19 relief efforts – MacCosmetics.com

Prada – Prada S.p.A is financing the ICUs of three new hospitals in Milan. The Italian company has also reconfigured its factory in Perugia to produce 110,000 masks and 80,000 medical garments that will be delivered to Tuscan hospitals on April 6. – PradaGroup.com

LVMH – Using the manufacturing facilities of its perfume and cosmetics brands to process large amounts of hydroalcoholic gel, which it will distribute free of charge to health authorities in France. It has also promised to donate 40 million face masks. – LVMH.com

AG – AG has committed to donate $1 million to COVID-19 LA County Response Fund to help support community clinics and hospitals across the county. – AG

Aritzia – All profits will go to the Aritzia Community Relief Fund to pay employees and support their families through this challenging time. – Aritzia.com

Feature photos via OhSevenDays.

MR Thoughtline is here! We’re sending out daily text messages to light up your phone and consequently your day. Click to subscribe.

The post A Running List of Fashion Brands Making Donations, Offering Discounts, Trying to Survive Right Now appeared first on Man Repeller.

I Suck at Socializing from Quarantine: A Plea to Change

Exciting news! We’ve launched MR Think Tank, a digital braintrust we want *you* to be part of. We’re kicking it off with a survey that will help us get to know you better, so we can keep making stuff you love. In exchange, you’ll receive exclusive content and other fun things. Interested? Sign up by taking the survey!

I am starved for social interaction, but FaceTiming my mom is not working anymore. I am craving something that is less automatic–the quarantine equivalent of a coffee date or dinner plan with an acquaintance who will keep me on my toes. What I seem to be getting at, is that I want to talk to people who don’t orbit inside my immediate communication circle.

But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m possibly the greatest perpetrator of that condition where once you are out of sight, you are also out of mind. I don’t think I realized the extent to which I relied on living in SoHo and regularly running into people, striking up a conversation, and then making plans (either with them or someone I have been reminded to call because of them). Such an opportunity no longer exists, so I have to figure out how to socially engage until the gates re-open.

Some ideas:

A double date on one of those apps—Houseparty or Zoom or FaceTime or whatever.

I had such a nice time at my family Passover seder, which was conducted on Houseparty. I set the table, put out crystal glasses, and wore a vest. I recall that evening as a highlight of quarantine. But who now to double date with? Face-on-face communication is just awkward enough that if you’re not completely comfortable with the person you’re talking to, you spend the majority of the conversation anticipating moments of silence to fill, grasping for colloquial straws. Just me?

A group cookout (I mean cook-in?) on Zoom

This is a nice idea in theory. Pre-plan a meal to have with a group of your friends! Cook it together while drinking a libation! Then eat and continue to drink once you’re done! But now I’m thinking this might actually be more suitable for a one-on-one hang because the art that gets lost in a Zoom hang is that of the side conversation. And those, as we know, are the most meaningful of all.

Game night

Heads up, Monopoly, cards, a puzzle. You name it.

But the core issue remains—I suck at keeping in touch with people. It is possibly the worst of my bad qualities, particularly because I love being with people. The feeling runs counter to the behavior, doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m trying to combat the condition, mostly by spamming everyone I follow on Instagram with private messages, but last week, during my Office Hour on Thoughtline (the latter being our text service, the former being the dedicated hour we spend responding to messages in real-time), I asked subscribers what they’re doing to keep in touch. Among the responses (303 among them!), there were dominant themes, I’ve parsed them below:

Ways to connect

The most popular apps to use with your people, beyond the obvious text, call, Houseparty, Zoom, FaceTime, or Hangouts seem to be Marco Polo and apparently, this one called Club Penguin, which is big among Gen last-letter-of-the-alphabet.

The most analog way to connect, and this was a big theme on Thoughtline, is by sending letters to people. It must be something about the meditative experience of talking about what you’re doing, or what you see, or what you feel depending on your flavor of connection. I might accomplish this with the weekly dispatches, but those are digital. I think I’ll try the letter thing, if only because you reap the double-whammy-benefit of also needing to buy stamps, which supports the almost-defunct USPS.

Another common idea: scheduling physical activity with neighbors, but doing it responsibly. One texter told me she and her friend who lives two blocks away schedule their stress walks for the same time, then when they take them, maintain 10 feet to be safe. V responsible.

Things to do once you’re connected

Chores, but together—laundry, folding, dish-washing, pantry organizing—whatever shit you have to do that you’d usually consider menial, but which you can turn into a social occasion because isn’t everything menial now? I hope my optimism isn’t waning.

An online wine tasting. One texter said she chose three wines that are common brands and easily accessible, then she and her friends used the same Master Sommelier deductive tasting sheet they found online (here is one) and went through the motions. I bet you can apply the basic principle of this idea to anything. Bingo? Personality quizzing? You do you.








Become an accountability buddy. Ask for a hype man and become one yourself! When either of you accomplishes a task, tell your accountability buddy you’ve done it, then congratulate or encourage them. According to the texter (I really wish I had kept a tab of their fucking names), it’s helping both she and her friend stay motivated.






But if you, like me, still need to figure out who to reach out to, here’s how to combat out of sight and mindedness

Scroll through your camera roll, land somewhere random, and if no one is in the picture with you, swipe until you get to one with another person in it. Then text them the picture and pick up a conversation. I have tried this a few times in the last couple of days and it has been a fab-u way to say hi and recall memories of the newfangled B.C. era.

My favorite suggestion was from someone who told me that she’s been posting vaguely concerning Stories to her close friends list on Instagram and then chatting with those who reply. I confirmed she was kidding and then dutifully asked if she’d add me to the list.

It got me thinking that Instagram—a prison or a fortress—has the unique ability to fortify all of our asses right now, so another thing I have been doing is aggressively responding to the Instagram stories that populate the top of my feed and then if the opportunity presents, taking the conversation off-platform. Everything I have posted to my feed, meanwhile, has effectively been a call for interaction so if you’re feeling like: What the fuck is this person posting?

Now you know, I’m posting a cry for conversation.

Do I sound desperate?

Make no mistake.

I am.

But at least I’m less alone! Want to hang?

Graphics by Lorenza Centi.

The post I Suck at Socializing from Quarantine: A Plea to Change appeared first on Man Repeller.