This week, we herald the coming of the Pastel Grunge Revival, a new wave of candy-colored femininity characterized by an eclectic and deliberately unsettling fusion of childlike innocence and overt sensuality. We discuss the style?s influences? soft grunge Tumblr imagery, cartoon nostalgia, Harajuku fashion, sex worker style, and more? and unpack the social functions of age regression, self-objectification, and homosocial fantasy that resonate with young women online. We also provide a brief overview of pastels in visual culture from the 1950s to present, and we explore the myriad reasons why this aesthetic emerged from Los Angeles in particular.

Special thank you to Monica @finalformfemale for this episode idea!!

Links:

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Ashley Williams ? Vogue Runway

f5ve ? I Choose You (Official MV)

PGR It Girls and Creative Forces Masterlist: Mazzy Joya, Savannah Hudson, Miss Madeline and Chase Icon, Cannelle, ADÉLA, Manon Macasaet, Lexi Kingery, Kennedy Dechet, Natasha Somerville, Aerin Moreno

shopbluedream.us and follow @shopbluedream on instagram for an inspired selection PGR clothing

Misc. PGR brands: Lovett, OGBFF, OMIGHTY, Poster Girl, I.AM.GIA, Poison Candy Apple, WeedSlut

TikToks of girls posting their younger selves to sad songs

Accidentally getting a job as a stripper in Japan TikTok storytime

fakemink - Easter Pink (Prod Suzy Sheer) (Official MV)

Rhode remakes Richard Avedon?s iconic Versace 1994 campaign

OG Soft Grunge It Girls: Joanna Kuchta, Shelby Hamilton aka meowshelbs, Erika Kamano fka Erika Bowes

Gwen Stefani and the Harajuku Girls (2005)

Nicki Minaj explains Harajuku Barbie (2009) (+ Nicki?s iconic pastel necklaces by ONCH)

Rapper CeeChynaa shows off her vintage doll collection

After a brief hiatus, the Nymphies are BACK!! In this annual ceremony, we honor 2025?s greatest achievements in fashion and culture with awards from us at the Nymphet Alumni Academy of Arts and Sciences, including categories such as Best and Worst Rebrand, Outfit of the Year, Best Sillyboy, and Best Brainrot Trend, featuring exclusive access to our careful deliberation process. We lay to rest dearly departed aesthetics of years past, and we end the evening by announcing the winner of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, immortalizing one true legend in the Nymphet Alumni canon. For the first time, we?ve also tallied up your votes for the Reader?s Choice Awards!

In this episode, we?re joined (again!!) by Avery Trufelman, the grand dame of fashion podcasting, to discuss the latest installment of her podcast, Articles of Interest, titled Gear. In this meticulously researched series, Avery dives deep into the history of tactical/outdoor fashion and the ways in which the United States Military and the world of high-tech performance wear continuously influence each other. She answers our pressing questions about American frontier cosplay, the symbolism of the modern field jacket, the innovations behind lightweight tech, and why gear has reemerged as a major fashion language. We also touch on the future of patriotism ahead of the country?s 250th anniversary and the rise of meme-ified military archetypes among Gen Z.

Links:

Articles of Interest on Substack

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the return of press tour psychodrama surrounding Wicked: For Good, the concerning midwittery of the Met Gala?s recent theme announcement, DLlegations in the highest office of the nation, and profiles in infidelity and iMessage confessionalism featuring Olivia Nuzzi and Lily Allen. We also review Vanity Fair?s latest Hollywood issue while reflecting on the bygone golden age of Hollywood ensemble editorials, and we launch a counteroffensive against Sombr in his war on 25-year-olds.

Links:

Vanity Fair?s 2026 Hollywood Issue: ?Let?s Hear It For the Boys?

Twilight cast for Vanity Fair December 2008

?Hollywood?s Next Wave? in Vanity Fair August 2008 (feat. Kristen Stewart, Amanda Seyfried)

?It?s Raining Teens? in Vanity Fair July 2003

Druski + Timothee Chalamet hold auditions for Coulda Been Records in Brooklyn

Viral Sombr concert review on TikTok + Sombr?s response

PyjamaMann (Johnson Wen)

Anime cardboard cutouts kid (Tobyn Jacobs)

Bob Army ? Saturday Night Live sketch on YouTube

Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Spring 2026 Press Release ? ?Costume Art?

Ken Burns | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #615

?I Left My Home? US Army Cadence on TikTok

Cassius Thundercock on KnowYourMeme

Nicki Minaj speaks at the United Nations on behalf of the Trump administration

?Postscript to an Open Marriage: On Lily Allen?s West End Girl? by Jean Garnett ? The Paris Review

?Olivia Nuzzi Did It All for Love? by Jacob Bernstein ? The New York Times

Ryan Lizza on Substack

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun

Ice Spice - Big Guy (from The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants) on YouTube

In this week?s episode, we develop a theory of Scientifica, a fashion aesthetic that borrows from the visual language of science, with influences ranging from Victorian taxonomy to Utopian Scholastic nostalgia to legacy science-fiction world-building. We examine recent manifestations of this impulse?runway shows that feel like scientific exhibitions or presentations, references to astronomical phenomena and archival display, and couture idealization of intellegentsia femininity?and question what it means when the fashion world aligns with objective inquiry and institutional knowledge in the face of epistemological crisis.

Links:

?The Universe According to Timothée? by Mattie Kahn, shot by Annie Leibovitz ? Vogue (December 2025 cover story)

Chanel Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear by Matthieu Blazy

?The pioneering ?great men? of Victorian science were once attacked for being unmanly? by Heather Ellis ? The Conversation

?Victorian Egyptomania: How a 19th Century Fetish for Pharaohs Turned Seriously Spooky? ? History Answers

Utopian Scholastic ? Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute

?Understanding the Japanese Influences Behind Star Wars? by Ollie Barder ? Forbes

Overview of Pseudoarchaeology

?The Complicating Role of the Private Sector in Space? by Victoria Samson ? Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

?Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle? by Natasha Singer ? The New York Times

College Board Research Brief on U.S. High School Students? Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

?Historians See Autocratic Playbook in Trump?s Attacks on Science? by William J. Broad ? The New York Times

Protecting Freedom of Science and Preventing Distortion of Scientific Truth: A Statement of Concern from the Catholic Church?s Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Tech oligarch freakshow: Elon Musk says AI is more dangerous than nukes, Peter Thiel?s creepy ahh lectures on the Antichrist, Sam Altman creepy ahh references to an AI kill switch

Vogue Paris December 1998/January 1999 Discussion ? TheFashionSpot

The Price of Illusion: A Memoir by Joan Juliet Buck

Prada?s spacesuit design for Axiom Space, ?the world?s first commercial space station?

?As Prada Pairs With NASA, a Look at the Best Space-Inspired Looks From the Runway? by Laird Borrelli-Persson ? Vogue

?Was Timothée Chalamet?s Vogue Cover Really So Out of This World?? by Jacob Gallagher ? The New York Times

?Michelle Obama Is the Perfect Partner in Matthieu Blazy?s Modern Chanel Suiting? ? Vogue

Venice W. Spring?Summer 2026: Sparkling Sea (Symposium)

In this episode, we are honored to be joined by pop princess and fashion icon Kim Petras to discuss the world of inspiration behind her newest project, especially the Fashioncore anthem heard around the world, ?I Like Ur Look.? Kim walks us through her formative fashion memories, from aspirational MTV programming to inaugural designer grails, and tells us about her latest archival obsessions, including her special connection to Marc Jacobs-era Louis Vuitton. We also discuss the tension between authenticity and reinvention, the heritage of electronic music in Europe, our proposal for party reform, and more.

Links:

Kim Petras on Instagram

Kim Petras HQ

Kim Petras - I Like Ur Look (Official Music Video)

Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (dir. Loïc Prigent)

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the ragebait spectacle of Paris Fashion Week, darksided news from Hollywood featuring Tilly Norwood and D4vd, lives of showgirls everywhere from Taylor Swift?s possible schizophrenia diagnosis to Addison Rae?s vintage scream queen moment to Zara Larsson?s sublime vocal talent, and the cultural warfare fallout of Bad Bunny?s road to the Super Bowl. Sam also reviews Paul Thomas Anderson?s One Battle After Another and we discuss the curious case of Chase Infiniti.

Links:

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2026 by Duran Lantink

Cardi B ?she was so happy to look a mess? Tweet (Gypsy Sport Spring 2016)

Balenciaga Spring 2026 by Pierpaolo Piccioli

Maison Margiela Spring 2026 by Glenn Martens

?When Did New York Fashion Week Get So Boring?? by Rachel Seville Tashjian for The Washington Post

Ben Doctor Spring 2026

Keith Urban and Maggie Baugh affair rumors amid Nicole Kidman split

Tilly Norwood Official Website

?Hollywood is Already Falling Behind on AI Video? by Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg

?Everything We Know About D4VD? ? Billboard

Chase Infiniti?s K-pop dance cover of ?OMG? by NewJeans

Addison Rae?s performance in Ryan Murphy?s Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Addison Rae performs ?Diet Pepsi / New York? on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Taylor Swift explains her song ?Actually Romantic?

?Irony and Proverb Comprehension in Schizophrenia: Do Female Patients ?Dislike? Ironic Remarks?? in Schizophrenia Research and Treatment

Zara Larsson on Sweden?s Got Talent in 2008

El Chavo Del Ocho (English Version) - Saturday Night Live starring Bad Bunny

This week on Nymphet Alumni, Biz is joined by journalist and author Marisa Meltzer to talk about her new book It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin ? the first comprehensive biography of the actress, singer and myth-muse. The two get into the making of Birkin?s image and the unseen real life behind it, plus how aging, style and selfhood intersect. Also discussed: the horrors of Serge Gainsbourg?s man-cave, Timothee Chalamet as inheritor of the Jane B legacy, and why swag might just come from getting older.

Links:

It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin by Marisa Meltzer (Out now!)

Soft Power by Marisa Meltzer

Marisa Meltzer

In this episode, Alexi is joined by writer, editor, and dear friend Olivia Kan-Sperling to discuss the aesthetic universe of her brand new novel, Little Pink Book, a lyrical and decadent romantic tragedy set in Shanghai. In unpacking her wide range of influences, we explore shabby chic Orientalism, avant garde florists, Chinese romantasy web novels, baroque bespoke beverages, the emerging field of Wasian studies, the triggering qualities of Clairo?s ?Pretty Girl? music video, the possibility of Labubu as a literary format, and much more.

Links:

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Little Pink Book by Olivia Kan-Sperling from Simon and Schuster

Olivia?s website

Olivia on Instagram @dianadiagram

Alexi?s interview with Olivia in Interview magazine

Diane Severin Nguyen: In Her Time (Iris?s Version)

Empire of Signs by Roland Barthes

Molly Tea?s domineering CEO romance receipt promo via Dr. Candise Lin

The Architecture of Taste by Pierre Hermé - Lecture to the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2013)

Julian Castronovo review of Little Pink Book in BOMB magazine

Shanzhai: Deconstruction in Chinese by Byung-Chul Han

In this episode, we welcome back none other than the ?Freud of Fashion? herself, Dr. Valerie Steele, to discuss the Museum at FIT?s latest exhibition, Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis. Dr. Steele walks us through central theories on mirrors, masquerade, and eroticism, exploring the deep-seated fears and fantasies that drive what we wear. We dissect how the theories of Lacan and Freud play out on the bodies dressed by Schiaparelli, McQueen, Versace, and many more fashion history greats. Links: Visit Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis at the Museum at FIT (up until January 4, 2026)!

Register for the Fashion and Psychoanalysis Symposium at the Museum at FIT, Friday November 14th!

Audio Analysis for Dress, Dreams, and Desire (four items)

In this emergency roundtable report, we discuss how clownery has become a dominant mode of aesthetic and ideological expression, perhaps symbolizing the defeat of authenticity. Recent carnivalesque incidents include the chaotic spectacle of this year?s VMAs, the meteoric rise of the Savannah Bananas, Jay Guapo?s Italian Brainrot Block Party, the political role reversal of the troll and the triggered, Audrey Hobert?s debut album Who?s the Clown, and more.

Links:

Top Clown Town outfits at the VMAs: Conan Gray in Erik Charlotte, Megan Stalter as hot dog vendor, Doja Cat in Balmain, Ariana Grande?s outfit changes, Sabrina Carpenter in Valentino

Sabrina Carpenter Performs ?Tears? | 2025 Video Music Awards

?I need to see you spin first, sista? from Sex and the City S4 E18

Chappell Roan Performs ?Pink Pony Club? (Live From The 67th Grammy Awards)

?Chappell Roan on the Queer Origins of her Signature Makeup Look? ? Gay Times

Flash Mob! The Savannah Bananas Crash The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

?As Savannah Bananas ursue ?a billion fans,? are they real competition for MLB?? ? The New York Times

Jay Guapo?s Brainrot Block Party

Tyler Robinson?s bullet casing inscription breakdown ? PBS News Hour

The story behind FBI Director Kash Patel?s seemingly random ?Valhalla? reference

Trump?s presidential portraits from 2017 to 2025

?What Is ?Dark Woke??? ? The New York Times

?Why has Gavin Newsom gone ?dark woke??? ? BBC

Mexican influencer Marian Izaguerre dies after posting goodbye video in clown makeup

Audrey Hobert Who?s the Clown interview in Teen Vogue

?The Clown at Midnight: Coulrophobia, Counterculture, and the Decadent Pierrot Mask? by Samuel Love ? Sequitur

Passages from Mikhail Bakhtin on the grotesque body and the carnivalesque sense of the world

This week, we discuss the glamorous world of the Magazine Girl, dissecting the real and fictional lives of women who worked at glossy magazines during their heyday. Through profiles of icons including Diana Vreeland, Anna Wintour, Franca Sozzani, Carine Roitfeld, and Plum Sykes, we distill the shared qualities that made these women so foundational to high fashion media. Inspired by Anna Wintour?s recent resignation and the buzz around The Devil Wears Prada sequel, we also ponder who, if anyone, carries on the Magazine Girl legacy today.

Links:

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?The Divine Mrs. V? by Eleanor Dwight for New York

?Who is Plum Sykes?? by Taylore Scarabelli for Interview

?The Plum and Lucy Show? by Bob Morris for The New York Times

The Price of Illusion: A Memoir by Joan Juliet Buck

Assorted costumes from The Devil Wear Prada 2 in Dazed

?Anna Wintour: Behind the Shades? interview for CBS

Controversial Plum Sykes clip

Carine Roitfeld interview for The Guardian

?Could You Have Landed a Job at Vogue in the ?90s?? Quiz in The New York Times

Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell

Interview with Anna Wintour biographer Amy Odell in Hunger

A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters by Penelope Rowlands

Excerpts from Diana Vreeland?s Why Don?t You column in British Vogue

Franca Sozzani obituary in Vogue

?The Condé Empire Was One Big Beautiful Grift? by Emilia Petrarca on Substack

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the suspiciously overblown controversy of Sydney Sweeney?s AE ad spot, our box office takes on Ari Aster?s Black Lives Matter COVID Western and the new Superman, fascinating late night musical debuts from Pinkpantheress and Jessie Murph, the summer of female sexual aggression, our love of senior dating and romance, and more.

Links:

Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans ? American Eagle

Brooke Shields Calvin Klein Jeans Commercial (1980)

Biz on the genes/jeans of it all

Sydney Sweeney as Lacanian super predator tweet

@default_friend on AE?s busted copy

?The Disembodied Body of Marilyn Monroe? by Wendy Lesser

There You Are: Brad Pitt for Chanel No. 5 Commercial

Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson editorial for You magazine

Liam Neeson racism backlash

?Sex After 60 in Sag Harbor? by Candace Bushnell for New York magazine

A24?s Eddington dir. Ari Aster ? Official Trailer

?Everyone Wants a Piece of Pedro Pascal? ? Vanity Fair cover story

?Can David Corenswet Save Superman?? ? GQ cover story

Ryan Murphy Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy styling backlash

?Golden? from K-Pop Demon Hunters hits No. 1 on Billboard

PinkPantheress: Illegal/Girl Like Me/Tonight Medley on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Rhythm Heaven music edits by @therealstoinkle

Jessie Murph: 1965 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Chappell Roan - The Subway (Official Music Video)

Sabrina Carpenter brings out Earth, Wind & Fire at Lollapalooza

Manon and Lara of KATSEYE lez out on stage at Lollapalooza

Rachel Zegler?s gratitude surge at Evita curtain call

RFK Jr. launches federal crackdown on 7-OH

Lola Young - One Thing (Official Music Video)

This week on Nymphet Alumni, Biz interviews New York newsletter phenom and Feed Me founder Emily Sundberg. They discuss the West Village-ification of America, the curious case of Hamptons face and what?s aspirational to young people in New York in 2025. Plus, Emily shares her advice on how to find your voice and how to protect your digital soul.

In this week?s episode, we explore the cryptic and chaotic world of Opium, the record label founded by Playboi Carti in 2019 that has since evolved into a full-blown subculture of chronically online and fashionably darksided super-fans. From botched merch capsules and vampire cosplay to early TikTok dances and baby mama drama, we descend the Opium iceberg and trawl the Cartinese dark web in attempt to understand the Chrome-bejeweled and Rick-adorned figures shaping youth culture in their image. Links:

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r/playboicarti on Reddit

Opium (Record Label) on KnowYourMeme

?Playboi Carti Against His Own Game? by Nolan Kelly ? Spike Art Magazine

?Playboi Carti and His Offspring Ponder Life After Rage-Rap? by Jon Caramanica ? The New York Times

Is Playboi Carti Rap?s Next?or Last?Rap Superstar? ? Popcast

?The Rowdy World of Rap?s New Underground? by Jon Caramanica ? The New York Times [PHOTOS]

Misc. video essays on YouTube:

* The Opium Aesthetic Explained

* The Rise of Opium: Playboi Carti's Unstoppable Label

* The Opium Iceberg Explained

?Will Playboi Carti Ever Drop His New Album?? ? Rolling Stone

NEVEREVER by Ken Carson kitten videos on TikTok

?The History of Playboi Carti?s Baby Voice? by Greg Gaffney ? Complex

Ranking Playboi Carti Ad-Libs

?Playboi Carti Emoji Combos

?Playboi Carti on His Cut-and-Sew Fashion Line ?Narcissist?? ? Paper Magazine

?5 Things You Should Know About VLONE? ? NSS Magazine

Biz on 2hollis

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the mass psychosis of Love Island USA, major couture debuts at Dior and Celine, the sauceless hypergamy parable of Celine Song?s Materialists, Cate Blanchett?s chilling epilogue cameo in Squid Game, and current Latina affairs from Katseye?s ?Gabriela? to the Sanchez-Bezos midlife nuptial extravaganza. We also review Addison?s stadium debut at Wembley and report on courtroom happenings including Sean ?Diddy? Combs and Min Hee-jin.

Love Island USA Hearts on Fire Challenge ? Teaser on YouTube

Cierra Ortega apology video on YouTube

@loveislandusastyle on Instagram

?Cierra & Vanna & Ethics & Vanity? ? The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino

Bad tattoos on Love Island USA

The New York Times on the Sean ?Diddy? Combs Verdict

Tiny Harris reacts to the Diddy verdict on Instagram

Dior Homme Spring 2026 Menswear (J. W. Anderson debut) ? Vogue Runway

Celine Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear (Michael Rider debut) ? Vogue Runway

Marc Jacobs Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear ? Vogue Runway

?Materialists Costume Designer Talks About Style Symbolism? ? The Zoe Report

Cate Blanchett cameo in Squid Game finale on YouTube

KATSEYE (????) "Gabriela" Official MV on YouTube

The Daytona Wind Acting Challenge from RuPaul?s Drag Race Season 14 on YouTube

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos Wedding Exclusive ? Vogue

Addison Rae opens for Lana del Rey at Wembley

NewJeans / HYBE / ADOR / Min Hee-Jin Megathread on Reddit

In this edition of Study Break, in which we subtly celebrate Sam?s birthday, we discuss a variety of women?s issues: the discourse meltdown brought on by Sabrina Carpenter?s chauvinist comeback and her aesthetic shift from pastels and pin-ups to Helmut Newton and Halston; the mass crisis of female reproductive unwellness; Addison Rae?s kaleidoscopic showgirl debut; and the upsetting regression of Sydney Sweeney?s bathwater hustle. We also discuss some boy issues: Luigi Mangione?s lovably centrist birthday dispatch from prison, putting the Guy Fawkes mask on and embracing Redditism, Trump and Elon?s toxic yaoi best friend breakup, and more.

To stay subscribed to exclusive episodes and all the glamour of our premium content, head to https://www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe and add your payment info

In this episode, we oscillate between antebellum steamboat grifters and prosperity gospel televangelists to unpack the archetype of the American con man: a self-made myth-maker cloaked in charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. We discuss itinerant preachers, LA hypebeast cyber-apostles, Herman Melville, identity theft, April Fool?s Day, man-on-the-street content creators, jewelry dropshippers, and more, tracing the legacy of scammers through primary sources from 1850s op-eds to influencer snark pages.

Links:

This week on Nymphet Alumni, Alexi interviews Angel Money, New York nightlife darling and visionary of beauty and commerce. Over the course of more than two hours, we discuss her past life as a Tumblr-famous pale grunge blogger, her balance between New Age spirituality and hedonistic abundance, her intimate knowledge of custom Chinese manufacturing, her fashion controversies from cultural appropriation to exotic animal pelts, mad scientist gray market beauty treatments, the implicit influence of trans aesthetics on 21st century femininity, the mental and physical architecture of transsexuality, and much more. Angel also shares her exclusive recipes for a perfect night out?including her precise methodology for a 48-hour glam?and her high-fantasy vision for the ultimate immersive nightlife experience.

Links:

Listen to Money Talks with Angel Money

Angel?s Share ? Document Journal

Angel Money on Instagram

Angel Money on Twitter

In this episode, we?re joined by the legendary Emily Segal: writer, artist, cultural clairvoyant, and co-founder of K-HOLE and Nemesis. We talk about her brand-conscious NYC upbringing and art school education-by-osmosis, AI and telepathy, the collapse of unified worldviews, and what it means to be a creative director when every pair of jeans is trending at once. Emily also unearths the lost downtown dream of Chumbo and unpacks for us the group polarization and identity negotiation of contemporary parenting culture.

Links:

NEMESIS on Substack

K-HOLE

Emily Segal on Instagram

The Generational Triennial: Younger Than Jesus at The New Museum

Wolff Olins

Matan Even on YouTube

Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the Twentieth Century by Hannah Zeavin

IDEO

In this episode, we introduce the concept of whimsimod to explain the recent trend of pattern-printed and adorably tailored fashion among sensitive indie starlets and Instagram baddies alike. In the process of unpacking this polished yet playful re-envisioning of femininity, we discuss the aesthetic shift from ?kiki? to ?bouba? over the past year, the history of girly youth diffusion lines like RED Valentino and Blugirl, the current hemline crisis and the accompanying novelty hosiery movement, seminal lady designers including Carolina Herrera and Kate Spade, and more. We also provide a forensic cultural history of the polka dot throughout the decades.

Links:

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?The Power Of Two Claires: Miss Claire Sullivan Talks Designing Clairo?s Grammys Look? ? Nylon

?Reflections of Clairo? by Clairo ? Byline

beabadoobee ? ?Beaches? Jimmy Kimmel Live performance on YouTube

beabadoobee slayful Getty Image

Patternalia: An Unconventional History of Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaid, Camouflage, & Other Graphic Patterns by Jude Stewart

?The Polka Dot?s Past Is Weirder Than You Think? by Nancy MacDonell ? The Wall Street Journal

Blondita, Lauren Perrin, Ben Doctor, Lucila Safdie

TJ Maxx psychosis monologue TikTok (?)

Miu Miu Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection ? Vogue Runway

Addison Rae?s polka dot catsuit by Miss Claire Sullivan at Coachella

Addison Rae Vogue France cover story

Disney Channel?s Former Costume Designer Doesn?t Get the Y2K Resurgence Either ? Vogue

Paloma Sandoval on Instagram

?That?s So ?80s:? Wes Gordon Finds Treasures in a Scrapbook From Herrera?s Past ? Interview

?Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Lady? by Anamaria Wilson ? Harper?s Bazaar

Lynn Wyatt's Glamorous Life: Celebrities, Couture, and Castles | Paper Trail on YouTube

@chloyorkcity?s 80?s Excess series on TikTok

Surrey glasses on EyeBuyDirect

?The Enduring Legacy of Kate Spade?s Witty, Misunderstood Life? by Rory Satran ? The Wall Street Journal

Vogue?s extremely belated trend report on statement socks and tights at NYFW

?1960s-Style Tights Are Back. How to Wear Them in 2022.? by Nancy MacDonell ? The Wall Street Journal

Cero Magazine Issue 9 ? Kiko Kostadinov Special Edition featuring our interview with Laura and Deanna Fanning!

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the emancipatory joy of Justin Bieber?s public glow-down, shocking displays of tactical romantic psychosis by girls online, the despair wrought by the all-female Blue Origin space flight, the self-titled musical bonanza of Addison and Jonatan, the subversive pots-and-pans earworm Gnarly by Katseye, reflections on Californian millennialism from HAIM to Meghan Markle, our field trip to Pope Francis?s memorial mass, and more.

To stay subscribed to exclusive episodes and all the glamour of our premium content, head to https://www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe and add your payment info

In this solo debut episode, Sam introduces us to her fantastically anachronistic obsession: dinosaurs and their recurring impact on fashion and culture. From the ?Bone Wars? of the Gilded Age to the fossilized postwar fantasy of The Flintstones to the mass Dinomania surrounding the release of 1993?s Jurassic Park, Sam explores paleontological and prehistoric aesthetics as a reflection of cultural anxieties and technological advancements. She also walks us through major fashion moments including Jeremy Scott?s electroclash cavewomen (S/S 2010) and Gucci?s retro roadside dinosaur encounter (F/W 2017).

In this very special video episode of Nymphet Alumni, we convene in Hell?s Kitchen to perform our first-ever mukbang. Filmed the evening after our tiki-themed Substack launch party, we attempt to recover with 30 Chick-fil-A nuggets, two Cokes, two large fries, one chicken sandwich, and six Crumbl cookies. Along the way, we unpack the economics of fast food franchising, explore the theological divide between Protestant and Mormon desserts, debate the integrity of Chick-fil-A?s pickle batter and more. Bon appétit!

In this episode, superstar model-actress-writer and certified Tumblr icon Hari Nef joins us to discuss the electric energy of the mid-2010s New York fashion scene? VFILES, Hood by Air, Eckhaus Latta, and more? and the collision of early online content and the fashion industry that birthed some of the most brilliant creative personae of our generation. We learn about Hari?s cutthroat electioneering of the Dazed 100, her double life of uptown collegiate excellence and downtown nightlife chaos, street casting in SoHo and shitposting on the main grid, reflections on a decade of woke ideology, and so much more. We also get exclusive scoop on Hari?s upcoming Candy Darling biopic!

Links:

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Hood By Air ? FW 2014 Runway

Hood By Air ? FW 2013 Runway

Kalifa (fka Le1f) profile in The Washington Post

Venus X on the origins of GHE20G0TH1K, a club night that shaped the 2010s ? Dazed

VFILES Model Files Episode 5: Nodels (Not Models) on YouTube

VFILES Model Files Season 2 Episode 1: Save SoSo on Youtube

?Where Fashion Blogging Began? (Fashin F*gs profile) in The New York Times

Blythe Marks on Instagram

i-D Meets: Hari Nef on YouTube

Hari Nef for the Dazed 100

Hari?s scarily spot-on gay identity prediction tweet from 2014

Enigma (dir. Zackary Drucker) in Variety

@FilmUpdates announces the upcoming Candy Darling biopic

Hari Nef?s Hottest Fashion Opinions ? The Run-Through with Vogue

@marcitlali?s legendary amish b***h Tumblr post

In our first exclusive episode on Substack (yay!), we discuss the Ibiza fashion craze, unpacking the sparkling, sunset-hued resortwear fantasy that looms over the coming summer. Using our revolutionary theory of ?trickle-down Ibizanomics,? we leave no sequin unturned, from the couture treasure trove of Annie?s Ibiza to the injection-molded accessories of Amazon influencer storefronts. We analyze the aesthetic?s cultural context through the Balearic club scene?s seedy history, 2000s rom-com costuming, White Lotus hypergamy discourse, EDM tourism, traditional Indian fashion, the moodboard-to-stimboard-to-vision board pipeline, and more.

In this week's episode, we take a deep dive into Grisch, the fascinating niche style gaining traction among Sweden's affluent youth. Drawing on our listeners' firsthand accounts and a century of Scandinavian cultural history, we dissect its surprisingly long lineage? from fin-de-siècle dandies and Eurotrash dudebros to gangster rappers and old money influencers?all culminating in a high-stakes world of designer denim, puffer vests, and luxury low-profile sneakers. We ponder how the complex relationship between class, age, nationalism, and masculinity embodied by Grisch might result in its global domination.

Special thanks to Charles, Elsa, Justine, Iman, Matilda, Ebba, and Jesper for their insights! 

Links:
Image board
Selected TikToks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Chris Heyn Jr. on TikTok
eric_roth2 on TikTok
Marcus Rolf on TikTok
Your Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Fashion by The Daily Scandinavian
About Us ? Garde Grisch
De Vet Du ? Sture P (Music Video) 
Peder Fogstrand aka Greven
"The Law of Jante" (on Janteloven) by Michael Booth for The Paris Review
The Murder of Einar (Swedish rap legend) ? YouTube
Azealia Banks announces her move to Stockholm in Swedish radio interview
Yung Lean @subwaytakes Interview
Consumers that are middle and upper class in Nordic countries 2024 ? Statista

In this episode, journalistic superstar Ezra Marcus joins us to chronicle his journey from the ashes of millennial digital media to the frontlines of today's most exciting investigative reporting. We extol his epic track record?the Sarah Lawrence sex cult, the culinary horror story of Horses, the galaxy gas epidemic, and more? and discover what draws him to the shady fraudster kingpins that personify online hustle culture. We also discuss the true crime documentary slop machine, moonlighting as a party-pumping DJ, the idea that men are the new women, and what it means to stand at the brink of the Chinese century.

Links:
Ezra Marcus's Website 
Ezra Marcus on Instagram
Some of Ezra's greatest hits:
The Next Drug Epidemic is Blue Raspberry Flavored 

The Package King of Miami

The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence

The Cat Who Could Kill Horses

The ?E-Pimps? of OnlyFans

How Do You Make a Weed Empire?

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the Hollyweirdness of the Oscars (notably that James Bond humiliation ritual), Pretty Little Thing's rebrand from Love Island resortwear to halal clean girl prison clothes, the Losercore undertones of Prada's FW 2025 show, the abjection of the Shrek 5 trailer and the gravity of Shrek's highbrow legacy, the revolt against millennial burger joints and craft breweries, plus Biz makes a special announcement.


Links:
James Bond Musical Tribute at the 97th Oscars (Lisa, Doja Cat, Raye)
Pretty Little Thing
Featured PLT monstrosities: sage tailored cropped blazer/dress, burgundy soft rib two piece set, grey bardot ruched dress
PLT founder Umar Kamani on their rebrand ? Drapers
Boohoo/PLT/Nasty Gal class action settlement
Prada Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Vogue Runway
Shrek 5 Official Trailer on YouTube
Euphoria Season 3's "Silver Slipper" strip club
Kyle Gordon's "We Will Never Die" on TikTok
Millennial burger spot roast on TikTok
Tate McRae ? Revolving door (Official Music Video)
Flew out to Atlanta TikTok storytime (Girl's POV)
Flew out to Atlanta TikTok storytime (Boy's POV)
Appalachian hair texture discourse on TikTok
Stephanie Soo/Rotten Mango Ash Trevino Deep Dive on YouTube

In this week's episode, we discuss the legacy of Losercore, an aesthetic of the late 90s and early 2000s that celebrated the awkwardness of young adulthood and the sartorial idiosyncrasies of social outcasts, from orthodontia and ill-fitting gym uniforms to wire-frame glasses and dishwater-blond hair. We analyze the socioeconomic conditions that led to this period of loser glorification, identify key players (Todd Solondz, Paul Dano), cinematic touchstones (Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine), and generational anthems ("Teenage Dirtbag," "Buddy Holly"), and reflect on how the Internet has transformed today's young losers into threats to themselves and others.

Links:

Image board
"The Birth?and Maybe Death?of Yuppiedom" by Walter Shapiro for Time
"Loser: The Hero of the 1990s" by Grunge Included on Substack
The Trap by Adam Curtis
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
@yungkombucha420 on TikTok
"Americans Need to Party More" by Ellen Cushing for The Atlantic
"The Anti-Social Century" by Derek Thompson for The Atlantic
Loser Generated Content: From Participation to Exploitation by Soren Mork Petersen
Billie Eilish on having no friends
Celebrity with no friends blind item ("not Jessica Chastain")
Emma Chamberlain closet video
Bed rot talking stage TikTok / 
"Love in the Time of Bed Rotting" by Isabel Unhinged on Substack
"The Story Behind The Song: Beck and the crowning of the ?Loser? generation" ? Far Out
Teenage Dirtbag ? Wheatus (Offical Music Video)
Buddy Holly ? Weezer (Official Music Video)
Losercore TikTok boys: Slushy Noobz, Thomathy, Ben Awad, William Conrad
Marc Jacobs, Circa 2003: Long Hair, Neck Brace & Sweaty (PHOTO)
Prada Spring/Summer 1996
Marc Jacobs Spring 1999
Marc Jacobs Fall 1999
Vetements Fall 2019 Menswear
Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2021 

"Gucci's Beautiful Losers Hit New York" ? Business of Fashion
"The Book of Gucci According to Alessandro Michele" ? 032c
"Student Teaches Teacher" aka Jeff Bliss aka Friggin Packet Yo (Original YouTube Video)
"Who's Afraid of Hasan Piker?" ? Slate
"Still Life (Betamale)" by Jon Rafman
Party in their Blood ? Cloudy Heart (Official Music Video)
Bully (formerly @bully.incel.simp.hero) 
Duane Hanson ? Saatchi Gallery
Dadsgiving by Chris Maggio

This week, we are joined by special guest Evan Collins ? architect, design archivist, and cofounder of Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute ? for a conversation about the Institute's pioneering work in coining and defining the most fascinating aesthetics of the past half-century, including Indie Sleaze, Frutiger Aero, McBling, Whimsigothic, Shoe Diva, and many more. We discuss his foundational research into the Y2K aesthetic, the consumer incorporation of subculture, the challenges of community-based digital archiving, the benefit of researching ugly and unfashionable visual culture, and more.

Links:
Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute Official Website
CARI on Are.na
Evan Collins on Are.na
Evan Collins on Patreon (access to 700+ books and magazines!)
Art Deco of the 20s and 30s by Bevis Hillier
Blobjects and Beyond: The New Fluidity in Design by Steven Skov Holt and Mara Holt Skov

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the TikTok ban fakeout, Andrea Dworkin's Right-Wing Women, the inauguration party coverage heard around the world, the consequences of Trumpism on critical beauty studies, the true meaning of Eusexua in a post-Brat society, and more. Also, Sam finally reviews Emilia Perez.

Links:
Watch Vica's New Atlas Reels on Instagram
Johanne Sacrebleu (Emilia Perez parody)
Zoe Saldaña - La Vaginoplastia (From Emilia Perez)
Karla Sofía Gascón's crazy tweet archive
Right-Wing Women by Andrea Dworkin
Candace Owens on Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni
Dr. Natalya (Natalya Toryanski) on TikTok
"The Cruel Kids Table" by Brock Colyar for New York magazine
Michelle Santiago Cortés on the Pursuit of Hotness
Sean Monahan on the Boom Boom Aesthetic
Tate McCrae ordering drinks behind the scenes of "Sports Car"
Tate McCrae ? Sports Car (Official Music Video)

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In this week's episode, we investigate the rise of what we're calling Geometrica, the edgy, STEM-influenced design trend that ruled the 2000s and 2010s. We talk about the iconic looks of Lady Gaga's The Fame, triangle-induced Illuminati hysteria, Obama-era techno-optimism, second-generation k-pop music videos, Alexander McQueen's historic Plato's Atlantis collection, and much more.

Links: Image boardCubism and Fashion ? Met Gala 1998 Press ReleaseCubsim and Fashion by Richard MartinAlexander McQueen Spring 2010 (Plato's Atlantis) ? Vogue RunwaySHOWstudio: Plato's Atlantis by Alexander McQueen (archived livestream)The McQueen Show that Changed the Future of Fashion ? DAZEDEssay: Nick Knight on "Plato's Atlantis" ? SHOWstudioTop by @perlaz0ne on InstagramImogen Heap's MiMU GlovesIris Van Herpen Spring 2010 (Crystallized)Mary Katrantzou Spring 2009 (Graduate Collection)Mary Katrantzou Fall 2011Basso & Brooke Fall 2009Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness for V Magazine (2015)Daphne Guinness / Nick Knight / Noritaka Tatehana: Floating World ? SHOWstudio2NE1 - ?? ?? ? ??(I AM THE BEST) M/VPSY - GANGNAM STYLE(?????) M/VBIGBANG - FANTASTIC BABY M/VGirls' Generation ???? 'I GOT A BOY' MVAsians Wear Clothes on the Internet by Minh-Ha T. Pham20 Years of Issey Miyake's Bao Bao Bag ? The GuardianSaudi Arabia asks Hans Zimmer to rework national anthem ? The GuardianComme des Garçons Fall 2012La Maison GagaSpecial thank you to Telle from our Discord for this episode idea!

Listen to exclusive episodes here

Recorded in the twilight days of the Biden administration, we gathered round to discuss a dizzying variety of cultural phenomena in this edition of Study Break, including the Freakmas double feature of Babygirl and Nosferatu, the troubling rise of Galaxy Gas and other flavor-blasted/cartoonified smoke shop abominations, the vestigial parallels between Lily-Rose Depp and Timothée Chalamet, the resonance of face-tatted country artists, the passing of national Pastel Protestant Grandfather, Jimmy Carter, and much more. 

Links:
The Next Drug Epidemic is Blue Raspberry Flavored ? Ezra Marcus for New York
The 1830s Gothic Fashion of Robert Eggers' Nosferatu ? Focus Features on YouTube
Timothée Chalamet | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #551
Timothée Chalamet Instagram Complete Livestream
Jimmy Carter?s Grandson Honors 39th President's Life, Legacy in Eulogy
T.O.P Breaks Silence on Controversial Return to Acting in Squid Game Season 2 ? Korea Times
Chloe Forero on TikTok re: Latino influencers
Ethel Cain's Tumblr post on the irony epidemic
Hawk Tuah and the Zynternet ? Max Read on Substack

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience. Learn more about Croissant on their website!

Listen to exclusive episodes here <3

In our first episode of 2025, we're joined by the inimitable Mel Ottenberg? longtime muse, generational style mastermind, Editor in Chief of Interview magazine, and Nymphet Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award recipient? to discuss controversial figures (Natalia Grace, Blake Lively, Luigi Mangione), the current status of normcore (Brandy Melville, classic menswear, tighty whities), his incredible fashion legacy (styling Rihanna, conceiving Lana's iconic cover, channeling the Warholian spirit), and much more.*

*This episode was recorded before the tragic California wildfires? our hearts go out to everyone affected! Find ways you can help locally or from afar at the links below:
Friends of Forever ? LA Fire Support & Resources
Mutual Aid LA Network Fire & Wind Storm Resources
Resource Masterlist from Interview

Links:
Interview magazine
Mel Ottenberg on Instagram
Ralph Lauren Recieves the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively exposé in the New York Times
Luigi Mangione's courtroom fashion in WWD
Haliey Welch shot by Alyssa Kazew for Interview
Rihanna for Esquire UK, 2014
Sway House shot by Eli Russell Linnetz for Interview
Joan Rivers interviewed by Mel for Interview in 2010

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience. Learn more about Croissant on their website!

Listen to exclusive episodes here <3

In our last episode of the year, we're joined by superstar musician Harrison Patrick Smith, aka The Dare, to discuss his stylistic evolution and fashion predictions for 2025. As he ties up the album cycle for his hit LP What's Wrong with New York?, we revisit his male art hoe days as Turtlenecked, ponder his notorious black-and-white suit, and anticipate the necklines, color schemes, and pants widths that will define his next era. Harrison tells us about eating kangaroo, his genealogical tree, living in an Industrial Business Zone, the paradise/warzone of his DMs, all things electroclash, bloghouse, and indie sleaze, and more.

Links:
The Dare

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.

Learn more about Croissant on their website!

Listen to exclusive episodes here <3

In this week's episode, we journey into a World of Pure Imagination to discuss fantasy, fairytales, and the endless revisitation of children's media. We investigate the historical influences of the fantasy genre, from classic feudalism to Victorian industrialization, and unpack common motifs from talking animals to hopecore orphans. We also discuss the turn to live-action realistic fairytales, the consequences of this aesthetic and conceptual darkening, the effects of AI on the storytelling and creativity, and more.

Links:
Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes by John Cotton (1656)
The Golden Age of Children's Literature ? The Literary Encyclopedia
The Aarne?Thompson?Uther Index of Folktale Types
Under the Influence: Anna Biller on Donkey Skin ? Criterion
"Chapter 31: Fairy Tales" from All Things Considered by G. K. Chesterton 
"Out of Kansas: Revisiting the Wizard of Oz" by Salman Rushdie for The New Yorker
How Wicked Built Immersive Real-Life Sets, From Shiz To Emerald City ? Architectural Digest 
Willy's Chocolate Experience (Glasgow, Scotland Scam Willy Wonka Event) Script
Pinnochio: A True Story (2022) Trailer

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the rise of celebrity lookalike contests, YSL's Proustian fantasy films, recent literary scoop on Cormac McCarthy, the extension of Brat into the deep dark winter, and all things Wicked from the uncanny Hollyweird sapphism of its press tour to the inescapability of its garish color scheme in consumer products.

Links:
Saint Laurent ? AS TIME GOES BY
Marc Jacobs reading selfies
Emma Chamberlain for Warby Parker
Celebrity lookalike contests in CNN
"Aquarius" from Hair (movie adaptation)
Wicked costume design breakdown ? InStyle
Gwyneth Paltrow wins Best Actress ? 1999 Oscars
Mr. Golightly's "Who Sang It Best" YouTube playlist
"Cormac McCarthy?s Secret Muse Breaks Her Silence After Half a Century" by Vincenzo Barney ? Vanity Fair
Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik ? Interview
Charli xcx Opening Monologue ? Saturday Night Live
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson post-fight speech
Miley Cyrus on her upcoming album Something Beautiful ? Harper's Bazaar

In this week's episode, we are honored to talk with dancer Lexee Smith, one of the most captivating and quietly influential figures in contemporary pop culture. Fresh off the heels of her crazy month of newly released projects, including Addison Rae's "Aquamarine" and Lady Gaga's "Disease," Lexee joins us to discuss her approach to dance, performance, and style. We talk about showgirls, video vixens, Clarice Lispector, Dance Moms, Parisian elegance, unhinged warmups, the Age of Aquarius, insane asylums, and much more.

Links:
Image board
@lexeesmith on Instagram
Damiano David ? Born With a Broken Heart (Music Video) 
"You Were Meant for Me" from Singing in the Rain 
Lady Gaga ? Disease (Music Video)
Addison Rae ? Aquamarine (Music Video) 
Addison Rae ? Aquamarine (Behind the Scenes) 
"The American Modern Dancer: Loïe Fuller and Isadora Duncan" 
Martha Graham ? Lamentation (1943) 
All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse by Martin Gottfried
A Look at Halston?s Historic Costumes for Martha Graham Dance Company ? Vogue
My Boyfriend's Back ? Molly Long Choreography
Massive Attack, Young Fathers ? Voodoo in My Blood (Music Video) 

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the double-release of Addison Rae?s ?Aquamarine? and Lady Gaga?s ?Disease,? Lexee Smith as Hollywood?s body double Rasputin, the ?Dirty Cash? effect, the pros and cons of Gay Halloween, the triumph of the Dodgers, Slavic Dolls versus Brazilian Bombshells, and more.

Links: 

Lady Gaga - Disease (Official Music Video)

Addison Rae - Aquamarine (Official Music Video)

Dirty Cash (Money Talks) videos on TikTok 

Shawn Mendes opens up about his sexuality, in a way

Shawn Mendes Interview feature

ian - Sh*t Sad (Feat. Chief Keef) (Official Music Video)

Barack Obama on DeepCut with VicBlends

Slavic Dolls vs. Brazilian Bombshells videos on TikTok

Saturday Night Live TikTok skit

Young Posse (???) - Ate That (Official Music Video)

In this Halloween centennial special, we have the sublime honor of being joined by one of our all-time heroes Valerie Steele, fashion studies trailblazer and director of the Museum at FIT, to discuss all things Gothic, inspired by her seminal book Gothic: Dark Glamour. We explore the aesthetic?s medieval origins and trace its cultural evolution through literature, art, and architecture all the way to the rise of the Goth subculture in the 1970s and beyond, covering Victorian dandies, sexy vampires, McQueen skull scarves, Japanese couturiers, and more. 

Thanks so much to Valerie for joining us! 

Links: 

Image board

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology

Gothic: Dark Glamour by Valerie Steele and Jennifer Park

Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at MFIT on Google Arts & Culture

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu

Goth Talk: Christina Ricci - Saturday Night Live

?Very Mad, Very Maudlin, Very Macabre: It?s Showtime for the Goth Revival? by Tish Weinstock for Vogue

How to Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style by Tish Weinstock

In this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable Emma Glenn Baker, NYC personal trainer and host of the podcast STARGIRL, to discuss all things body and the cultural status of fitness as it relates to body, brand, and spirit. We discuss activewear power players from Gymshark to Lululemon to Skims, the rise of the erotic fitness-inspired editorials, the sublime embodiment of Gen Z sweethearts Livvy Dunne and Addison Rae, the spiritual consequences of a life lived in stretchy clothes, and more. 

Listen to STARGIRL, join the Patreon, and follow Emma on IG!

Links: 

?Athleisure, barre, and kale: the tyranny of the ideal woman? by Jia Tolentino in The Guardian

Toxic gym motivation trend on TikTok 

?Make Yourself a Gift? by Emma Glenn Baker in Real Life

Equinox ?Want It All? ad campaign

The Official Gymshark Story

?Musclebound? in A Dedicated Follower of Fashion by Holly Brubach

In this week's episode, we define the Pastel Protestant Grandmother aesthetic, a cozy visual universe recognizable to anyone belonging to the American Middle Class, or anyone who's ever been to an antique store in America. We discuss the hypnotic sedation of low-definition media, nostalgia-based commodities from Precious Moments figurines to dusty dollhouses, anti-intellectualism and sentimentality in American culture, the social history of craft, Christian kitsch and camp, the dark side of elderly matriarchs, and more.  

Links

Image board

Pastel Protestant Grandma ? Our Official Playlist! 

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life ? Richard Hofstadter

Red Hat Society

?The Forgotten Everyday Origins of ?Craft?? ? Sarah Archer 

Cræft: An Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts ? Alexander Langlands

Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America ? Steven M. Gelber

?Do Protestants Have a ?Low? Aesthetic?? ? Front Porch Republic

?A Defense of Christian Kitsch? ? Paul Griffiths

Gaither Music on TikTok

Listen to exclusive episodes here <3

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss Mel Ottenberg's new denim line and its adjacent clean boy creepshot visuals, the two-pronged cultural force of the Sweat/Short 'n' Sweet tours, our prediction for Disney adult chic following Coperni's S/S '25 show, Lady Gaga's disastrous Harlequin styling and Ryan Murphy's indelible impact, Dark Brainrot and weirdcore developments, recent cinematic triumphs including Megalopolis and The Substance, and more.

Links:
Club Mel ? Mel by RE/DONE
TikTok King Bach Buquen is Hot, Viral, and French ? Interview
Sabrina Carpenter's Short 'n' Sweet Tour ? Rolling Stone 
Gracie ABramS
Coperni Spring/Summer 2025 at Disneyland Paris
Coperni Vinted Disney merch controversy
Chloé Spring/Summer 2025
Joker Folie à Deux x Louvre ? Lady Gaga, Mona Lisa   
Francis Ford Coppola explains the origin behind "Wow Platinum"
Aubrey Plaza vs. Patti Lupone ? Hot Ones Versus
Smartschoolboy9 ? An Internet Rabbit Hole
Mr. Prada Murder Trial
At New York Fashion Week, Designers Search for America ? AnOther

Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts:

North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund

One SC Fund

UNC Asheville Disaster Relief

In this week's episode, we ascend the great champagne tower of history and proclaim the existence of Continental Luxury, an evocative aspirational aesthetic that has bewitched the palates of tastemakers across generations. We discuss the history of luxury hotels, the evolution of the boutique hospitality industry, Old World cuisine and interiors as status symbols, and we summon a cast of characters including Anthony Bourdain, Nancy Drew, and Keith McNally to unpack the oyster-laden, gold-trimmed, cherry-garnished lifestyle of our collective dreams.

Links:
Image board
Ritz and Escoffier: The Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr
"Towards a Political Geography of Hotels" by Ruth Craggs
"A Legend as Big as the Ritz" ? Vanity Fair
Ce?sar Ritz: Life and Work by Chastonay, Adalbert
The History of Tourism: Structures on the Path to Modernity ? Institute of European History
The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class by Dean MacCannell
?The Social and Material Life of Colonial Hotels" by Maurizio Peleggio 
Hotel: An American History by A. K. Sandoval-Strausz
Home on the Rails: Women, the Railroad, and the Rise of Public Domesticity by Amy G. Richter
The romantic journey; the story of Thomas Cook and Victorian travel
Travel influencer rice farm controversy in The Daily Mail
"The World's Revolt Against 'Bad Tourists'" ? BBC

In this episode, we investigate the cultural landscape of the 1990s with the help of a most legendary guest: NYT pop music critic and Popcast host Jon Caramanica. We discuss slackerism and authenticity discourse, the rise of alternative and independent media, the intricacies of subcultural style, the twin flames of rock and hip-hop, the surprising parallels between Gen X and Gen Z, white rappers, child rappers, Tommy Hilfiger grails, and much more.

Links:
Listen to Popcast
Jon on Instagram
Lady Gaga on the Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW, 2014
How SoundScan Changed Music Charts ? Billboard
Pop Music's Middle Class by Shaad D'Souza ? New York Times
Ice Spice vs. Cleopatra Drama Explained ? Rolling Stone 

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the most pressing topics facing fashion and culture, featuring analysis of Sabrina Carpenter?s grindhouse pinup comeback, Addison Rae's arthouse cult single "Diet Pepsi," reflection on Simon Porte Jacquemus's legacy (and speculation on his rise to the Chanel throne), Hollister nostalgia-baiting, global fashion updates from the UK and Mexico, and more.

Links:
Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet ? Video Playlist
"Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae (dir. Sean Price Williams)
"Breakaway" by Bruce Connor
The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
Chanel's New Kaiser ? Lauren Sherman for Puck News
Hollister long-sleeve babydoll tops on TikTok
"Archive" Hollister tops from 2022 on TikTok
Halley Kate v. Sophia La Corte drama summary
Tribal trend in Mexico (some TikTok examples)
Intentalo by 3ballMTY

In this episode, we embark upon a swashbuckling anthropological journey into one of the most mysterious aesthetics of the menswear universe: Male Pirate Dressing, a style beloved by prestige actors and aging rockstars alike. Along with our two expert witnesses, James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman of the Throwing Fits Podcast, we ask some of life?s most difficult questions: Why is midlife crisis boho such a prevalent phenomenon? Are indie sleaze icons destined (or doomed) to succumb to over-accesorized fashion piracy in the years to come? Do men know about John Galliano? Tune in to find out!

Links:
Image Board 

Alexander McQueen Spring 2003 Ready-to-Wear

Heidi Slimane Wearable Pirate Uniform

The Trouble with Johnny Depp ? Rolling Stone

Were Pirates Foes of the Modern Order, or Its Secret Sharers? ? The New Yorker

Throwing Fits on Substack

Throwing Fits on Instagram 

In the third installment of our Study Break series, we turn our attention to the world of sport, analyzing the Broquette SKIMS campaign and all things Olympics, including Ralph Lauren boater costumes, the radical European uncoolness of the Opening Ceremony, and our own creative styling concepts for Olympic athletes. We also discuss Mark Zuckerberg's rebrand, "Brat hangovers," and Kamala Harris's Loewe tomato girl potential. (Disclaimer: this episode was recorded July 28!)

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.

Learn more about Croissant on their website!

LINKS: 

SKIMS Summer Uniform Campaign

Nicola Coughlan for SKIMS Soft Lounge Campaign

2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

How Team USA's 2024 Olympic Outfits Were Made By Ralph Lauren

Mark Zuckerberg personally fuels the rumors of his Supreme takeover

J. W. Anderson Gucci rumors

Alexi's Kamala-core Pinterest board 

Adam Lambert, ?Moana? Star Auli?i Cravalho Taking Over Lead Roles in Broadway?s ?Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club?

Fragrances by Sabrina Carpenter

In this week's episode, we revisit the '90s does '60s phenomenon and discuss the parallels between the two decades?swinging youth culture and nightlife, technological optimism, design innovation?while also finding surprising similarities to our contemporary moment. We highlight the Austin Powers trilogy as this sensation's most brilliant high-camp cultural artifact, unpacking its satire of free love, modern masculinity, and British cheekiness. We explore Space Age fashion, the British Invasion(s), pop environmentalism, Volkswagen Beetles, iMac G3s, the Powerpuff Girls, and much more.

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant app here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.

Learn more about Croissant on their website!

Links:

https://pin.it/tXaQphpiE
Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute's "Groovival" Are.na Board
"Austin Powers-core" musical subgenre Tweet
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery ? fashion photography montage
Obituary of Pierre Cardin ? The New York Times
Industrial designer Karim Rashid
"BBC" by Ming Tea ? Official Music Video
Dressed to Regress: Interview with Austin Powers costume designer Deena Appel (1999) ? LA Times
Deena Appel interview ? From Tailors With Love
The Peacock Revolution: 1960s Menswear ? Victoria & Albert Museum
Peter Bogdanovich on the lasting influence of Austin Powers in Goldmember ? The New Yorker
?A real stroke of genius.? How Apple?s iMac G3 became an object of desire ? CNN
AWOLTrends on Blobjects
Prada's spacesuits for NASA's 2025 Moon mission ? Forbes
The Low Earth Orbit Economy ? NASA
"Bye Bye Sixties" ? Nancy Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, and Ruth Buzzi (1969)