Leandra Medine's Blog, page 619

How Many Shoes Are Too Many Shoes?

According to the Fall 2015 couture season, coupled with the previous ready-to-wear season and the house of Chanel at large, all you need — like a soul (sole?) mate — is 1.

So scratch that, Harry Nilsson: one is not the loneliest number. When it comes to footwear it is both the most cost-effective and optimal choice of number.

Did you hear that, Daft Punk? One more time won’t cut it. We’re going to celebrate just once.

And where were you, self, when the memo initially got sent out? Reliving January 1st, 2013? Or was it July 8th of the same year? March 11th of the one following?

Pathetic.

If you’re wondering how I’ve inferred the above, I invite you to scroll through the Fall ready-to-wear and couture collections of Chanel on the soon-to-decamp Style.com and tell me what you see.

If you can’t see because you’re wearing an eye patch (it’s National Johnny Depp Performed a Great Performance in Pirates of the Caribbean Day, right?), just know that the former show included a single pair of classic black and beige slingbacks. This did not detract from the diversity of the simultaneous puffer coats and ladylike skirts, sleek boxy jackets and elaborate dresses of the rest of the collection. For Couture, there were shoes that looked a little paper airplanes or origami depending on what you did for fun before you turned 15.

I’m inclined to vet in favor of this mandate pretty relentlessly. If not for the aforementioned cost-effectiveness it espouses than because in isolated (albeit trivial) instances, it’s true what they say about choice — that with the absence of it, 80% of your problems are almost immediately relinquished. This, of course, neither hangs you on a hook nor leaves you off of it, so weigh da fuq in. How many shoes are too many shoes and would you commit to a pair a year (fine, season) with no problem? Which would they be?

I think for fall I’m going with…

Photographed by Krista Anna Lewis. Chanel Shoes via Style.com

The post How Many Shoes Are Too Many Shoes? appeared first on Man Repeller.

Foodies Have Complicated the Dating Game

The better portion of my conversations with friends involves a complicated algorithm of verbal novice Squash. Whether we play singles or doubles is irrelevant: we repeatedly hit walls.

“Where should we go?”

“Let’s do Jack’s Wife!”

“I ate there last night.”

*Wall.*

“How about burritos?”

“I’d do burritos!”

“Me too — Tacombi? The one on Elizabeth?”

“They don’t have burritos there, just tacos.”

*Wall*

And so on and so forth it goes, a set of step-by-step operations intended to solve a problem. And while the solution seems as though it should be simple (just decide where you want to eat), we’re humans faced with too many choices who repeatedly forget to carry the 1 — so we start again.

Sound familiar?

It was during an especially grueling group text that I began to trace The Restaurant Game’s direct correlation to our inability to pick a mate. The conversation of “where should we eat?” mingled with a “why don’t I like anyone?” lament.

We have Ass is Always Greener syndrome, sure, but rather than chalk it up to The Evils of Social Media and reality TV, I blame another tribe: the Foodies.

Realize it or not, we follow their lead. We’ve picked up their hashtagging habits and put a dramatic number of E’s on the word “eats.” We stalk GrubStreet and track food trucks on Twitter. Most importantly, however, is how we mimic their fickle gastronomic tendencies and mirror their migratory restaurant path — that right there is the problem.

Foodies opened our eyes to this world of not just choice, but distinction. To a level of taste that can and will be judged by others. Before Foodies, all we cared about was the good bagel place on the corner. We had zero pretense about grabbing a coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts and sushi was sushi regardless of chef.

Now, a restaurant is only hot for a minute. It’s almost taboo to eat at the same place twice. Casual dining is considered cool — and it’s preferred, yet when reservations are too readily available, we’re turned off. We’re wary to award a place we frequent with the title of “favorite spot” (because what if things change and suddenly, it’s not), we’ve become accustomed to the convenience of booking tables online — multiple at a time, and all meat must be local.

Doesn’t that sound like your own dating requirements and/or gripes?

Foodies are the frequent butt of millennial jokes so I hate to be another contributor to their plight. (We exhaust Instagram with group photos of our clothing-coordinated friends  — how is their stream of well-plated burrata any worse? And everyone loves a ramen burger.) But I am afraid if not certain that their demand for “what’s next” — and our blind inclination to follow their lead — is the exact reason we can’t commit beyond third dates.

Besides, our romantic lives needed a new scapegoat, and I needed a new answer to the age old question, “How am I still single?”

Illustrated by Autumn Kimball 

The post Foodies Have Complicated the Dating Game appeared first on Man Repeller.

Oh, The Humidity! 5 Tips to Stay Shine-n-Grease Free

This is my fifth summer in New York. Why I stick around, I’ll never know, because by August the temperature lingers around 95 degrees with a humidity level of sixty-five percent.

Part of my resilience is due to a few summer survival tips. My head still sweats but I’ve mastered the art of keeping my makeup on my skin and my skin on person. How? With these 5 tips for staying cool while you make like Alex Mack and melt.

1. “That Gal” Brightening Face Primer

I discovered primer last summer. I’d just moved back to New York from LA and hadn’t adjusted to real heat yet; my sweating was worse than usual. With three subway transfers, no AC and two crazy dogs to briskly walk every morning, my sweat glands were on a roll. By the time I arrived to work, I was no longer the fresh-faced queen I imagined myself to be an hour before the commute. I wasn’t even a dewey damsel like Keira Knightley in all of those period pieces. I was a full-blown sad beige zebra sculpture made of melted candles.

And I often cried on the subway.

Enter “That Gal” Face Primer, but note: it’s more than just a primer. It shrinks your pores and brightens your face – sort of like that “sun” symbol on Instagram. It’s flattering on all skin colors and holds your makeup on tight (though can be worn alone for a pretty glow).

2. Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Think of your face as a sandwich: setting powder is the top bread, the primer the bottom bread and your makeup is the…cheese? Or cold cuts. Or if you’re one of those people who replaces bread with lettuce, it is the top lettuce — the top layer of your finished makeup sandwich and it keeps your skin looking glorious.

A translucent powder works best; it adds a nice matte finish without adding color and keeps your makeup in place despite summer humidity.

How to use it: apply your makeup as usual, wait for it to dry, then powder-puff a light layer of setting powder over your skin. (It may take a few pats to blend.)

3. Baby Powder

Baby powder. Is. Essential. It’s basically a version dry shampoo at a fraction of the cost. BP rids your scalp of oil (missed pun opportunity or what?) in seconds without leaving a thick goopy film on your hair. It doesn’t leave you looking like George Washington en route to court in his fabulous powder puffed wig, either — an area where many dry shampoos have wronged me in the past. The trick is to use sparingly, and rub in until powder is absorbed.

And on especially impolite days (85 degrees, give or take) I’ve found “prepping” my hair with BP prevents the scalp sweat from happening at all. Before leaving the AC to dive into a casual outdoor sauna, sprinkle a fine layer on your scalp to absorb anticipated sweat.

4. Olay Age Defying Mature Skin Day Lotion

Yes, it’s an anti-aging cream. I’m not saying you’re wrinkled, and you certainly don’t “look old” (age is just a number!) – but this moisturizer is light, clean, sweat-proof and most importantly – not oily. It works with your makeup instead of against it.

AND…it’s 15 SPF. No, it won’t clog your pores.

5. Aquaphor

Summer does that thing that makes your skin oily and dry at the same time but if you put lotion on it, you break out, and if you try to treat the break out your face peels and so on, because skin is mean. Enter: Aquaphor.

It’s a deep moisturizer (more intense than Olay) and great for flakey patches, but it’s strangely light-weight and can be used anywhere — including on your lips without it gooping like gloss tends to do in humidity. Do not leave home without it.

Add your own hot weather tips below. Happy sweating!

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Photograph via i-D Magazine

Follow the author Danielle Sinay on Twitter

The post Oh, The Humidity! 5 Tips to Stay Shine-n-Grease Free appeared first on Man Repeller.

Happy August! What to Wear This Week

The sun is shining, your skin might be bronzing and if you’re reading this, you, my friend, are alive. And you know what they (I) say, right? With life comes occasion to celebrate and with occasion to celebrate comes sequins! And carpet prints! Fringe! And silk! Jumpsuits and fur! Just Kidding! No fur! That’s fur sure. (Let’s pretend this never happened.)

So if you’re standing in front of your closet, scratching your head because it’s beautiful! And sunny! And hot outside — and you just want your outfit to reflect that, dammit, look no further than the list of cured beef options available for consumption listed above.

That was a test to ensure you’re reading. If you haven’t stopped short, I’m insulted, if you have, congratulations! You get an A! But I digress.

Start Tuesday with a sequin a la Natalie Joos. H&M (and for what it’s worth, Forever 21) has a fair share of the offering that are worth tapping into. Your pajama pants need not be printed but it’s preferable if they are. Do not guilt yourself into thinking that because it’s summer ye must show leg; sometimes we see only what we can’t look at if you know what I’m saying.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Consider a fringe option for Wednesday because according to the national holiday list it is National Shake Your Body-Body Day. That’s not true, but who really decides on what gets to make it into that calendar anyway? I hereby knight myself.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

And because my gut tells me there is a 0% chance you have not accumulated at least one off the shoulder blouse, why not conduct a brief nuptial service to your high waist A-line jeans? Cool bag, too.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Shit, there goes the week! If that won’t work, maybe a boiler suit will? I’ve been pushing these hard on you and me thinks with good reason. If you don’t get it now, I’m confident that soon, young buck, you will. And while pumps are cool, as Wednesday demonstrated, fringe is cooler.

I literally have no idea why I wrote that or how pumps and fringe correlate. Let’s pretend this didn’t happen, either. Here are some jumpsuits and flat sandals.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Meanwhile the weekend rolls around and you’re just like, I’ve had it, so you make like Gloria Vanderbilt and wear a coat that errs-on-the-side-of-offensive. Then you remember it’s still 80, sunny and you’re cruising so you google “men of the 1970s,” come upon a roller skater in pretty perfect shorts and just like that, a new style icon is born.

The post Happy August! What to Wear This Week appeared first on Man Repeller.

Should I Buy This?

On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 2:53 PM, Leandra Medine wrote:

GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON NOT TO GET THIS:

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 4:28 PM, Amelia Diamond wrote:

1) $1,185

2) 

But I know you’re trying to bring ruffles back harder than Queen Elizabeth with a neck rash.

It’s for fashion week or now? What do you wear that with? I have so many questions. And if you’re wondering why I keep looking at your Caroline Constas shirt behind me on the garment rack, it’s because I need to know immediately if I should get this (it will sell out):

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 4:31 PM, Leandra Medine wrote:

Yes to that top. You can wear it into the fall with a turtleneck underneath which will be SO COOL. Re: my Prairie girl meets Nantucket but also looks like a tablecloth-top: I’d likely wear with high waist shorts now, then high waist jeans or corduroys (red corduroys?) later?

These ones from Topshop are hEaVeN. (Sorry for that sentence.)

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 5:55 PM, Amelia Diamond wrote:

A black turtleneck? What pants? I can see this but not all the way. Black turtleneck and white wool high waisted pants a la Chloé that I have to go search for now?

Also, I’m seeing your outfit. I’m envisioning it. It’s so much outfit. It’s like if Anna Dello Russo decided she was a school teacher in the 1970s.

Men are very unhappy with the current state of Pant Affairs, by the way. They see the waistlines rising and that the wide legs are here to stay and they are NOT HAPPY. Guys think high waist pant make butts look long and I’m just like: must be at least this tall to ride, na mean?

I blacked out while writing that.

I want these but won’t buy them.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

However, I’m willing to spend about $400 on my one pair of splurge shoes for fashion week. Sorry for that sentence but I literally have not bought anything all summer. What should I get? I’m a size 8 and don’t do that annoying thing where you only search your baby foot size in the sale.

On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 6:04 PM, Leandra Medine wrote:

Oh, I love this game! These for sure:

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Jul 30, 2015, at 12:57 PM, Amelia Diamond wrote:

It’s so funny you sent me those because I was going to send them to you. Doesn’t the color scheme/industrial theme remind you of like, a house from The Real World circa mid/late 90s?

I seriously might get these suede color-blocked Gianvito Rossi mules though because I’ve had my eye on them for a while, and now they’re on sale.

Also this J.Crew shirt is a joke not to buy, right?

And these “summer jeans” from Madewell which I’m gonna wear for fall.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Leandra Medine wrote:

Yeah I’m getting that J.Crew shirt yesterday. It will look so cool with just plain pubic hair as pants, no?

But also over a turtleneck and under these overalls?

And a flower in my hair? Bandana on my wrist? Banana leaf near my elbow?

I also like these other Toga sandals from Matches. Should I get them? Should you get them? What is this life and why do we live here?

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 8:32 AM, Amelia Diamond wrote:

Are those the black versions of the ones you sent me? I like them better, actually. Good heel. A sailor, GOOD MAN! That’s a movie quote in case you didn’t know.

I was more thinking of wearing that shirt with actual pants. These jeans.

Would I ever wear these striped pants, though? I think I like them because they remind me of these Chloé ones that I always click on but I am never trying to spend $800.

Or these Derek Lam ones but A) $343 :/ and I’m still funny about mixing black and royal blue.

Actually the whole Matches pants sale is good right now. (Zara’s too.) SHOULD I GET INTO FUNKY PANTS?

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Ugh. It’s like I can’t stop putting money in the Douchebag Jar. Are you wearing sunscreen?

On Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 9:51 AM, Leandra Medine wrote:

I resent your apprehension about the Derek Lam pants, specifically because I own them. No to the Topshop striped pants, yes to the jeans and I think funky pants will work about as well for you as a urinary catheter would for an ant. Funky tops, however, could become your thing. I like this one and I really like this one. In fact, I’m going to get it.

And I’m not stopping there. I know these are old but THE HEEL IS GOLD. Not literally. Won’t they look darling with a pair of ribbed socks?

Boom. Tapped out. Bye.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

On Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 12:30 PM, Amelia Diamond wrote:

BEHOLD: the funkiest of tops.

For a cool $2k, on sale.

Those Dries shirts rule but they’re pretty, not funky! If we’re talking socks: I like these a la Dazed & Confused/Wet Hot American Summer/Spongebob. The shoes you picked are size 7, a-hole.

I know we ix-nayed the funky pants, but previously, you mentioned bush-as-bottoms. I may have found the solution for just 58 dollars that illustrate a line from “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”: my, how your garden grows. 

And when it comes to “funky shirts” I think this Repousse Mec tee is the most I can handle. SOMEONE I KNOW MADE THAT! And I love this sweatshirt. Oh! What if it’s about funky BRA tops? Whatever. I’m done. I’m out of money.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Last question: what should I order for lunch?

The post Should I Buy This? appeared first on Man Repeller.

Today is National Random National Holiday Day!

The cynical part of me can’t help but wonder if #nationalwatermelonday and the various other hashtag-random-holidays — #nationalhotdogday (July 23), #cowappreciationday (July 14), #threadtheneedleday (July 25), etc. — aren’t part of some grand corporate scheme to get us to use Twitter and spend money in the same way that Hallmark created Grandparents Day for the sake of selling folded paper that sings upon opening.

As it stands, however, I love folded paper that sings. A random holiday never ceases to be a joy. And whether or not these days are exploited by we the media, you can’t tell me that you weren’t at least a little bit shocked to find out just how much George Washington, Cleopatra and a horse have in common — something that never would have happened had it not been #nationalipstickday.

But it begs the question: why does no one adequately prepare us for these holidays? Unless you follow World Esoteric Calendars with an eagle-like vengeance, you’re blind-sided with calls to celebrate almost every single day and as such are rendered impossibly unprepared!

For example, I completely missed System Administrator Appreciation Day (July 31). I was never made aware of Walk On Stilts Days (July 27), and wouldn’t you know it, I forgot about July 6’s Take Your Webmaster To Lunch Day.

These are all atrocities. I won’t stand for it — not on stilts nor my own two feet. However, it is not our responsibility to manage these dates. You know who is to blame? DRUG STORE CHAINS.

Yes.

To every CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade and beyond: it is your fault that Man Repeller posted absolutely nothing whatsoever about Don’t Step On a Bee Day.

Literally all I did that day was step on bees!!!

These drug stores have turned us into such Pavlovian dogs when it comes to early holiday preparation (Halloween decorations come out late August, Christmas decorations come out on Halloween) that when the store is empty save for returned Easter ears on final sale, we assume there is nothing imminent to celebrate.

This may even be one more reason we’re convinced summer is “over” on August 1.

So please, for our sake, help us help ourselves be prepared. Do everything you can to alert your local Walmart: we need to be informed that More Herbs, Less Salt Day is coming. Otherwise, we’re doomed. I’m sure of it.

Photographed by Krista Anna Lewis

The post Today is National Random National Holiday Day! appeared first on Man Repeller.

It’s Official: August Is the Best Month Ever

According to my girl at Astrology Zone,  we are well-primed to have the best month ever. Ready? Susan Miller, take it away!

Leo

Happy birthday, Kitty Cat! It’s that time of year again where Susan-as-Rafiki holds you up over the Astrology Zone kingdom and proclaims that everything the light touches is yours. Since it’s your month of womb-exit, I will generously entertain this notion. Especially since you’re kind of passing along the astrological flower crown of favoritism on to Virgos for the next year.

But don’t worry! You’re still Susan’s favorite and the month of August is going to be great. Instead of a cake upon which to make a wish, you’re getting a new moon on August 14th. Thriller really wants you to channel your energy here into thinking about what you WANT, so do it, and don’t waste your wish on a sandwich just because you’re hungry. Think about what you want long term.

Then Susan offers up what is perhaps one of her grosser sentences in a while: “Leo will reach out to Uranus in Aries…almost guarantee[ing] a gaggle of surprises. No matter what you expect to happen, won’t, and…[all that] transpires will be frothy fun.” SUSAN. WHAT IS FROTHY FUN? A foam party? An STD symptom? A drink offered at a bachelorette party?? Whatever — Aug 19 is the day to keep your eye on the fries. Your best day, however, will be August 26 — a date she marks for every sign in the system. It’s gonna manifest differently for everyone, so find your bliss and bask in the glow of that sweet Serengeti light.

Taurus

According to Susan Miller, the number one question she gets asked is about making babies. This seems like a waste of a genie’s wish because you can just google, “How do I make a baby?” However, what you can’t google so well is, “When am I going to fall in not-single?” Good thing that’s what your horoscope is for, and your horoscope says, “Right now.”

Yes, Taurs. This is our time. We are our best selves in August!

August 26 is the luckiest day of the year — for everyone, yes, but remember: this is your cruise. Wear that damn bathrobe to the buffet table. Eat too much ice cream. You’ve got Jupiter and the Sun making out in your house of love, causing this Wednesday to be the moment you meet meet someone new who doesn’t just end up being a fling. Cha ching!

Ever the party girl, the Thriller stresses that we get out a ton this month. The 29th (a Sat) may be the most important party of the year, however — not because Ja Rule may or may not be performing, but because this too could set the scene for love. Note: don’t be afraid to brave it solo. Per the best line Susan has ever written: “…After all, this is a party, not Noah’s Ark”

Pisces

What Susan and I have in common besides 800 other things is our love of a theme. In your case, she takes the aquatic life of Steve Zissou seriously with the following line on romance: “You are capable of swimming to the bottom of the sea of love” (because your sign is a fish, get it?), “and this may be one of those points in your life that love is all you hoped it to be, the kind of love you see in the movies or read about in novels.”

And not that you have to get married, but IF that’s your thing, then you’re going to meet someone (probably on the 26th because that is the DAY) who has a high likelihood of being the one-one, you know? Best for last: your career is taking off, which means you’ll be extra busy. Get ready to flex your John Hancock on some papers involving more money very soon.

Aquarius

Be honest: how much fun did you have on Snapchat being like HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY BLUE MOON? So much fun right? I know because apparently all of my friends on Snapchat are the same sign as you and those who aren’t still used the filter with an arrow pointing to it saying, “Da fuq is this?” Like, READ YOUR HOROSCOPES, NON-AQUAZ, n ud kno. (I wrote that sentence like so just in case you want to tweet it!)

Anywho. August will be one month-long cogitation for you, your main question being: how much longer do I embrace the single life? You’ll get antsy to not necessarily settle down, but attend dinner parties as opposed to after parties and maybe buy some relationship clothes. Though the 26th is lucky for everyone this month, your day to mark is August 11. Jupiter will move to Virgo until September 9, 2016 (it’s the new Brooklyn!), where, according to Suz, you will enter “the finest financial period you have seen so far in life.” Ohhhhh Rihaaaaanaaaaaaaa……

Capricorn

If you’re reading this on August 3, it’s not only not too late, Drake, it’s right on time: Saturn, your ruling planet, will go direct for the first time since its annoying March retrograde. (MUST BE NICE, AM I RIGHT?) Anything that’s felt stuck will finally move forward again. You’re going to feel more productive at work and your creativity will pay off (perhaps literally). Actually, not “perhaps.” Definitely. Susan talks about your August as though it is one big lotto, with the OG of emojis — $$$ — raining down like Vegas chips.

As for love, Susan said two different things: earlier in the month, say yes to first dates but be cautious. (It has to do with Venus in retrograde, and per last month, we’re going to give Venus a break because it never takes a vacation.) However, you may fall in love after the 11th, so, who knows. Here’s a cheesesteak!

Sagittarius

Your sign hasn’t seen Jupiter since 2004, which means Jupiter’s entry into Virgo this month (filling your tenth house of honors, awards and achievements) is like seeing Paris Hilton in your Us Weekly magazine for the first time since…2004. The difference is that it means a major boost in your career.

THEN. The sun will conjunct Jupiter in this same house on the 26th, which means you’re about to become as successful as Beyoncé or Oprah or something and I only offer such hyperboles because Susan’s got me all hopped up on exclamation points. Her words not mine: I am so excited for you, I can barely type!”

But man oh man does she type — mostly a lot of hoo ha about how she doesn’t want you to go on vacation during this time in case you miss “the call,” but like, go on vacation. Just check your voicemail for once. Actually go on vacation now. (How? Fake a migraine or lactose intolerance.) You could meet the love of your life or the like of your night.

Now. Ask me how I’ve gotten through at least 4 other horoscopes besides Leo’s without making a Uranus joke. I LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW. Well. On August 19, Venus will flirt with ye old planet of butts and make a “ highly sexy, sweet vibration.” Because “Uranus is the planet of surprise,” (these horoscopes write themselves) “you may just find an arrow hits you aimed at your heart by Cupid’s little fleet of angels.”

Scorpio

I am curious to know if you feel more proud of your sign than ever before after reading our list of lipstick facts, because one of the tidbits was that Cleopatra had her lipstick made out of carmine beetles, which I can’t exactly be bothered to run through Google image search, but after seeing that movie set in Egypt with the Rock I just sort of ASSUME they look like scorpions, and you’re a scorpio, so. Hey look over there!

Actually, I ask because your sign has had the greatest career success this year above all the others. And since it’s the most astrologically magical month of August our generation has ever seen, your stock is only going to rise (new jobs, new promotions, corner office, full summer Fridays).

NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE. August 26th is everyone’s lucky day this go-around, but for you, it’s the full moon of the 29th that will kick your romance into high gear and enchant the fuck out of you and someone special. However: if you have a crush on someone high-powered in your place of work as Susan Miller predicts, she doesn’t say don’t go for it, but she does advise you to “play it cool.” Can we get Isaac to weigh in here? Reread your HR manual is all I’m saying.

Libra

If you are dating someone then well la-di-da. JK! It means things are going well and only on the track to get better. However, if you’re not, you may meet someone this week since it’s so close to the full moon BUT, because Venus is napping for a bit (let her sleep!) take it slow. Don’t add him or her on every single form of social media just yet.

Now let’s get deep for a moment: Jupiter has bunch of cool shit in store for you regarding your career, but you have to focus, prioritize, and cut off the stuff that you kind of know is holding you back but don’t fully want to admit. Says $uz: “If don’t want to do the work of deleting certain draining relationships or elements of your life, the universe will make the decision for you. Of course, that’s not ideal, for it would be best for you to make the decisions for yourself.” Then she quotes Socrates. Then she says you’re going to have the best year of your life — but in one full year — so if I were I’d put my freakum dress on and spend the rest of the summer getting weird.

Virgo

Virgo, you are about to enter one of the finest years of your life. (Don’t flash this in Club Libra’s face — they have to wait a year for their #bestyearever.) To begin, Jupiter is in your sign and priming you to find THE ONE. Go out, meet people, brush your teeth and, per Susan, “don’t set up too many qualifiers for your ideal mate. You may think you know, but life holds so many surprises.” Ain’t that the damn truth. So you’ve got love blossoming, and then promise of major travel, and then your health is going to improve, your home will be protected AND you’re about to bake more bread than a Panera. That means make money.

Now: don’t waste your lucky day of August 26 sitting on the couch watching the televised lottery. GET ACTIVE! According to Daft Punk and Pharrell, staying up all night helps so drink a cold brew iced coffee right around 8 p.m. OH, and remember how I literally just said Jupiter was priming you for romance? On August 29, say hello to the vibration of love. P.S. Susan used the word moist in your horoscope. I apologize on her behalf and will have a talk with her immediately.

Aries

If your pockets feel heavier today, it could be sand from the weekend so be careful when you do laundry, or, it could be because Saturn finally got the hell out of your financial sector last night which means you’ll be able to start making a dent in any outstanding loans. Talk about a MON(EY)day, am I right? If you’re feeling braindead, it may just be the summer heat. On August 29th you’re going to get the astrological equivalent of Adderall and have a crazy surge of subconscious stimulation. Bonus: it’s all natural. WOO.

Then tomorrow, the 4th, your house of love is going up on a Tuesday. If you’re single, you won’t be much longer. If you’re seeing someone or were seeing someone and then broke up for the summer but have spent all of June and July checking his or her Instagram, now’s the time to get back together. You’ll get another love-boost at the new moon on August 14th. And if you’d rather be single, use the 13th to treat-yo-self to a spa day. It has to do with Uranus not being an ass for once, but do you really need a planetary analysis to convince you to get a massage?

Gemini

If you treated July like Christmas and hit the checkbook with abandon, your spending will calm down this month and you’ll be able to stop having #CerealSundays. In fact, because Jupiter (tied to financial success) is about to meet with Mercury (planet of negotiation, among other things) on August 7th, important deals may go through that cause the good kind of green rain. I mean dollar bills as opposed to acid. AND. August 7th is also a great day for travel. That’s a Friday, so put in your request for a summer dismissal now and get the heck out of dodge.

August 26th is a lucky day for everyone, but for your sign in particular, it revolves around your home. Looking for a new apartment? Check Craigslist today. And be wary of the words “cozy” or bud begs! Speaking of bugs: the 4th is your best bet for romance, but because Venus will still be on vacation with a polite albeit mildly annoying out of office response, accept all first dates, but don’t get rosé-drunk and run off to Vegas just yet. Once again, speaking of bugs.

Cancer

Hey king crab roll with avocado! You’ve got a new moon in Leo on August 14th about to send some sweet money your way that goes great with sushi and good times. On August 4th, even more could pour in — some important deal’s about to go through that will have a positive impact. On the same day, Susan notes this a fun one to spend with friends, making it sound like you may need to get the squad to call in sick on Tuesday. *Cough, cough* Something’s going around.

On August 11, you may learn computer coding, which is perhaps the most random thing Susan Miller has ever predicted. Naturally I had to put it in instead of some important stuff. BUT for other important stuff: Mars is giving you a sexy, radiant glow this first week of August. Get out and use it. Go on the Lena Dunham diet to win free iced teas and jerseys.

August 21st is going to be your cranky day. That’s a Friday, so don’t feel pressured to go out this night — but that’s the only night you’re allowed to stay in. Susan wants your sign out and about for #thebestmonthever, and if you’re really gonna rage: make it on the 29th. The moon is going to be as “big as a pizza pie in the sky,” which means good things for traveling, adventure, disco diving and street dancing. It’s also the considered the culinary North Star: lights will guide you home, and by home, I mean 4 a.m. pizza.

Illustration by Cynthia Merhej

The post It’s Official: August Is the Best Month Ever appeared first on Man Repeller.

London Closets: Bella Freud

Sometimes you see fashion and nothing happens. Other times, if you’re lucky, you get to look at fashion, not just with your eyes but sort of with your mind, and this weird switch flips — you start to think new things and feel a new way. At this point, you have successfully demarcated the thoughtful designers from the ones who just throw and hope something might stick.

Of course, what is most extraordinary about the nuanced but important difference between when you see and when you look is that to a disinterested eye, there may be no disparities at all between the fashion in question. Which is where the designer, with his or her intention, comes in.

And when we’re talking about Bella Freud, of the eponymous ready to wear label that is best known for its whimsically illustrated (by her!) knits and t-shirts, the thoughtful rhetoric she bequeaths to the wearer through her various shades of pinstripe and shapes of blazers are best displayed as a proof of concept when she, the craftsman, wears them. Enjoy a peek through a week of her outfits to ease into your Monday morning. And in case you’re wondering, yes — that Freud.

Monday

Thinking about what to draw in my yellow notebook. I’ve started making men’s jumpers (including the Into This one I’m wearing) because I like the oversize feeling. These Pepe jeans are the most boyish ones I’ve found so far. I am always cold so I end up wearing socks with everything, and these are my precious Céline sandals.

Tuesday

I would happily live in this outfit forever. My favorite things are a schoolboy trouser, a sweater and a velvet sparkle jacket worn with towering wedges from Céline.

Wednesday

Going to Pilates with faithful Joey. I’m wearing my new season “Rockers” t-shirt and “Star” track pants. Always need a jumper for the inevitable wintery summer. Never without my Feiyue sneakers.

Thursday

No outfit is complete without shoe elevation. These sandals are called So Bella, given to me by their creator, my BF Christian Louboutin. The white crepe skirt is 70s Droopy & Browns. On my sweater: the “7 Heures du Matin” in lurex adds a bit of a twinkle and the cashmere is added luxury.

Friday

Vivienne Westwood gave me this shirt and tie after the show we worked on in 1987. I helped develop this print and it is so precious to me. Stripey socks and Céline wedges for my identity fix.

Shop Bella Freud here and here. Follow the designer on Instagram and Twitter, too.

The post London Closets: Bella Freud appeared first on Man Repeller.

Not All Hookups Result in Fireworks

July 4, early 2000-something.

Patriotism was on full public display in my Midwestern college town. Newly single and not happy about it, I lost myself in a parade of sunburnt beer bellies.

I’d been self-medicating with Blue Moons and ice cream sandwiches all day.

“What could be worse than this,” I thought.

Later, my friend Steve dragged my sad ass to the fireworks in an attempt to cheer me up. We rested our heads on a frayed blanket and he offered breakup support throughout the light show.

“You’re better off.”

“Look. A sizzly one.”

“She wasn’t right for you.”

“I love the ones that flash.”

Maybe it was the buzz of alcohol, but the company was good, the finale was grand, and I was starting to feel like a new me. I deserved to have a good time, damn it.

So Steve and I went to the gay bar.

It wasn’t long before July 4th sparks flew. Her name was Wendy. She worked at FedEx and looked like Sheryl Crow. Kind of. Minus the six-string, plus khaki shorts long enough to be a six-year-old’s pants. She was 31 — an older woman! She approached me with Kanye-level confidence.

“Wanna beer?”

Of course I did. She bought me a Bud Light, I ditched Steve, then we played a round of pool. Over clinking balls and loud music, her wingwomen threw rave Wendy reviews:

“Wendy’s the shit.”

“She likes you.”

“She cooks.”

This girl was starting to sound pretty good. My ex didn’t cook.

“She wants to hang out later.”

Bye Steve.

The first red flag was the array of lighthouses. Her place was filled with all sorts of shiny beacons that usually signify you’re at grandma’s or a beach town Bed & Breakfast. There were framed Thomas Kinkade-y “paintings” of lighthouses on the walls. 3D magnets on the fridge. A towering Lego set. Ceramic figurines.

Her apartment looked like Gilligan’s condo once he made it off that darn island.

Maybe I could get past the lighthouse thing. I wonder how she photographed. Could I convince my friends I was dating Sheryl Crow?

We entered her bedroom, and I found out exactly how she photographed. I was greeted with a massive collage of photos of her and…her sister? It had to be her sister. A woman she was clearly very close to.

“That’s my ex,” she said. “We just broke up.” Shit. Not her, too.

I should’ve left then. Instead, we did it. Her ex looked on, a million smiles glued to her million cutout faces. The room was lit by the oscillating beam of a tiny lighthouse nightlight.

Wendy called a few days later. I told her I’d gotten back with my ex. I hadn’t. She said she was thinking of doing the same.

I unwrapped an ice cream sandwich.

Photograph from Jacquemus via Opening Ceremony

The post Not All Hookups Result in Fireworks appeared first on Man Repeller.

MR Round Table: We Need to Talk About Race

Today’s Round Table includes guest Ashley C. Ford — writer, editor, speaker, frequent contributor to Elle and TueNight.com, among a variety of other publications. She’s also currently co-editing the anthology “Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture with her friend and mentor, Roxane Gay.”

Leandra Medine: We’re here to talk about racial inequality and white privilege. This Round Table is spurred by the comments section of an article we published Monday pegged to the Taylor Swift/Nicki Minaj feud, where the commenters voiced that the larger issue — racial inequality in the entertainment industry — was glazed over.

I hate the idea of Man Repeller becoming a place run only by white women and for white women. It’s supposed be a treehouse for all women to come to and feel really, really understood.

Amelia Diamond: Because the author, Margaret Boykin, does not live in New York and can’t be here in person for this conversation, I want to state that her angle was pegged to the articles that stated Taylor was a faux-feminist, and that her point was this: celebrities are performers, not role models, and as such we should not look to them for moral leadership.

But she heard you — we all did — and emailed us immediately upon reading the first comments asking to write a follow up that explored the racially charged side of the debate. She’d do a great job, but we thought this called for a much larger conversation, one that extends beyond Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift and Twitter.

Can we start with the idea of white privilege? What it means, how it relates.

Ashley C. Ford: The first job is just to realize that this is real. I think that’s what a lot of people have a hard time acknowledging the reality of white privilege.

If we are talking about race specifically, if we are talking about people of color or talking about color, it’s about listening to people say, “This is what we need.” And then 1) not assuming that you know better and 2) not dismissing the concerns of women of color.

In feminism, women of color are very often told that they can deal with the race issues later.

When we talk about police brutality, when we talk about Sandra Bland dying in police custody — I believe she is the fourth black woman this month to somehow die in police custody — people do not hear about that; they do not cover it. And a lot of times the people that are not covering it are white women because in one way or another they do not think of it as a real feminist issue. But if women are dying at the hands of the state, that is a feminist issue. Or at least it should be.

So I think people get frustrated. They get frustrated with being dismissed, they get frustrated with the cookie-grabbing that people sometimes do where they talk a big game but then if they mess up or say something that is not right, they say, “But I have a history of saying all these great things about black people or black women.”

And it’s like, “No.” You have to acknowledge that you messed up. It’s sort of like this weird — well it’s this weird thing where they want to be a good person, but they don’t want to do the work of acknowledging what they have done wrong because they think it means they are a bad person, and they can’t separate circumstance and action from character.

Leandra: Do you feel like it ever boils down to a fear of ignorance? I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing a story from the perspective of black woman. I’m wondering if when a white news reporter doesn’t cover a story like Sandra Bland’s, it’s her feeling like, “I can’t touch that because I’m not there. I’m gonna say something wrong or it’s gonna come out the wrong way. My intentions are great. I want to know more about this, but it’s just much easier for me to talk about what I know.”

Ashley: I think I understand that inclination, I just don’t think that it is necessarily an excuse. I also think that it’s really hard to understand because for people of color, especially if you’re a person of color who works in media, or you’re a journalist, you are expected to write about everybody’s stories. Like, if I decided, “I don’t really understand or know the white experience so I’m just not gonna write about white people ever…”

Leandra: Avocado toast.

Ashley: Or avocado toast, then what would I write about? You know what I mean? There is this idea — I think this is a dangerous idea — that the black experience and black women’s experience are more complicated. It’s just different than other people’s experiences.

When we pretend like it’s so complicated that we can’t write about it, or talk to a black woman about it, that’s when it makes us seem foreign or less human. And I know that obviously isn’t always the intention of people, but it does [make us seem less human]. There’s a difference between: you can’t really understand what it is to be a black woman, and, you can’t speak to other people about what’s happening in a black woman’s world. Does that make sense?

Ignoring things throughout history never made them better. We’ve never ignored something so much that it got better. It is only by addressing it that things get better.

Leandra: So here’s my internal conundrum, I grew up not thinking about the difference between black and white. It was just — people. Similar to how I believe the fourth wave of feminism should be the female state of existence — like, no conversation, does that mean it’s better to be in a place where it doesn’t need to come up? Or, are we in the first phase of a chemical peel, where all this stuff is bubbling to the top, and we’re on the road to progression, but we have to deal with all the red acne that’s up on our cheeks?

Ashley: Oh, we’re in a chemical peel. When I was growing up, I was surrounded by black people. My high school, my school system, fluctuated from ninety to ninety-five percent black. My family all lives in the same neighborhood. I was surrounded by blackness. I decided to go to college out of my hometown, which no one had ever done in my family, and I went to a predominately white institution.

What was hard for me was that even though I hadn’t grown up around white people, I knew a ton of stuff about white people. And I knew a lot about their culture just from the media I consumed. Despite being raised in a very, very black environment, I knew a lot about white people.

I mean, there was some stuff I didn’t know. I didn’t know who Fall Out Boy was. And I didn’t who what the word “tool” meant — if someone called someone else a “tool,” that was weird. But for the most part, I knew what was happening.

However, there were kids, or other young women on my floor who flat out told me I was the first black kid they ever had a conversation with. There were girls on my floor who were so confused by things like my hair, or words that I used and the way I spoke and it made me really self conscious. It made me spend a lot of time in my dorm room because I had never been so dissected in my entire life. A lot of those girls grew up not talking about race, not being scared of black people, not having those discussions, but it was completely different for every black person I knew. And really for every person of color I knew. We grew up talking about it all the time, and not necessarily in a bad way. Talking about race did not mean we were sitting around talking about, you know, “hatin’ whitey.” We just talked about it like it was a thing.

I’m so happy that we’re having these conversations now. It’s changing the conversations between me and friends I’ve had my entire life. My best friend was one of maybe four white girls in my class in high school, we’ve been friends since we were fourteen, and there have been conversations that we’re just now having about my experience in the world versus her experience in the world. And it’s because we’re talking about this stuff more in the media.

Leandra: What does that conversation look like?

Ashley: Well, she has a daughter who is black and white. I remember the first time she reached out to me and was like, “Fine, I get it. I don’t know what I’m doing with my daughter’s hair. Can you help me?” And I was like, “Yeah!” But she was embarrassed, and I had no idea that she would be embarrassed to talk to me about something like that.

Police brutality comes up. She is sort of confused because I speak out about police brutality, but half my family are cops. She’s confused about how I can have those two truths. And I’m like, “Because I can’t say all police are doing the right thing just because I know three people who are doing it right. That’s not even how averages work!”

We have to have those conversations.

Leandra: How do we encourage these conversations?

Ashley: By having them even when they make people uncomfortable. And by people getting over themselves.

If we say something offensive, or harmful, we can’t leave it. We immediately take it to, “She said I’m offensive, she’s calling me harmful. She’s saying this is the kind of person I am and I did it on purpose.” When usually, that’s not what people are saying. 90% of the time people are saying, “You did this thing.”

How many times has someone said something or done something crazy, and then later said, You know what, that was terrible, and I’m glad I know now, and I would never say that kind of thing again, and I just want to apologize. And I know that some of you will never fuck with me again, and that’s your choice and that’s okay and I understand why. But understand that that’s not who I am and that’s not who I am going to be.

And at first people might be like, yeah, yeah, another apology, I don’t care. But you’ll notice that this person doesn’t really get marked like the one who fight it and fight it and fight it. Because what they’re fighting for is different than the conversation. What they’re fighting for is their reputation. But the conversation isn’t about their character — it’s about what they did.

Amelia: Something we hear about a lot in fashion and music or entertainment is cultural appropriation. We’ve seen it on the runway, The Kardashians have been called out for it, and I think that this is where white privilege comes in.

I’m from San Francisco, so my city was super diverse, and my school was diverse. Everyone was friends with everyone. I’m not pretending it was some kind of utopia, but I definitely grew up in a place where there was a mix. Hip hop and rap culture was big at my school. It’s what everyone listened to, it influenced the dancing, style of dress — freshman year my friends made fun of me because I didn’t have Jordans. I’ve always had black friends. I’ve always been aware of race and racism, but I also always thought, But I’m cool, right? I can listen to hip hop, rap along, make jokes… I entered the post-college real world thinking, “I get it,” or, “I can be part of this.” But then I realized, maybe not.

Sometimes when you think you’re in on the joke, you are the joke, or you’re not getting the joke. I’ve learned that more and more.

And I think this is where the idea of appropriation can be hard. If it’s blatant, for example — like when Givenchy did a “Chola-inspired” collection — I get it loud and clear. But when it comes to using a word like “bae,” or dressing a certain way…is that always appropriation? Does that word ever go too far, or do people ever get too sensitive? Or is it like, nope, this is exactly where you check your white privilege?

Ashley: I feel — specifically with appropriation — that the problem is not necessarily that people take or borrow from other cultures, it’s the fact that they take from those cultures but don’t contribute to those cultures. So you might have a “Chola-inspired” line for fall, but you don’t have one Latina model on your runway, or you’ve never worked with a Latina model ever before. You have people who are giving white women cornrows who have never hired a black model. Ever. It’s a vampiric relationship when it’s all take, take, take but nothing’s given in return.

So when people get angry about appropriation, a lot of the time it’s not someone saying that you don’t get to be inspired by me, what they’re saying is, you don’t get to be inspired by me and also believe that who I am as a human is not good enough for you.

Amelia: To bring it back to the music industry, I remember Azealia Banks called out Iggy Azalea for loving black culture yet staying silent about the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Ashley: Right, that’s such a big part of the problem. They want to collaborate and say, “We’re all in this together, we’re all the same color when the lights go out.” But when someone gets shot or is being slandered in the press, or it’s more and more evident that black people, not by our own volition, do worse financially, academically, career-wise as far as opportunity — and yes, we do have outliers, Oprah, Barack Obama, those are outliers; the every day black person is not having the same experience as Oprah and Obama — people don’t want to acknowledge that.

There are systems in place designed to oppress black people and people of color, just as much as there are systems in place designed to oppress women. And that’s usually where people, especially women of color, have a hard time with feminism: you’ve seen the patriarchy play out in all these different situations. But then when we tell you that we’re getting it from a racial perspective as well, you’re like, “Well hold on, I’ve never heard of that.” You know? You would hate it if a man said that! If a man was like–

Amelia: Like, “Chill out, you can vote.”

Ashley: Yeah! If a man was like, “You can vote, so, you know, that’s a W — what do you want us to do? What do you want?” But that’s what ends up happening a lot of times between women of color and white women — we end up saying , “This is a problem,” and they put up their hands and go, “What do you want from us?”

Or when they insert themselves into the conversation at a place where it’s just inappropriate, like the Nicki Minaj/Taylor Swift situation. It was inappropriate for her to insert herself there. If Nicki had mentioned Taylor, then that’s a conversation.

It also shows that Taylor doesn’t really understand the dynamics of black women who are celebrities and white women who are celebrities, because no matter how that situation went down, you saw it in headlines immediately: Taylor was the sweet, fan-loving, harmless white girl and Nicki was this terrible, bitter, mean black woman who was going at Taylor, even though Taylor inserted herself into the conversation. I don’t think that Taylor necessarily understood those dynamics, but I bet she does now. That’s a learning process.

Amelia: Going forward, when considering feminism — or any important topic — we will ask, “Where is the rest of the story?” It just always needs to be asked. Even if it’s not on purpose, the silence is heard.

Ashley: Yes. Silence means something. We like to think that when we’re silent, it’s because we’re having a different conversation or whatever, but a lot of times when you’re silent — especially in the situation with [Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj], people saw a white woman pitted against a black woman, the media did that — when you don’t mention it, what people hear in the silence is that you don’t consider this a necessary conversation to have.

Leandra: So what does the next step look like? Do we just continue having these conversations?

Ashley: Yes. You have to just keep having them. Here’s what has to happen:

Women of color have to work on one thing, and that one thing is separating an action from character. Everybody knows what they can handle, don’t get me wrong. But when somebody does something you don’t like, you don’t attach it to who that person is, you let the action be the action. You say, “You said this or you did this, and that made me feel like this.” Or, “That’s racist.” Or, “That’s sexist.” But you don’t say you’re racist. You don’t have to attach one action to someone’s character.

For white women who want to help this situation, there are a few things that need to happen. One is you need to be able to separate the difference between when someone is calling you out on an action versus when someone is calling you something and making a comment on your character. Two different conversations. And you need to be able to tell the difference.

Two, you need to know the difference between being an ally and allying, which are two different things. Being an ally does not mean you are above criticism. As a matter of fact, being an ally means you should welcome criticism. You should welcome to opportunity to do and be better.

And if you work in media, if you write about it, if you talk about it, whatever, consider that your perspective is not the general perspective. Even on a trivial level. If you do an entire thing on summertime hairstyles, for example, and every hairstyle mentioned would only work with straight, long hair and there’s nothing for someone with my kind of hair, that’s a problem. There are about a million tutorials online about what to do with my kind of hair, and if you don’t feel like you’re the person to write that, there are black women writers begging for the opportunity to get their words out on platforms like this. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

Consider that whatever you’re putting out there might — I don’t even want to say it might be offensive to someone else — but that it might be seen differently. Consider the multiple facets of the world and how different people look at what you create. I think that just makes you a better writer and creator, period.

Leandra: I guess there’s only one more question: do you want to write for Man Repeller?

***

We look forward to reading your comments below, welcome further discussion and want to know what you’d like to see more of on Man Repeller. For the inquiring writers: write@manrepeller.com

 Follow Ashley on Twitter, Instagram and visit here website here.

The post MR Round Table: We Need to Talk About Race appeared first on Man Repeller.