Leandra Medine's Blog, page 71

Attention Fans of ‘The OC’: ‘Looking for Alaska’ Is Here to Quench Your Thirst

The first episode of Looking for Alaska opens with a car crash—and though it’s been 13 years since the season three finale of The OC, I immediately thought of Marissa Cooper. José González’s “Crosses” (featured during Caleb’s funeral on The OC) is the first song played in this new adaptation of John Green’s book of the same name, and as soon as it hit my ears I became hypnotized by Josh Schwartz’s 2005 nostalgia-bait.

If you watched and loved The OC, you likely regard creator and producer Schwartz as a long lost friend. I started watching Looking for Alaska after hearing that Schwartz was responsible for adapting it into an eight-episode series on Hulu. As a obsessee of The OC and its accompanying soundtrack, the news that the show would feature many of the same artists (and even songs) had me completely sold.

Looking for Alaska is different from The OC in a lot of ways: The series is about the have-nots rather than the haves, Miles (the male protagonist) reads James Joyce and Oscar Wilde instead of comic books, and the show is based at an Alabama boarding school rather than California’s Newport Beach. But the similarities can’t be ignored: The script is delightfully cheesy at moments, Alaska is a beautiful but tortured Marissa-esque character, and much of the plot is centered around the companionship between four core characters.

In fact, while watching this weekend, I noticed a few key scenes that perfectly lock up with my old friends on the west coast. If you haven’t started Looking for Alaska yet, keep an eye out for these nostalgic nods to The OC as you watch. (And rest assured the below doesn’t contain any real spoilers, since I haven’t even finished watching the series yet myself!)

When Miles Sees Alaska for the First Time

Miles first sees Alaska as his parents are driving to drop him off at Culver Creek school. She’s putting something into the boot of her car and turns just in time for him to lock eyes with her through the car’s window. It’s almost shot-for-shot the same as the moment in The OC’s pilot when Sandy is driving Ryan back to Chino and he sees Marissa standing at the end of her driveway. What! A! Scene!

When the Cotillion Ball is Completely Ruined

As a non-American, I don’t actually know how common cotillion balls are or how often they’re ruined by parents or students, but what I do know is that both The OC and Looking for Alaska have standout cotillion scenes. Remember Jimmy getting punched in the face by a client at Marissa’s? I certainly do.

When There’s… a (Potentially) Deadly Car Crash

As I mentioned, Looking for Alaska begins with a car crash. From that scene, the series goes back in time to show you the lead up to that moment—I’m currently on episode four and still don’t know who was in that car or what happened in the lead up to crash. For me, and a lot of The OC fans, the show might as well have ended when Marissa died, making the parallels of these two feel really important.

If you’re just getting started here, I highly suggest kicking these off by watching the trailer below and soaking up the quintessential teen-ness of it all.

The post Attention Fans of ‘The OC’: ‘Looking for Alaska’ Is Here to Quench Your Thirst appeared first on Man Repeller.

Might I Suggest: The Best Turtlenecks (+ Fun Ways to Style Them)

As a team, we’re often fielding fashion-centric quandaries via Twitter, texts, and Instagram DMs, so we figured, why not make it dot-com official? Welcome to Might I Suggest, a column wherein we attempt to solve your most elusive market searches and enduring style challenges. This week, Elizabeth answers a winter fashion query from community member, Jenny:

What do we do when all we have is turtlenecks for the winter? How can we make them exciting?

Jenny Slate recently made a joke on her new Netflix special about how she is “a turtleneck as a person,” which is incidentally a feeling that most of the human population can identify with come January. By the time cold weather is really in full swing, the season’s most logical base layer, i.e. a turtleneck, has become so prevalent in our wardrobe choices that it’s essentially like we become one, which makes it even harder to think of creative ways to wear them. Below are five styling ideas I keep tucked in my turtleneck to make sure things stay interesting all winter long.

#1: Layer Two of a Kind

I remember when I first started at Man Repeller, Leandra layered two of her J.Crew tissue turtlenecks with one color peaking out from under the other and–not to be dramatic–it was life-changing, the perfect hack for adding intrigue to a stale turtle. I suggest taking it one step further by layering with a sheer turtleneck so the other is more visible underneath. I love this one and I suggest wearing it over a J.Crew tissue or jersey turtleneck.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content






[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

#2: Pair With a Dickie

For the uninitiated, a dickie is basically a bib for adults, and makes for an extremely fun winter accessory. I suggest wearing a knit one like this over a turtleneck (knit dickies often have their own neck built in, so the two layers are super cozy). I like playing with the textures of dickie vs. turtleneck, i.e. pairing a ribbed dickie with a thin knit turtleneck or T-shirt turtleneck or a printed dickie (I love this one) with a patterned turtleneck for some intentional clashing.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content






[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

#3: Spread on a Shirt Like Jam 

Two very simple sartorial layers that together create a perfect partnership are not unlike toast and jam, especially since turtlenecks are the ultimate neutral toast and your favorite shirt can act as the ideal jam for jazzing one up. My two shirt-over-turtle styling suggestions are as follows: 1) Button just the top two or three buttons of your shirt so the bottom flares out kind of like beetle wings (this shirt from Everlane is great for this option because it’s nice and boxy, but I also love this ribbed thick one from Uniqlo) or 2) Wear a high-neck shirt (like this) and roll the turtleneck down over the collar of the shirt so that the two become one. A perfect partnership indeed.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content






[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

#4: Garnish the Neck

Wear a couple of chokers to highlight your turtle’s neck. Or! A strand of pearls. Or layers of chains. The world is your oyster and your turtleneck is the pearl. You could also use a looser turtleneck (like this one from Kule) and wear it with longer necklaces, or a tighter, stiffer-necked turtleneck (like this one from Uniqlo) and wear it with a couple of mismatched chokers or collar necklaces. I also suggest wearing bracelets on either wrist if you want to really make this a full-on jewelry MOMENT.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content






[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

#5: Opt for a Dramatic Draping Situation

Wearing a sweater as a scarf is another great way to punch up a turtleneck. Any turtleneck works here, but I love this one from Lands’ End because it’s thin and stretchy. As for the “scarf,” I like using a cardigan so the buttons peak out, however other viable options include this checkered one, this vintage fair isle one, and this striped one. Your grandfather’s closet is always a good bet, too.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content






[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Any additional ideas for making turtlenecks feel consistently exciting? Drop them in the comments.

The post Might I Suggest: The Best Turtlenecks (+ Fun Ways to Style Them) appeared first on Man Repeller.

Fall Office Apropos Is Here—Shaken, With a Twist

It’s my belief that the best way to enjoy the delights of life is to savor them. I pace my way through books I know I could devour in a day, space out viewings of my favorite TV shows instead of bingeing in a single Sunday, and when I buy something new, I’ll often save it for a “special” first wear—even if that’s just dinner with a friend. This is why it thrilled the crap out of me when Leandra suggested we publish our fall edition of Office Apropos over the course of two weeks, instead of in two overwhelming days.

To kick off week #1, Leandra, Crystal, Haley, Eliz, and Patty will share everything they wore last week, one day at a time. And next week, you’ll have a whole new batch. As you nibble through the bite-sized installments of the same Office Apropos you know (and love?), I recommend keeping a snack handy—for metaphor’s sake! Also because I just want the best for you. Anyway: Here’s what everyone wore to work last Monday when the temperature was 61 and partly cloudy.

Leandra

I ran the fuck out of my apartment this morning at 8:15 a.m. to make it uptown for a laser appointment, which wouldn’t normally feel that early and I guess wasn’t given that I’d been up from 6:30 a.m. negotiating with toddlers on the topic of laying horizontally while I attempted to change diapers. (So far the only thing that works to make this happen is giving them a thermometer to play with, but recently it broke and I am shit out of luck.) Anyway, at like, 8 a.m. I realized I had to leave so I went into my closet and defaulted to the newest thing in it, which is this pair of The Row pants. I got them at a sample sale for $140 and envisioned wearing them with New Balance sneakers because I was inspired by the styling on this model on the SSENSE site. I paired it with this Fabiana Pigna top, which was a ~gift~ from the designer (it reminds me of this Khaite one). If I had more time this morning, I’d have included some other element—a turquoise necklace? Earrings of a sort? Maybe a chain to wear around my waist. I’m not exactly sure but I aim to surprise myself and today, I did not do that.

Crystal

I’ve been sick with a cold for what feels like 47 years, so getting dressed in comfy clothes is the name of this here game for the foreseeable future! It’s not really cold enough for hats yet, but my couch says otherwise!!! I also had a bunch of meetings and an event to go to today, so I had to step up my game (read: not wear actual sweats filled with tissues). This outfit was a nice intersection of “put me on a couch, then leave me alone” and “Hi, I’m here to take on the day!”.

Haley

I don’t typically wear skirts and dresses, but I broke form for this Tibi pinafore, which I borrowed from the brand for a wedding even though I didn’t ultimately wear it to the wedding because I wasn’t sure it was nice enough. (I impulse-bought this dress from Baum und Pferdgarten instead, which was maybe the most fun I’ve ever had wearing a dress.) I paired the pinafore with this sweater I got from & Other Stories last winter and a pair of & Other Stories boots I got this fall. Brand alignment accidental. I’ve been wearing these boots a lot already; they check all my boot boxes and I’m interested to see how well they last over the season. I liked this outfit but in the end I kind of wished I were in pants, since all I did today was sit at my computer and type. I tried!

Elizabeth

I wore this exact outfit for approximately seven minutes last week when I was in London, but had to change from shorts to jeans—and then consequently changed the shoes too, because I didn’t like the way the boots looked anymore. It was freezing cold and raining (oh London, you are so damn predictable). This late October day in NYC though, it’s nearing 70 so I can make this work! The boots are my favorite new boots by Aeyde (and they are fine in light precipitation!), the shorts are running shorts, and the sweater is a vintage find from Etsy and is cozy as hell. When untucked, it goes past my knees. I like the silhouette of this outfit and, with no shock to literally anyone, I’m going to wear shorts as long as I can.

Patty

I don’t swap my clothes seasonally but I do re-arrange seasonally. Before I could relegate this floral skirt to the deep back, cheap seats of my closet, it caught my eye and polished off an otherwise classically fall ensemble of knit, jacket, boots. A happy Monday to all! Free your closet from seasons!

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

 

The post Fall Office Apropos Is Here—Shaken, With a Twist appeared first on Man Repeller.

You’re Gonna Wanna Know: What Do Teenagers Do in Their Rooms These Days?

Teen years are almost always spent improvising within the life your parents have provided for you. You may be flirting with independence in some ways, but you’re still limited by things like curfews, needing rides, or not having much money of your own. The teen bedroom, however, is a mythic space of autonomy and privacy. (Well, sometimes.) And what teens choose to do with their—and what they choose to do while they’re in them—reveals a lot about who they are or, just as often, who they’d like to be.

So, what’s going on in the bedrooms of twenty-nine-teens? I asked a bunch of them to tell me about their relationships to their rooms. Here’s what they had to say.

Bedroom inspiration from Elsbeth, 17, Wellington, NZ. (Vintage 1970’s Burlington House sheets advertisement.)
What Three Hours Alone in Their Room Looks Like

“I’m definitely listening to music, probably drawing for some of it, probably cleaning up, and re-organizing my room to feel more productive, maybe opening a window and lighting a candle.” —Noa, 19, New York

“Embroidering and watching SVU.” —Alice, 18, Minneapolis

“Lying on my belly watching Bill Hader edits or something. YouTube’s been all about the edits lately.” —Sloka, 19, Kolkata

“Three hours in my room looks like a tornado has just hit. I procrastinate by trying on all of my clothes, and my father’s clothes, and my sister’s clothes. So, after three hours, there will be a huge heap of clothes from various decades on my bed, and my homework is everywhere.” —Jane, 18, Toronto

“Reading, TikTok, and homework.” —Sophie, 14, Greenwich, CT

“Listening to music, reading, folding laundry (which I find oddly soothing), playing with my cats even though I’m allergic, and rewatching Fleabag.” —Anna, 18, Boston

“Three hours during the day is definitely too much time for me to spend in my room. I get bored, and lose motivation to do something.” —Weronika, 19, London

“Chinese green tea and learning the dance to HAIM’s ‘If I Could Change Your Mind’ music video.” —Yawynne, 19, Auckland

“Three hours alone in my room consists of a LOT of dancing, putting on different outfits, stalking my current celebrity crush, and writing in my journal. I write about the craziest stuff. Sometimes they’re stories that I just make up and sometimes it’s my plans to take over the world and be a CEO.” —Abbie, 19, Atlanta

“Homework, procrastinating, drawing, watching Netflix, falling asleep by accident.” —Laura, 17, Rochester, NY

When Their Room Is Most Important
Bedrooms inspiration from Ryan, 17, Los Angeles. (An artwork of Christopher Chiappa at Kate Werbel Gallery. Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.)

“My favorite time to be in my room is Sunday afternoon. Being in class all day during the week, I usually miss the gorgeous afternoon light that comes through the tree outside my window, but on the weekends I get to appreciate it.” —Leah, 19, NYC/Montreal

“I spend the most time in my room when I’m feeling sad or other emotions that I feel can’t be expressed in public. My room is my safe space where I can let all my emotions out.” —Jane, 18, Toronto

“Coming back from school in the afternoon. Feeling lazy and tired after a long day and knowing that your bed is right there is the best feeling.” —Ines, 17, Madrid

“I am the biggest fan of a lazy morning. The time of day I’m most in my room is late morning when the sun is streaming through the cracks in my blinds, and I can hear everyone else up, but continue to drift in and out of sleep.” —Alice, 18, Sydney

“When I am angry, sad, or lonely, my room is my cave of processing. My room also inspires emotions. On the rare day when I can sleep in, watching sunlight stream through my three windows and cover all of my belongings feels like a privilege. I am so incredibly lucky to have walls around me, a floor below me, my own room, electricity, belongings, clothes, safety, and so much more.” —Maya, 17, Branford, CT

“My room is where I like to go to decompress from my day. It’s very comforting and cozy at night, and my favorite place to do homework, watch movies, or just cry, lol. I like going in my room when I feel upset.” —Isabella, 16, New York

Bedroom inspiration from Cassie, 16, Atlanta. (80s Postmodern interior.)
What They Want Their Rooms to Say About Them

“That I’m organized but creative and happy. And that I have my shit together.” —Noa, 19, New York

“My room should say, ‘She’s chill, but gets shit done. She’s lighthearted but has killer taste. She’s warm and relaxed but if you cross her, she can rip you apart without breaking a nail.’” —Karishma, 19, Bangalore

“I want my room to say out loud ‘SOMEONE HERE IS TRYING TO GROW UP AND DREAM BIG.’” —Ines, 17, Madrid

“I’ve honestly thought about this a lot. I watch a lot of true crime shows, so I keep asking myself if I want my room to hold enough evidence to convict a suspect, or if I want to treat it like a hotel room, because why would you want your entire life to be reduced to four walls and a tacky color? I’m kinda failing at the latter.” —Sloka, 19, Kolkata

“My room is like my brain: some days it’s clean and tidy, other days it looks (and feels) horrendous. I think a lot of teens can relate to this.” —Maggie, 18, Cincinnati

“I want my room to say that my friends are funny, funky, and honest. That’s why I have pictures of our best times together around my ‘vanity’ area. As for my parents, I just want my room to say that they care about me and I care about them.” —Angelica, 18, San Diego

“I’m okay, Mum!” —Ella, 17, Cornwall, UK

“An aesthetically pleasing environment isn’t a joke for me, but an actual factor when it comes to my wellbeing. It should say that I want to live in a Northern-Italian villa, or in Paris, or basically anywhere beautiful someday.” —Siiri, 14, Helsinki

“My room is basically an expression of my most witchy aspects: it’s full of crystals, plants, books, candles and essential oils. Basically it gives out the message that if you mess with me, I WILL curse you.” —Christina, 18, Beirut

Bedroom inspiration from Daniela, 17, Ipswich. (Cover of the book Masterworks of Art Nouveau Stained Glass by Arnold Lyongrun and M. J. Gradl.)
The Bedroom Invention They Wish Existed

“A speaker that plays the exact song I need in the moment. I always spend forever looking for the right playlist but sometimes I wish it would come to me sooner.” —Noa, 19, New York

“I want one of those ceiling sliding doors with a metal ladder attached like the one Mia has in The Princess Diaries.” —Alice, 18, Minneapolis

“A dresser that can hold as much clothing as I want, and it can still close and look neat. I don’t think my jean drawer has ever fully closed before.” —Claire, 19, Toronto

“Sheets that change temperature depending on what your body needs, for people like me who suffer from cold feet.” —Clara, 19, Buenos Aires

“Does a pet translator count? I would love to speak to my cat.” —Cassie, 16, Atlanta

“A grandfather clock that is just big enough so that I could climb inside and read or do homework.” —Jaden, 14, New York

“I think I’d have a ceiling that I can switch to glass so I can see outdoors.” —Elena, 17, London

“My creation is a fully realistic and responsive 3D image of myself that will fool my parents if they attempt to check on me in the middle of the night. I love my parents, but sometimes a girl’s gotta have a 3 a.m. adventure, no questions asked.” —Isabel, 19, Houston

“A poster that I can change based on what film, musical artist, or movement I am loving in that moment. I would LOVE to always have a massive poster of whatever is making me feel so many exhilarating feelings at that time.” —Aimee, 17, Auckland

“Definitely a candle that automatically lights when I’m in the room and changes its scent based on my mood, or the weather and season!” —Alyssa, 19, Fullerton, CA

“A well-disguised snack fridge that matches my bed frame and dresser!” —Isabella, 16, New York

“A blanket that feels like it hugs you.” —Kelly, 17, Madison, NJ

“I would invent a chair that doubles as a robot and could fold clothes as soon as they were tossed onto it, then put them back in their proper place. At least once a month, I have to clean off the chair in the corner of my room.” —Esmé, 18, Pittsburgh

“You know the wardrobe-computer from Clueless? That, but for books.” —Lisa, 19, Uppsala, Sweden

“I dream of having Cher Horowitz’s closet!” —Carla, 15, Montreal

“Um, maybe a Clueless closet. Okay, definitely a Clueless closet.” —Grace, 17, Melbourne

Ask A Teen identity by Coco Lashar. 

The post You’re Gonna Wanna Know: What Do Teenagers Do in Their Rooms These Days? appeared first on Man Repeller.

Celeb Look of the Week: The Briefest Glimpse of Ashley Olsen

It takes a very rare cocktail of a celebrity to make major headlines with approximately 1/3rd of a dress in a paparazzi shot. In this case, Ashley Olsen is a Diamond Jubilee Johnny Walker on the rocks a.k.a. A VERY EXPENSIVE DRINK because she did exactly that with one paparazzi photo of her backside.

Olsen recently arrived to Jennifer Lawrence’s nuptials in Rhode Island wearing a giant Marc Jacobs FW19 black tulle ball gown spangled in sequins. In the photo that has been circulating, you can’t even see the straight neckline, fitted bodice, and enormous sleeves shown on the runway, but you can imagine that Ashley looks like a layered black forest cake. It is so unusual a sight that it is worthy of sounding an alarm. Tulle? Sequins? For she who weareth and sweareth by a severe code of minimalism?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by olsen oracle (@olsenoracle) on Oct 20, 2019 at 6:01am PDT

There are entire accounts dedicated to spying on the elusive Olsen twins: always sunglass-ed, always robed in dark layers of their co-owned designer brand The Row. Cigarettes are somehow everywhere, coffee cups are seemingly always welded to their hands. They very rarely show their faces at functions outside of the The Met Gala or CFDA award circuit. Otherwise, no dice. Catch them on a smoke break or NEVER, friend.

Just this Tuesday I visited The Row’s SS20 showroom where I looked at garments on hangers that were so cool in such a minimal way that it made my eyes spin like eggbeaters. When I dared to touch them, I was fully transported to clothing nirvana. The garments were made of thick, stocky fabrics sewn together with great attention to detail and shape.

Contextualizing this moment against Ashley’s big frou-frou Marc Jacobs moment, which I witnessed multiple times on Instagram the next day–pinching and zooming so I could get a sense of what the hell I was actually looking at–was so confusing… and exciting. It makes me happy to know that even the most minimal of minimalists needs to bust out some giant balloon sleeves and sequin-embellished tulle on occasion, even if it’s still in the tune of a muted black.

Thoughts on the elusive designer’s big Marc Jacobs moment? Disappointed she didn’t stay true to her #brand? Meet me in the comments, coffee in hand.

Photos via Getty and Vogue Runway.

The post Celeb Look of the Week: The Briefest Glimpse of Ashley Olsen appeared first on Man Repeller.

Is Anyone Else Fangirling Over the “Office Ladies” Podcast?

My fiancé and I fought incessantly when we were dating in high school, but no matter how heated our arguments got, we always put them aside on Thursday nights to watch the newest episode of The Office. It would not be an exaggeration to call me a superfan of the show, and because I associate watching it with such a tender, hormone-addled time in my life, the nostalgia of rewatching it from time to time is particularly acute. The characters feel akin to friends, which is why, when a couple of those friends made a podcast for superfans like me, I plugged in my headphones and listened immediately.

The “friends” in question are Pam Beesley and Angela Martin, a.k.a. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, and the podcast is called “Office Ladies.” Though I’m not actually friends with them IRL (sorry, was that implied?), the two of them are friends with each other IRL, and that’s how the podcast came to be. When the duo released a 19-second teaser in September, it became the No. 1 podcast on the Apple charts by THAT SAME EVENING. Needless to say, there was much hype when the first full episode dropped last Wednesday, and I was relieved to discover the hype was merited.

Consider this a PSA for my fellow Office fanatics: The podcast is dorky, a little disorganized, and humorous in a niche way. In other words, it’s pretty much perfect–scratching many of the same itches as the show that inspired it but (and this is crucial) without trying to replace it or improve upon it, which is conceivably what a reboot might have attempted. It’s new content that doesn’t piggyback so much as it enhances, contributing additional color and context to one of the most beloved television series of all time.

Highlights include: nerdy banter between Angela and Jenna, numerous fun facts that only someone who worked on the show would know (like that every actor was required to spend 30 minutes sitting at their “desk” in the morning before filming just to get in the right mindset), a shared degree of over-enthusiasm (they were so nervous about recording the first episode that they admitted to turning off the mic at one point and dancing around the room to calm down), and an opportunity to re-consume a body of entertainment in a completely fresh way.

If you’re a fellow fan of the show, have you listened to this podcast yet? If so, can we dweeb out about it together in the comments? TYSM.

Feature photos via NBC and Getty Images.

The post Is Anyone Else Fangirling Over the “Office Ladies” Podcast? appeared first on Man Repeller.

7 People on the Trials and Tribulations of Copying Celebrity Hairstyles

Last week, much to the delight of Team MR and the rest of the world, Jennifer Aniston finally joined Instagram—so we’ve definitely had “The Rachel” on the brain more than usual. Today we’re republishing this story from November 2017 in which seven people reflect on their decision to copy a celebrity’s hairstyle—featuring, of course, Jennifer Aniston’s mane.

More than a decade has passed since the final season of Friends, and people are still imitating “The Rachel,” Jennifer Aniston’s equal parts famous and infamous layered lob. Just a few months ago, Bella Hadid debuted what numerous publications referred to as “The Rachel 2.0,” and she’s not the only A-lister to pay homage. It is still one of the most widely-cited celebrity hairstyles of all time.

Falling in love with a celebrity hairstyle and copying it is a time-honored concept. I’ve been ripping out photos from magazines and bringing them into salons since the age of 13 when I decided I wanted long layers with side-swept short pieces in the front like Jennifer Love Hewitt. More recently, I showed my colorist a screenshot of this Instagram posted by Frederikke Sofie for highlights inspiration.

There’s something uniquely satisfying about “trying on” a specific look that’s been pre-vetted by someone whose job it is to experiment with different styles. It’s a risk, but a fun one, because whatever you do, it will grow out eventually.

To tap into that satisfaction and multiply it for my own (and hopefully your own) enjoyment, I asked seven people who copied famous hairstyles to share their experiences — and photos, obviously. Keep scrolling for the best collection of side-by-sides I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Stephanie copied Meg Ryan’s 90s shag

“In my early teen years, I was fully hypnotized by the siren song of trendiness. When Meg Ryan’s iconic 90s shag cut trickled down to the likes of Mary-Kate Olsen, I, too, had to have it. The intensity of my passionate love for it was rivaled only by the actual flips of hair that framed my face. I kept it for so many years, leaning into the fact that it wasn’t a 100% accurate copy, because I felt like I was ‘making it my own.’ While it’s easy to look back and cringe, I’ll always envy the confidence of my 15-year-old self — a person who made truly unique style choices with the conviction that they were iconic, and the belief that, one day, I would be too.”

Agnes copied Jennifer Lopez’s curly bob

“I used to have really long, waist-length, naturally curly hair and always wore it in a bun or ponytail, but I started to crave something different —  a signature style. I was intrigued by the idea of cutting it into a curly bob after seeing a few fashion enthusiasts and celebs do so (namely J. Lo circa 1996). I was a bit scared to get a really short haircut because I was afraid my hair would shrink up too much like a fluffy pom pom, but I convinced myself to just go for it.

After figuring out how to style it, I loved it, and I’ve kept the short cut for the last three years. It has become a special part of how I see myself, especially as I’ve learned to embrace my natural curls more and stop straightening them altogether. I recently decided to grow out my hair again so I can donate it to cancer patients. I’ll cut it all off early next year, then I plan on sporting this curly bob for the rest of my life.”

JR copied Julius Caesar

“I was watching a documentary on The History Channel about Ancient Rome, and the actor playing Julius Caesar had a very interesting haircut which I found very chic. I wanted to bring my barber a photo of the actor with the haircut but couldn’t find one, so I just used one of the real Julius Caesar!

I’ve always worn my hair swept away from my face, so I thought the Caesar fringe cut would be a great way to try something new. I ended up loving the haircut and kept it for awhile until I eventually shaved my head. I’m now in the process of growing my hair back out so I can do the Caesar cut again.”

Alexis copied Zooey Deschanel’s heavy bangs

“Zooey Deschanel is the best friend I’ve always wanted but never had, because I’m far too vanilla for her taste. In all her acting roles, she conveys a sense of effervescent charm that is simultaneously chill but also inviting. Given that we have similar coloring, I thought I might borrow a bit of her charisma by copying her hair (a naive thought, I know, but I’m an optimist). I always thought of heavy bangs as a major statement — an indirect way of saying, ‘I’ve cut my hair this way to invite you to look directly into my eyes, and I’m not ashamed of it.’ That idea appealed to me, particularly since I’m not the type of person to overtly seek attention.

I loved the style on me at first. My hair was no longer a boring afterthought, and I also felt a tiny bit edgy, which sparked some unexpected sartorial inspiration. The novelty wore off after a few months, however, when I realized my propensity for forehead sweating. That, coupled with an unfortunate cowlick, meant the sleek bangs I left home with in the morning usually turned into a stringy mess by the end of the day. No amount of dry shampoo could tame them.

So I grew them out. As much as I loved them initially, and as much as I still love them on Zooey, they just didn’t work for my hair type or lifestyle. I’ve since opted for side bangs, which present their own set of challenges but are far more manageable. When executed properly, they draw attention to my eyes — a major godsend when you want to distract from crumbs on your face or coffee stains on your pants.”

Emmanuel copied Beyoncé’s braids

“I copied Beyoncé’s braids because I wanted a festive hairstyle for the holidays, and I loved how they look on her: dramatic but feminine at the same time. The braids were really heavy when I got them, and it took me a few days to adjust to not being able to feel my scalp. Once I got used to it, I started experimenting with how I wore my hair (different partings, half up, in a bun, etc.). I really liked how the braids complemented my features, but more importantly, I liked how they made me feel on the inside: empowered and strong. It’s amazing how hair can have that kind of effect. I kept them for three months.”

Kiri copied Agyness Deyn’s bleach blonde pixie cut

“I was 14 at the time, and I was growing out my hair from a short crop, and it was on the cusp of entering a very awkward growth stage. I remember discovering Agyness on Tumblr and coveting her carefree, messy and edgy pixie. I was due for a haircut anyways, so I asked my dad if I could bleach my hair like hers, too.

The actual day that I got it done is probably the best it ever looked, since I was and still am hugely averse to putting a ton of effort into my hair. After I came home, it never really looked like Agyness’ again since I didn’t know how to style it and I had no knowledge of toners or shampoos that helped manage brassy tones.

Being too apathetic to put effort into your hair is a problem if you’re trying to maintain a bleach job, let alone a cute pixie cut. I never got my roots touched up, and I rarely styled it, so it ended up growing out into a classic bowl cut. The color was a mix of bleach blonde and my natural hair color, layered kind of like candy corn. It actually had a nice ombre effect once fully grown out, but I don’t think the cut and color itself worked for me at the time.”

Stephanie copied “The Rachel”

“I decided to copy ‘The Rachel’ because my grown out lob needed a revamp and I wanted to try a hairstyle that framed my face. At first, I was scared it might not work on me for two reasons: 1) My hair is naturally flat and 2) I would look like a little girl. The results were surprisingly good; although my hair remained somewhat flat, the shorter pieces framing my face gave it more life. Most importantly I didn’t look like a little girl, or at least I don’t think I did. I thought I looked fun and quirky.

Best of all, ‘The Rachel’ cut made my hair look put-together without much effort on my part. I’ve decided to keep the style and even started integrating some of Rachel’s classic accessories, like the barrette in this photo.”

Okay! Your turn. Gather whatever celebrity head shots you’ve personally presented to hairstylists in the name of inspo, and deposit them below. Extra points if you include the “after” photo.

Feature image by Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images. Photos via contributors and Getty Images. 

The post 7 People on the Trials and Tribulations of Copying Celebrity Hairstyles appeared first on Man Repeller.

Meet a Legally Blind Magician Who Got His Start Performing on NYC Subways

Lately, I have been thinking about hope—about the way in which our human experiences are either derivative of hope or fear. A couple months ago, my friend Nancy introduced me to Justin Sight, a legally blind magician from Poland who lives in New York and specializes in “closeup magic that leads to greater understanding.” I’ve always been fascinated by magicians because of the observer’s reaction to them. You can always tell whether they’re driven by hope or something else depending on whether they try to outsmart the magician, or downright reject them. Those who surrender on the other hand, who choose to believe and bask in the revelry, they might know it’s not real, but don’t care either way. Magic is a choice. And as soon as you begin to see it, you also get to live it. Below, an intimate look behind the curtain of a magician’s day in the life.

Magic has the potential to open you up to a greater sense of the magic that is already here. The art of magic is a direct means of challenging one’s beliefs and perceptions about reality. The metaphor I like to use is that it throws a wrench into the cogs of everyday perception. The mind stops for a second and it doesn’t know what to do with the new data, because it goes against everything you’ve been conditioned to perceive. This then offers the opportunity to open you up to something unknown. And when you’re in that state, life has this magical tone to it, I have found.

Justin Sight is my stage name and I’m a magician.

Becoming a Magician

I’m from Poland, but moved here when I was 6: it’s very much an immigrant story. My mom lived in Greenpoint in the 80s, but when she went back to Poland, she saw a big economic disparity. It just wasn’t as easy to, I guess, make ends meet in Poland. The opportunities just weren’t there. She wanted my brother and I to have opportunities, a better life, and Poland wasn’t cutting the cheese, if that’s an expression.

I was turned on to magic when I was 10. I saw it on TV, in a special called World’s Greatest Magic. I watched a marathon of magicians from all over the world doing both stage and closeup magic. As a kid, I had this tendency to go full-in if something excited me and magic was one of those things, so I started learning as much as possible. I am legally blind. I have a condition called Stargardt macular degeneration. It’s a condition that is more common among the elderly. The cells die in the center of the retina and you can’t drive, glasses don’t help–I’ve always been very reserved, very quiet, but doing magic early on helped me connect with people in a way I wasn’t before. It opened this new dimension of social interaction and that probably kept me at it more.

It became my career about 6 years ago after I started performing on New York subways.

Blind Hope and the Pursuit of Independence

After graduating high school, I didn’t want to live with my mom anymore, I wanted to be independent but getting a job was difficult, even entry-level jobs, I just could not see well enough to do most of them. But I did get help from the state’s services for the blind, and I was hooked up with certain jobs—I did door-to-door sales. They would hire anyone for that. I hated the job but it did force me to confront my fear of talking to strangers. Then I did janitorial work at a warehouse where all employees were either mentally handicapped or something else.

In that job, I was suddenly immersed in an environment that forced me to recognize my own judgments. To be able to work with people in a way that was egoless, to be present with them—I mean it’s indicative of society that everyone just gets tossed into this warehouse shut away from society and I did feel that I wasn’t part of society. Like I was tucked away into a corner.

Neither of these jobs helped me become more independent. And then finally I got a job in Norwalk, Connecticut as a doorman at a hospital and during that time I really started to gain independence. I lived in the hospital’s housing on my own, and there was a Metro-North train that went into Manhattan. One day I decided to just go into Manhattan and find a meditation group. Then I started making routine trips to the city and that’s when I really saw the opportunity to pursue magic.

When you’re able to tune into something that you’re “meant to do,” it resonates on a soul level. And once you start taking action, the right people and circumstances come into your life.

It was a very energetic, profound experience. I was like, This is it. I had never felt that energy outside of Manhattan—being here made me think I could actually be a magician. For a while, I would just ride in and say, Today I’m going to perform, but I wouldn’t, I was too afraid. Then my hours got cut at the job I had in Connecticut and this put me in a position where now if I wanted to maintain independence, I had to make extra money. So I had an incentive to start street performing. I’d always wanted to do it, but I was afraid of being judged, of going out and being seen as a bum or something. I came in for three weekends in a row and I couldn’t do it. I was too afraid until finally….

I was at Washington Square Park, this was in October, and the sun was setting. It was cold and I just did it. No one came up to me at all but I was so happy performing, I got this energetic sense again—This is the right thing to be doing. Even just being there for 15 minutes, having no one come up to me—it gave me the confidence to come back the next weekend and set up at Great Central Station. On that day, a ton of people came up.

And that’s when the snowball started, all these synchronistic events unfolded.

I think a lot of people can testify to this, and it does seem to be the way the universe works, when you’re able to tune into something that you’re “meant to do,” that’s something that resonates on a soul level. And once you start taking action on that, the right people come into your life. The right circumstances come into your life. And that’s exactly what happened, it was nothing short of magical.

“Oh, You’re a Magician–Pull a Rabbit Out of a Hat!”

There are a lot of different stereotypes and perceptions about magic that people come with. So, a lot of times people are like, “Oh, you’re here to trick me. You’re here to take advantage of me.” Or they come at you and they’re like, “Oh, you’re a magician. You’re going to pull a rabbit out of a hat.” So there’s this diminishment factor that comes into it and without a doubt, I’ve had experiences where I feel diminished, my ego feels diminished by that. And then there’s a sense of wanting to defend, and then there’s this anger that comes through and the magic stops.

Losing the Magic and Then Finding It

Shortly after pursuing magic full time, I fell into a rut. I thought, Okay, I’ve got to make it. I’ve got to work hard and I got to get noticed. I got to get recognized. And things started happening very quickly but I lost the sense of spaciousness that I’d had at first—the big, revelatory, This is my purpose! had faded and I didn’t take good enough care of myself. I didn’t have the understanding that I needed… I didn’t comprehend fully why I had been so successful in the early days.

I was drinking a lot, and I wasn’t missing gigs, but the quality of my interactions with people were diminished. I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing, and when I was out performing, I started getting symptoms of carpal tunnel. It stopped feeling right.

I got back on track by reading A Course In Miracles, if you’ve ever heard of that. It’s considered a modern spiritual classic. It was written by a professor of medical psychology at Columbia University in the 70s. Reading it made me feel like I was digging out of the mud a little bit, but still not all the way.

And then I got bed bugs, which was a total wake up call, if only because it pushed me to start reading another book—Conversations With God—and that really started changing everything because it put me in touch with understanding why everything was working when it was working. It went deep into the mechanics of how your life unfolds and that brought me back to a place of faith. Suddenly I felt like I could just starting being who I want to be.

I didn’t have to wait to get discovered or anything—once you’re able to notice that nothing you get in this world is going to bring you the peace you’re looking for—that actually there is a way that that peace can be found at any moment, regardless of what’s happening out there—the nature of your pursuits totally change.

But How Do You Find Peace?

You have to look in yourself.

Maybe to make it more practical you ask questions like: what am I really? What does it feel like to be aware? And asking those questions and turning our attention inward and not accepting any mental constructions as answers, but really asking in an inquisitive way, with the intention of experiencing something rather than “getting” a concept, can put you in touch with a reality that’s always been there but has gone unnoticed.

A Day in the Life

Most of the time if I get hired for a gig, I’m walking around for small groups. I’ve also done shows on stage.

A lot of it is card-based magic, but I prefer to work with everyday objects. I borrow people’s rings, I use coins, phones, whatever but for me, it’s really about just being fully there with the person. Then my gut will tell me what the right trick will be.

You could say that being blind has helped. It definitely adds to the mystique of what I do when people realize I’m legally blind but there are definitely methods that are very common in magic that I just can’t use because I can’t see well enough.

One of my favorite tricks is this routine where you have two people standing and facing each other. And the idea is to illustrate the concept of quantum entanglement. You use that as a basis where you talk about how it’s a phenomenon where two particles behave as if they’re one particle. And the metaphor, the implication is that we’re all connected in some way, so you have them look into each other’s eyes and connect with each other. And then you tap one of their hands and ask if they feel anything, and the other person across from them feels a tap in their hand. That’s one of my favorite effects.

There’s another one where a person selects a card, and I talk about the nature of the observer and the observed. How it’s almost becoming common knowledge that they’re not two independent things. That there’s a very intimate relationship between what is observed and the observer. And that until something is observed, it’s not something at all.

So they select the card. I take another card and I draw a bunch of dots on the back and I say, “All these dots and lines, they may seem incomprehensible to you but this represents all the possible cards you could have chosen, existing at once. And if you want to be able to perceive your card, you need to repeat its name in your head over and over.” And as they repeat it, I say, “You’ll notice that there’s an intimate connection between what you concentrate on, and what you begin to perceive in your reality.” And they begin to see the dots and lines move and all of a sudden it spells out the name of their card.

Intended Outcome for the Performed On

Discomfort isn’t necessarily a bad thing for them to walk away feeling. Discomfort and confusion is often the beginning of a greater understanding. If they walk away disturbed, but then later on it leads them down a path to something greater, that’s great as well. I may not know, but I don’t mind.

My intention, again, is to be there as fully with that person as possible. And I trust that whatever they need is what they’re going to get.

As told to Leandra Medine

The post Meet a Legally Blind Magician Who Got His Start Performing on NYC Subways appeared first on Man Repeller.

Ask MR: How Can I Trust Men in a Post-#MeToo World?

Hello and welcome to our advice column, Ask MR, where we answer your burning questions, hoping we’ll become the ointment to your life rash. Ask us a question by sending one of us a DM, emailing write@manrepeller.com with the subject line “ASK MR A QUESTION,” or simply leaving one in the comments.

I need to know how I can still trust, respect, and love men collectively during this (amazing) wave of feminism. I’ve become increasingly distrustful and impatient with all men in this #MeToo, Trump, Brett Kavanaugh—and the list goes on—era and can’t get myself out of it! How do I not make sweeping generalizations about men? How do I give them the respect they (okay, some of them) deserve? And how do I get the patience to teach them about right and wrong (because disillusioned moi obviously believes that we’re the only ones who are going to teach them, all other men are lazy)? HELP!

I feel this question so viscerally. At this point, I’m not even able to summon a mental list of all the times that male power, and abuse of that power, has brought me to enraged tears. It happens so frequently these days that I can’t enumerate. So, when I say I understand, I want you to know I really do. I feel it so much that this anger has at times been a serious issue for me.

For many, the 2016 election was the impetus of a collective primal scream for women. The pain has been echoed in the #MeToo movement that rippled through Hollywood and beyond (a continuation of a conversation started in 2006 by Tarana Burke). It was amplified by the hearings and trial of Brett Kavanaugh. It has been reinforced by the abortion legislation passed earlier this year. Its racial complexities have been brought into harsh light by the documentary Surviving R. Kelly. It’s been a time of re-traumatization and confirmation of our worst fears, and we’ve been made more aware of how high the stakes are both for ourselves and for others. Women are living in a belligerent political and cultural zeitgeist, one that is a daily fight to endure.

What I mean to say is, it’s no wonder that in this moment you’ve felt distrustful and impatient with men. I have too. I’m a victim of sexual assault and workplace harassment. Being on the receiving end of general disrespect and objectification from men has become known as such a universal experience for women that it’s almost expected. The rage that comes with this expectation is a horrible emotion to let fester.

Several years ago, after recounting a bad date that I had ended abruptly, and sharing how it connected to my other feelings about men, a friend responded: “You can’t feel this way about all men. You can’t live your life feeling this kind of anger.” In the past few years, I’ve worked hard with a therapist to help overcome some of the anger I feel towards men collectively. I have actively pursued friendships and proximity to hetero cis-gender men who identify as feminists, but also exhibit the key characteristics of being excellent listeners and learners. They are men who have done the work, and are doing the work, to deny the toxicity they were raised to depend on and are actively educating themselves both in thoughtful conversation with women and outside of those conversations.

You mentioned having difficulty being able to find the patience to educate. Many will say that it is not a woman’s responsibility. Maybe controversially, I disagree with this. Though it’s not a woman’s personal responsibility, I believe it is a cultural responsibility to educate when one’s energy and patience allows for it. I have seen the positive effects of a conversation where a belief of a friend or a loved one has been challenged. I have also seen unproductive outcomes, but holding onto the positive change lifts my head above water.

I should disclaim that my perspective is that of a white woman’s. I know that for women of color, these kinds of conversations are burdensome and layered in a way that I will never fully understand. But when I consider the discussions I’ve had with women of color in my life, not so much for the purpose my education, but as a friend offering support, I know how much I’ve gained from the insight. I’m so incredibly grateful for those moments that have made my feminism more intersectional. I still, to my core, believe that there’s no better way to learn that through living and listening.

I’m not going to say it’s easy to find feminist-identifying men who exhibit the qualities I described earlier. And it’s a constant test of strength when you come face-to-face with toxic masculinity in so many aspects of life to not carry that frustration and pain back to a partner or a friend. Sometimes I do. One night, during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, my partner held me all night. He listened to my every word as I discharged all the pain that had been holding me in a vice grip throughout the media circus and told me he was so sorry. He said everything I needed to hear, which for large periods of time was nothing.

If you are open to engaging, there will be men who will challenge your beliefs about men. I always go back to the seminal song lyrics belted by Angel Olsen on her 2016 song ‘Woman’: “I dare you to understand what makes me a woman.” Stick close to those who thoughtfully dare.

Ask MR identity by Madeline Montoya.

The post Ask MR: How Can I Trust Men in a Post-#MeToo World? appeared first on Man Repeller.

“If I Keep It Super Simple, It’ll Look Good”: The Outfit Anatomy of Clémence Polès

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 Clémence Polès, founder of Passerbuys and creator of FFFEST, a screening and talk series that celebrates women in film, which is taking place in New York this weekend.

I bought my trench coat about a year ago; it’s this brand called Low Classic. I was torn between wanting a traditional trench a la Burberry and a statement vinyl trench like Catherine Deneuve wears in Belle de Jour, directed by Luis Buñuel (or even the transparent trench Meryl Streep wears in Laurie Simmons’s film, Music of Regret).

Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour by Luis Buñuel.

I was really into the large collar and detective-esque look. And then I discovered this one on Totokaelo, which was basically two-in-one: there’s a beautiful Burberry-esque trench coat on the bottom layer and then this vinyl layer on top, which I’m wearing today. It was styled as a kind of double coat online, so of course I was like, Two for the price of one? I’m sold. It was $450. The vinyl layer on its own isn’t that warm—I typically wear a snap cardigan under it from agnès b. But it’s perfect for stormy weather. Plus I’m an introvert, so it’s nice to be ensconced in a big trench, hidden from view.

I would describe my style as classic, minimal, really keeping it to staple pieces—just things that will look good no matter what the occasion. I don’t actually enjoy pulling an outfit together unless I feel “inspired,” so most of the time, getting dressed stresses me out, especially in a city like New York, where identity and appearances are intertwined. I feel like there’s a lot of weight in what you wear and what it says about you. But I’ve realized that if I keep it super simple, it’ll look good. I gravitate towards minimalist uniform-ware. I love designers like Sarah-Linh Tran of Lemaire, Phoebe Philo, Jil Sander. There’s something quite comforting in how timeless and attractive a plain white shirt and high waisted pants are (and versatile: add a red lip and you have your night outfit. Tinka Menkes in Queen of Diamonds by Nina Mendes shows this so well). You see it a lot in French cinema, which is probably where I get most of my fashion inspiration. The marinière, the plain white t-shirt, the penny loafers—just like the films, the clothes have stood the test of time.

This shirt is Alex Mill. I can’t remember whether I got it from the men’s or women’s section, but I was drawn to its collar. I love a big or pointed collar (like the one Zouzou wears in Love in the Afternoon by Eric Rohmer.) Lemaire actually does an incredible rendition of that shirt, which I’ve been obsessed with, but the quality on this one’s pretty solid. It’s comfortable. It doesn’t crease much, which I like, and it’s oversized, kind of like you see in French New Wave films. I’ll wear it with high-waisted pants, or Jesse Kamm sailor pants, or a pencil mid-length black skirt and maybe a cardigan.

Working from head to toe: This ring was given to me by my aunt. I’ve been wearing it for over 10 years. I don’t know how she got it. It might’ve been a sketchy anecdote, so I try not to ask questions. I love this ring. I haven’t seen anything like it. It’s very structural, kind of mid-century. My earrings are Lemaire. I bought them on sale on Need Supply after I saw them on Bambou Roger-Kwong—who I interviewed for Passerbuys. Her aesthetic is so on point; I think I bought multiple things from that shoot actually. A coaster from this cartoon French book, a pair of knee-high A.P.C. boots. She’s wearing a beautiful Lemaire dress that I couldn’t find in Paris.

My husband got me this bag for my birthday four years ago. It’s a Celine trio. I carry this all the time—I only have, like, three bags. It’s versatile, simple, classic. I like the three pockets, they’re good for someone who is really anal and likes to organize things (like me). Also their warranty is amazing. They’ll fix this up for free whenever. They completely replaced the strap six months ago.

I got these pants about a year and a half ago. They’re part of a wool Acne suit—my first and only suit—which I bought because Beverly Nguyen, whom I interviewed on Passerbuys, told me Acne makes the best suits. I felt that at 28 it was time for me to own a suit, a “power suit” if you will. Funnily enough, two years later I’ve probably only worn the whole set once. I just don’t feel that confident in one, even though I know that’s kind of its purpose. Anyway, the fit of the pants is really good, slightly tapered and cropped. They were $350 at the Acne store in New York. I like to wear them with mules or loafers.

Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face by Stanley Donen.

These are G.H. Bass loafers. Those that know, know. I’ve worn G.H. Bass loafers for over eight years now and I don’t think I could switch to any other brand. I often wear them like Audrey Hepburn wears them in Funny Face, with black pants and a black turtleneck. G.H. Bass loafers are the best: they’re so comfortable and they last forever, especially if you buy the winter model called Winter Whitney Weejuns. I buy them every few years, then bring them to the cobbler between for repairs. I got these for $90 with a promo code. I don’t know why people don’t talk about G.H. Bass loafers more; I wear these year round.

Back up to my head: My sunglasses are Kate Young, called Ally. They remind me of the ones Monica Vitti wears in La Dolce Vita—those iconic kind of older cat-eye glasses. I bought this headscarf from Monoprix, which is a supermarket in Paris. They have the best stuff. I like to wear it during the fall for the wind, like Sophia Loren does in The Key. As told to Haley Nahman.

[image error]
Turn on your JavaScript to view content

The post “If I Keep It Super Simple, It’ll Look Good”: The Outfit Anatomy of Clémence Polès appeared first on Man Repeller.