The Spread
And a very important update!
Hello!
Welcome to The Spread, a more personal peek into what I’m reading, doing, loving, and more, alongside the pop culture content / critique you know and love from The Composite.
An Important Update:
In the last few weeks, I’ve had several conversations that have so kindly made me realize the value of this newsletter to those who read it. Folks have asked why I haven’t monetized it, how I balance it with my full time job, and several people even asked me what I did for work before I started writing The Composite. The fact that anyone would think the work I do here is enough to sustain me financially is very flattering. Maybe one day! And so:
I’ve been thinking a lot about these interactions, and I’ve decided to turn my paid subscriptions on for the first time since I started The Composite. For now, nothing is changing besides the fact that you have the option to pay for my work here if you enjoy it and appreciate the time put in. I’m working on a paywall strategy that will require a paid subscription to access some of my content. Please know there will always be access for those who want to read but cannot afford it or for any reason cannot upgrade - all you have to do is ask.
If you’ve ever consulted this newsletter to be better at your job, to find your next 5 star read, or just to brighten your day, I’d love if you considered upgrading to paid. And if you don’t, I’m just as happy to have you here <3. Thank you to everyone who tells me that my work is worth paying for or simply worth reading — I am so grateful.
PS: I’m currently on the list of rising Fashion & Beauty Substacks!
A few other fun happenings:
has been one of my favorite people on the internet for a long time, before she published her books or became the host of one of my fave podcasts (this is a must listen ep) or started her Substack. So I was *honored* that she asked me to be part of her Desk Tour series. You can read the interview and see lots of photos of my cozy apartment here. 
Last week, Pinterest kindly invited me to their Thrift Shop experience in advance of their Fall 2025 Trend Report drop. It was a dream. Their team was *so* kind (and also intimidatingly cool). They hosted us at a studio space filled with curated thrift finds that aligned with their fall trend aesthetic predictions and told us if we loved something to grab it and take it home. I scored some really fab finds. They’re also launching the Thrift Shop, a destination on Pinterest where you can make secondhand purchases directly on their site.
*not sponsored or required to post, but wanted to share because it was a genuinely lovely experience and I am a HUGE Pinterest fan!*
Bodegas, Convenience Stores, and Blue Collar Cosplay
Lately I’ve been seeing an influx of street vendors, bodegas, and convenience stores popping up in brand marketing. Let’s discuss.
Topicals debuted their Slick Salve in Papaya at a fruit vendor / corner store-inspired pop up in NYC.
I clocked some similar imagery in this Boy Smells social video featuring their Citrush scent.
Crocs opened a “bodega” concept in SoHo, complete with high-end Jibbitz that retail for up to $850. The irony! This experiential retail store focuses on customization and community and is described as “fashion meets utility”.
Rare Beauty’s newest launch is a collaboration with Tajín. The two brands created a limited edition lip and cheek set inspired by the seasoning’s vibrant color. I enjoyed the roll out and really respect the accompanying philanthropic efforts. One of the posts promoting the launch features a popular NYC street vendor snack - fruit with Tajín. Makes sense.
Aestheticization of fruits and food is, of course, not new — and it’s only going to grow as we continue to desire food rather than consume it. The product-as-fruit we see in the Topicals / Boy Smells examples seem to me a natural progression from/alongside the fruit sticker marketing we’ve been seeing in the last few months.
I do feel there’s something deeper here though. I’ve written recently about brands co-opting working class environments for their marketing — the yassified gas station or car washes, for example. This is exceptionally interesting when you consider the shrinking of the middle class. In a previous Digest I said:
I think we’ll see more working class brand cosplay, like the recent boom of dry cleaner content. Diners, drive-ins, mechanics - anything retro-classic and nostalgia-inducing that also evokes a “simpler” time.
If you work in a job that caters to Gen Z as a customer, you’ve probably heard that they’re “nostalgic for a time they’ve never known”. This “widespread generational wistfulness” sees young people romanticizing decades past as a way to cope with the broken world they have inherited. I think of the resulting aesthetic as a sort of 1950s Soda Pop Optimism — for example, brands creating pop ups in the shape of old school diners.
This shift is certainly related to the rising conservatism in American politics, leading to a glamorization of “simpler times” (see: Trad Wives) and more traditional (often oppressive) American ideals. Inherently, the slogan M*ke Am*rica Gr*at Ag*in encourages this looking backwards and sense of overall nostalgia (for something that never really existed in the first place — at least not for everyone).
However, it *is* true that it’s harder than ever to meet major financial milestones like buying a home. Some of this blue collar cosplay feels like a desire (however misplaced it may be) to go back to a time when working a straightforward or manual labor job was enough to support a family and meet your goals. A glamorous mechanic brand pop up is almost certainly incoming.
Young men may also be yearning for a past that enforced traditional gender roles. Recent polling by PRRI found that 57 percent of young men aged 18 to 29 believed that society has become too soft and feminine, an increase from 42 percent in 2016. Forty-eight percent agreed that “society is better off when men and women stick to the jobs and tasks they are naturally suited for,” as compared to 38 percent who said the same in 2016 .
These types of rougher work environments also underscore a sense of stereotypical masculinity and man-as-provider mindset that was rampant in the bygone eras being referenced. It’s undeniable that we have seen a disturbing return to stricter gender roles and an idealization of the 1950s-era nuclear family as conservatism has risen in recent years. While Gen Z has the largest percentage of any generation that believes American culture and way of life has mostly improved since the 1950s, that number is concerningly still only 54%.
One other phenomenon I want to briefly mention is the mass exodus of young people from cities to more rural areas, which is yet another manifestation of the desire for simplicity. These people are called by small town life or life on the farm, or otherwise have remote jobs that allow them to move to primarily working class areas while maintaining their white collar careers.
We can see this rural romanticization in Dairy Boy’s Garden Bed collection, which they celebrated with a farm stand pop-up.
Back to bodegas and street vendors: These NYC staples are yet another workplace ripe for romanticization to appeal to a generation coveting simplicity. All things considered, they’re fairly consistent mainstays over time that remain somewhat the same while the city vastly changes around them. When you consider that we’re living in a political climate that persecutes the very communities that are often operating these stores and stalls, this aestheticization becomes exceedingly more complex.
To be clear: I am not saying brands can’t put fruit stickers on their perfume or promote their collections in these ways. This is merely an observation of antithetical behaviors coexisting. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Sexy Stories Sell
I wrote recently that it was the summer of the virgin, and in some ways it certainly was. But of course, marketing operates at both ends of any extreme, and I’m noticing a major rise in sexy selling tactics — with a specific twist.
I previously mentioned Urban Decay’s partnership with OnlyFans star Ari Kytsya among a few other examples. Since then, Business of Fashion, Glossy, and Cosmetics Business have all covered the topic. Even Bark Box, a brand for dogs, recently released a “spicy” version of their dog toy subscription box.
As a reader, what’s even more intriguing to me is the correlation with another prevalent trend of late: the literary aesthetic, largely driven by BookTok. Brands are recognizing the power in this increased interest in reading and are leaning into all things erotic, smutty, and sexy in an attempt to appeal to women, BookTok’s primary consumers.
One of my favorite examples is Jimmy Johns’ Summer Menu of Ultimate Temptation (SMUT), new spicy menu items released simultaneously with an original smutty audiobook, The Blade and The Brine. Also: I really enjoyed the way they teed up the launch with their preceding social content.
Some other brands on the bandwagon:
Neutrogena partnered with Serena Kerrigan on two steamy stories, available on Wattpad (naturally), to promote their Collagen Bank 15% Pure Vitamin C Serum.
Dame, a sexual wellness brand, recently partnered with 11 erotica authors to release Toy Stories, a book of erotica stories inspired by their products. They doubled down on this effort with Close Read, “a new online and events-based community spotlighting bold, honest, and diverse nonfiction about sex, pleasure, and intimacy through literature”, as well as sensual writing workshops for their community.
Downy partnered with Spotify* on Almost Scandalously Soft Stories, a short stories series on audiobook streaming on Spotify, mostly narrated by Henry Golding. I can’t tell just how scandalous or sexy these actually are (I’d guess very tame), but the suggestion of sexiness is enough for a brand like Downy.
*Spotify also hosted an audiobook-inspired event last week called the Forbid-Inn which they graciously invited me to but I unfortunately was unable to attend. The event was “a romantasy-themed space, immersing visitors in the magical worlds of the books they love and blurring the lines between fiction and reality.” It looked so fun!
PS: Predictions Really Do Come True
My Jello dreams have been realized over at Vogue - see my original thoughts here and more recent ones here.
Cereal has been on my brain lately, so it was no surprise to me when Rhode posted this:
Umbrellas as accessory. Here’s why I thought this would happen (hint: it has to do with the apocalypse).
Typically I’d share everything I’ve read since we last spoke…
But I’ve been reading quite a bit these days and this newsletter is already long. Curious:
Let me know! And read old ones here.
I have a Digest coming your way in just a couple days - see you there! xo
Delicious dichotomies at play here, which plays into how much time we all spend online now, where the middle is lava. Algorithms are powered by binary thinking as we all know, and my hunch is that's why we're seeing so many twin trends (like virginal summer & smutty summer) bubbling up alongside one another. It contributes to the collective whiplash feeling that is characterising this year. I'd be interested which one was born out of earnest interest vs. corporate interest - I'm thinking about the glorification of farm life & 'slowing' we're seeing vs. office siren/boom boom/corporate nostalgia that feels like a thinly veiled agenda.
“a sort of 1950s Soda Pop Optimism" sounds like fun!