Women in Northern Ireland will now be eligible for free abortions on the NHS in England, the government has announced, marking a “landmark moment” for women.
A vote on the issue had been scheduled for later today but Justine Greening, Conservative minister for women and equalities, made the major concession early in an apparent attempt to prevent a rebellion among her party’s MPs in the Commons, the Guardian reported.
The move will be life-changing for women and girls in Northern Ireland, who until now have been forced to shell out between £400 and £2,000 to access abortion services at private clinics in England – despite being UK citizens and taxpayers.
Unlike in other parts of the UK, abortion in Northern Ireland remains heavily restricted and is illegal even in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities. It is only lawful if a woman's life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health.
During a debate on the Queen’s Speech, Chancellor Philip Hammond said Greening would soon be announcing her intention to intervene to fund abortions in England for women arriving here from Northern Ireland, and a letter from Greening to MPs confirmed this.
“As minister for women and equalities, I share the concerns of many colleagues about the experience of women from Northern Ireland obtaining an abortion through the NHS in England,” Greening wrote.
She added: “At present women from Northern Ireland are asked for payment and from now on it is our proposal that this will no longer happen. This is clearly a sensitive issue and one which has direct implications for equality in treatment of women from Northern Ireland,” reported the Guardian.
A group of more than 50 MPs from across the political spectrum, coordinated by Labour MP Stella Creasy, had backed a call for Northern Irish women to be eligible for free abortions in England. It was then selected by Speaker John Bercow as one of three amendments to the Queen’s Speech to be put to a vote.
Creasy responded to the news on Twitter: "Sisters in Northern Ireland we will hear your voices – have asked for speedy meeting with govt to make this a reality!
‘Thank you to MPs on all sides who supported call for change to help Northern Irish women have equal access to abortion."
Pro-choice groups have also expressed their delight at the news. A spokesperson for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) hailed it as "a landmark moment". "Clearly this is not the solution to the gross injustice whereby women in Northern Ireland are denied access to abortion care at home, and we look forward to seeing progress on that front. Nevertheless this is an important moment, and we commend all those who have worked so hard to make this happen.”
Grainne Teggart, Northern Ireland campaign manager for Amnesty International, said it was "an important step for women’s rights" but added that there was still a long way to go for women in the country. "Women and girls from Northern Ireland will still have to bear the financial and emotional burden of having to travel for healthcare that should be available at home. They have been treated as second-class citizens for too long."
She said it was a matter of urgency for Northern Ireland's politicians "to bring the region’s archaic abortion laws into line with human rights standards, as repeatedly called for by United Nations committees.
"This should include the decriminalisation of abortion, so that women are treated as patients, not potential criminals.”
A spokesperson for Marie Stopes UK, which provides abortions, said: "Any action on the situation facing women seeking abortion in Northern Ireland is both welcome and long overdue," and called it "a hugely positive step forward".
"But there is no reason why these services shouldn’t be provided in Northern Ireland, saving thousands of women each year the cost and stress of travelling to the mainland."
The famously anti-abortion DUP, with whom prime minister Theresa May just secured a deal, is yet to comment on the issue.
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I have a strong aversion to walking into places first.
It’s true — if I’m out with family or friends, I’ll always try to be the first to the door, so I can open it for the other people I’m with, forcing them to walk in ahead of me. It’s fucking weird, I know. But after spending a good deal of my 20s alone, I came to realise that my reluctance to step through doorways first stemmed from a bigger fear I used to have: being alone in a crowded room. Or worse, having people assume I was alone, and then feeling bad for me.
I know that this is ridiculous, because no one really notices (or cares) whether or not a person is by themselves at a bar, or in a restaurant. But, for a good part of my life, my singleness was something I tried desperately to hide. It was my least favorite feature about myself, so I tried to cover it up. Walking into a place behind another person signaled that I was there with them, so no one would make the mistake that I was waltzing into a social venue solo.
As I got older, my fear of being alone seeped into other parts of my life. If there happened to be a Friday night when all of my friends were busy, and I was stuck home by myself, I’d dissolve into a pool of tears. I have no friends! I’d wail. I’m never going to meet anyone if I’m always sitting at home on a Friday night!
I tried to calm this anxiety and fear by swiping on my dating apps, desperately trying to line up plans for nights when I knew I didn’t have anything going on. That, of course, made me feel even worse, which eventually made me decide (with some gentle prodding from my therapist) to ceremoniously delete my dating apps and take a dating hiatus.
Dating app burnout is a real thing, and I hit the wall hard. But the void that was left in my life — one that I used to fill with mindless dates with men whose faces started to blur together — was one of the scariest things I’d ever faced. My friends filled that hole most of the time. But every so often, there’d be a day when everyone had plans, and I’d be left to fend for myself. Once, after a friend turned me down after I invited her to go see an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she offhandedly suggested that I go alone. I almost burst out laughing. “That’s something friends and couples do,” I said. “I can’t go to something like that alone.” The thought of being seen standing by myself in a crowded museum was enough to make me panic.
So I tried to fill my days the best I could. I picked up a huge stack of books and started spending my down time reading alone in my apartment. I became a total hermit — I’d spend Friday nights reading, or scrolling through Tumblr, or watching Netflix. Eventually, I got to be okay with the idea of spending time alone — as long as no one could see me.
One day, I was flipping through the book How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are, and came across a passage called “Off The Radar.” It talks through a pretty romantic-sounding scene of a woman sitting alone in a café with her coffee. I started noticing that, throughout the book, there were little mentions of how French women don’t mind being alone sometimes, be it on park benches, at cafés, in bars, wherever. It sounded kind of nice — and kind of sexy, to be honest.
It was in that moment that I realised that being alone wasn’t just something I could tolerate; it could actually be kind of nice.
Now, I am a self-proclaimed Francophile. There is nothing I’d love more than to be a fabulous French woman, and I have absolutely zero shame in admitting that. So I thought that if being alone was trés Français, then dammit, I’d try it. (I’d like to take this opportunity to point out how absurd it is that a book romanticising French women was what inspired me to change my thinking, but at least I’m self-aware.)
I started off small. I grabbed a coffee and went on a walk by myself through Central Park, taking some time to sit on a park bench and look out over the Azalea Pond. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself, and just how nice it was to be alone with my thoughts for a while. I can do this, I thought. A few days later, on my walk home from the subway, I decided to pop into the bar a few doors down from me, order a vodka, and chat with the bartender. It was terrifying at first, but the vodka helped calm my nerves, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the other people at the bar were friendly and chatty.
I started taking myself out on a regular basis, slowly testing my threshold for being alone. I saw the aforementioned Met exhibit by myself, and I found that I actually preferred going to museums solo. The biggest test, though, came one night when I decided to take myself out to an early dinner. I’d done this before, but I usually opted to sit at the bar so that I’d have people to talk to. But it was a particularly gorgeous night in early October, so this time I asked for a table for one outside. Not only would I be alone, but I’d be alone in plain view of every pedestrian who walked down that sidewalk. And being in New York, that meant a lot of people.
I sat down, ordered a glass of wine and some pasta, and then tried to relax. I’d brought a book, but instead of reading it, I sipped my wine and forced myself to people-watch. I expected people to stare at the girl eating alone on a Saturday night, but most people breezed right by without a second glance. And it was in that moment that I realised that being alone wasn’t just something I could tolerate; it could actually be kind of nice.
So now I try to date myself whenever I get the chance. I actually prefer to go to my neighbourhood bar alone now, because I’ve made friends with some of the bartenders and regulars there. I’ve had great conversations with random people on park benches, and have silently stood next to strangers in museums, staring at beautiful pieces of art. I do still feel lonely from time to time, but I’ve realised that I’m never really alone — there’s always someone around to strike up a conversation with. As for my aversion to walking into places first? I’m still working on it. But lately, if someone holds the door open for me, I find myself thanking them and walking in first.
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So I have a confession to make: I actually really like yoga. I'm a big-chested lady and therefore I have a constantly aching back. Yoga is one of the few things that helps me wake up pain-free.
I could sit here and tell you all about how doing yoga helped me get more in tune with my body, or about how yoga isn't just for thin white girls, or about how aerial yoga is actually really fun and challenging (which it is — at least, for me.)
But I won't. Because you are not me, and based on the fact that you clicked into this article, I'm willing to bet that you actually hate yoga. Maybe you even despise it — and that's totally okay.
It turns out, your aversion to bending your body into all kinds of different positions might actually keep you a little safer than those of us who start our days with a few cat-cows. Recent research published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that yoga actually causes musculoskeletal pain in about 10% of people.
Researchers studied 354 yoga-goers in two suburban studios who filled out questionnaires on their age, experience, the number of hours they did yoga each week, how intense that yoga was (yes, it can be intense), as well as any forms of pain or injuries they experienced.
While many injuries were minor, like wrist pain from all that time spent in downward dog, some were much more serious. According to the questionnaires, more than a third of injuries lasted three months or longer and actually caused people to stop going to yoga. Based on these results, the researchers urge people who do yoga to let their doctors know and to also be up front with their yoga teachers about any previous injuries that could affect their practice.
As a yoga-hater, you might be inclined to use this information as proof that yoga truly is a useless activity, but let me just stop you for a second. Sure, yoga can be dangerous, but so can literally any other physical activity.
So, while you can absolutely use this as one more excuse to never step inside a yoga studio, I will keep rolling out my yoga mat, thank you very much.
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Yes, we know. The Obama family's post-presidency holidays might as wellbecometheirowngenreoflifestylereporting right now. Fashion, beauty, health, travel, home, and Obama family vacations. But it's fun! They just keep making us jealous with their kitesurfing and Tuscan villas and staying on private islands. Plus, they get a lot of work done in-between outdoor adventures — speaking at summits, signing giant book deals, and the like.
The Obamas' latest trip took the family — this time, including Sasha and Malia — to Indonesia, where the former president had lived in the 1960s with his mother and her second husband. According to Travel + Leisure, he is expected to travel to the island of Java on July 1 to speak at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress in Jakarta.
So far, they have enjoyed a whitewater-rafting adventure, toured the famous Jatiluwih rice terrace, and stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, where, according to the Daily Mail, a villa with a private pool and sun terrace could cost over £2,000 a night.
Ahead, see photos of the resort where the Obamas stayed.
A one-bedroom villa with one of the many pools.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan.
The Sacred River spa.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan.
The architecture is stunning.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
At night.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
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Organisers invited people to submit "messages of love for Pride" that would be turned into artwork for the parade. This seemed like a great idea...until the posters were revealed and turned out to be a bit homophobic themselves.
Even as a joke, using "gay" as an insult is unacceptable and posters like this only serve to normalise this type of rhetoric.
Other controversial posters read: "My gay friends make me more attractive by association" and "Befriend a gay person and win a prize — friendship."
People are understandably outraged at the implication that gay friends are trendy fashion accessories and their existence helps straight people appear "more attractive."
You're not gay, though, so once you've cleared that up – what was it, your shoes, or your love of disco? – you get to just carry on. pic.twitter.com/2LpuIoVWm1
"It is clear we misjudged the content of some of the messages in this poster series, undermining the individuality, importance, and dignity of the LGBT+ community," a spokesperson for the organisation said. "This was never our intention, and we are genuinely sorry to have played any part in something that appears to devalue our own community, and have removed these... images from our campaign."
Although we're glad to see that Pride in London has taken the criticism seriously, these posters serve as a depressing reminder of how much progress still needs to be made in the fight for LGBTQ equality.
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Last season's AG campaign saw Alexa Chung invited to an awkward Parisian dinner party where she struggled to keep up with the conversation with her stylish companions. For AW17, however, Chung is back in control, channelling '90s Young Hollywood in a series of evocative images, shot by Angelo Pennetta at Chateau Marmont and on the Hollywood Strip, and styled by Fran Burns.
Longtime AG model and muse (Chung has worked with the US brand since 2015), Alexa wears dungarees, fringed suede, slouchy blouses and frayed denim in the campaign images, which conjure up the spirit of our favourite wayward, grungy musicians and actors from the hallowed decade. Shot in the iconic west Hollywood hotel and regular A-list stomping ground, this is a distinct departure from the effortless chic of the French-inspired SS17 campaign and instead evokes the insouciant style of '90s stars such as Winona Ryder, Juliette Lewis, River Phoenix, Drew Barrymore and Claire Danes. Liked My So-Called Life? Then you'll love this.
The collection also comprises bleach-splattered brushed flannels, deconstructed knits and tees, slinky slips, crepe dresses and of course, a whole lot of denim. Cool and unfussy with just the right amount of irreverence and sass, Alexa is the perfect poster girl for this collection. AG's Vice President of Global Communications, Johnathan Crocker, explains the brand's longstanding relationship with the ultimate Brit style star: "She’s one of the most authentic and sincere people we’ve worked with. And when you combine that with her quick wit, charm, and being beautiful, it’s no surprise why so many people feel such a strong affinity towards her. She never seems to be trying to be anyone or anything but herself – I think that’s ultimately what makes her the perfect ambassador for the brand."
What also makes Alexa so appealing is her chameleonic style, which is sometimes tomboy, sometimes hyper-feminine, but always slightly undone. After swooning over the ruffled floral dresses, crochet twinsets, miniskirts and cheongsam from Chung's debut eponymous collection, launched last month, we're just as enamoured with this grungier, moodier AW17 collection from AG. It's got us excited about our autumn wardrobe already.
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It's on everything – from wedding invitations, to clothes, to blankets, to rugs. In fact, Pinterest just named it as one of its top interiors trends for 2017.
If the idea of the watercolour trend has you imagining cutesy pastel colours which aren't going to work in your very cool pad, then click through our selection of the best watercolour products. These are definitely cool not cute.
This Cushion
For the more colourfully minded among you. Or for someone who wants a pop of colour in their otherwise minimalist living room.
Frankie Print Co. Watercolour Cushion, £16.20, available at Etsy
This Stamp
For when you've got something that's missing a touch of watercolour.
The 18th-century writer Samuel Johnson once said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” And as much as I hate to admit it, I was tired of life. I was fucking knackered, in fact. London had worn me down, hard, into the ground, leaving a thin trail of my former self smeared over her grimy pavements. Her spiky stiletto heel had crushed every last morsel of energy from my being, every last penny from my wallet and every last ounce of patience from my psyche. Pressure to succeed, to be skinny, to make money and have an amazing career while also always being the most fun person at the party rained down on me like a shit-storm. I found myself drowning in a sea of sweaty Tube rides, overpriced almond milk lattes and unread emails. My time was spent either desperately trying to forge a successful career, catching up on sleep or drinking enough alcohol in one night to kill a small child. Booze-fuelled weekends gave way to guilt-laden weeks and everything rushed past me at 1,000 miles per hour.
But still, I kept on – pushing myself and my body to its limits, thriving on a disastrous concoction of caffeine, stress and booze. Until suddenly my body gave up and I got ill, diagnosed at 28 with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. But in a strange twist of irony, it was a lifeline, giving me the time and space to reflect on my existence, outside the madness of London.
Never one to dwell on my misfortunes, shortly after I’d finished the intensive rounds of chemotherapy I decided to take myself out of the Big Smoke and indulge in a bit of R&R. So I packed up shop and headed to Sicily, land of gluten and the good life, where gelato in a brioche bun is a totally acceptable afternoon snack and the sun shines brightly six months of the year.
I settled quickly into the slower pace of life, London’s stresses literally melting away in the 30-degree heat. I could breathe again and when I started to look at my life with a renewed sense of clarity – wow, did I need to reassess my priorities. I realised that I’d been putting way too much emphasis on certain areas of my life (career, partying, fads, money) while other, more important areas (health, family, mental wellbeing) had been slipping. Lo and behold, a key life lesson and a realisation that I needed to slow the fuck down.
Time in Sicily really does move s-l-o-w-l-y. There’s actually a thing called the ‘Slow Living' movement here, which emphasises a slower approach to everyday life – a way of living I badly needed to start practising. It was born out of the Slow Food movement, a grassroots organisation set up by activist Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1989 as a reaction to McDonald's opening in Rome. Its core values are to promote local food production, uphold local recipes and go back to enjoying our food slowly. "Eating is no longer about love, but about consuming fuel,” Petrini insists. “Neither is there any fascination with food. In Mediterranean Europe, there is still that fascination, still the conviviality, the ritual. The most important thing about eating is to enjoy the moment of affection between family members, or friends or work colleagues. A civilisation that loses this ritual becomes very poor.”
Italians prioritise time for food. A lunch break is a lunch break, it’s not a quick dash into Pret to grab a cold salad to consume on the Tube between meetings. Visit any Sicilian town between 1pm and 4pm and it will feel eerily quiet, with shops closing so everyone can eat and snooze. One lunchtime I passed a group of builders huddled under the shade of a tree having a BBQ, steak and salads in abundance. Now that’s what I call a lunch break!
So out of the Slow Food movement, the Slow Living movement began to grow. Coined by journalist Carl Honoré in his 2004 book In Praise of Slow: Challenging the Cult of Speed, the philosophy looks to revolutionise our way of living and questions the notion that faster is always better. As we live in a world of widespread technology use, everything seems to have sped up and we are becoming increasingly impatient. We can make a payment by tapping a credit card, book a holiday at the touch of a button, order dinner directly to our desks, and we're furious if our Uber doesn’t turn up in five minutes. London’s drug of choice is cocaine – fast heart rates, fast talking. Fast, fast, fast!
Living in the fast lane means we forget to give ourselves time to listen to our bodies, to look after ourselves, to connect with nature or simply to reflect. Relationships break down, our health starts to suffer.
There are now all types of 'Slow' movements gaining recognition internationally. Slow City movements are springing up across the globe, from Italy to China, and Slow Work movements in countries such as Sweden and Norway encourage a shorter working week and more breaks (yay!). In Italy there is even a Slow Sex movement – proof again that Italians really do, do it better.
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As I write (slowly, it’s taken me over a week!), perched on a day bed, looking out across the bright azure of the Tyrrhenian Sea, London really does feel like a distant memory and I find myself wondering what all the fuss was about.
I guess it has been good to me, its rich tapestry of cultures and diversity ensuring I’ve grown up liberal and with a serious lust for life. It is addictive – intoxicating, even – with its heady mix of aspirations and young dreams; humanity trying its hardest to figure it all out. Its night haunts have provided me with many life-affirming, relationship-cementing moments. There have been lock-ins and house parties, warehouse raves and open-air gigs. But really, what makes London are the Londoners, who so often get a bad rep. “They’re so unfriendly!” people on the outside cry, “No one ever speaks to you on the Tube!” But just look at the solidarity, the humanity and the compassion they’ve shown over the last months, as tragic event after tragic event hit the capital. It’s the Londoners who I will return for.
So this is my last month in Sicily. I’m forcing down as much pasta as is physically possible and in the next few weeks I will continue to revel in my newfound sense of slowness, allowing my body the space and time it needs to heal. The allure of London is beckoning and inevitably I will return, but with a fresh outlook on life. I hope I can take some of what I’ve learnt and recalibrate my life in the Big Smoke, a piece of Sicily forever imprinted on my heart, reminding me to slow down, to relax and to enjoy the simpler things in life.
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That holiday feeling can be found in many places: on the beach in the Maldives, in sun splattered bathing lakes or under palm trees on tropical islands. We got the summer feels with friends Suzie Grime, Julia Dalia and Sandra Bulldock, who got together to celebrate beautiful retro swimwear for the summer.
Women should not be put under pressure and should be aware of their merits.
Phylyda, Triangle Top, 145,18 €, erhältlich bei Phylyda; Phylyda, Ariane Copper, 180 €, erhältlich bei Phylyda Foto: Katja HentschelAndy Wolf, Sonnenbrille Adele, 299 €, erhältlich bei Breuninger Foto: Katja Hentschel
On the beach, Julia especially loves 70s-inspired looks that she combines with extravagant colours.
What do you look for when you shop for new swimwear? I think it's very important that you feel comfortable in the bathing suit or bikini.
How do you stay true to your look at the lake? Over time, I gotten a sense of what pieces, cuts, and colours suit me. Choosing is easier for me when I shop now. Here and there, I'll customise my look with some personal accessories.
Calzedonia, Badeanzug Susan, 39 €, erhältlich bei Calzedonia Foto: Katja HentschelJulias wichtigster Begleiter im Schwimmbad für die Haare: Fripac, Afro Hair Styler, 1,50 €, erhältlich bei Friseurshop Haarlekin Foto: Katja HentschelSuzie: Vintage Cap, Julia: Weekday, Hope Cap, 20 €, erhältlich bei Weekday; Sandra: Weekday, Shine Cap, 15 €, erhältlich bei WeekdayFoto: Katja Hentschel
Self-confidence is sexy!
Foto: Katja Hentschel
Why do you love retro-swimwear? Retro usually conveys a sense of harmony and security. The world has become fast and unmanageable. The greater the uncertainty, the more people orient themselves towards familiar things. At some point, as an adult, people are drawn towards brands from their childhood, and fashion and swimwear are no exception.
Do you have a trick for feeling self-confident? If you do not feel comfortable in swimwear, this usually has more to do with how you feel about your body than the bikini or bathing suit itself. That is why I would advise women not to pressure themselves.
Sandra: Monki, Highwaist Bikini, 12 €, erhältlich bei Monki; Julia: Marlies Dekkers, Holi Vintage Balconette Bikini, 119,95 €, erhältlich bei Marlies DekkersFoto: Katja HentschelBeco, Badekappe, 8,99 €, erhältlich bei Galeria Kaufhof; Andy Wolf, Sonnenbrille Irina, 299 €, erhältlich bei Breuninger, Monki, Bikini Top, 18 €, erhältlich bei MonkiFoto: Katja Hentschel
Sandra Bulldock has Vietnamese roots, lives in Berlin and is particularly focused on sustainable brands.
What do you like about the swimwear looks? It is not primarily about being sexy, but rather about a look that suits me. Thanks to you, I've discovered high-waisted pants suit me best.
The retro trend fits the body-positivity movement. When Marilyn Monroe was celebrated as a sex symbol, size zero was not yet an issue.
Foto: Katja HentschelFoto: Katja Hentschel
Why do you like vintage designs? Retro is always a hot topic anyway, which is of course also applicable to swimwear. Vintage looks have, in my opinion, something pleasantly indispensable and convey a certain ease in our fast-moving society.
How do you bring your personal style to the swimming pool? With accessories like caps and sunglasses, which I use to switch up my look.
Weekday, Toni Visor, 6 €, erhältlich bei Weekday; Monki, Singoalla Swimsuit, 25 €, erhältlich bei Monki Foto: Katja Hentschel
What is the best way to feel good in swimwear? Try to treat your body as best as you can. Acceptance is possible if you do not complain continuously about your body, but instead stand for it or do something for it. Of course, this self-esteem can not be built up overnight - I myself am still in the middle of my 'acceptance phase'.
I had never thought I would ever do a swimwear shoot - but I see today as a positive move forward. It is no longer a matter of meeting the typical model stereotype, but rather, being special and having character to my body. Many thanks to Jean Paul Gaultier for this movement! Ultimately, self-confidence is something that comes from within and not from the outside.
Monki, Cross Back Bikini Top, 15 €, Bottom, 12 €, erhältlich bei Monki Foto: Katja HentschelFurla, Metropolis Oxygen Tasche in Gelb, 98 €, erhältlich bei FurlaFoto: Katja Hentschel
Suzie Grime can not be overlooked. In the Tropical Islands she impresses with her cool tattoos, her extraordinary collection of vintage glasses and her strong attitude.
Why do you love your look at our shoot? I did not think I'd like a red bathing suit. When I tried it on, I felt a nostalgic Baywatch feeling - I'll probably wear it all summer long.
How do you manage to stay true to your style? For example, I would combine a bikini top with a set of different bottoms and add some accessories.
Why has the retro style in swimwear become fashionable again? I imagine it has to do with the body-positivity movement. Marilyn Monroe immediately comes into my head. At that time women with natural curves were celebrated. There was neither Photoshop nor plastic surgery, or this extremely distorted Size Zero beauty ideal.
Suzie: Vintage Sonnenbrille; Phylyda, Vanessa Solid Dahlia, 174,93 €, erhältlich bei Phylyda ; Sandra: Skinnydip, Sonnenbrille, 40,99 €, erhältlich bei Asos, Phylyda, Jo Solid Copper, 145,18 €, erhältlich bei PhylydaFoto: Katja Hentschel
What is your styling tip for bold swimwear? If you do not want to be completely naked, you can combine a short pair of bottoms with a bikini top, and finish it off with a transparent blouse or tunic. You could can find out what your body type you are to find one that fits your shape perfectly. Also, compliment your complexion with the colour of your bikini, some colours look better than others.
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Three cheers for ASOS! The company has begun showcasing some of its models' stretch marks on its website instead of airbrushing them out, as is the norm in the industry, and the images are truly a breath of fresh air.
Several pictures on the site show women modelling swimwear with stretch marks clearly visible on their bums, in a move that many on social media have praised as "beautiful" and "powerful".
The change first came to light following a tweet by user Amy Rowlands, who shared an image of a model with visible stretch marks wearing a Pull&Bear bikini. "So impressed with @Asos for not airbrushing the model's stretchmarks. She looks amazing!" she wrote.
The tweet has racked up nearly 46,000 retweets and more than 150,000 likes at the time of writing – and many others, particularly women, have hailed the move as game-changing. Twitter user Leah Tudor said the images were "giving [her] so much life".
Asos not editing out girl's stretch marks on their swimwear photos is giving me so much life, look how beautiful they all are😍 pic.twitter.com/VxMjc4OQg6
" Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks," Kendrick, @Asos are making your dreams a reality boii, they look so beaut 😍 pic.twitter.com/U4CTi7NU61
— Savannah Stewart[PB] (@savannah_deyes) June 29, 2017
While others just seemed generally delighted and surprised that such a huge company would be brave enough to go against the industry standard.
However, the praise wasn't universal – some suggested the company should never have been in the business of airbrushing stretch marks in the first place, and others pointed out that the models are still extremely slim.
Which fashion retailer will be next, we wonder? And who will be the first to take the even more refreshing – and impressive – step of showing full-on cellulite?
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Tomorrow, Gurls Talk, the feminist platform founded by Adwoa Aboah two years ago, will host its first ever event in London, a day-long festival of female empowerment offering young women a welcoming environment, free of stigma and judgement, where they can be heard and meet like-minded people.
Free and open to everyone (all you have to do is email rsvp@gurlstalk.com), the day begins with a talk by Adwoa, followed by poetry, dance, arts and crafts workshops, and talks by relationship expert Karley Sciortino, activist, intersex advocate and model Hanne Gaby Odiele, feminist columnist and author Laurie Penny, filming by StyleLikeU, a photo studio and much more.
Over the past few months, Adwoa has fronted campaigns for Miu Miu, Versus, Dior and GAP, and covered magazines from LOVE and i-D to American Vogue, all while working committedly on Gurls Talk and speaking frankly about addiction, depression and all manner of things affecting young women around the world today.
I sat down with Adwoa in the run-up to the event, held in partnership with Coach, to discuss finally bringing it to fruition, the women who inspire her, how it actually feels being described as "the face of feminism" and how the 25-year-old model would like Gurls Talk to grow.
I’ve known you for a few years and I'm so amazed by all you've achieved but at the same time recognise that being referred to as "the new face of feminism" or "the voice of a generation" is a big weight on your shoulders. Do you feel that pressure?
Yeah, I already had a panic attack as you said that [laughs]!
You're just a young woman like the rest of us, doing your thing. It must be full-on, being asked for your opinion on so many different issues?
I don’t want to give my opinion on everything because I'm still learning. It was actually really nice to meet this woman at Glastonbury. She was a psychiatrist and she said how much she loved Gurls Talk with what she’s been through. She said "I love the way you’ve gone into it and you’re learning on the go". And that’s literally what I’m doing. I told my story, I didn’t know what would happen by doing that and I am just learning. I am learning from everyone I talk to, I’m learning from the mistakes I’ve been making, even in the process of this event. I’m very appreciative of the label and grateful for it – you know, 'model/activist' – but for me I’m just like Adwoa, founder of Gurls Talk and I’m just going to roll with it and learn. I’m my biggest critic so I feel like I’ve got far more things to achieve and change.
This is your first major Gurls Talk event in London. How did you take it from an idea and make it into a reality?
Just perseverance and Holly Gore, in my team, who's the other side of Gurls Talk. If she wasn’t around this wouldn't have been possible. This has been something that we’ve been planning for a year and a half. It's changed from being only about photography and only about sexuality, then we decided to just do a small dinner because we didn’t have the funds and our sponsor had dropped out and then it changed city... but it's been a year and a half that we’ve been working on this.
Now you've partnered with Coach and Dazed, and it's grown into something huge. Was it important to you that it was free and accessible to a wide audience?
From the beginning, we always wanted it to be free. Before, it was going to be an all-female art show and we contacted hundreds of artists, from the biggest in the world to ones that we found through deep, deep Instagram binges. That one was going to be specifically based in LA. But this was always gonna be accessible to everyone and the main thing that Holly and I always wanted was for it to be free. With that it’s hard to know who's going to be able to come to it – is there going to be enough space? And it’s become something way bigger than we even imagined.
Obviously Gurls Talk is known and we've had a lot of press, but we really have been concentrating on making sure we don’t oversaturate ourselves but also making sure we’re creating our own content, and creating our own events, not just a part of something. Everything has been thought about to the max, from who we want to do the set, who we want to do flowers, who we want on the panel discussion, how can we make this well rounded and educational, artistic and kinda girly. The dinner we did in LA was really great, that was kinda the start of it. We invited lots of people we didn’t know and we had this amazing dinner for 40 women, we all sat and we chatted. That, in the smallest sense, is what we wanted to recreate for the event on Saturday. We've always wanted it to be a place where you want to stay all day, where you can chat, watch things and meet other women.
The line-up for Saturday's event is really impressive and pretty diverse, from choreographer Wayne McGregor to supermodel Hanne Gaby Odiele. How did you make the selection of people you wanted involved?
Both Holly and myself have really been in charge of that. Looking at what we'd want to go and see and how we can make Gurls Talk so that there are many different components. On the website we do a lot of poetry and writing. A lot of the girls who get in contact do all sorts of things, from theatre, to dance, to yoga, and they’re all advocating and shouting the same sort of message so we wanted to make sure it was well rounded. I might not want to go do a breathing exercise, but there are plenty other girls that want to.
Since you launched Gurls Talk a couple of years ago, you've now become a massive role model for lots of young women around the world. Who are your personal heroes and mentors?
It’s not really one particular name. I am blown away by the girls who work alongside me for Gurls Talk, by the girls that write in every day, by [psychologist] Lauren Hazzouri, who is going to be doing something on Saturday – she writes back to every single girl who sends their stories and questions. My mum, my sister, all my girlfriends are inspirational women. For me, every woman that kind of stands out in my mind, from my best friend, my mum, my grandmother to a girl that I met at Glastonbury last week, it's their honesty, their openness; how raw and unapologetically vulnerable they all are. They’ve all been through some sort of thing which may be smaller than the next girl's or bigger than the next, but they’ve all managed to climb over that mountain and get through it. To me that is just amazing.
You were pretty young when you started modelling. Do you think having a network of girlfriends such as designers Molly Goddard and Ashley Williams or casting director Madde Ostlie, who are all carving out their own careers in the same industry, has been a strong support?
Completely. Those three women have all stood by me, they’re massive supporters of Gurls Talk and everything that I’ve achieved in modelling. It's also lovely to have women within this industry that you feel like you’re on the same wavelength with. And all of those three have paved the way for me, in a sense, in sticking to who they are and creating something beautiful.
How would you like Gurls Talk and your career to grow?
After this event I just want to keep the momentum up. I’ve always said when people have asked "What can we do in our small town" or "What can we do in our school to help feminism, support activism, and help everything that we want to do for women?" It can all be very small things. I want to make sure I keep up the momentum, do other things for other communities, whether it’s more photography and art. Just make sure that Gurls Talk is going everywhere. But the bigger plan is for Gurls Talk to have its own space, its own centre, where anyone can come whenever they want and you’ll have the sex expert, the eating disorders expert, the best psychiatrist, you’ll have everything. You’ll be able to go there and you’ll be able to do dance, you’ll be able to talk and you’ll be able to cry. It will just be a safe place.
I used to work with model Leomie Anderson in a shop when I was at university and I’ve known you for a few years. To see you both now using your public voice to campaign for change for women in the fashion industry and beyond, is brilliant.
Oh, she’s amazing.
But do you think we still have a way to go?
We are making breakthroughs in everything but we’ve definitely got a long way to go. One of the things I want to concentrate on more with Gurls Talk (and everything that I preach and talk about) is making sure that I’m doing that same work within the fashion industry. I really want to do more work within that sphere. People need to get up off their arses and make a difference. Start being conscious of the bigger picture. It’s not just a magazine cover, tens of thousands if not millions of girls read that magazine and they look through that magazine and they see one type of girl and they don’t see themselves. It’s a long ladder of shit.
For me as a black woman, more specifically a Ghanaian woman, seeing your face fronting the biggest campaigns (and with your sister in the latest Miu Miu campaign), walking for brands like Dior, on the cover of so many magazines and then with Edward Enninful, also Ghanaian, being given one of the biggest jobs in the fashion industry, that feels monumental for me and I'm sure for so many other people.
Totally. I never looked through a magazine [when I was younger] and saw anyone who looked like me. So I thought I wasn’t attractive, I thought men wouldn’t fancy me, I wanted blonde hair, blue eyes. It was that simple. Maybe that’s not a big deal to everyone but it’s definitely been a very detrimental part in the way I’ve looked at myself and my self-love and my self-care, which I’ve now managed to get back up.
Speaking of self-care, you’re constantly travelling, shooting campaigns and editorials, at events, on panel talks all around the world. How do you keep grounded and focused and most importantly, look after yourself?
I’ve got an amazing therapist. Also meetings, which I should do more of. Boxing. Boxing is a big one, that really levels me out. And making sure I don’t isolate. I’m a big isolator and I feel that when I’ve been on a shoot I can’t be near any more people but actually people on a shoot and my friends are completely different. It’s all balance and I can be pretty shit at balance sometimes, but I’m getting much better!
Welcome to the funeral of the bubble gum colour that has haunted us for the past few months. The pale, almost flesh-toned, deviation of the much adored "baby pink" of the '90s, millennial pink has become its own character in the landscape of pop culture. It's appeared as a uniting thread in everything from advertising campaigns to couture clothing lines, embossing nearly every single product geared towards young women of the teen to mid-20s age group. It's attracted think piece upon think piece, and has come to represent a certain lifestyle, one filled with avocado toast and glasses of rosé.
And we have none other than director Sofia Coppola, and her very particular aesthetic, to thank for the hue's creation — and, now, its departure. We are gathered here today to say goodbye to a colour near and dear to our Instagram-obsessed hearts: Millennial pink.
More prominent than Coppola's use of the French musical duo Air, or obsession with emotionally detached men, is how subtly the director has laced a very modern element throughout her latest film, The Beguiled. The film ( a remake of a 1971 film of the same name, based on the original 1966 novel by Thomas Cullinan), tells the story of two women and five girls residing at a girl's school in Virginia during the Civil War. It's there in the pastel costumes, the glow-y Southern landscape, and even its cheeky advertisements. The entire aura of the film is millennial pink. It comes to life in nearly every scene — on Alicia's (Elle Fanning) chiffon dress, or Edwina's (Kirsten Dunst) flushed cheeks, or the faded droplets of blood on Corporal McBurney's (Colin Farrell) bandages.
And now the shade is officially dead — she killed it. It's been used one too many times to set the mood, attract young female audiences, and make a project feel modern (see here, here, and here). But Coppola is the only person who has earned the right to bring the color to its downfall, since she is responsible for its greatest cinematic appearances.
Still from Marie Antoinette (2007).Photo: Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock.
Coppola has always been the Queen of the Vibe. From her scene-making soundtracks to her muse-worthy casting, she sets the mood on all her films, making them distinctly her. The most vibe-y aspects of her style lie in her ability to combine a sense of vacancy and hopelessness with a sense of luxury and pleasure. She uses outlandish costumes to create an overall gauzy, dreamlike state in her work, which is true predominantly in Marie Antoinette. In the Coppola-fied version of Marie Antoinette's opulent world, everything is oozing with saturated colours, with special attention paid to the innocent pink, from the silk shoes to the iced cakes to the custom poker chips. It's. All. Millennial. Pink.
And now in 2017, a slightly updated version of that aesthetic spills over into her new glamorous gothic-romance, where the pigment has become faded and creamy, a soft nod to her feminine directorial roots.
The girls, in their are waiting out the violence and noise surrounding their pastel oasis, braiding each other's hair, playing the piano, and eating meals on fine china. Their large Southern plantation home, where they all live, learn, and lust in, becomes a place of respite and regret for a wounded handsome Union solider. Throughout it all, there's that millennial pink, seeping through in nearly every shot. Coppola used the famous shade brilliantly — so much so that for any other film to use it now would feel like a pastiche. The full circle moment is complete. First, the selfish Marie Antoinette gave the colour life, and now The Beguiled 's vengeful bitches have sucked out it's last breath.
What I am saying is: I never want to see millennial pink used on a movie poster aimed at women again! We hate to see you go, but we love never having to see you in every single ad ever. :)
RIMP: Rest In Millennial Pink.
Credit: Ben Rothstein / Focus Features.
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On Friday, members of Parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage, bringing the country up to speed with many of its Western peers. The vote was only possible because German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who long opposed same-sex marriage, pivoted earlier this week to say members of her party should take the issue as a “question of conscience.” This encouraged lawmakers in her conservative coalition to vote individually, instead of along party lines.
In the end, Merkel voted against legalising same-sex unions. But during the debate, other members of her party, the Berlin Christian Democrats, urged their peers to vote in favor of allowing same-sex couples to wed.
"It would be absurd to try and protect marriage by preventing people to marry," Berlin Christian Democrat Jan-Marco Luczak told his fellow lawmakers.
The bill gives same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, allowing them to marry and jointly adopt children. There were 393 votes in favor of "marriage for everybody," 226 opposing the measure, and four abstentions.
The next step is for the Bundesrat, Germany's upper house, to vote on the issue next week. The chamber is expected to vote "yes" on the measure, as it has previously voted in favour of legalizing same-sex marriage. Afterwards, the bill would need to be signed into law by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The measure could take effect before the year ends.
"If the Constitution guarantees one thing, it is that anyone in this country can live as they wish," said the Social Democrats' leader, Thomas Oppermann, according to The New York Times. "If gay marriage is decided, then many will receive something, but nobody will have something taken away."
Since 2001, same-sex couples in Germany have been allowed to pursue civil unions, but didn't have the same rights as married couples. And the issue has had overwhelming support from Germans: About two-thirds of the country supports the legalisation of same-sex marriages.
For the longest time, Merkel was against the idea of allowing same-sex couples to wed. In 2015, she said, "For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together." She repeated that sentiment on Friday, but seemed to have softened up on the issue of allowing same-sex couples to adopt.
During an interview with the women’s magazine Brigitte, the chancellor said she had "a life-changing experience in my home constituency" when she had dinner with a lesbian couple that has eight foster children.
Friday's session was the last one before Parliament's summer recess and the national election in September. One of the reasons the country was pushed in the direction of voting on the issue was because last weekend two major political parties said they wouldn't enter a coalition with the Christian Democrats for the national elections unless they considered the legislation.
This September Merkel is seeking a fourth term in the general election. By softening her stance on same-sex marriage and setting the vote into motion, she was able to appeal to voters while also appeasing the more conservative factions of her party.
"I hope that with today’s vote, not only that mutual respect is there between the individual positions, but also that a piece of social peace and togetherness could be created,” Merkel said in a statement after the vote.
The vote represents a triumph for LGBTQ rights in Germany, and it could push other countries to consider legalising same-sex marriage as well.
Christine Lüders, who is in charge of Germany’s anti-discrimination agency, told The New York Times that passing the law was "not about special rights for anyone, but about equal rights."
He added, "I am certain that just a few years from now, as a society, we will look back on this decision on marriage equality and ask ourselves, 'Why on earth did it take us so long?'"
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Gypsy, Netflix's latest binge-worthy drama starring Naomi Watts, is billed as a psychological thriller. This makes sense: Watts plays Jean Holloway, a Manhattan therapist who, unsatisfied with her suburban home life, gets a little too involved with her patients. And by a little, I mean a lot — this woman is deeply troubled.
But amid the anxious ambiance and slow-burning twists, one thing stood out as phenomenally disturbing: Jean's transitional outfit.
As you can see from the picture above, Jean has great professional style. She's cool, but not too edgy, and has a strong grasp of neutrals. She embodies the post-power suit professional woman aesthetic to a T: You won't catch her in a boxy blazer, but you'll never question that she's in charge.
But Jean is also a suburban mum, and in TV-world, that means she needs a whole other outfit — who cooks in Theory blazers? No, Jean needs a cool mum outfit, to fit in with the mums who don't go to an office everyday. Her solution? Skinny jeans and a fashion T-shirt (ie. a T-shirt that costs more than £50 and is made of modal, or some similarly fancy fabric).
I don't know about you, but I have a uniform that I wear in my house. It's usually comprised of some kind of flexible pant (read: sweatpants), and a loose t-shirt, or tank top. It's the kind of outfit I'll wear to do things like cook, clean, or generally lounge around before I change into my PJs. I would never, EVER, come home from the office and change into jeans.
Granted, maybe this is because I am lucky enough to wear jeans to work. But I genuinely think it's because I am not a TV mum.
The first time I noticed this strange trend was while watching The Good Wife. There have been countless trend pieces written about Alicia Florrick's professional style. I mean, Michelle Obama famously wore aFlorrick-approved Michael Kors skirt suit combo to the State of The Union. But how many times did I see Alicia working late nights from home, clad in a cashmere sweater and bootcut jeans? While there's nothing wrong with that particular outfit — in fact, I covet almost all her clothes — it does mean that she came home from a long day at the office, shed her blazer, and rather than reach for her Club Monaco loungewear (because of course) or Burberry PJs, opted for another kind of daytime outfit. WHY?
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
Is this really a thing that mothers do? I can’t ever remember my mum getting home from her dental practice and changing into jeans, but maybe I’m just projecting. Is this one of those secret things they don’t tell you about until you’re in the Mum Club? That's terrifying!
According to this truly comical Wall Street Journal article, women’s workplace attire has undergone a major shift. Gone are the days where we have to dress like men to succeed. Instead, we can embrace convenient archetypes like "The Young Turk," "The Re-Inventor," "The Literary Lioness," and "The Too-Busy Worker Bee."
But what all these absurd labels have in common (aside from being reductive) is that they reflect a woman's personal style in a way that workwear didn't 30 or 40 years ago. Gypsy actually manages to capture the new uniform surprisingly well. I would place Jean in the "Literary Lioness" category, which stresses large tote bags, chunky heels, shift dresses and an edgy culotte or two. A key scene has her fishing a whimsical gold necklace from the back of her closet — it suggests she's fun, but is still low key enough not to clash with her neutral wardrobe, or distract her patients. She is liberated from the stuffy style and shoulder pads of the '80s and '90s! Her silk blouses can flow, free of judgment!
So why, exactly, is it still taboo for working women to come home and be mums in comfortable pants? Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman get to walk around in workout gear throughout Big Little Lies — is that a privilege reserved for stay-at-home mums? Elizabeth Jennings changes roughly 85,000 times per episode in The Americans, but I have never seen her change out of her fabulous wrap dress and into jeans to make dinner.
Like Elizabeth, Jean favours lacy nighties, so it's somewhat understandable that she doesn't jump the gun and go straight for the PJs, as I would. But I simply refuse to believe that a woman helping other people through emotional and psychological crises — not to mention her other, more ethically questionable activities — would choose to end her day by squeezing her legs into the sausage casings that are skinny jeans.
If TV is a reflection of our reality, then I pick Westeros. At least those gauzy King's Landing gowns look comfy.
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Between walking to work, stepping out for Friday-night dinner reservations, and moseying about town to take in the beautiful weather, summer involves a lot of movement — especially for those of us in the city. But, your arches just aren't going to have it in a pair of too-high heels when these long treks are involved. And, while sensible picks like sneakers and slides may be seasonally appropriate and in style right now, not everyone is as into the athletic trend as Alexander Wang or Céline. Here's where the low-heeled sandal swoops in to save summer. They'll instantly dress up your look, add height, and won't scrimp on comfort. Ahead, 18 styles that provide the kind of support we really need.
If you can bear to drag your ass out of the beer garden, there are actually plenty of fun cultural things to do in July. Put down the Aperol Spritz and hit up one of the great new summer movies on offer, drop by an art show, or, if you're feeling the outdoors, just whack on one of the many new sensational albums in the garden.
Anna Jay, Art Director
Wimbledon, coverage on BBC, 3rd-16th July I'm a sucker for Wimbledon: the plastic cups of Pimm's and punnets of strawberries in bulk just add to the cliché British tradition. I never actually go to the tournament – the ballot in November seems far too organised and there's something nice about fudging in front of the TV when you should really be outside.
Arcade Fire, Everything Now, released 28th July For my 19-year old self who played The Suburbs on repeat; I can't wait to re-introduce Arcade Fire as a summer staple.
Georgia Murray, Fashion & Beauty Writer
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, Tate Modern, from 12th July Bringing to light the immense creative contribution of black artists to American history during the civil rights movement, this exhibition is essential viewing. Exploring work from the beginnings of the movement, right through to the militant calls for Black Power, autonomy and solidarity, the 150 artworks look at activist posters, study black feminism, and pay homage to iconic leaders like Malcolm X. It couldn't come at a more vital and poignant time.
David Lynch: The Art Life, released 14th July The word 'genius' is thrown around without much thought these days, but it's safe to say that David Lynch is one. The weird, dark, thrilling worlds he's immersed us in, and the outsider characters he's made us fall in love with are testament to that: from Twin Peaks to Mulholland Drive via Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man. A new documentary directed by Jon Nguyen and Rick Barnes delves into the Lynchian mind, with an exploration of his childhood, art practice and personal life. I can't wait to see how that mind ticks.
Katy Thompsett, Sub Editor
Art Night 2017, various venues, east London, 1st July Lying comatose on the sofa after another drunken night out, my best friend and I recently swore to find ways to occupy ourselves that didn't involve downing tequila in a shady dive bar at 3am. As if in answer to our (admittedly not very heartfelt) prayers, here comes London's Whitechapel Gallery with a nighttime festival of contemporary art featuring the likes of Jake and Dinos Chapman, Charles Avery and Do Ho Suh. Running from 6pm until 4am at various venues across the East End, it's bound to satisfy my night owl tendencies. Plus it's free! Here's to waking up on Sunday morning (ahem, afternoon) sans hangover. Plan your night here.
Game of Thrones, Season 7, 16th July Cersei's on the Iron Throne. Dany's headed for King's Landing, dragons in tow. Where the fuck is Gendry, and will Bran ever be anything other than a plot device with eyebrows? I'll be glued to my screen on 16th July to find out.
Gillian Orr, Senior Editor
The Big Sick, released in cinemas 28th July Based on the real-life courtship between husband and wife co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, this comedy about an interracial couple (Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan) and their families is being touted as the rom-com of the summer. Plus, anything with Holly Hunter's name in top billing is OK with me.
Lovebox, Victoria Park, London, 14th-15th July It might take place over two days but, for me, Lovebox is all about the Friday, which sees Jamie XX and Solange perform before – in a UK festival exclusive – Frank Ocean takes on the east London crowd. That is if the notoriously mercurial singer actually turns up. Watch this space...
Fatima Jalloh, Editorial Intern
Pride in London Parade, 8th July My friends and I will be hitting the streets of London and waving our rainbow flags celebrating the LBGT+ community. This year marks 50 years since the decriminalisation of male homosexual acts in the UK so there's even more of a reason to celebrate!
Ghana Party in the Park, 15th July I’ll be joining my fellow West Africans this July celebrating Ghanaian culture with live music, food, cultural dancers, a fashion show and comedy. I have never been before, but the event has been suggested to me by some friends who have all loved it.
Natalie Gil, News Writer
Justin Bieber, British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 2nd July I think we’ve reached a point in our culture where being a fan of Justin Bieber doesn’t have to be “ironic”. And thank god, because I’ve always loved him and am unhealthily excited about seeing him play the British Summer Time festival in London – his only London show this year. I'll be washing my Purpose tour merch specially.
Haim, Something To Tell You, released 7th July It’s been four years since Haim’s debut album, Days Are Gone, was released, so to say I’m eager for the new one would be an understatement. I’ve been playing the first few songs ("Want You Back", "Right Now" and "Little Of Your Love") from the new album on loop and, since watching the band’s energetic Glastonbury set, I can barely contain myself.
David Farrell, Marketing Intern
Lana Del Rey, Lust For Life, 21st July Five years on from the breakout success of her debut Born to Die, Lana Del Rey has outgrown her initial "gangsta-Nancy Sinatra" schtick to carve her own cosy niche in the world of pop. She may not sell as many records these days but anticipation is still sky-high for her fourth studio album Lust For Life. Trailed by surprisingly optimistic (for Del Rey...) singles "Love" and "Lust for Life" and billed to feature collabs with Stevie Nicks and A$AP Rocky, this might just end up being the unexpected soundtrack to your summer.
Dunkirk, released in cinemas 21st July Acclaimed Inception and Interstellar director Christopher Nolan's latest project about the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated cinematic releases of the year. The film's stellar cast includes Tom Hardy and Mark Rylance but it's Harry Styles' involvement which has had people's chins wagging. Dunkirk will mark the One Direction star's acting debut and fans will be turning up in droves to see whether he will sink or swim.
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Breaking up is hard to do, especially if you’re a millennial.
Think about it – back in the '70s you could pack your bags and storm out to a soundtrack of Gloria Gaynor, never having to speak with your good-for-nothing jerk ex again. That’s how I imagine it, anyway.
Nowadays, the ghost of that relationship haunts you through the archives of your WhatsApp messages. And blocking them won’t deter you from sneaking a peak at their Instagram stories through a friend's account.
It’s not just social media that’s making break-ups more stressful, though — the housing crisis and inflated rental prices don’t help. As of 2016, the Resolution Foundation estimated that UK millennials would spend £53,000 in rent by the time they turn 30 – that’s a hell of a lot of avocado toast.
Yet the majority of us just can’t afford to buy a house, so paying extortionate rent becomes the main – if not only – option for moving in with a partner. But if you choose to end things with that partner, long-term leases and not having enough money to move out can make things hellish. Unless family live nearby, you can be left living with your ex – a situation in which more and more young women are finding themselves.
29-year-old Sara moved in with her boyfriend within six months of meeting him. In their fourth year together, she discovered he’d been exchanging messages with other women online. They tried to work through it but, a year later, Sara finally ended things. Their financial situation meant she had to stay living with him.
“I was working for the NHS and couldn't afford much else. We had over half a year left on the rental lease for our house, and it was expensive to get out of. Looking back, I think I was also trying to stagger the life changes out; I was already losing my best friend, and I wasn't able to cope with losing my home too”, she tells me.
Sara went out every evening after work, visiting friends and family or just driving around. This meant her and her ex’s routines overlapped less and less, but they’d still come home to one another at the end of the night – there was no escaping that.
The biggest issue was redefining the relationship. For Sara, this was especially awkward because they still shared a bed. “I always slept naked, but obviously that wasn't really appropriate anymore. It's weird to put those boundaries back in place after so many years, when you're used to using the toilet in front of one another and living intimately together. After a few months I started dating somebody new, and got really strict about these things, but didn't feel like I could tell him why.”
Despite all this she was never tempted to get back with him, secure in her reasons for ending things. “It was easy to fall back into the domesticity of it all, but never into the romance. If anything, seeing him every day and feeling nothing only confirmed it was the right thing, and stopped me romanticising it in my head.”
I always slept naked but that wasn't appropriate anymore. It's weird to put those boundaries back in place after so many years, when you're used to living intimately together.
Sara stayed living with her ex for eight months, eventually leaving before the lease ran out. “I couldn't continue anymore. I found a flat and hired a van, and had to get my dad to help me move my furniture. Afterwards, I missed that sense of home more than him, and had six months of horrible anxiety.”
Blogger Olivia, who is 22, also ended up living with her ex-boyfriend for eight long months due to being tied into a rental contract they couldn’t get out of. She and her partner had been dating for a little over two years when she decided to break things off.
“Luckily for me, my ex got a new girlfriend really quickly after so that eased some of the guilt of leaving him, as well as meant he didn't spend a lot of time at home. I also had friends over a lot to make it feel more normal,” she says.
The most awkward part was avoiding one another. “When we were around each other stupid fights would happen, just for the sake of it. He didn't like some of the new people I started to hang around with and kicked up a fuss about that, too.”
Her ex only moved out last month, to live at his new girlfriend’s parents' house. Olivia is now looking to move somewhere cheaper and smaller.
For 33-year-old Mo* it was even harder — she was married and had kids. Then she fell in love with somebody else. After finding out, her husband still refused to move. “Effectively I was locked into a limbo situation that wasn't good for either myself or the kids,” she tells me.
Mo would try to see her new partner when she could, but this wasn’t easy. “It was so hard to manage everything. I tried to keep my new life hidden, but still keep my new relationship going. I was spinning so many plates I crashed and burned a few months ago, ending up in A&E with chest pains that I was sure were something awful – they were just a physical manifestation of the stress.”
This wasn’t helped by her ex’s paranoia, which led him to find excuses to snoop on Mo’s life. “He would often come up the stairs late at night on some spurious context, I'd be on the phone to my new partner and it was very awkward. That stopped eventually. His controlling ways were very difficult. When he came back to the house he would check the fridge and bins to see what I'd been up to. Comment on the washing, what clothes I'd worn, underwear, etc.”
He’s finally moved out now and Mo is feeling hopeful for the future.
As bizarre as these situations sound, it’s not all bad. For Sara, the guy she met while still living with her ex is now her husband. “Writing this has got me thinking,” she says, “about if I'd do it again, if the situation arose. I think I probably would. It was uncomfortable and odd, and hard to explain to some, but it made the transition more manageable.”
*Name changed
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For a long time in my teens, making cocktails consisted of mixing together the dregs stolen from my parents’ liquor cupboard; more recently, it involved combining things from my own cupboard and hoping for the best. However, if "beach-ready hair" and dinners I just "threw together" have taught me anything, it's that happy accidents take planning and preparation. Now, I mix to impress.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve to fake my cocktail-making panache. A simple spirit and mixer can look adventurous and instantly more appetising with the addition of a celebratory garnish. Edible flowers are available this time of year from Waitrose, health food stores and your neighbour’s window box. We won't tell. Also try coating the rim of a glass in anything that’s lying around, from sherbet to salt; invest in fun-shaped ice cube trays and put your glasses in the freezer to cool them, because as long as the drinks are ice cold, everyone's happy.
Try the 10 novel cocktail recipes ahead with the tips above and keep your friends and family refreshed and impressed all summer.
Summer Solstice Spritz
Perfect for the week before payday, this rosé spritz is easy on the ingredient list and super-quick to whip up.
Ingredients 125ml dry rosé wine 50ml sparkling water or soda 3 strawberries Sprig of mint Slice of lemon
Method Muddle the strawberries at the bottom of a large wine glass and fill with ice. Add the wine and top with soda, garnishing with the mint and lemon.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Negroni Spagliato
Spagliato literally means 'mistaken' in Italian, and this cocktail is rumoured to have come about when a bartender mistook sparkling wine for gin when making a Negroni. Thus was born the love-child of Negroni and Aperol Spritz – rejoice!
Ingredients 25ml Campari 25ml red vermouth 25ml sparkling wine, such as prosecco Ice Slice of orange
Method Stir together the Campari and vermouth in a short glass. Top with ice and the sparkling wine, followed by a chunky slice of orange.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
The New Piña Colada
We can't help but reminisce about all-inclusive family holidays on the Costa del Sol, clutching a sickly sweet Piña Colada and feeling like the queen of sophistication. Try this lighter, more modern version made with coconut water or milk alternative (from a carton, not a tin).
Ingredients 25 ml white rum 25ml coconut water or milk 50ml pineapple juice Slice of pineapple Slice of lime
Method Fill a tall glass with ice and pour over the rum, coconut water or milk and pineapple juice. Gently stir and top with a slice of pineapple and lime.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Grapefruit Salty Dog
The bitter yet fresh taste of ruby grapefruit is ideal for summer cocktails, and this salty number is our alternative to the classic margarita. If you can't get crushed ice, cubed is fine.
Ingredients 100ml pink grapefruit juice 25ml vodka Crushed ice 2 slices of ruby grapefruit
Method Circle the rim of a short glass with grapefruit, dip in salt and fill the glass with crushed ice. Separately, shake the vodka and pink grapefruit with ice and strain into the prepared glass, garnishing with a slice of grapefruit.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Camomile Spritz
I don’t want this to sound like an awful gendered cocktail found on hammy menus in Soho. So don’t feel you have to drink it on a rocking bench wearing white broderie anglaise with your homegirls but that is recommended. Dissolve sugar into any leftover camomile mixture and use as you would a cordial.
Ingredients 25ml camomile distillate (to make, soak 3 tbsp camomile flowers or 3 camomile teabags in 250ml boiling water for 10 mins, adding 1 tbsp of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice) 25ml St Germain 125ml prosecco Mint leaves
Method Chill a coupe or champagne glass, pour in the prosecco. Add the camomile distillate and St Germain liqueur. Garnish with mint leaves.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Kyoto Iced Tea
A spiked Japanese version of a peach iced tea. Plum wine is available in most Asian supermarkets. Otherwise Sipsmith’s Sloe Gin is the perfect alternative. Keep the oolong leaves after you’ve used them as the second brew is even smoother.
Ingredients 700ml oolong tea 400ml plum wine or sloe gin Borage flowers or, if you can't get these, sliced cucumber with a twist of black pepper has a similar taste.
Method Brew a strong jug of oolong tea and leave to cool. Fill a pitcher with ice and add the sloe gin or plum wine. Add the chilled oolong tea and stir. Garnish by sprinkling over the borage flowers or peppery cucumber.
Serves 4.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Hard Cider
Turn your friends’ kind offering of cans of Magners into a sophisticated “summer cup”.
Ingredients 6 parts medium dry cider 2 parts dark rum Fresh ginger Cardamom Orange peel
Method In a large pitcher, muddle fresh ginger, orange peel, cardamom and 200ml dark rum. Top with lots of ice and stir. Slowly top with 600ml cider. Pour into tall glasses with ice and garnish with a slice of apple.
Serves 4.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Side Chick
A sidecar, with the addition of thyme. If you’re lucky enough to live near a fruit and veg market, look for the knobbly, green-skinned Jamaican oranges, which make it even more aromatic.
Ingredients 50ml cognac 25ml Triple Sec Juice of half a lemon and its rind 3 sprigs of thyme
Method Muddle the lemon juice, rind and thyme. Add to a cocktail shaker full of ice, cognac and Triple Sec. Shake until the shaker is too cold to handle. Strain into a frozen martini or champagne flute.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Spanish Gin and Tonic
The best gin and tonics are served Spanish-style. Many bars in Spain, where the market for gin is actually larger than the UK, have a house special, featuring different spices to bring out selected notes in selected gins. I’ve gone with a classic choice of juniper and grapefruit, which bring out gin’s green notes. Experiment however you like: cinnamon, star anise, coriander seed and liquorice root are also good places to start.
Method Fill ice cubes to the top of a chilled glass. Add the gin, juniper berries and stir. Top with 150ml of tonic or to taste. Gently rub the rim of the glass with the grapefruit and drop the slice in to garnish.
Serves 1.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
Slushy29
Just as good on the morning after as it is the night before.
Ingredients 4 cups cubed watermelon 1 cup ice 12 basil leaves 50ml lime juice Pinch of salt and pepper 200ml mezcal
Method Mix all ingredients in a blender with blades strong enough to slush up ice (a Nutribullet would work well) until it's the smoothest it can be. You might have to do in two batches depending on the size of your blender.
Serves 4.
Photographed by Roxana Azar.
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Television has the great benefit of being able to defy genre. This means it can support shows like Gyspy, a mind-bending exploration of intimacy, boundaries, and the boxes we fight to escape. It's not a thriller, nor is it romance. It's psychologically traumatising, but it's not a horror series. It's just good TV.
The show, which stars Naomi Watts at the titular gypsy, follows Jeanie, a therapist in New York City who has unorthodox practices. In practise, actually, she's pretty kosher. She asks the right questions. She has the calming voice of your average therapist. Outside the office, she's more off-kilter. She's desperate to emerge from the confines of suburban life, as are the other leading players in her life. Her daughter, Dolly, is grappling with gender dysphoria, and her husband is straining under the weight of an enormous workload and an all-too-sexy personal assistant.
Looking for a way out, Jeanie inserts herself in the lives of her patients. Who says therapists are detached third parties, clean in their objectivity? Jeanie is a fucking subject in the narratives of her patients. She's getting drinks with ex-girlfriends and enjoying blowouts with the cursed daughters of her most viperlike visitors.
Led by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the director of 50 Shades of Grey, Gypsy is an exploration of the nomadic mind: the places one wanders when the socially constructed boundaries disappear.
Episode 1: The Lying Begins
It's no accident that the first place Jeanie (Naomi Watts) wanders into in the first episode is called the Rabbit Hole. And, coincidentally, the coffee shop is located in the basement of a New York City brownstone. She literally goes down a rabbit hole. Anything goes in the coffee shop, where Jeanie gives the name "Diane" for the order, and seems particularly fascinated with a British barista (Sophie Cookson). It's the start of Jeanie's rebellion, her first foray into the civil war that is her identity crisis. While she's there, a phone call arrives: Mum. She ignores it, another tiny piece of the rebellion.
Boundaries are the theme of the show, and the premiere wastes no time punching that button. First, when Jeanie is in the throes of a session with Sam Duffy, she writes down the word "boundaries." Then, she circles it. Sam is a forlorn dumpee blessed with a couples tattoo. He claims that his ex, Sidney, forced him to get the tattoo, which, sure.
Jeanie has three notable patients — at least, three patients worth watching. There's Allison, who's addicted to pills, the aforementioned lovelorn Sam Duffy, and Claire, who is effectively stalking her own daughter. The camera is very interested in these patients, i.e. they give their monologues almost directly to us, the viewer. It starts to feel like they're constructing one large narrative — one that Jeanie is soon to adopt.
The second time Jeanie drops by the Rabbit Hole, she's a little more off-the-rails: She orders a glass of Chardonnay in place of her Americano. All the while, she's this close to devouring Sidney the barista. (However, I've always found that coffee shops are teeming with a sort of accidental sexual tension, so perhaps Jeanie's eye-fuckery is just in accordance with her surroundings.) This time, she and Sidney get into it: Jeanie says she's a writer (a lie) and Sid hands her whiskey instead of Chardonnay. ("It's better," she reassure Jeanie.) Our British barista/bartender moonlights as a punk rocker, and invites Diane to her show later that evening.
Emerging from the Rabbit Hole, Jeanie lands back in reality, which is her daughter's karate demonstration. Dolly is a) adorable, and b) confused as to why she can't just hang out with boys. Dolly's nascent gender dysphoria runs parallel to her mother's own identity crisis. While Jeanie is busy trying on "Diane" and these various identities, her daughter is frustrated by the fact that she wants to kiss other girls (and that she wants to be a boy, which is very telling).
In bed with her husband Michael (Billy Crudup), Jeanie reminisces about the old days — when she was bonkers, it seems. Michael is not interested in old Jeanie ("It was a rollercoaster!"), which certainly doesn't bode well for Jeanie's future as a stable human being.
Case in point: The dinner at the Fadelsons! Jeanie doesn't want to go. Then, when she's there, she's drunk. She asks for whiskey instead of wine — her second time doing that this episode — and proceeds to get plastered, all because she's done with housewife life. The Fadelsons are your traditional "WAG" characters. They're judgey, they eat crudités, and they wear beige cashmere shawls.
It's all to escape, of course, to Sidney's punk rock show. (If the show were looking for another metaphor, they might call Sidney's band 'The Mad Hatters.') She's supposedly headed to a house party at Larin's house, but she's not, because she's Jeanie, and she's on the prowl. Why? Dunno. We'll find out.
At the show, a semi-drunk Jeanie pretends to be Diane, the reporter, who writes. Here are all her lies.
1) She writes about "people."
2) She tried marriage; it didn't work out.
3) She has a niece named Dolly, no kids.
There's some light — sorry, heavy — flirting happening in the first episode. It's like Jeanie is presenting a version of Sidney for Sidney. She's wearing Sid's perfume, and selling the same "tortured artist" image of this punk rocker/barista in fishnets. Sid reveals that her father is in prison in a touching-but-too-self-aware tale. The slinky twentysomething is getting touchy just when Jeanie needs to leave.
From there, all the normal interactions feel a lot less stable. When Jeanie speaks to Claire regarding her daughter, Rebecca, we're aware that our protagonist has her ears open for something... else.
Sure enough, Jeanie heads to get a blowout after the appointment — right next to Rebecca, the daughter in question. It's like Jeanie's become an investigative reporter.
Then, Michael cancels their upcoming vacation. And Jeanie speaks with Sam Duffy, who drops this bomb: Sidney's dad isn't in prison — he's dead. Or is he?
SIDNEY, WHY ARE YOU ALSO LYING?
WHY IS EVERYONE LYING ON THIS SHOW?!
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
Episode 2: This Pop-Up Thing In Bushwick
The second episode begins with what sounds like Jeanie writing a Match.com profile for Diane while she's brushing her teeth. This show treats everyday situations as if they are horror. I keep thinking someone is going to die while Jeanie brushes her teeth just because the music is doing that CSI dun-dun-dun-dun that indicates a killer is near.
That being said, not a ton happens. Jeanie brushes her teeth. She puts out cat food. Then she heads to the grocery store, where she runs into fellow mum Holly. Dolly's got a party coming up, and Jeanie has mum duties!!
Pushing up against these duties is Sidney, who is in Jeanie's phone as "S." She's texted Jeanie something along the lines of "haven't stopped thinking about you" and our protagonist keeps looking at the text longingly.
Sidney sounds more and more like a manipulative crazy person. Sam Duffy (Sidney's lovelorn ex) says that he saw Sidney the other day. ("It was nice," he says, looking like a lost puppy.) The real kicker here is that Sidney told Sam about "some woman" she met. (That's Jeanie. Sidney's talking about Jeanie.)
In most respects, Jeanie is a great mum and wife. She sets up play dates with Dolly, she whips up weeknight beef bourguignon, and she's got stellar mum fashion. (Think flowy Eileen Fisher-type clothing but with a bit more structure.) In other respects, she's completely bonkers. She downs whiskey before sending Sidney a text that reads "It sounds like you have many admirers. You should be careful."
This show is very suggestively sexy — there's no outright come hither-ing, but when we see Sidney cloaked in red light and we see Jeanie lying on her bed, hands between her legs. We get it: Jeanie's masturbating to Sidney.
Meanwhile, Michael's late at the office. Gee, I wonder where this is going?
A mention of a "borderline" patient named Melissa made me perk my ears up. Supposedly, Melissa's in the hospital and making accusations against Jeanie, who used to be her therapist.
There are times when I think Sidney is the work of an elderly male writer, someone who thinks that "a pop-up thing in Bushwick in an old lumber factory" is the thing that hot alternative girls in fishnets do.
There are a lot of drugs in this show – metaphors for them, anyway. Jean can't quit Sidney, Allison the drug-addicted patient can't quit her drug-addicted boyfriend, Claire can't quit her daughter Rebecca, and Michael can't quit his sexy assistant. Oh, and Allison actually can't quit drugs. (In one of the more poignant moments in this episode, Jean comforts a very high Allison in her office.)
Jean, of course, goes to the Bushwick "pop-up thing," where a bouncer gives her the once-over — this woman does not belong in Bushwick. (She wears too much Eileen Fisher!)
There, Sidney tells Jean/Diane that she "shouldn't believe everything she hears," which, okay. That feels like a sign from the show itself, telling us not to believe everything that happens onscreen. (Or anything that the characters say.)
The night ends when Dolly FaceTimes her mother. Remember: Diane, Jeanie's alter ego, doesn't have a daughter. Sidney and Jeanie are this close to a DFMO when Dolly rings, and it all goes downhill. Jeanie heads home, where she sips whiskey with Michael.
"To the love of my life," she says during a toast to the night. Okay, sure.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
Episode 3: Work Emergency
There are few things that stress me out more than planning children's birthday parties. I don't even have children, but the idea of throwing a shindig for the sake of other parents and your own finicky child makes me queasy. Jean is in the throes of planning Dolly's own birthday party, but she doesn't have a "theme," which is apparently something that you need to have for kid's parties.
I admire how Jean is trying to patch things with her husband, too. It's not like she's ignoring Michael while she dallies with Sidney. On the contrary, she's actively seducing Michael, taking him on dates and getting him sloshed. During one such seduction, Jean asks Michael if he would ever have an affair. DANGEROUS TERRITORY, JEAN. Of course, he say he wouldn't. She says she wouldn't either. They're both big fat fucking liars. (As evidenced by the phone call in the middle of this conversation. It's Sidney, calling Jean. Or Diane, I suppose.)
All the while, Jean is squirrelling pills away and taking more and more risks. It's as if she wants to get caught. "I know exactly what I want," she tells Michael later when they're mid-coitus. This doesn't seem to be the case in general; Jean has no idea what she wants. That's why she's popping pills and engaging a little too heavily with her patients.
In a flashback, we see Jean with her mother (Blythe Danner). I don't want to call this flashback "useless," but it feels useless.
The next flashback is more useful. It's a dream, during which Jean witnesses her mother, this time brandishing a new engagement ring. Sidney's there, too, looking slinky as usual. She reminds Jean that everyone is scared to be alone. Ah, well.
This dream seemingly inspires Jeanie to hop in the car at 5 a.m. and drive to spy on her patient, Allison. Actually, the dream inspires a whole lot of things, including a pack of cigarettes.
Amidst Jean's crisis is Dolly's crisis — in this episode, she administers her own haircut before her birthday party in order to look like, in her words, "me." Jean, for all her therapy-ing, doesn't seem to notice that Dolly's having a bit of a metamorphosis. ("I love the way Dolly dresses," another mum notes at the birthday party. Dolly's wearing an Oxford and a tie.) She notices how the other mums are reacting, though. The other mums, like all suburban mothers on television, are gossipy and small-minded. They don't like Dolly's gender-bending style or her insistence that she's a boy.
Michael's assistant, Alexis, stops by just long enough to catalyse a little drama. Reminder: She's hot. This show isn't going to let us forget that. Jean isn't going to let us forget that. Michael, who is made obviously uncomfortable by Alexis, certainly isn't going to let us forget it. Driven to dire straights by Alexis's arrival, Jean goes to smoke a cigarette with the caterers, which in the world of pills and whiskey and Bushwick parties, feels a little tame.
This episode gives us the first real showdown: Jean and Michael come to verbal fisticuffs over Jean's behaviour at Dolly's party. Michael thinks she made the party all about herself. Jean thinks Michael treats her like she's invisible. I'm starting to believe that Jean is right. (I mean, Jean is very dedicated to a healthy sex life. Meanwhile, Michael is busy cancelling vacation plans and staying late at work with his assistant.)
After their blowout fight, Jean scrawls "WORK EMERGENCY" on a slip of paper and leaves the house. It's time, it seems, for the therapist-gone-rogue to actually go bananas.
Finally.
Episode 4: The In-Between Indigo Space
Jean’s on the loose, wandering about Brooklyn. The show does a good job of reminding us where Jean belongs though; as she’s getting cozy with Sidney at a rooftop film viewing (how very Brooklyn), she’s also getting cozy with Michael out in Connecticut. (They’re watching Despicable Me with Dolly.)
Put plainly, Jean is being immature. She took off without telling her husband where she was going. That’s teenager behaviour. She’s devolving, in a way — smoking cigarettes at her kid’s birthday party, sneaking into the city to see a “special friend.” All of it reeks of teen angst. The question remains, though: Why is Jean so angsty? This show is good at establishing that she’s restless in her life. We just don’t really know why.
“You’re becoming an addict,” Sidney tells Jean/Diane down in the Rabbit Hole, pointing out the obvious. She also tells Diane that she’s “always had a thing for older women,” which is about as vicious as backhand compliments get. Jean, in exchange, gifts her a lighter. Seems fitting – here, have a little tool for setting things afire!
Jean’s little boundary-crossing doesn’t stop there. This episode, she heads to get a blowout with Rebecca, the distant daughter to Claire. The work here seems to be earnest therapy-ing, for what it’s worth. As a blowout buddy, Jean acts as friend and confidante to Rebecca. When Rebecca’s phone rings — it’s Claire — Jean encourages her to pick up. Being weird and stalker-y is helpful sometimes! Claire, meanwhile, thinks that something is up with Rebecca, who says that she’s been living with a “community” of people. (She’s in a cult, surely.)
Dolly, in her varsity jacket and backwards cap, is looking more and more like Breckin Meyer from Clueless. She’s also exchanging kisses on the cheek with Sadie, her classmate. Being 11 is hard, Dolly.
Jean’s engaging in therapy with Michael, too. He’s going over a case at home, and she steps in to help out, resulting in an are-you-lying staredown that’s anything but innocent. Basically, Michael’s onto you, Jean. You weren’t at a work emergency the other night. But also, Michael, we’re onto you. You’re down to clown with your assistant.
Things are beginning to unravel a little more: We discover that Melissa, the aforementioned “crazy patient” in fact took up arson in the name of Jean. Knowing what we know now about Jean, I can’t help but feel that Melissa might not be so crazy. Maybe Jean drove her crazy.
Melissa might be another version of Sidney, who’s up to no good again this episode. Jean insists on meeting her at a cafe in daylight, and Sidney invites Sam Duffy to tag along. It’s as if she knows that Sam Duffy and Jean know each other pretty well. Both Sam and Jean are wrapped around Sid’s finger, although Jean seems more aware of it than her patient is. (“Stay the fuck away from me,” she whispers to Sid in a dream.)
It’s still not clear if Jean wants to investigate Sidney or if she wants to sleep with her. Perhaps it’s both. The “indigo” nail polish is a cute little indicator — a nod to the fact that “blue” as a color is still somewhat misunderstood. It’s an in-between colour, and Jean’s relationships are somewhere in between normal and utterly inappropriate.
Speaking of inappropriate, Michael’s dalliance with Alexis seems imminent. First off, to the costumers of Gypsy: This girl does not wear glasses, nor do those glasses look real at all. Next, to Michael: Good effort, sir.
He very much wants to avoid sleeping with Alexis. He also really wants to sleep with Alexis. After all, he’s the one who asks her for another round of drinks in the city. But, to his credit, he also looks shocked when Alexis “inadvertently” shows him a pic of Cleavage City. In cab on the way home, she sends him the pic of Cleav City. Nice views, there! He looks uncomfy but not in a bad way, you know? Poor Michael. He wants to be a good guy.
So does Jean! These people just can’t get anything right. It’s totally out of bounds, but Jean goes to find Allison, the drugged-up patient who didn’t show for her appointment. Allison’s in a bad place, tucked away in her abusive boyfriend’s home. Jean wants to help. Perhaps this isn’t the right way to help, but in the moment it seems right.
“It’ll be our little secret,” Jean tells a mournful, cooped-up Allison. You’re gathering a lot of secrets, there, Jeanie. Actually, everyone on this show is harbouring shit in that in-between indigo space.
The biggest secret of all is that Jean has a key to some apartment that is NOT her home in the suburbs. No, this is an apartment that belongs to… Melissa?
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.
Episode 5: What’s Your Passcode?
Wait, sorry, did this show just wait until episode 4 to introduce Catherine, Michael’s one-that-got-away? Also, Jean has a new patient! Some guy who can’t get over his ex-wife. It’s mighty late to introduce a new character, Gypsy. And there’s already so much going on: Jean wants to see Sidney, Alexis is snooping on Michael, and Dolly just wants to watch television. (Me, too, Dolly!)
AND, Jean is playacting as Sidney in her sessions with Sam. This feeds into my theory that Jean wants to be Sidney.
Or wait, does Jean want to be Allison? She attends a Narcotics Anonymous meeting with her.
Hey, Sam Duffy has friends! At least, one friend. He’s out getting drinks with a buddy when he spies an ex — presumably, an ex he cheated on. The men in this show are pretty awful, but it feels like the show wants us to like them. Sam D. cheated on Emily, but he’s real sweet about it. Michael wants to cheat on Jean, but he’s being real uptight and goody two-shoes about it. For the sake of good television, I wish they weren’t such wannabe good guys.
This episode raises an important question: Should your partner have the passcode to your phone? Is that the ultimate sign of trust? Because Michael doesn’t have the passcode to Jean’s phone, and Jean is doing all sorts of weird things with her phone, like text Sid. Sid and Jean’s epic showdown happens this episode, and, for lack of a better word, it’s lame. Sid hollers that Jean is “scared” and then Jean argues that Sidney manipulates people, and this is all stuff that we knew before.
I grow tired of Sidney. [Sighs. Takes drag of cigarette.] She’s a fairly simple psychological puzzle in this show — the character equivalent of a four-piece jigsaw.
The show has been thus far neglecting the other storylines. Storylines such as Rebecca’s, the woman who has joined a cult. Jean goes to visit the cult, and they seem harmless enough. For now. Even though they insist that Jean leave her device on the way in.
Oh, but what fun device work! Everyone at the culty dinner reads aloud the last text message on their phone, all of which re-emerge after dinner. AND IT’S MELISSA WHO LAST TEXTED JEAN. JEAN, YOU DIDN’T TELL US THIS. CAMERA, WHY DIDN’T YOU SHOW US THIS?! She politely requested, “Stay the fuck away from me.” Which, okay. Not something Jean is good at.
This seems to drive Jean to go give Sid a big old smooch. And, for the record, Jean isn;’t scared. She’s totally in control. Except not really, because her friend Larin spots her at her rehearsal space in Manhattan. (Jean’s all, who, me?)
Michael seems to be changing his tune on vacation, courtesy of a boy’s night gone sour. The gist is that he doesn’t want a divorce. (Michael, just sleep with your assistant! That’s what the TV watcher in me wants.)
As for Jean, she also doesn’t want a divorce. Or does she? I wish she were as easy to figure out as Sidney.
Episode 6: Oh, Hello, Chekhov’s Gun
Do you think that Jeanie’s obsession with “freeing” herself could have been solved by a bit of role-playing? Because, if so, this show could have been a lot shorter. The role-playing in the beginning of this episode is some spectacular stuff. Jean is pretending to be “Sidney,” singer-songwriter, and Michael is pretending to be an architect, and they both seem to have a good time. But their little weeknight rendez-vous is just a taste of what Jean is actually doing.
Michael ends his charade when he goes to work, Jean’s continues because she’ — no surprise here — invites Sidney to come to the hotel for pancakes. However, Michael is planning a trip to Texas with Alexis and a colleague named Scott. It’s his own continuation of the role-playing party. Mark my words: This will be a dangerous trip. I wish it would just happen already.
Oh, gosh. There’s a gun in this show. When Sidney and Jean go to visit Sam Duffy’s apartment, Jean finds a cute little shotgun. You know the adage: If there’s a gun in the vicinity, it must go off before the end.
Do I want to know what’s going with Sam Duffy’s moustache? Sometimes, it’s there. Sometimes, it’s not. I doubt his facial hair grows that quickly. He’s moustache-less in this episode and upset that Sidney broke into his house. Diane/Jean was there when that happened, which makes this therapy session all the scarier. In his impromptu session with Jean, he reveals he has a date with Emily, the normal-ish girl that we met last episode. For Sam Duffy’s sake, I want Emily to take him under his wing and cure him of his Sidney obsession. (Would that someone would do the same for Jean.)
It’s getting less clear who’s addicted to whom in this little mind-muddle. Allison visits Jean with her boyfriend Tom in tow, and it’s all a very scary showdown of who owns whom. Does Jean own Allison, or does Tom own Allison? It’s like her patients are addicted to her, whereas in the beginning it seemed Jean was addicted to her patients.
Later, on his date with Emily, Sam admits to finding Jean kind of hot. This is no good. Sam, please do not kill Jean with your gun.
And then, as if things weren’t bad enough, it seems Tom drugged our already pill-popping heroine during his impromptu therapy session. She collapses at the Rubin Museum with Sidney, and is late for dinner with a frantic Michael. Sorry, Jean, but when your patients are slipping you drugs in your own office, things aren’t going well.
Episode 7: Poor Sam. Poor Michael.
Well, kids. This seems to be the episode. We’ve been waiting for Jean to do something actually criminal, and here it comes. (Truth be told, until this episode, she hasn’t done anything awful, save for a few dramatic kisses with a patient’s ex-girlfriend. Which sounds bad, but it’s not unlawful.)
It begins with perhaps the first official meetup of Diane and Sidney. Diane’s drinking bourbon, and Sidney’s drinking fireball (classy). Sidney has some classic lines like, “I think death’s a better option than boredom.” And Diane’s got some zingers like, “I’m ready for the full Sidney experience.” These two are an eye-rolly cliche, but in this episode the staleness gets some fresh air.
The same goes for Michael and Alexis, who are on that business trip in Texas. They’re soon-to-be-affair is stunningly unoriginal. They play “truth or dare” at a bar in Texas, and Michael gazes longingly at his youthful (and storytelling! She does the Moth!) assistant. (For the record, Sidney and Diane/Jean also play truth or dare of a sort. I mean, really.)
The truth or dares do reveal some decent info on the characters, though. Apparently, this gal Catherine was once an enemy of Jean. Jean says she forced Michael to give up Catherine, but we know that he hasn’t given her up entirely.
Side note: This is the second time “Girl” by The Internet has been used during a “cheating” scene. (The first such instance was in HBO’s Insecure.) This can only be proof that The Internet should be a bigger deal in mainstream pop culture.
There’s a whole lot of drum up to ultimately… nothing that unexpected in this episode. It’s not a big reveal when we discover that Alexis didn’t send that sexy pic by accident. Nor is it that surprising when Jean finally sleeps with Sidney after some drugs and conversation.
It is surprising, though, that Michael refuses Alexis’s advances. It is also surprising when we see Alexis getting smoochy with Scott, Michael’s asshole of a co-worker. So, it’s not that Alexis wants Michael. She just wants someone, period. And now, I’m not too keen on the fact that she’s a storyteller. (Don’t slander the good name of people who do live storytelling!)
It’s downright disturbing that Jean deletes Sam Duffy’s contact info from Sid’s phone. That’s psychopathic behaviour for sure. It also mirrors what she said she did regarding Catherine. Jean claimed she forced Michael to delete everything about Catherine. It seems she’s doing the same with Sam.
This will become my mantra for this show: Poor Sam. Poor Michael.
Episode 8: You Are Not Allowed In My Rabbit Hole
I guess life just continues after you cheat on your spouse. Or, at least, that’s what happens when you’re a Holloway in the world of Gypsy. When our main couple attends the company holiday party, they’re all smiles and as-usual. EXCEPT JUST LAST EPISODE SLINKY THINGS WERE HAPPENING, REMEMBER?
The word I want to use for this show is “stifling.” This may be purposeful; Jean is feeling stifled by her suburban life. We, in turn, feel stifled by all the silence.
This episode might be the first time Jean rejects sex with Michael. For the most part, this couple has had a healthy sex life, which has always made me question their extramarital activities. So, it looks like sex with Sidney may have nudged Michael-sex out of the way.
Three cheers for lady masturbation on television, though! In lieu of high sex with her husband, Jean has some selfie time on the phone with Sidney. They make a plan to meet the next day at 309 West 81st Street — presumably the apartment Jean ventured into earlier in the season.
All of Jean’s out-of-office activities seem to be sneaking to the surface. Claire, the overinvolved mother, decides to bring Rebecca into the office for a dual session. This is no good — Rebecca has met Diane. Then, Larin starts to do some math. Jean’s been forgetful, distant. Larin realizes what we as audience members see to be completely obvious. Jean is having an affair.
“What the fuck am I doing?” Jean asks herself before stepping into the Rabbit Hole once again. She’s mad at herself, but not too mad to keep it up with Sidney. Sidney, meanwhile, is onto our protagonist, thankfully. I would be, too, if my new paramour claimed to be “not on social media” and refused to give her last name. There’s only so long that Jean can keep up this charade. It all seems to be a fantasy, too; there’s nowhere this can go. Jean clearly doesn’t want to leave Michael. She tells Sid that she wants to take her on a road trip like Thelma and Louise. Dream on. (Also, Thelma and Louise had a rather dramatic end to their road trip.)
There are times I wish the side characters in this show got their own respective shows. Allison, the drug addict, is using again, despite all of Jean’s interference. At this point, I feel more sympathy for Allison than for Jean. Luckily, it seems Jean feels the same way, because she offers Allison the same spot she invited Sidney to: 309 West 81st Street. (I am getting more and more excited to see all the characters converge on this one location.)
The same goes for Rebecca, who’s having a baby with her cult leader. Jean convinces her to cancel on the mum-therapist date, which is in Jean’s favour more than Rebecca’s.
Alexis is one I do not feel sorry for. Rumours are spreading throughout the office that Michael and Alexis slept together, and I have the sneaking suspicion they are courtesy of Alexis.
Does Jean have borderline personality disorder? Is she replicating the experience of having this disorder? Because she’s treating “Diane Hart” as another person. She’s writing up a profile for her. She’s creating a character, the same way Dolly is creating Peter Pan for her role in the school play.
I wonder: If Sidney died, would all the people in her life stop worshipping her? To be honest, I don’t know who’s hurt more by the pedestal they’ve built around her: Sidney, or the people in her life. Sidney’s being manipulated by Jean, and she’s in turn turning Sam Duffy into a manic mess. (Poor Sam.) He can’t have hanky-panky time with his new girlfriend without thinking of Sidney, or Jean for that matter.
AND HOLD UP THERE’S A NEW PATIENT PERSON. Melissa Saugraves, who was “obsessed” with Jean, has a husband. He boxes with Jean, who goes by “Diane” during boxing class. We have two episodes left in this season. We had better find out exactly what happened with Melissa S. and STAT.
Alas, nothing happens STAT on this show. Even when Allison unearths tapes of Jean “Hart” discussing a patient Melissa, we don’t get to hear the tapes. Presumably, that’s where ths story lies.
Still, things are moving! Michael goes to the Rabbit Hole to grab some coffee, where he meets Sidney. Sid gives him a flyer for her band — Michael’s piecing this together, methinks. Jean stops this new friendship in its tracks with sex! Seems useful. She pops in the shower with Michael for some forget-about-your-suspicions sex, but first, she slaps Michael.
“Never go to my coffee shop again,” she says. It’s her rabbit hole. It’s her safe space to live out a fantasy, and square Michael is not allowed.
Episode 9: Dolly Is A Star
Everyone on this show is lying. Who is our reliable narrator? SOMEONE GIVE ME PURCHASE. Turns out, Allison is also lying. She’s currently residing in 309 W. 81st St., but she was living with her mother, contrary to what she told Jean. Allison claimed to have been cut off from her mother. Her mother visits the practice to say, hey, my daughter is missing. Oh, and she’s been living with me these past few months.
Liars, all of you. Allison is missing now, because of the lies. The lies!
Sam Duffy seems to be doing well. At least he’s not a liar. He’s changed his profile picture on Facebook to a photo of him and Emily. (Poor Emily, dating a Sidney-ravaged man.)
In other social media news, Sidney posted a pic of her and Jean on Instagram, which is just plain rude on her part, but good for the narrative. Now, Jean’s getting closer to getting caught. There’s proof of their illicit and dangerous interaction! Anyone can find it. Sam can find it. Michael can find it. Hell, Larin can find it. Which is something that I would really love to happen. With all of Jean’s various victims in the dark, almost nothing can happen. The show is just Jean being nervous, and everyone else being mildly suspicious.
Michael may not figure out what’s going with his wife, but he did do the math in his office. He accuses Alexis of spreading the rumour about the two of them. And he’s right! She’s also a liar. Michael insists that “nothing is going to happen” between the two of them, and for the first time, I believe him. No sexy assistant time for Michael, at least in the flesh. He pleasures himself in the shower after his confrontation, presumably dreaming of Alexis.
After an awkward dinner with her mum, Jean cries in the shower. It’s the first time Jean has demonstrated any real desperation. Things are building up: Dolly is about to star in the school play, her mother’s lurking, and Allison’s still missing. Jean is popping pills and trying desperately to maintain her relationship with Sidney, while Sidney grows increasingly doubtful of her mysterious lover. Sid, wise up.
It’s still hard to tell if we’re meant to root for Jean or to hate her. She’s fucking with Sidney, for sure, as Sidney so astutely points out, as well as the rest of her patients, Sam included. Now, she’s also fucking with Alexis. JEAN STOLE HER STORY. I mean, Alexis is no saint, but let’s not plagiarise, Jean. Even if it wins you brownie points with your lover/tangential patient.
Dolly stars as Peter Pan in the school play, a bright light in this episode. She has a new boyish cut, and she’s killing it on stage. Dolly is going to be a star, if her parents don’t fuck it up for her. (Dolly will someday write a pain-riddled memoir about how her psycho-manipulative mum ripped their family to shreds. It’ll be great, because everything Dolly does is great.)
This would be a great time for Melissa S. to show up and ruin the party. (Or make the party, you know? This is television.) Instead, Allison is reported missing, leaving a final voicemail on Jean’s phone. She sounds frantic. Allison may be a liar, but I don’t want her to die.
Still waiting on Melissa S., though.
Episode 10: Trespassers
Big news: Jean is in therapy. The therapist has become the therapee! From the way the conversation in therapy sounds, Jean has gone bonkers before. She keeps discussing “keeping herself in control” and “walking the tightrope” as if she knows there’s some dark personal abyss she’s in danger of falling into. Except that as of yet, nothing truly bananas has happened yet. I mean, there’s been talk of arson in the past, but I haven’t seen any matches in the current timeline.
Well, there’s this: Jean tells her boss at the group practice that she’s “certainly not breaking any personal boundaries.” LIAR. The one area that will probably end up getting her in trouble is Allison. Jean gave Allison a place to stay, which actually isn’t all that bad, considering Jean’s other risky behaviour.
The timeline of this show somehow allowed Sam Duffy to get engaged to his new girlfriend Emily in the space of a few weeks. (In my mind, this show has taken place over two weeks, given the rate at which things happen.) Jean convinces Sid to go to the engagement party, which seems to prove Sam’s theory that Jean just wants these two dangerous people to be together. Jean just wants danger, period. She wants to exist in the moment before she gets caught, like that one guy Miranda dates on Sex and the City.
FINALLY, Sidney’s sleuthing works out, because she makes her way to Michael’s office to find the true author of “Diane Hart”’s story — it’s Alexis! And all the info Sid needs is right there in the office. There’s Michael. There’s a photo of Jean. Sid, you’re good, and thank God you finally made some headway here.
There’s another “finally” for Michael, but he’s too late. He tries to make a move on Alexis, claiming that he was “too stupid” before, but Alexis is now seeing someone. Or she just realised that Michael is 100% cement. Alexis also drops the “Diane Hart” bomb which raises an alarm. He knows that name. He’s heard that name before. When Melissa Saugraves was in the picture.
Michael and Jean’s little showdown — the second of which we’ve seen in the show so far — reveals some, but not all, of the facts. Am I crazy for wanting someone to brandish a knife or light a match, or, God forbid, admit anything? Even when Jean spills that she gave Allison the key to 309, revealing that she kept her upper west side apartment for years, it seems like petty cash. Michael throws out some interesting facts, like the fact that he knows about Melissa, and the fact that he suspects Jean played a role in Melissa’s crazy.
Melissa was a version of Sidney, back in the day, and, lo and behold, we get to meet her! Ten minutes before the end of the season, Melissa appears. Jean goes to meet her after first visiting her mother’s place to pick a turquoise bracelet, which happens to be a gift from Melissa.
“I never took it off,” she tells a frantic Melissa. You sit on a CASTLE of lies, Jean. Their meetup doesn’t clarify that much, really. Melissa claims that Jean “made her look crazy,” but when Jean apologises, Melissa falls straight back into her arms. Jean makes attracting people seem very easy.
This episode is really Jean’s apology tour, although none of it seems honest. Jean apologises to Melissa, who wails and cries and forgive her. Jean apologises to a stoic Michael, who maybe forgives her — what am I saying? Of course he forgives her. To his credit, he does call Catherine. Is it bad if I want Michael to finally get some in this show? I wish he’d slept with Alexis. I wish he’d leave Jean. In general, I wish everyone would ditch Jean.
Sam Duffy ditched Jean, and what did he get? He got an engagement, but then Jean asks him to come back to the office. There, she says (lies) that Sidney emailed her to say she’s worried about Sam. Basically, Jean wants Sam and Sid back together. She cites her own relationship — she and Michael also have a rough relationship, but they need each other for stability. Perhaps Sam and Sid are the same. And perhaps Jean is right. These two kids need each other; they need to inflict pain on one another to feel less lonely or some other grand platitude.
This all culminates in Jean’s speech at the Connecticut anti-bullying summit. She’s the bully, is the the metaphor going on here. As Jean waxes wise about “power” and “the bullied becoming the bully,” we see that Tom has an unconscious (dead?) Allison in tow. Sam skips dinner with his new fiance to go snoop in Sid’s apartment, and Sid herself shows up at the auditorium where Jean is speaking.
And then, the show ends. Sid is watching Jean, Jean is hoping Michael will forgive her for keeping a secret apartment, and Sam is hoping to get back into Sid’s pants. Oh, and the police detective who is searching for Allison has found his way to… Melissa’s apartment? Jean’s mum’s apartment? I am very confused. The gist of Jean’s speech is that people who manipulate others just want to control themselves.
But here’s the thing: The gun never went off.
I am disappointed.
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Adele began her world tour on the 29th of February, 2016, at Belfast's SSE Arena. This weekend, after completing legs in Europe, North America, and Oceania, she was due to cap off her 121-concert run with four triumphant homecoming shows at London's iconic Wembley Stadium. But after struggling through a couple of her Wembley dates, she's been forced to cancel the remaining two, which were due to take place on Saturday and Sunday nights.
"To say I'm heartbroken would be an understatement," Adele wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. "The last two nights at Wembley have been the biggest and best shows of my life. To come home to such a response after so long away doing something I never thought I could pull off, but did, has blown me away."
"However, I've struggled vocally on both nights," she added. "I had to push a lot harder than I normally do."
Continuing, Adele revealed that she has in fact damaged her vocal cords. In accordance with medical advice, she has made the difficult decision not to perform her tour's final two dates.
"I've considered doing Saturday night's show but it's highly unlikely I'd even make it though the set and I simply can't crumble in front of you all and walk out on you in that way," she explained. "I'm so desperate to do [the shows] that I've even considered miming, just to be in front of you and be with you. But I've never done it and I cannot in a million years do that to you. It wouldn't be the real me up there."
"To not complete this milestone in my career is something I'm struggling to get my head around and I wish that I wasn't having to write this," she added. "It's as if my whole career has been building up to these four shows."
Adele concluded her post by confirming that "refunds will be available if the shows can't be rescheduled," and urging fans to "please forgive me."
Get well soon, Adele–and difficult as it is, try not to feel as though you've let anyone down, because you really haven't.
