♥ The BP. Reversible Houndstooth & Grid Scarf pictured above is currently 45% off online (now just $14.90); I own it in both colorways (see the green multi on me here), and it is rather warm and very versatile because of the two sides. Some other picks for Nordstrom’s fall sale: Hunter Original Tall Rain Boot (reviewed here), Halogen Long Blouson Sleeve Cardigan, BP. Brice Notched Bootie, J. Crew Olga Boiled Wool Topcoat (the three-button version of the Daphne Topcoat that I featured recently), Free People Elsa Bodysuit, Tory Burch Gemini Link Coated Canvas Tote, Something Navy Stand Collar Button Through Shirt, and Leith High Waist Flare Pants.
♥ I am embarrassed to be someone who doesn’t regularly tip at quick-service restaurants. Unlike at sit-down restaurants, at which tipping rules have been (more or less) codified, just what is a reasonable amount to tip for a $3 cookie or a $4 hot chocolate? I suppose because I came of age before tablet point-of-sale-systems, the whole thing still feels like a weird dance to me. If you struggle with this as well, you might enjoy the WSJ’s “You Want 20% for Handing Me a Muffin? The Awkward Etiquette of iPad Tipping.”
♥ I want to meet the Wired editor who was responsible for this headline: The House Science Committee May Soon Become… Pro-Science
♥ What’s old is new again: Is logomania back for good?
♥ I don’t love any story with headlines that contain the words “against their own interests,” because it has an alienating and patronizing starting place. But it is curious that white women (especially the non-college-educated) as a demographic appear to vote along party lines more so than white men in some elections. Whatever those women’s reasons to do so, I think the Dems need to devise an effective strategy for this important voting bloc (a rather socioeconomically diverse group) if they want to “win” in 2020. But perhaps it’s more helpful to think of the group as a multitude of special interests that each require a tailored strategy.
♥ Story by story, I am starting to be won over by Rent-the-Runway. While I will continue to cling to a shard of skepticism (it is a private company that is very cagey about active subscriber numbers and margins), its mission–to offer a substitute good for fast fashion–is an exciting one. It remains to be seen just how steep its operating and logistical costs are (and how profitable the business model is), but it has been very smart on the data acquisition front. Subscription services have a low barrier to entry, but institutional knowledge makes even failing companies in a growing sector a prime acquisition target.
♥ What if the Placebo Effect Isn’t a Trick? (The New York Times)
♥ After much internal roiling, I pre-ordered a number of things from the Sanrio Loves Sugarfina collection. I keep telling myself that $22 is not a reasonable amount of money to spend on 2 small containers of gummy candy, even if it comes in Sanrio-character shapes, but my love of all things HK won out.
♥ Speaking of Hello Kitty, I also caved and ordered these suede low-top shoes from the Converse x Hello Kitty collaboration after the collection went on sale online. They look totally wearable, no?
♥ I’m a good-enough-ist (I mean, just look at this blog), but my best friends are mostly stereotypical Type A perfectionists. I am always encouraging them to be lazier, like me, but, “The Problem With Being Perfect” is that perfectionists “make an archive of all their failures… and revisit these archives constantly … they tend to devalue their accomplishments, so that every time a goal is achieved, the high lasts only a short time.”
♥ Is the future of commercial real estate warehouses?
♥ The point of this Atlantic piece is that “American Meritocracy Is Killing Youth Sports” (or rather that “enrichment spending on children is a luxury good“), but what I took away from the story is that “kids’ sports is a nearly $17 billion industry, which makes it larger than the business of professional baseball and approximately the same size as the National Football League.”
♥ Who is responsible for endowing work with meaning? For the half million young men missing from the workforce, is a policy prescription or an attitude check more likely to induce them? Relatedly, this HBR piece suggests that most employees are willing to forsake higher pay for meaningful work. So there may exist a profit motive for employers to help employees find meaning in their work.
♥ If you are a fellow impatient person, the New York Times tells us “How to Be a More Patient Person,” because “patience as a personality trait is modifiable… there’s still hope you can be a more patient person tomorrow.”
♥ Chinese retailer Icicle Fashion Group bought Carven out of bankruptcy last month, and earlier this month its creative director, Serge Ruffieux (previously of Dior), confirmed his departure from the French fashion house (on IG, as it’s 2018).
♥ Recently purchased: Burberry Leather Pouch with Detachable Strap, Ann Taylor Eloise Tweed Bow Pumps, Boden Weybourne Wideleg Pants, and Banana Republic Ruffle-Cuff Sweater Dress.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
