Weekend Reads for the End of May

Clarice Beckett, Beach Scene, 1932-33 — Clarice Beckett, *Beach Scene*, 1932-33

Weekend Reads

They’ve Heard the Warnings. Gen Z Is Tanning Anyway. (New York Times – gift link)

Did you see Printfresh is now making men's shirts?

Is that song stuck in your head actually AI? (The Atlantic – gift link)

I Bought Friendster for $30k — Here’s What I’m Doing With It. (Medium)

I don't know which of these keychains I like most!

In the age of looksmaxxing, Trump, and “catching print,” men have seized on an enduring anxiety with new energy. (Intelligencer)

Every summer I look for a product that gives me cool air-dry beachy hair. This one is really impressing me. TBH I love everything from this brand.

The Rise of Ragebait Lit. (Bazaar)

I can't afford this shirt but it makes me want to DIY something similar.

With Shows Like ‘The Boroughs,’ TV Is Having a Senior Moment. (New York Times – gift link)

I'm super into these earrings.

Rachel Ward Quit Hollywood. I Quit Botox. We're Both Doing Fine. (Cool Best Friend via Substack)

This Summer’s Teen Job Market Is the Toughest in Decades. (The Wall Street Journal – gift link)

In the span of about 20 minutes, I lost my wife, my best friend, and my grip on life. Finding it again took a lot longer. (The Atlantic – gift link)

That's what she said.

Not Every Language Has Spelling Bees. Here’s Why English Is Perfect for Them. (New York Times Magazine – gift link)

A pretty perfect summer jean.

I just know this smells amazing and feels great on the skin. I'm totally buying some. BTW code OXYGEN20 gets you 20% off!

I‘m trying this out this month… so far a fan. Stays in place, looks natural, feels like nothing.

OMG a functional and fashionable raffia tote? Genius.

This top with jean shorts, with a navy suit, with white linen pants, with chinos, with a poplin midi skirt…

They Say My Hometown Is Doomed. (The Golden Hour via Substack)

The Maryland Girl in me loves this clutch.

Finally, a Bookstore That Sells Mesh Underwear. (New York Times – gift link)

Are There Two Gen Xs? (Small Talk via Substack)

Especially for summer I love waterproof jewelry and this ring is badass.

O.G. bloggers and fans of IFB may remember Crosby Noricks… well this fellow Gen X woman is starting a print magazine for us!

Please use AI. (The Courage to Live It via Substack)

Style Inspo & Sale Alert

May Bestsellers have been added to my ShopMy account; you can find them at this link! These are the items that were purchased the most by the Wardrobe Oxygen community!

I love the combination of coral and peach with shades of blue. It's a classic summer combination that can be delicate or bold, works well with denim, navy, olive, white, and cream, and looks fresh year after year.

See/Hear/Read

We heard from several folks that The Boroughs (Netflix) was good. Described as a combination of Stranger Things and Cocoon, it is a limited series by the Duffer Brothers who also did Stranger Things. Starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and more familiar grown-folk faces, The Boroughs takes place at a retirement village of the same name.

the boroughs tv show sign to enter the retirement community — Image via Atlas of Wonders, a great site that breaks down where shows and movies are filmed, including *The Boroughs*.

This is a fancy-dancy senior community, built in 1949 with charming Mid-Century Modern homes and fantastic amenities (two golf courses!). Sam Cooper (played by Alfred Molina, who will forever be Diego Rivera to me) recently lost his wife (Jane Kaczmarek) and is moving into the retirement home the two of them planned to move into together.

the cast of the boroughs at the diner looking scared

He is placed in a cul-de-sac with Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard and Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman, and Dennis O'Hare, taking over the home of a couple where the wife recently died and the husband is in memory care at “The Manor” within the retirement community. But we know early on that the wife actually was killed by some scary monster that showed up while she was sleeping.

Denis O'Hare, Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina and Clarke Peters in The Boroughs

Scary monster continues to kill, Sam Cooper catches the monster in the act, and the neighbors become detectives and hunters and schemers while there is weed smoked, sex being had, coffee drank, birds dying, and quartz being stolen.

clarke peters picking a peach in the boroughs

This was cute, but there were a lot of holes in the story. Why was the quartz being stolen, anyway? The ending didn't totally make sense considering the beginning. The music made it feel like something from Disney (or an '80s Spielberg film). But it was nice to see these grown-ass familiar faces in fun and prominent roles (and a little bit of a Thelma & Louise moment). And in case you're wondering:

Geena Davis is 70
Alfre Woodard is 73
Alfred Molina is 73
Bill Pullman is 72
Clarke Peters is 74
Denis O'Hare is 64
Jane Kaczmarek is 70
Ed Begley Jr. is 76
Anna Deavere Smith is 75
Jena Malone is 41

For Your Entertainment

I love when the YouTube algorithm feeds me some small-time artist with big-time talent. And this week it's Appleby, the stage name for Justin LaRoy Burns as well as his mother's maiden name. He began creating music in 2013 as a form of therapy during a low time in life, and he kept his music secret from his loved ones.

Then a few years ago, his girlfriend encouraged him to put some of his music on RedNote, a Chinese social media platform. It went viral, and it gave him the motivation to take his music more seriously as well as become more familiar with Chinese culture and learning Mandarin. And now it's 2026, Appleby is getting press and is headlining a tour in China next month! Here is his latest single, “Catch My Breath.”