Leandra Medine's Blog, page 65

S.O.S. The Outnet’s Clearance Sale Is Really, Really Good

Mmmmmmm do you smell that? It’s the scent of PRE-THANKSGIVING SALE SEASON, MY PRECIOUS SEA MONKEYS. The OUTNET kicked things off today with the launch of their big, huge, gargantuan clearance sale. And unlike that line about falling in love courtesy of The Fault in Our Stars (you know, “like falling asleep–slowly, then all at once” et cetera), sale season hits like a bull in a china shop or a person with a penchant for freestyle dance inside a serious boardroom and by that I mean a) quickly and b) slightly panic-inducing-ly. Because you know there’s something exciting happening but you aren’t quite sure how to strategically handle it.

I, on the other hand, have been preparing for this particular sale for the last 72 hours because not only did I get advance warning it was about to drop, but I also had an uncharacteristically hearty breakfast of eggs-over-medium, bacon, and two slices of buttered toast at my local neighborhood diner this morning, so you could say my head is in the game if the game is discount sleuthing and what do you know, it actually is. Scroll down for a curated selection of the best stuff I bookmarked after combing through all 95 pages of the clearance section (for you–anything).

Dresses for Holiday Parties and Impending Vacations (Real or Hypothetical)

If I had my druthers, I would only wear this lace dress from Christopher Kane for the rest of my days–over jeans and sneakers with a turtleneck layered underneath during the day and with opaque tights and crystal-embellished stilettos at a holiday party. I’m actually attending Austin’s work holiday party later this week and a lace dress is probably too fancy for the occasion, so I’m considering alternative options like this wintry floral gem and this polka-dot mini as inspiration. But even though it’s freezing cold in New York my imagination is fertile enough that I can easily daydream about warm-weather opportunities to wear this bandana-esque silk chiffon maxi dress, this cool cotton poplin dress with a cutout in the back, and this sartorial equivalent of whipped cream.

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Jewelry to Frost Yourself With Posthaste

If you’re confused abut jewelry right now because it’s sweater/hat/scarf season and you’re hard-pressed to discover visible bodily territory, might I suggest some small non-dangly earrings (the better to prevent tangling in the aforementioned scarf, my dear) such as these, these, or these? They’re all under $65. And how gorgina is this necklace and this ring from Aurélie Bidermann?

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You Bet Your BOTTOM Dollar There Are Some Good Pants and Skirts (Get It)

In the market for the perfect pair of high-rise straight-leg jeans? These are $60. Searching for statement trousers? These are made of pink crushed velvet. I repeat: pink crushed velvet. Looking for work pants with a twist? These wool trousers have pretty little flowers embroidered on them. Want a leopard skirt that doesn’t look like everyone else’s leopard skirt? Here you go! Convinced the perfect not-too-casual denim skirt doesn’t exist? Here’s hoping I can prove you wrong. Keen for a wild card option? OKAY!!!!

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Top o’ the Morning to Ya

I’ve been eyeing this Rosie Assoulin crop top for what feels like centuries but in actuality is probably only a few months and that’s the power of a really good garment, let me tell you. Conversely, I only just discovered this striped poplin tunic a few minutes ago and it already has a vice grip on my emotional well-being. Funny how that can happen. Funny, also, that I distinctly remember Leandra linking to this top during a conversation about shopping a while back and now it’s 80% off. Too neat! Are your shoulders getting cold just looking at it? Don’t worry, here’s a fantastic cardigan. Ooooh and HERE is that pink sweater from Ganni that broke the internet a few seasons ago except now it’s $138. When in doubt, though, take a gander at what I consider to be the ultimate preppy wrap sweater situation.

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So Hard to Choose Between These Shoes

Seriously. I can’t decide. If you were me and you were going to buy a pair of shoes, would you go for… suede ballet flats from The Row and that were once $795 and are now $198??? Quilted loafers from Tod’s in a shade of red that is inducing pangs of jealousy for the lipstick I’m currently wearing? Brown suede over-the-knee boots I would probably wear every day this winter? Impractical but insanely fun party mules? Or black satin sandals with a disco ball heel that scream “New Year’s Eve!!!!!” louder than Meredith Blake after seeing a lizard? I’ll be accepting votes in the comment section.

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Coats and Jackets Galore a.k.a. Winter Blankets With Sleeves

I feel pretty tickled at the revelation that coats are basically just blankets with sleeves for human arms. What a concept, truly. And there are so many good ones (blankets with arms, that is) on sale right now. Starting with this very special trench that has a cool drawstring thing happening, followed by a raincoat that dreams are made of (seriously, this sheer blue waterproof fabric looks like it was woven from a literal dream), followed by a cape (!!!!!!) that will convince you of the merit of capes. Oh wait I guess it doesn’t have sleeves but it’s definitely still in the blanket family so can we collectively agree to overlook that? Back to things with sleeves: this quilted jacket with a cute ruffle bib, a striped faux fur jacket worthy of your best going-out look, and a long denim coat born to complete a Canadian tux.

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Did you add anything to your cart? Are you eyeing something else entirely? Tell me!

The post S.O.S. The Outnet’s Clearance Sale Is Really, Really Good appeared first on Man Repeller.

How to Host an Extra-Cozy Friendsgiving

In partnership with Zappos, celebrating their new Cozy Shop.

When I lived with roommates, we established a tradition of having people over for a Friendsgiving dinner right before the actual Thanksgiving holiday. The first time we hosted was, as they say, a “learning experience.” Not only did we spend almost the entire day scrambling to finish up last minute to-dos in a total frenzy, but we also decided to cook a traditional meal entirely by ourselves in our tiny kitchen, despite the fact that none of us had any experience cooking a turkey. On top of that, we spent hours cleaning up and stowing away copious leftovers after our guests had left. Afterward I was so tired I felt like I’d just run a marathon, even though I’ve never run a marathon and I’m sure those who have will attest that mopping up crusted-over gravy is not akin to the experience, but nonetheless, I felt I’d earned a Gatorade sponsorship or something.

The silver lining (and here’s your annual reminder that there always is one) was that our rather harrowing Friendsgiving debut prepared us beautifully for all our subsequent Friendsgivings to follow. We modified a few things the following year in order to achieve our ideal vibe, which is, in a few words, cozy as a bear in July. Not too fussy. Warm and inviting. Super chill and comfy. At this point, I like to think we’ve more or less perfected the art.

My expertise now extends to the perfect Friendsgiving attire, too, and this year it can be found in Zappos’ new Cozy Shop, which boasts a wide array of extremely pettable pieces, from toasty fleece jackets to head-hugging beanies. Scroll below for a veteran’s guide to throwing a cozy feast your friends won’t forget, paired with snug-as-a-bug outfits from Zappos.

The Party “Prep”: No Fuss, Just Candles

Your best friends don’t give two hoots if you fluffed your pillows and polished your sink handles, I assure you. Instead of cleaning your apartment top to bottom, do some (very) light tidying, turn the lights low (the better to hide your tangled cable wires, my dear), and light enough candles to do your sweet sixteenth birthday cake justice. I recommend doing so at least half an hour before guests arrive so the whole space will smell gorgeous by the time they start to trickle in.

The Dress Code: Something Soft

Save high heels and cinched-in party dresses for December–now is the time for cuddling yourself by way of your closet. Tell your friends to wear their coziest ensembles. Suggestions include: fuzzy Birkenstocks with sparkly socks, velvety corduroys, and sweaters moonlighting as scarves. This is your opportunity to prove that “aesthetically pleasing” and “supremely comfortable” are not mutually exclusive.

The New Tradition: Dessert First, Please and Thank You

Much like watching TV late on a weeknight or spending so much time in the bath that your fingers turn into prunes, eating dessert before dinner is a cozy adult privilege that is very much worth indulging in once and awhile. I would recommend asking your friends to bring enough little desserts that you’ll have a real smorgasbord on your hands. Lay everything out on a table, disseminate some forks, and dig in like mom isn’t watching (because she’s not!!!!!!).

The Main Meal: Permission Granted to Order Takeout

If you’re an experienced cook and feel up to the task of meal prepping for a crew, I salute you. But if you, like me, rarely cook more than a scrambled egg, then Friendsgiving dinner is not the time to get ambitious. You have enough to do what with all the hosting and candle lighting. Skip cooking and order takeout–whatever makes you feel cozy, whether that be traditional turkey and stuffing or an extra-large pepperoni pizza. Whatever you decide on, dish it out onto some cute plates and your guests will be just as delighted as if you’d spent all day with a baster in hand.

The After Party: Cozy Couch Time

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do after a cozy and decadent Friendsgiving dinner is “go out.” I’m in the zone! The cozy zone! Why would I interrupt that by prematurely leaving the confines of a warm apartment, while I’m still basking in the sweet sweet thrill of wearing my favorite sweater and eating pie before protein, to venture forth into a cold, loud, sticky bar? No no no, take my advice and revel in the cozy zone for as long as you can. Make your after party a couch party. Drink hot beverages. Tuck your feet under your shins. Do a puzzle. Rest your cheek on your friends’ shoulders. Steep yourself, teabag-style, in the coziness for as long as you can.

Joie sweater


Madewell boots


Echo Design gloves


NYDJ white jeans


Kate Spade hat


Trina Turk turtleneck sweater


Bella Dahl corduroy pants


Vince sweater


Toad&Co striped turtleneck


Sanctuary sweater


LAUREN Ralph Lauren skirt


Falke shiny rib socks


Birkenstock shearling shoe


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What are your tips for stress-free, cozy-as-a-bear-in-July Friendsgiving dinners? I’d love to hear them.

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Photographer: Marley Rizzuti 

Stylist: Harling Ross

Models: Margaret Sohn, Tiffany Leyla, and Yel Rennalls of We Speak Models

Makeup: Jenna Scavone

Hair: Sergio Estrada

Photo Assistant: Erik Rasmussen

Prop Stylist: Andrea C. Parra

Market and Production Assistance: Juliana Salazar

The post How to Host an Extra-Cozy Friendsgiving appeared first on Man Repeller.

I Wore One Outfit for 5 Days and Kept My Cool (Mostly)

When the Man Repeller editorial team approached me to be the guinea pig of a new style challenge in which one person wears the same outfit every day for a week, I froze. My anxiety rolled like a tumbleweed across the desert expanse that is my heart. I had many thoughts: What? Why? Won’t I smell like a bad banana by the end it? How do I style something that isn’t jeans and a sweater six ways ‘til Sunday?

But once I pushed through my rigorous interior monologue, I said yes. I had to. As someone who has worked in fashion for three years and has often fallen prey to the consumption, desire, and immediacy the industry elicits, I’ve been eager to make a change. And with the imperative cultural shift toward sustainable consumption, I’ve been trying to eschew “more” in favor of using my creative toolbox to make what’s old new again. I figured maybe this could help.

So, for the challenge, I chose a cashmere set from NAADAM, a small ethically-minded business dedicated to democratizing cashmere. I’m very lucky to be employed by the kind of bizarre-o brain trust that allows me to wear a cashmere sweat suit to work. But I hope and believe these outfits can be co-opted for myriad situations, including but not limited to: errand-running, dinner parties, visits home, all-day lounging, and for the adventurous, winter nights out.

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Without further ado, below is my joyful, epiphanous journey through five days of ginger-colored cashmere separates:

Day 1: In Which I’m Almost Good Enough for Suri Cruise

I came out of the gate SWINGIN’. This outfit, in hindsight, was my favorite of the week. I knew I wanted to wear a button-down underneath the cardigan, so I opted for a famously good button-down I got from the office closet many moons ago. Inspired by Eliz, I tucked my joggers into a pair of Tibi boots I scored from their online sample sale for a fraction of the price, and topped it off with my favorite coat in my wardrobe: a Bode x B Sides one-of-one jacket I found at an Opening Ceremony sale a few months ago. I admit when I wore all the layers together I felt like a cooked goose, but the layering, colors, and ingenuity of it made me feel like Suri Cruise would maybe say “hi” to me.

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Day 2: In Which I Spilled Not One Red Sauce

This was the easiest of all the outfits! I woke up and thought, I would really like to be cozy today. I shrugged on the Babaà knit cardigan I’ve worn a lot this season, which was a birthday gift, then tied it together–literally–with a handkerchief from Madewell that I’ve worn to the point of abuse. Finished with a loafer? Easy.

Let me just say that I ate a breakfast burrito AND a cup of three bean chili in this outfit. Reader: Did I spill? Not a drip nor a DROP. I often have the great pleasure of wearing my food so I was shaken, not stirred, to come out of today looking pristine.

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Day 3: In Which I Roasted Like a Chestnut on an Open Fire

Since my other outfits hadn’t really played with much color, I wanted to wear something that did. I threw on a Uniqlo turtleneck I’ve had since Leandra’s story about it last year (I bought one in black and one in Robin’s egg blue). I buttoned the cardigan over it and made the finishing touches with an oversized rancher-woman’s jacket I got from a flea market in a mountain town in Colorado, a pair of cow-print clogs I bought to match the one’s I’d seen Eliz wearing from Tory Burch (but make it budget), and a pair of gold Missoma hoops that are my #1 ‘til-death-do-us-part earrings. I loved the way this outfit turned out, though by day three I was starting to really roast like schwarma when I was indoors. I’m not saying I smelled ripe, but I am saying I gave no hugs after 3 p.m.

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Day 4: In Which I Take Style Cues from Abie Cohen

I did noooooot want to wear the set when I woke up. Not because I didn’t still love it! I did. I do. I griped only because I thrive on self-expression through getting dressed and I was starting to feel stifled!

To switch it up, I wore my striped Kule shirt–I cannot overstate the hard work my two Kule shirts do in my wardrobe–and knotted the cardigan across my body. I tucked my joggers into my socks like my baby, Shia, and then put on my Spalwart shoes I’ve had since I saw Abie wearing them over a year ago (No joke. @Leandra.) Added a parachute jacket that I love from sustainable fashion brand Marfa Stance and a pair of, you guessed it, gold Missoma hoops. I stopped feeling my aforementioned feeling once it all came together.

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Day 5: In Which I Stick It to High School Bullies Haha I’m Not Bitter!

Last day!!! I wanted to wear the set in a way that could be construed as “business casual.” I remember buying this J.Crew blazer my junior year of high school for debate season, back when girls would bully me for looking “like a professor” in the hallway. Look at me now, Maddy! I added an uncontroversial flat and tied a scarf around my head to make everything look easy, but thoughtful. When I went home for the day I immediately peeled off the cardigan and the jogger, folded them, kissed them goodnight for at least two weeks and sang them a lullaby.

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By the end of the week, I realized a handful of important things about myself, my style, and my purchasing habits. Perhaps obviously, I noted how the bolder items in my closet that I bought on a whim didn’t work as hard for me compared to the pieces I consider to be staples. Styling one outfit five different ways was a real test of my creativity; in some ways I succeeded (layering dreamily!) and in others I felt I failed (ugh, wrong shoes). I was amazed by the desperation I felt to self-express through different garments that were arguably less comfortable or less interesting, just because I was craving something new.

Ultimately, though, I netted out feeling resourceful and empowered from this experiment. Much like Ruby Redstone, I’m energized by creating something special–even if it’s only special to me–out of what I already own. Not only does it allow me to exercise my agency as a thoughtful consumer, but it proves I’m capable of making something out of whatever I might have available to me. Now I just need to do it more.

Are you ready to dip your toe into the simmering one-outfit-five-days water?

The post I Wore One Outfit for 5 Days and Kept My Cool (Mostly) appeared first on Man Repeller.

3 Ways to Wear Fall’s Biggest Blazer Trend

What goes up must come down, what runs long will inevitably run short, and what becomes billowy will inevitably inch back in the direction of tailored. Such is my one-sentence summary of how fashion’s trend cycles wax and wane like the ficklest moon, and such is an accurate description of why the blazer silhouette du jour has finally started to morph after years of the oversized, double-breasted, borrowed-from-your-dad look’s reign.

This season’s blazer micro-trend favors a fitted, almost hourglass-like nipped shape with no lapels and often only one button. Instead of being borrowed from your dad, it’s borrowed from a sensible, early 20th-century governess, or perhaps a circus ringleader? I honestly don’t know, I’m just listing things that come to mind. Regardless, this distinctive silhouette has been a signature of The Row lately and perhaps that connection is why I’m so enamored? It took some getting used to, I’ll admit, because my brain was scrambled from playing dress-up with a completely different proportions for so long, but I think I’m finally hitting my stride with this whole form-fitting blazer thing. If you’d like to join me, I’ve got three styling ideas waiting down below!

Idea #1: Use It to Dress Up a Sweatsuit

The neat thing about a super tailored blazer is that it will automatically add a heavy dose of put-togethernesss to any outfit, which is particularly handy when what you are wearing is a sweatsuit and sneakers. If you’re going to try this idea out, I recommend picking a sweatsuit in a material that doesn’t have too much heft so you can still easily button your fitted blazer over it. Here, I’m wearing a thin cashmere set from Naadam that, despite its lack of thickness, was so warm I almost panicked while changing into it in our overheated fashion closet, which is proof that it’s perfect for the next polar vortex that undoubtedly lies ahead.

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Idea #2: Encourage It With a Belt

Your tailored blazer wants to adhere to you like a fine wine to your tastebuds or a magnet to your refrigerator or an alien to Pluto, so for this next styling trick I’m suggesting something radical: Give it a hand!!! Belt it! Let it embrace you with aesthetically pleasing vigor! If you choose to do so, obviously the rest of the outfit is yours to play with, but as you can see, I personally opted for a vibe that’s a cross between a royal family’s estranged relative attending a horse race and an American girl doll visiting her grandparents.

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Idea #3: Wear It as a Top

Break out the boob tape! A tailored blazer makes for a v compelling winter going-out top contender, partially because it looks great and partially because it will make you beam in a sea of pensive turtlenecks. It’s especially promising when deployed as a holiday party outfit completer, so long as the holiday party you are attending is one wherein deep Vs are not only tolerated but riotously celebrated. Pair it with silky trousers and glittery heels and you are good to go.

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How do you feel about this new era of blazerdom?

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Photos by Makeda Sandford.

The post 3 Ways to Wear Fall’s Biggest Blazer Trend appeared first on Man Repeller.

The Razr Is Back and I’m Flipping Out

I first heard rumors that Motorola was releasing an updated version of its 2004 Razr a couple months ago, and my initial reaction was the same reaction I’ve seen in everyone else since. First, I was amused. Then a sort of untameable joy washed over me. Finally, I settled into a state that felt like a swirl of nostalgia and curiosity—revisiting a mental flip book of early aughts pop-culture highlights and my own nearly forgotten high-school memories.

In the months between the rumors and the reveal, the latter of which which happened last week in Los Angeles, I became a little obsessed with what the phone might be like. Would it reclaim its place as a fashion accessory as no other phone has been able to do since the iPhone took over? Would it retain its limited functionality, answering a very 2019 desire to be less online? Would ironic pop stars and fashion kids immediately embrace it and Make It a Thing? (Seems possible: Drake’s birthday cake was a flip phone last year—a Motorola Timeport, but still.)

Look. at. her. go!

I now have answers to the first two questions. The design of the new Razr doesn’t play into its Paris Hilton-centric, bedazzled past. Instead, it plays into the future—its most mesmerizing feature being a screen that folds, impossibly, in half. The look of it is decidedly more sexy than kitschy (and at $1,500, it’s certainly not cheap). As for the 2019 desire to be less distracted, as we remember we were in the olden days of 2004? This phone is not about that. With a “quick view” screen on the front and a touchscreen on the inside, it actually sort of functions like an Apple Watch strapped to a smart phone—my guess is that this will lead to less active use but more overall use for most people. So for those who thought the new Motorola might be their way out—it looks like we’ll have to continue policing our own tech addictions after all.

Still, I think there’s one key element of the Razr that appeals to us right now as a culture above all else—and it’s the element that’s been there along. The flip! The snap! The teenager’s pre-fidget-spinner fixation! The proverbial door slam of the tech world, long forgotten and now resurrected. That flipping aspect of the phone, I’d argue, is what goes some way toward giving us the boundaries we crave. With such a tiny action—excitedly whipping it open, conclusively snapping it shut—we get physical evidence of a beginning and end to our being connected. Suddenly, phone use can feel more like an event and less like something we’re passively doing all the time. We are reminded of the potential theatricality, the narrative, of verbal phone communication. The sheer satisfaction of hanging up on someone who deserves it! Sounds a lot more fun that mindlessly scrolling or texting and waiting for a text (or no text) back, if you ask me.

But I’m curious to know: What’s your dream phone like right now? Is it a ghost of phones’ past? Does it do even more than your phone does now? Does this line of questioning make you want to escape to the woods once and for all?

Images via Getty and Motorola.

The post The Razr Is Back and I’m Flipping Out appeared first on Man Repeller.

Skip Dry Cleaning and Wash Your Favorite Sweaters Yourself

“How to Do Anything” is Man Repeller’s how-to service franchise that rave reviews are calling “better than Google” (just kidding—but seriously, it’s like a search engine combined with a metaphorical pal who cuts out the ancillary information to tell you exactly what you need to know, and what’s better than that?).

I never wash my sweaters. Is that fully peanuts? Well, hold on, I actually dry-cleaned one once after wearing it with a tank top in the summertime and sweating through the underarms, but that was obviously a dire and highly mandatory scenario. In general, I tend to wear sweaters with t-shirts or turtlenecks or other tops that soak up the sweat/BO output before it reaches the sweater, therefore precluding me from having to wash them (science!). That’s one reason why I don’t wash my sweaters. The other reason is that I can’t throw them in a washing machine and I’m daunted by the fear of messing them up in a hand-washing situation.

I’ve lived my adult life comfortably inside this potentially delusional bubble until recently, when I found myself in possession of the best airplane sweater of all time. It’s a navy cashmere cardigan from COS, with a straight fit and ribbed trim. I didn’t realize it was the best airplane sweater of all time until I wore it on a flight to California in September and felt like I was being hugged by my mom for the entire duration. It was soooooo cozy and soft and–incidentally–made my joggers look less schleppy than they might have otherwise.

COS Relaxed Cashmere Cardigan


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I wore the best airplane sweater of all time on two subsequent flights after that, which was fine and dandy until the germaphobic angel on my shoulder lost her chill: WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING PUTTING A SWEATER COVERED IN AIRPLANE GERMS x THREE BACK INTO YOUR CLOSET WITH ALL YOUR OTHER CLOTHES LIKE IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL!?

She had a point, and that point became the catalyst that prompted me to learn the proper way to hand-wash a sweater at home. I reached out to my Instagram followers, masters of how to do anything, with a plea for sweater-washing tips, and boy did they deliver. I pooled their answers and devised a protocol based on the most frequently cited advice, with which I successfully washed the best airplane sweater of all time. Was I nervous I would ruin my favorite sweater? Absolutely. Was the method ultimately super easy and relatively foolproof? Yes!!!!! Am I wearing the aforementioned sweater, now perfectly clean, as I type these very words? You betcha. Keep scrolling for the only five-step sweater washing method you’ll ever need.

Step #1: Tub Time

Fill a small tub (or bucket, or basin, or sink, or treasure chest) with enough *cold* water to cover the sweater in question and let it soak. Don’t be shy!! Really get that sucker nice and water-logged.

Step #2: Scrub a Dub Dub

Pour some gentle laundry detergent into the tub and suds up your sweater like it’s a jam-fingered Kindergartener and tomorrow is school picture day.

Step #3: Add Some Salad Dressing (JK)

Just add vinegar–only a little bit, like two tablespoons, and skip the olive oil. Vinegar is basically an all-purpose wunderkind when it comes to at-home laundering, helping with everything from removing stubborn smells to killing germs (airplane and otherwise) to dissolving detergent residue. After your sweater is thoroughly dressed, dump the dirty water out and refill it with clean water as many times as you need to until all the detergent is thoroughly rinsed out.

Step #4: Make Like a Fruit Roll-Up and Squeeze, Baby, Squeeze

After you’re done washing the sweater, lay it flat inside a towel, roll the whole thing up, and squeeeeeeeeeeze as much excess water out as you can.

Step #5: Dry!

Lay your semi-wet sweater out flat on a dry towel and leave it to dry.

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And there you have it! Any other at-home sweater washing tips I’m missing? Tell me in the comments. Ditto for anything and everything you want to learn how to do–I’m all ears, as is this column.

Photos by Cody Guilfoyle. Prop styling by Sara Schipani.

The post Skip Dry Cleaning and Wash Your Favorite Sweaters Yourself  appeared first on Man Repeller.

Leandra on Her Unconventional Path to Writing

In partnership with David Yurman.

If you asked me what I consider the most romantic part of the human body (for some reason no one has yet), I would say without an ounce of equivocation: hands. I would proclaim that eyes aren’t the window to the soul–hands are. They’re the bridge between our thoughts and our actions, our designated vehicle for holding, gesticulating, and expressing, closing the gap between what we’d like to express and what our faces can’t. For those who work with their hands, they’re also a significant means of professional output.

Partnering with luxury jewelry brand David Yurman seemed like the perfect opportunity for Man Repeller to explore the supreme romanticism of hands. After all, David Yurman is a renowned decorator of this particular appendage, offering up all manner of artfully designed and crafted vehicles for sparkle. To that point, we’re publishing a three-part series spotlighting people who express themselves through their hands for a living. First up is none other than our own Leandra Medine Cohen, who examines the trajectory of her career as a writer through this lens while decked out in some of her favorite David Yurman pieces.

On Becoming a Writer (Despite One Small Obstacle)

It wasn’t as conscious as “becoming a professional writer.” I think I have always known that I wanted to express–when I was really young, I gravitated toward what my school called the “Humanities” courses–but never took to fictional writing. It was all the non-fictional stuff (which when I was young meant elementary poetry) that really interested me. Less because of the actual subject matter and more because I wanted a template that I could use to help me learn how to do it myself. When I was in fifth grade I made a poetry book–it was volume 1 of a collection of originals by moi, featuring everything I’d written that year including “Good Brothers Make Good Neighbors” (in the style of Robert Frost) and “For the Love of Making My Bed.” I received an award of excellence from the Persian/Turkish Laura and Mois Medine Times for it, and the Haim, Henry and Mark Journal gave it six thumbs up. FYI.

When I was in high school, I was told I’d never be a good writer, and was placed in a workshop class as such, which I actually totally forgot about until like, right now–for whatever reason, it left me unscathed and I still pursued a liberal arts/journalism degree in college. 

On the Most Delicious and Most Frustrating Parts of Writing 

My mind starts to feel like a blank canvas that is catching specks of paint being thrown at it by other people when I wanted to be the one to paint on it. 

Writing helps me process, and it unlocks dormant thoughts–no matter how determined I am that I know what I want to say when I confront a blank screen, it is incredibly rare that I leave without having learned something either new about myself or my perspective on the world or the topic at hand. What’s frustrating, though, is how the process feels almost exactly like untangling an exorbitant number of wires that have been sitting in a drawer for months. You know the desired outcome–all the wires separated from each other, neatly folding into themselves–but you have to be so patient about getting there. It takes time, and lots of breathing, and recognizing that sometimes you can’t do it all in one shot even though you know exactly what you’re going for. You have to leave the drawer alone and come back to it. I often have to take very deep breaths while I’m writing. My mind starts to feel like a blank canvas that is catching specks of paint being thrown at it by other people when I wanted to be the one to paint on it. 

I bet what other people find frustrating about my writing is the number of faulty metaphors I have to use to get my point across!

On Her Favorite and Least Favorite Things She’s Written

I don’t have a specific favorite thing, but I do have a favorite formula. The most satisfying writing that I lay out always ties the seemingly trivial–like my tendency toward a hot-but-sweet morning beverage in lieu of bitter coffee, to a shared human experience that has perhaps gone unspoken (like, say, the desire to purge a closet because unconsciously, you, too, are after essentialism or sustainability), which then zooms out to tie back to the broader zeitgeist because, surprise! It’s not just you or me. A shared, collective circumstance–phew! At its best, this is all done with a good sense of humor and never reads too earnest.

What’s something I wish I could rewrite? My book! It was published when I was 22, and reflects an experience that is so different from the one I maintain now which I suppose is lovely in some ways–a time capsule for the period during which it was born–but mostly I feel like I was a bratty kid who got a lot of what she wanted really early on, was perched atop a high horse, and was sure she’d be the next Nora Ephron. Maybe the last thing can still be true, but I don’t even think I want that anymore. See what I mean? Maybe I should write another. I don’t know.  

On What It’s Like to Work With Her Haaaaaaands [Insert Jazz Hands]

They say an idea is only as good as your execution and I think that’s true.

I’m often unaware that my hands play one of the most crucial roles in the process of getting thoughts out there. I get so in my head that sometimes I even forget I have a body, like nothing exists other than my mind (this is especially helpful when I’m trying to zoom out and think super broadly). But now that I think of it, I really appreciate this opportunity to consider how lucky I am to have hands to do my work. They say an idea is only as good as your execution and I think that’s true. Without my hands, there is no execution. I mean, there are voice notes and plenty of resources even outside of that, obviously, but letting the sentences linger quietly in my mind then spill out like beans on a table, taking shape as if I had nothing to do with it, is a special kind of sensation that does make me feel more in touch with myself. If not because of the mind-body connection, then definitely because I’m caressing my cheeks with my hands right now. 

I type much faster than I handwrite and my mind moves faster than both actions, but it can be frustrating to wait for my hands to catch up with my mind, even though I will say that handwriting some stuff–like a to-do list–helps me retain the information better.

On Genuinely Helpful Writing Advice

I don’t know who said this, but my favorite writing advice is definitely to write what you want, or need, to read. And the advice I’d give to an aspiring writer, who is after capturing a tone not dissimilar to my own, or more broadly Man Repeller’s, is to imagine that you’re sending an email to your close friend about something that just happened. Good writing conveys clarity in expressing good thinking. In my view, excellent writing does it intimately and with a sense of humor.

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Photos by Sabrina Santiago.

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“I Basically Dress like a Toddler”: Chloe Hill’s Outfit Anatomy

Welcome to Outfit Anatomy, a series of comprehensive style analyses that aim to break down what we wear by answering questions like: How much did that cost? Where did you find that? Why did you buy it in the first place? Up this week is Chloe Hill , a stylist and photographer from New Zealand.

I put on this outfit, an amalgam of all my favorite things, to walk to a Darlinghurst coffee shop in Sydney. I was heading to Milan (I’m a permanent nomad) and knew none of this stuff would make it over. It was the beginning of spring in Australia at the time, which made it easy to wear this trans-seasonal mix of random pieces–the exception being the shoes which I can’t really walk in. But I love them! So I fool myself that one day they might actually be comfortable. They won’t be.

When Miuccia Prada presented Miu Miu’s Fall 2015 collection, I was working at a magazine on a salary pretty darn close to minimum wage. So I mentally added half the collection to my “wish list.” It was for my future self to fulfill once I escaped the grip of print media and had moved on to a career that paid a wage more aligned with my taste. Now I’m a freelancer and not earning much more than I did four years ago, but I’ve taught myself the strategy of stalking people who either earn a lot or don’t work in fashion or just move on to the next trend quickly and thus offload their pieces on second-hand sites, which is where I found this candy-pink coat (on Vestiaire Collective) last year.It was 500 euros, so still a big purchase, and I can’t remember what the original price tag would have been, but I’m sure it must have been four to eight times what I paid.

It’s a real multitasker. The first day I wore it I spilled coffee down the front, which I wiped away with a kitchen cloth, no damage done. It also doubles as a raincoat, and I’ve folded it into my suitcase a hundred times and it comes out creaseless, looking new.

The sweater is from one of Wynn Hamlyn’s first collections. I’m from New Zealand, unofficial land of sheep, where we have seven times as many woolly inhabitants as we do humans. I literally just Googled: ‘sheep to human ratio’ and the results are: There used to be 20 sheep for every person in NZ, now the latest statistics show it has fallen to about seven to one, or 30 million sheep.

Anyway, I have an acute appreciation for wool, and merino in particular is wonderful because it’s breathable in the summer, but super warm and insulating in winter. It’s also naturally antibacterial so you don’t have to wash it very often. It lasts for so long and when you eventually wear it out, it’s biodegradable! Should Woolmark hire me for their marketing or what?

The skirt is Prada, I bought it second-hand the same year it showed, again for a fraction of retail, and it’s served me well the last two years. Approaching my thirties I started thinking I should cut back on wearing mini skirts, but after a week I gave up on that idea.

The bag is by another NZ designer, Georgia Jay, I recently borrowed it for a shoot I was styling. Georgia Jay and her sister Ruby sew these bags by hand from old upholstery fabrics and other cuts they find. I loved it so much I didn’t return it right away and wore it a bunch of times to New Zealand Fashion Week in August. I guess my unprofessionalism and relentless posting paid off—they told me to keep it. Sorry if you felt pressured, Georgia. I guess not so sorry….

As you can see from the photos I use my handbag as an unofficial filing system, stuffing it with receipts and bills until it overflows and I have to action them. I’m a Virgo and, for the most part, rather organized, but you wouldn’t know it from looking inside my handbag.

The $40 Valet Studio clip on my bag is actually a hair clip, which seems obvious, but I put it on the arm of this bag and have not taken it off.

The shoes are Sergio Rossi, and wow, I’m starting to realize my wardrobe is made up of mostly second-hand stuff. These were also found at a consignment store. My fascination with them started when I saw this collection in Galeries Lafayette when I was in Paris a few years ago. I really wanted the short heel version which would have been possible to walk in, but I found these for $216.63 Australian dollars (at full price, they were about 650 euros) and got them thinking I would make it work.

Wearing them with pantyhose looks so cute, but they slip around so when I wear this combo to cocktail parties I basically stand still in one spot the whole night—one time I had to call my partner to carry me down a block to a street where we could get a cab because I kept slipping. Every time I swear I won’t wear them again, but the lure of the crystals is too much to resist and I come crawling back, sometimes literally.

These pantyhose are Stine Goya, I got them as a gift when I was in Copenhagen for CPHFW. I think they felt sorry for me because they asked me to be in their friendship campaign and I had to tell them I had no friends in Copenhagen so I couldn’t take part. In the end, they literally found me a friend which felt a bit like going on a blind date but she was wonderful and we’re still in touch and now I’m thinking the Stine Goya team should expand into friend matchmaking. I feel like I would be friends with anyone who wears Stine Goya anyway, how could I not love someone who wears so much color and print?

I was also given my bracelet at Copenhagen Fashion Week, from a 16-year-old who follows me on Instagram and has her own jewelry brand Hello Yellow Charms. She and her mum and cousin picked me up and took me out for coffee between shows. They’re now my greatest style inspirations and have helped me reach the conclusion that Danes are the nicest people ever. There is such a youthfulness about them, which I also see in myself–I basically dress like a toddler.

Going back to that Miu Miu collection from 2015, Miuccia Prada had something to say about the way she designed that collection that resonated with me and kind of sums up how I get dressed: “I wanted to put things together in a naive way, not caring, always wrong, with that attitude of instinct.” As told to Leandra Medine.

The post “I Basically Dress like a Toddler”: Chloe Hill’s Outfit Anatomy appeared first on Man Repeller.

Jeopardy Isn’t Just a Show, It’s Home

Tonight, Jeopardy will crown the winner of its Tournament of Champions. Everyone knows it will likely be James Holzhauer—or else Emma Boettcher, who in June ended Holzhauer’s 32-game winning streak. The key moment, though, has already come: On Monday’s show, instead of writing an answer to the clue (“In the title of a groundbreaking 1890 exposé of poverty in New York City slums, these three words follow ‘How the’”) semi-finalist Dhruv Gaur wrote “What is We You, Alex!” Host Alex Trebek had just announced his return to treatment for Stage IV pancreatic cancer—a disclosure that sent Twitter into paroxysms of anguish that felt, for once, utterly justifiable.

(The answer: “Other Half Lives.”)

I’m just very grateful I got the opportunity to say what I know everyone was thinking. Sending all the love. #weloveyoualex

— Dhruv Gaur (@dhruvg_) November 12, 2019

Despite its wide international syndication, Jeopardy is one of the U.S.’s rare TV shows, like Saturday Night Live, that is possessed of a rich cultural relevance but fails to translate fully outside our borders, the American equivalent of television Marmite. (I’m writing this in France, where a generation of teenagers grew up with The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.) And while it’s not impossible to stream or download Jeopardy while overseas, there’s something lonely and uncanny about the experience, like accidentally driving past your childhood home. Jeopardy is meant to be watched live, with other people—in my parents’ house in New Jersey, at 7 p.m., on Channel 7, after the dishes are done.

I’ve spent much of the last 10 years outside the U.S., so for me, Jeopardy is home and home is Jeopardy, something—like Thanksgiving and summer nights at baseball games—that cannot be properly replicated away from it. I can (barely) remember watching it with my grandparents at their farm in Pennsylvania, not long after Alex Trebek started hosting. Then I, along with the rest of my generation (and the generation after), grew up with the show. (Please enjoy this argument between Gen Xers, Millennials, and Generation Zs about who loves Jeopardy most.) My family has its own rules for how to watch it—primarily to refrain from saying the easy answers out loud. (“You’re embarrassing yourself,” I’m pretty sure I said to one grandstanding boyfriend, over his first American Christmas.)

Alex Trebek  (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)

Like most things that last, Jeopardy has become ever more valuable over time, along with our connection to Alex Trebek and the values they together represent: excellence, resilience, discretion, collegiality, the worth of knowledge. Those qualities have of course been magnified during a period of American history synonymous with the desecration of our national institutions, as our National Parks are sold for parts and the agencies meant to protect us now idly permit our harm (sample headline: “A Terrifying New Plan to Poison Air, Water, Humans”). Jeopardy—unlike the NFL, television news, or church—is the one place Americans still gather together, or at least simultaneously. It’s no accident that the most public and affecting reconciliation between MAGA America and Black America happened on “Black Jeopardy.” That accord wouldn’t survive the Final Jeopardy category of “Lives That Matter”—but, as Kenan Thompson’s host, Darnell, said, “It was good while it lasted.”

At a time when the baseline national mood is so consistently chaotic, it is hard not to think of what endures and what doesn’t—and to want what is good to stay forever. Of the 35 years my family has watched Jeopardy, my father has had Alzheimer’s disease for the past five. Five years ago, he could have told you how to manufacture allergy medicine. Now, if we are lucky, he will look at dark clouds gathering on the horizon and say something like, “Storm’s coming in,” and we will be grateful, because his mind has allowed him to connect a cause (the clouds) to an effect (the storm). He retains little new information from day to day—but one of the few things to stay with him was the news of Trebek’s initial diagnosis in March. “He doin’ OK?” he would ask, as we settled into our seats for the show and Alex appeared, to introduce the contestants.

“Absolutely,” we said.

“He doin’ OK?” he’d ask the next night.

“Absolutely,” we said.

“He doin’ OK?” he’d ask the next night.

“He’s going to be just fine,” we said.

And then we would watch the show, and my father, who once could have recited the periodic table of elements backward, would stay quiet—except, every once in a while, when an answer came to him, an Alexander Fleming or a Krakatoa. I did not write it down, because there is only so much wonderful/terrible I can stomach, but once this summer, he knew the Final Jeopardy answer when no one else did—not the contestants, not my mother or I. And we said to ourselves: At least something is left, for now.

We have discovered that the milestones of the disease reveal themselves only in retrospect: We did not know that that would be the last family vacation until we returned from it, and my addled father, so worried that we would leave him behind wherever we went next, preemptively packed his old work suitcase with two clock radios, a pack of AA batteries, a landline telephone, and a jumble of cables. We do not know if this will be the last time he climbs the stairs on his own. We do not know if this time is the last time he will remember the dog’s name, or my name, or his own.

I do not know if Krakatoa or Alexander Fleming will be my father’s last Jeopardy answer. I hope it isn’t: I hope tonight, he has an answer that James and Emma do not. I do not know if this will be Alex Trebek’s last Tournament of Champions. I pray my mother and I were right when we assured my father that yes, absolutely, he is going to be fine. If Alzheimer’s has taught me anything, it is that there is relief in not looking forward, not looking back. We are here. Alex is here. We are all of us together, in our way, and what can we do but be thankful for it?

Feature image via Everett Collection. 

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TV & Movie BFFs, Ranked By Believability

Fictional friendships have been the foundation of my actual friendships for as long as I can remember. It’s as if we’re all just living in one big “Which Character Are You” BuzzFeed quiz, constantly assigning each other to the TV or film equivalents of our real selves. Take, for example, how my roommate recently said I was the Carrie-Charlotte to his Samantha-Miranda (I don’t know how I feel about the Carrie part, but I suppose I do literally have a column on this very website). It comes from the same universal impulse of saying “me,” “us,” “mood,” or “same” while watching things. No matter how outlandish and not “me” at all it may be, the relationships we see on the screen have the power to resonate deeply.

While pop culture adores a teenage friendship—there’s so much drama to mine from spiking hormones, how could you not—the media which depicts adult friendships can be formative in ways we don’t always realize, shaping our expectations as often our self-perceptions. This can be both gratifying and disappointing, depending on the show we’re measuring ourselves against. So, in observance of Adult Friendship month at Man Repeller, I’ve put together a list of seven iconic shows and films about this tricky, joyous, awkward, and sometimes devastating arena, ranked from least to most realistic. Okay, here we go.

The Fab Three (and Carrie) of Sex and the City

Perhaps you, like I, envisioned your adult life through the lens of Sex and the City, waiting for the day you’d move to New York City, living a life of high-heeled brunches and designer mimosas. I got the NYC part down, but the weekly brunch part not so much, and the shoe purchases happen far less frequently (and at half price). This is a show I ritualistically watch from beginning to end over and over again, but it’s only made clearer each time that it has a lot of unrealistic portrayals of female friendship (and, well, financial responsibility, among other things). On the topic of friendship here, I really want to know how each of them managed to find so much time for each other—and somehow mostly just each other—while having flourishing, independent careers! And then there is, of course, the big bad Carrie problem (hence my objection at being half-Carrie). She was so frequently self-centered and judgmental about her friends’ lifestyle choices I sometimes can’t believe she was able to keep them around. That said, maybe her friends were able to forgive her in the same way I keep forgiving the show’s shortcomings so that I can continue watching it on a forever loop.

The Last Days of Disco’s Toxic Duo

Whit Stillman’s 1998 film features a female friendship I devour on the screen, making it one of my all-time favorite movies, but in real life would be too toxic to find amusing. The Last Days of Disco is centered on two privileged twenty-something roommates who work in publishing together: Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and Alice (Chloë Sevigny). I tend to be the less domineering presence in most friendships, so I’ve always identified with the shy, soft-spoken Alice—and not least because Charlotte says she’s “such a Scorpio” (fellow Scorp here, as is Sevigny IRL). In an especially jabbing scene, Charlotte, under the guise of giving dating advice, knocks Alice down by telling her, “there’s something of the kindergarten teacher about you.” She also says, “in physical terms I’m a bit cuter.” Wow. Imagine that! It’s not that people like Charlotte aren’t realistic (hopefully you don’t know too many of them), it’s just boggling that Alice doesn’t immediately ghost the party and find a new disco joint. Though hey, she’s young, susceptible, and, as the title suggests, disco clubs were becoming a scarcity. Plus sometimes you gotta shack up with whoever you can in NYC because real estate is a bitch. In a few years’ time, maybe they’ll mature and have a heart to heart and reminisce about the days they used to cut the rug to Chic’s “Everybody Dance.”

Broad City : The BFFs Who Share TMI

The situations in Broad City can get surreally ridiculous, but what feels realistic is the amount of love that exists between this true best friendship. Have I ever smuggled or had a friend smuggle literal shit out of the apartment when a crush is over? Absolutely not. But it’s nice to think that there could be someone in my life who’d get so down and dirty. The TMI boundaries crossed by their friendship is still a bit foreign for me but the would-die-for-each-other-ness makes this show the pinnacle of relationship goals. Sure I’ve never had to help my friend clean the apartment of a grown man pretending to be a baby in an elaborate plot to get Lil Wayne tickets, but when my BFF and I are running around New York being absolutely un-self-consciously silly, it feels a lot like Abbi and Ilana’s unbreakable bond. (I’m probably—no, definitely—an Abbi.)

Set It Off: Literal Ride or Dies

Set It Off heartbreakingly captures how crime can feel like the only way out of a corrupt system, especially if you’re a black woman. Much like Thelma & Louise, this F. Gary Gray film starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise (wow what a squad), is about a literal ride-or-die friendship. The highs are high—no actually, they smoke weed on a rooftop together in one of the film’s most joyous scenes—but then life throws down one roadblock after another, from the unjust murder of a brother to a child being unfairly taken away. All of that builds up to a bank robbery heist, which only gets more complicated when Stony (Pinkett Smith) starts dating a handsome bank manager. Through it all, the four women bolster each other up—systemic oppression will strip them of everything, but not their ride-or-die love for each other.

Girls Trip’s “Flossy Posse”

Aaaand here’s a Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah reunion under much less harrowing circumstances. The set-up is similar, with four women, and there’s even a Set It Off reference in there (Tiffany Haddish says “let’s set it off” on the dance floor and Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah give each other knowing looks), but Malcolm D. Lee’s vision of camaraderie is all about getting buck-wild in New Orleans. The self-proclaimed “Flossy Posse” have been buds for a while, but have naturally drifted apart over the years. One work trip turned girls trip shows how easy it is to throw inhibitions out the window and go back to the way things were in a younger, simpler time. It’s a realistic depiction of what it’s like to meet up with a best friend after many years can almost feel like no time has passed at all. There’s always the wild one pushing others to break out of their shells (and by that I mean zipline over Bourbon Street and piss on everyone) and that fierce protectiveness you have for your girl never really goes away. We all know women have their Hangover moments, too, but few films are willing to show that. Plus, Tiffany Haddish demonstrating the proper use for a grapefruit is not just cinema—it’s true friendship.

The Work Wives of The Bold Type

I love a female-focused New York City TV show (as you may have gathered from my SATC love), and The Bold Type happened to highlight women close to my age in my very industry: the three leads, Kat, Jane, and Sutton, work for a Cosmopolitan-esque magazine called Scarlett. As with any show of this nature, the girls find love, suffer heartbreak, get into sticky professional situations, what have you, but what I found so refreshing about it was that there are so few fights among the friends. They are just genuinely supportive—within believable situations—that mirrors my own friendships with long-time friends. It’s also a great case for how recently-made friends in the workplace can become not just your work wives but…life wives (?). Especially compared to the teen shows I grew up on (like The O.C. or Gossip Girl), in which every episode someone is misunderstanding a situation and putting friends on and off their blacklist, The Bold Type’s boldest move might be that the drama is totally low-key amongst the main trio. (Well maybe except for that ridiculous gun episode, for those who know what I’m talking about.)

Before Frances Ha, There Was Girlfriends

A still-underseen predecessor to Frances Ha, this gem of a movie by Claudia Weill was released in 1978 but has only been getting the canonization treatment over the past few years. If you love Greta Gerwig and everything she represents for awkward millennial adulthood, wait ‘til you meet Melanie Mayron. Girlfriends’s protagonist, Susan (Mayron), finds herself suddenly alone when her BFF-slash-roommate Anne gets married and moves out. Susan and Anne had a boundary-blurring closeness, but with Anne doing the adult thing and settling down, Susan is left to expand her social circle, pursue her artistic career, and become an independent New York woman. Of course none of this comes easily to her—after all, she’s the relatable, bumbling heroine figuring out her life—but the film beautifully comes back to how the two friends can rebuild and redefine their relationship.

Photos via Everett Collection and Getty Images.

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