The Digest 21
paper dolls, foil finishes, and boom boom
Welcome back
to the Digest, my (usually) weekly download on everything I found interesting and think you will too, a result of staying chronically online so you don’t have to. February was a brutal month for me and it definitely showed in this newsletter. I’m thrilled to share some very exciting upcoming things with you very soon.
Happy digesting xx
Throughout the week, I keep track of everything that feels culturally relevant in the areas that I care about. I take that list from my notes app and turn it into this download of understanding consumer culture, tracking trends, and dismantling beauty standards to keep you in the loop on what I think you should know about this week. I hope you enjoy and take your time to Digest.
Think of this as a curated morning paper to replace your AM doom scroll, best read with coffee in hand
Trending Tidbits:
⚫️ Polka Dots
Let’s get into it:
Universal Standard, “the world’s most size-inclusive brand” is collaborating with Anthropologie and creating exclusive colorways and prints of 13 of their best-selling styles. More extended sizing in mainstream spaces = always a win
I mentioned before that several shows this season featured models who were referred to as “paper dolls” (Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne). I’ve noticed an uptick in paper-related creative direction - innovative clothing designs from Aletta, and marketing content from both Anthro + J.Crew
The track pants trend manages to wrap up lots of current buzzy words and movements into one. Unexpected combinations, chaotic dressing, athleisure - I see why they’re poised for impending popularity
Hailey Bieber x Fila dropped yesterday and I think the campaign is a bit confusing - a little corpcore moment, a groceries moment - odd, but I’m sure it’ll fly off shelves
I watched Running Point on Netflix this weekend and I have to say… I loved it. It’s unserious, has an all-star cast, made me laugh out loud, and it’s uncannily timely. Kate Hudson (what a star) enlists Sephora as a sponsor for their basketball team, citing the women at the intersection of interest in sports and beauty. Must watch!
Left Field (great name) is a new dating app that aims to making dating feel “fun and serendipitous” by sending you a push notification when a potential match enters a zone of proximity to you
We know that ties are a hot accessory right now (See: Aritzia’s new campaign starring Alex Consani). A Marie Claire UK article dubbed it “CEO style” this week, which really set my mind spinning about the trend’s simultaneity with women’s changing roles and rights. Shortly thereafter, I saw this NYT article which discusses increasing Republican support for traditional gender roles. “More Republicans now believe that women should return to their traditional roles in society. As of Nov 2024, almost half of Republican men agree, up from 28% in 2022”. Sigh
We already talked about the Jane Wade corporate workplace-inspired collection from this season (love). Looks like Stella McCartney got the same RTO memo, leaning into the 80s power shoulder in an office setting once again
Related: The surge of “boom boom”, a “gilded and greedy new aesthetic”. The article is fantastic. The writer (Emilia Petrarca) finds the trend “a bit disconcerting. And not just because boom boom makes it harder to tell the difference between a nice man in a nice suit and a man who believes there are only two genders”
The White Lotus costume director says that the show harkens “back to a time where people did dress to travel”.
has been writing some fantastic White Lotus fashion coverage - see here and hereAnd then delve into this deep dive from Vogue Business on the overwhelming White Lotus collaboration strategy - “Desire vs overkill: The business of The White Lotus”
There’s a lot of chatter about Aimee Lou Wood, star of the new White Lotus season, and particularly about her very iconic teeth. As
said, “When perfect is everywhere there's nothing cooler than a ‘flaw’”. This reminds me a lot of a recent ep of The Review of Mess podcast which discussed Sophie Thatcher as a robot with imperfect teeth in Companion. Humans will keep trying to look as inhumanly perfect as possible, and robots (real or imagined) will aim to emulate more human-like features. Very interesting, will be thinking more on the implications of thisOn that note,
interviewed the costume designer of Companion in her newsletterSpotted: more jiggly jello in brand marketing materials!
Dazed dissected how movies like The Substance and Babygirl explore the connection between the weight of beauty standards on women with the aesthetic pressures of the workplace - “To keep becoming a woman is so much self-erasing work”
Magnesium is the buzzy beauty ingredient of the moment
Gen Z favorite brand Starface launched skincare products this week. Then I saw this Fashionista article which reports that Futurewise, a Gen Z skincare brand is shutting down. This is not a coincidence — Futurewise is owned by Julie Schott & co, the team behind Starface
“These Gen Z–Approved Beauty Brands Tap Into Niche Aesthetics”
I’ve been saying over and over that my buzzword for fashion right now is “otherworldly”. Elle and Alaia agree - this collection is exactly what I’m talking about
1960s beauty trends strike again at Paco Rabanne
All signs still point to leggings making a comeback. “Leggings Are Now Luxurious” & “7 Extremely 2025 Trends I'll Pair With Skinny Jeans and Leggings to Make Their Return Less Scary”
I read about the Hollister x Spencer Barbosa collaboration in After School - it’s certainly refreshing to see a different Hollister than I grew up with in terms of beauty standards and body diversity, but it’s quite a stretch to post that “every body is a bikini body” when the collection is only available in straight sizes. We have to be careful about applauding the bare minimum - yes, progress is good! This is better than what I grew up with, but we can’t accept “better” forever
“Why Is Young Hollywood Going So Old Hollywood?”- “Less gender-fluid, experimental fashion and more extreme, throwback expressions of femininity have been evident”
Vivetta is one of my favorite collections this season. It has so many fresh aspects like the mint green and 60s silhouettes, and it embodies a sort of *almost* uncontrolled chaos that feels a little unsettling, a mirror of our similarly unsettling times
“The Bliss of Wearing Butter Yellow” - I concur wholeheartedly. So does Drew Barrymore
“The hairstylist making fashion week accessible to the visually impaired” - “there is a misconception that blind and low-vision people don’t care about fashion, clothes or beauty, and it’s simply not true”
I continue to love Tilt Beauty’s rollout. They partnered with The Braille Institute and put Braille on their packaging alongside the Institute’s Hyperlegible font, used across their website as well. Tilt also just made their NYFW debut with Monse
Foil finishes were hot on the runway this season, and the NYT wrote about these $50 foil socks that I have to admit are cool and chic. Socks and tights are major right now and these are a fun way to elevate a look
One of my predictions for near-future fashion is a blurring of lines between what is and is not real / human. This off-putting sweater does the trick
Wray NYC is one of my very favorite (actually size inclusive!) brands to watch. I adore that they’ve done a reconstructed collection, taking unsold pieces and making them into something beautiful and new
I’ll be honest… I’m not loving the boho resurgence. But I suppose I’m just not the target audience
VIN + OMI is a new-to-me designer duo and their recent show really encapsulates so much of where I think (some) fashion will be going. They went for “chaotic sustainability” and, fun fact, used milk cartons from King Charles’ estate to create many of the textiles
Mentioned this week:
I’d love to know what resonated most with you this week so I can continue honing this newsletter into being the best version of itself. Thanks for reading!
Loved the old Hollywood article (and this roundup as always!)
re: Hollister, you're absolutely right!! huge missed opportunity. you made me wonder if Abercrombie/Hollister has ever expanded beyond straight sizes and I can't find that they *ever* have...then I went down a deep dive on other junior/teen retailers and can't find that others have/do either. oof.