Struck Down in My Prime
Issue 03: It finally got me girls. 'It' being the dreaded summertime cold that inevitably comes to drag us all off the brat dancefloor and into bed. An abridged issue this week and my apologies.
Sorry for being a bit quieter on here lately. The double whammy of some personal travel plus a bonkers busy work week inevitably led to me getting knocked out with an awful summer cold, so any productivity outside of my day job has been next to zero! But that also means I’ve spent this weekend mostly bed-ridden consuming more content and less vitamin D than I should, so please read on to reap the rewards of my ailing immune system.
Watching
The Bear Season 3: I’m about halfway through the new season of The Bear, which has surprisingly been met with some mixed reviews. So far this season is much more about vibes and revisiting the past rather than moving the plot forward in any substantial way, so I can see how that could get frustrating and wouldn’t gel with everyone - especially given that the aforementioned vibes are generally the panic attack-inducing, blood pressure-raising kind. One early highlight of the season though was discovering that the bad boys of film scores™, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composed the music for the first two episodes of S3. This on top of their electric Challengers score confirms their place just behind BRAT and Chappell Roan (more on that below) as the definitive sound of Summer 2024. Another treat alongside the release of S3 was the drop of this new The Bear x J.Crew collab. I fully expect the canvas work jacket and fleece sweatshirt to be sold out by the time this newsletter hits your inbox, but still have to give much-deserved flowers for the great marketing idea.
Inexplicably, musicals: It must be my cold medicine-pickled state but this past week if I’ve had time to watch any movies I’ve mostly been leaning towards modern movie musicals. I think I must be craving the inherent comfort factor and nostalgia they bring (is this the dreaded moment where I finally confess to being a theatre kid?? I know, I hid it so well!!). Some highlights were a rewatch of West Side Story (2021) which I really think did not get enough appreciation upon its release. I mean putting that man (derogatory, you know who) aside, the majority of the cast is just exploding with talent, especially the spell-binding, charming supporting performances of Mike Faist and Ariana DeBose (the latter who won an Oscar for her performance, and the former who was robbed of at least a nomination for his). That combined with Spielberg turning his action scene talents to some incredible choreographed dance numbers, filled with so much life and colour, makes it hard not to get swept up in the magic of this revived classic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I watched for the very first time Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (2022) the movie (??) which was absolutely bonkers, although in that sense was probably very faithful to the source material. It was weird and fun and the soundtrack does unfortunately go very hard - special shoutout to those school kids who absolutely freaked it with Revolting Children.
Reruns of Modern Family: Definitely another sick day side-effect. But nothing cures a cold better than being wrapped up in the warmth of a favourite sitcom. And if anyone’s got me, I know Phil Dunphy’s got me.
Reading
GQ on Why Gen Z is So Obsessed With ‘Old Money Style’: I’ve been fascinated by Gen Z’s fascination with everything supposedly ‘Old Money’. Now don’t get me wrong, I myself tend to lean towards these more classic sartorial looks and am not immune to the occasional CBK-inspired style board. But I also feel like this trend and Gen Z’s attached emphasis on ‘wealth’ and ‘tradition’ potentially harbour a more ominous undertone, harking back to several not so great antiquated ideas about class, gender and politics that seem to be making a resurgence across social media (hello tradwife influencers). This recent GQ piece by Max Berlinger does a good preliminary examination of this trend. For more insights on the crossroads of fashion, socioeconomics, and status signalling I really recommend the fantastic writing of Jesica Elise who, in her Substack A Sunday Journal, speaks far more intelligently on these topics than I ever could.
Bloomberg Business’ profile of LVMH’s Founder and CEO Bernard Arnault: Journalists Brad Stone and Angelina Rascouet got seemingly unprecedented access for this in-depth profile of one of the most powerful men in business; examining not only LVMH’s success to date but his plans for the future of the luxury conglomerate, including some very Succession-style speculation about who of his five adult children will one-day take over at the helm of LVMH.
“I have five members of the family working in the group. Let’s see if one of them has the capacity to take over”
- Arnault doing his best Logan Roy impression.
Stone and Rascouet were also recently on Lauren Sherman’s podcast, Fashion People, where they had a great in-depth discussion on the article and Arnault.
Listening
Charli and Chappell. That’s It.: Honestly nothing new to share on this front as I have been listening exclusively to BRAT and Chappell Roan for the past several weeks. I, along with everyone else, became belatedly obsessed with Chappell Roan this month. Listening to her debut album must be what it felt like to discover Lady Gaga in her early days. Also as a fellow midwest/prairie kid there is something about Chappell’s particular je ne sais quoi that just reminds me sooooo much of several of my childhood friends in the best possible way. As for Charli XCX, what can I say, there is truly no denying that it is a limewire-green BRAT summer and we’re all just along for the ride. Bringing in Lorde to work it out on the remix for Girl, so confusing was absolute genius and it’s the vulnerable pop girl collab we all needed. Can not, will not stop playing it.
These tweets perfectly summarize my current specific intersection of music hyper-fixations:
Buying (or Rediscovering)
I was in Boston last week, and no U.S. visit is complete without enviously strolling the aisles of Trader Joe’s and hoarding away whatever snacks I can fit into my carry-on to bring back to Canada. These were my few (TSA-approved) must-buy items:
Mochi Rice Nuggets*: These are very much a you either love ‘em or hate ‘em snack, but trust me if you like buttery/umami flavours then these will be your new obsession. My friend introduced them to me in a covid care package years ago and from that day on I now leave dedicated mochi rice nugget space in all my luggage so that I can bring at minimum 3 bags back with me.
Snacky Clusters: Potato chips, corn chip dippers, and mini pretzel nuggets crushed up and coated with milk chocolate. They’re the perfect salty and sweet combo bites.
Ube Yogurt Pretzels*: The newest iteration of TJ’s flavoured yogurt-covered pretzels. This Ube (purple yam) flavour is subtle, slightly nutty and just the right level of sweet.
Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40: Not a snack but a worthy addition nonetheless. Anyone else who’s a loyal consumer of the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen has probably been served many dupe recommendations. While I’m usually wary of any sunscreen dupes, since that’s one area I do not want to sacrifice quality, I’ve heard such rave reviews about Trader Joe’s invisible sunscreen competitor that I had to give it a shot. First impression is that the formula does seem impressively similar!
*Sorry, couldn’t find a link for these products. But they exist and are on shelves! I promise!
Vicks Vapo Rub: Don’t laugh. This was hands down my most used product this week so it rightfully earned it’s spot on this list. If you’ve met me in real life then you know that, even on non-sick days, I’ve always got a jar of this sweet magical elixir on me. I’m talking about Vicks in my bag, Vicks in my desk at work, Vicks all over my house. Congested? Vicks. Cough? Vicks. Headache? Vicks. PMS? Vicks’ll fix that. Like any good immigrant kid I was raised with the sacred knowledge that a jar of Vicks and a can of Canada Dry ginger ale can cure you of nearly all ailments. This week especially it has been my constant companion. Tbh I think I might be 76% vapo rub at this point. Just as the good Lord intended.
That’s all for this week! Hoping the next time you hear from me I will have emerged from my Sudafed fugue state with some more timely recommendations to share from the Outside World : )