Weekend Reads for October 4

Weekend Reads

Michigan church shooting suspect went on anti-LDS tirade, political candidate said. (Detroit Free Press)

People are turning to Etsy witches to manifest their dream lives. (Dazed)

Looking to invest more in their friendships, some are opening shared bank accounts. (NBC News)

I will sleep easier. (Daniel Barkhuff on Substack)

Tearing down the playhouse. (Men Yell at Me on Substack)

Is your alma mater (or your kid's future school) included in this collection of sweatshirts or caps?

How GAP, a 56-year-old brand is regaining cultural relevance. (Because of Marketing on Substack)

How the Getty is preserving L.A.’s Black heritage amid Trump’s DEI rollbacks. (Los Angeles Times)

Clues that a recession is coming. (The Atlantic – gift link)

Branded CD cases, iPods, and the daily newspaper: Offline media as your new favourite accessory. (Style Analytics on Substack)

Love the sleeves and ease of this sweater dress.

The $400 million restaurant man. (New York Times – gift link)

If I wanted to buy a woman a luxury gift around $300… (The Laundry Pile on Substack)

Why does everything online feel so embarrassing? (Vox)

And for my local yokels… New symbol for Maryland IDs can alert police to hidden disabilities as Eric's Law takes effect. (CBS News)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

I don't put a lot of effort into Instagram so it's always an exciting shock when something goes well. And I hada Reel go very well (writing this on Wednesday morning and it has hit 80K views, 2.5K likes, and almost 600 comments). The thing is, it's about these sneakers from Adidas, and I used LTK to link to them and it seems Adidas and LTK don't play nice so the link isn't working and folks are seeing them out of stock. And they are out of stock in a few sizes.

adidas (the ones I own) | H&M | new balance | reebok | converse | isabel marant | new balance | vionic

So I decided to do a little research and find other leopard print sneakers I think are also stylish, and tucked in there some that are cheaper, good for wide feet, fussy feet, and some bougie pairs for the bougie in the crowd. A nice bit of variety, but all will look cool and stylish this fall and beyond.

I'm a fan of Velvet Caviar for quality phone cases and supplies. I've shared some of my favorites including this streamlined and brilliant battery pack and it's clear y'all are also fans. Velvet Caviar has provided the Wardrobe Oxygen community discount code ALISON20 for 20% off your future purchases!

See/Hear/Read

I was invited to see the new Apple TV movie, All Of You, at a fancy theater about 45 minutes from where I live. I said thank you but no thank you, I couldn't really figure out why I would go to a theater to see a semi-sci-fi romance drama starring “Roy Kent” when I could see it from my living room sofa. Was it some visual spectacle best seen on the big screen?

Karl and I decided to see for ourselves, and that evening instead of driving to Real Housewives of Potomac-land, we plopped down on our sofa and watched it on our television. And I do not think my feelings on All Of You would improve if I had instead seen it in a theater.

Brett Goldstein stole many of our hearts as Roy Kent in the series Ted Lasso. He continued to be charming in his smaller role on Shrinking. While I found his comedy special lacking, I wished him well for his future in writing, producing, and acting. In All Of You, Goldstein stars as Simon, and his bestie since university is Laura, played by Imogen Poots. BTW, Goldstein is also co-writer and co-producer.

This is some point in the near future as everything looks current except billboards everywhere advertising a test that connects you with your soulmate. Millions and millions have found their match with this test. Simon is anti-the test, but Laura is ready to try. Simon, the bestie he is, even pays for Laura to take it.

All you need to do is see the movie marketing poster and know Simon loves Laura and always has. And just knowing there is this super successful “test” that Laura takes, you know she is matched with her “soulmate” who isn't Simon. But something happens where the poster would have her hugging on Simon as he looks pensively at the ocean.

This felt like a movie I would have found terribly romantic and heartbreaking when I was 17. At 50, I find Laura to be a selfish wannabe manic pixie dream girl in a grown-ass woman's body. And I kept thinking, how does the test work if everyone doesn't do it? Can't it only match with those participating? And how small the pool must be as folks keep getting matched up. And wait, how many years have gone by since the last scene? The only way I could tell time had changed was Goldstein having or not having facial hair.

I'm glad I didn't get gussied up and drive to MoCo (Montgomery County, Maryland, for the non-locals) to see this at a theater. I would have been kicked out for throwing popcorn at the screen yelling at Laura.

Book-wise, this week I finished Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. Another Libby book chosen by cover, hearing of the author, and availability, this is my first book by Jimenez. And based on the interview with the author at the end, it's clear this isn't her first and there is a bit of a community/in-the-know vibe going on with her fans.

That being said, I don't think I'll be part of that community any time soon. I felt the characters were cliche, the personal trauma and mental health discussion took away from the romance, the romance was boring and corny, and I could not stand the male voice actor. I don't think I'll be seeking out any of her other books any time soon.

For Your Entertainment

I think we've all felt it, that feeling you get about someone that you can't define as anything but “the ick.” Trousdale, a Los Angeles-based all-female folk/pop group explains it well in their latest single from their sophomore album, Growing Pains. Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene, and Lauren Jones met in 2014 in the popular music program at USC. Like many other modern bands, they gained an audience and the recognition of record labels in 2021 thanks to TikTok.