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With the rise of Ozempic and “stress-free” plastic surgery, a new kind of fashion status symbol has been unlocked: a perfect body. “The look of actual human bodies obviously changes very little through history. But the look of ideal bodies changes a great deal all the time,” a 1977 New York Times  piece observed . “In ordinary life, a common vehicle of expression for this changing physical ideal is the changing fashion in clothes.”  Fashion and bodies have always been in conversation. An hourglass shape reigned in the 1950s, led  by Christian Dior’s seminal “New Look” collection. In the ‘80s, “ shoulders  were the body part of choice, most often inflated to mega proportions.” (Think Claude Montana  silhouettes and Giorgio Armani  suits.) Heroin chic defined the mid-’90s, characterized by waif-like figures appearing in Calvin Klein  ads and Davide Sorrenti  photographs.  In recent years, designers have begun to highlight various body types (simultaneously, no less) in a wider embrace of diversity. The inaugural 2018 Savage X Fenty  runway show featured models with various body types. Industry titan Victoria’s Secret followed suit with their divisive 2024 show, deviating  from a long-standing practice of casting exclusively size-zero bodies.  As much as fashion is inspired by bodies, bodies have equally been  fashion in and of themselves. Take female breasts, which have oscillated in and out of focus from the cone-bra of FW94   Gaultier , to Shalom Harlow’s topless look  in Dior’s FW97 show, to Duran Lantink’s FW25 breast plates . On the Mugler bodysuit and its current significance in pop culture , creative director Casey Cadwallader shares , “[Bodysuits] have this duality in which they cover the entire body, from toe to fingertip and yet show all. Ultimately, the body is what makes the look.”  Even direct modifications of the body like tattoos  and piercings  — both of which have their own legacies in cultural identities  — were a huge part of punk  and other alternative aesthetics. Tracey Cannon, a London-based piercer, commented , “It also helps people belong and form identity. [When] I pierce people for the first time, they often say they feel part of the club now.” What is new, then, is the body’s distinct role as an accessory . Historically, bodies avoided acting as accessories in the traditional sense. For cultural communities, the body symbolizes standing and belonging. In mainstream media, it was measured for its compliance with conventional beauty standards. Today, body alterations blur the line between permanent procedures and personal style. The body is the trend and evolves as such. Look only to Kylie Jenner’s popularization of lip filler (and its subsequent dissolving ), the rise and fall of the BBL , or even the demand for Ozempic .  Modern body modifications allow for a specificity — and frequency — that more closely mirrors buying a popular accessory than an investment piece. Colored contact lenses have become widespread, popularized by Korean idols and the continued domination of K-Beauty . Freckle tattoos  have gained traction as a subtle and semi-permanent touch. Body botox  is on the rise, with one of its most popular injections simulating the “ 90-degree shoulders ” seen on Blackpink’s Jennie. In China, the “ elf ear ” trend involves pushing the ears forward from the face, through surgery or non-surgical alternatives  like clips.  The body’s crossover into the realm of accessory is attributable to both accessibility and desire. Consumers have a newfound ability to shape their bodies more precisely, quickly, and affordably than ever before. Nonsurgical  tweaks like fillers have attracted people previously deterred by the steep health and aesthetic risks. Combination procedures  like “mommy makeovers” reduce time in operating rooms and recovery. Out of 16 of the most popular American cosmetic procedures, only four  increased in price between 1998 and 2021. Four of the most popular nonsurgical procedures have actually decreased  in price over the last 22 years.  For many, this accessibility has brought newfound freedom, pushing modifications beyond a tool of conformity and into innovations that involve the body in personal style. The body is no longer a limitation to work around; it’s a controllable part of self-expression. “Having the privilege to revisit and recreate my childhood grin brings me a lot of joy,” writes  Jonti Ridley, who received tattooed freckles. “It kind of goes through waves, even with the seasons,” says  tattoo artist Shaughnessy Otsuji. When asked if anyone has requested tattooed-freckle removal, Brooklyn-based artists Keila and Krystal say , “No. In fact, people almost always want more.” The shift towards body-based accessories is perhaps most noticeable in East Asia, where a combination of rigid beauty standards  and widespread acceptance  of cosmetic surgery has paved the way for more exploration of how bodies can be used for short-term enhancements. “It’s like wearing makeup not just around the eyes, but also on the eyes,” one Korean woman says . “Contact lenses worn by the hottest stars are the most popular.”  “It is magic! I haven’t changed anything on my face and yet all my friends said I [looked] different the day I got it done,” one Xiaohongshu user wrote  about the “elf ear” procedure.  In places with such strict expectations of beauty, accessories are an opportunity for personalization within an accepted norm. It’s here that bodies find themselves: in a balancing act between individuality and conformity. Trends emerging from East Asia do not necessarily reflect a struggle unique to the region (or, as many might argue, a struggle at all). Instead, they are a microcosm of how bodies in the current cultural moment have the ability  to meet a genuine appetite for customization.  “With so many combinations of monograms, birthstones, zodiac signs, and trinkets, it’s nearly impossible to look exactly like everyone else. The only question left: Is there any frontier left uncharmed?” questions  ELLE.  Previous interactions between fashion and bodies still showed traces of clothing’s incipient role in the service of bodies. Bodies were judged against beauty standards (and modified accordingly), but fashion regulated such norms through constraints on which  bodies clothing would service — which bodies clothing trends look good on, feature, or, quite literally, fit.  As body modifications, permanent or not, become de-stigmatized, cheaper, and more readily available, the body’s role in fashion is based less on such binaries. Today, all bodies have the potential to fit in, to be customized, and to be accessorized.  The changing role of the body in fashion is not a good or bad thing. Fashion, bodies, and accessories will continue evolving, and the expanding intersection between all three simply indicates another turning point — one that sees bodies  increasingly in the service of fashion.  Whether bodies are used to follow trends or create new ones will be up to the trendsetters and fashionistas of the not-too-distant future. Either way, it’s a frontier worth watching — hopefully through matching contacts. 🌀 Chinon Norteman  is a writer, researcher, and strawberry shortcake enthusiast based in Hong Kong. Her interests include femininity, feminism, geopolitics, and their intersection.

A masterclass in intellectualizing your feelings. “Bootsy: a Bay-area slang [sic] that describes someone or something as uncool, awkward, or out of touch,” the show notes read. In the context of the Oakland, California native designer Taylor Thompson’s suiting specialty, the collection’s theme rings rather ironic. Home of tech-haven Silicon Valley, the show strikes political parallels to what's considered “Bootsy”, which could also mean “something bold, outrageous or eccentric,” drawing from the persona of funk legend Bootsy Collins. With the slang’s etymology made out from the French word bourgeois , I could not help but think of the current cultural pull of the tech bros, once depicted as dorky and sometimes socially inept nerds in pop culture, who now hold a cache of enormous political power and wealth behind their carefully curated public personas. Thompson’s vision of Bootsy is about intellectualizing feelings of insecurity and transforming them into authenticity. The show started strongly on the rooftop of Manhattan’s Nine Orchard Hotel, with a smart and suave pantsuit paired with a striking red and black pinstripe tie. Models strided confidently down the runway in oversized blazers draped in trains that swept the floor when uncovered, while other pieces floated about with crinkled lamé-like fabrics. One bespeckled model apprehensively looked around the audience, Muji notebook in hand. The show ended in an acid wash dress buttoned asymmetrically with precision—an unexpected but much-appreciated touch.  Aside from the political irony, the show exhibited its power through femininity and sensuality. With a muted, neutral palette of browns, greys, and whites, Thompson demonstrated the versatility of the classic suit with a Bay Area edge. At some parts, I questioned if the show exhibited “camp,” as the show notes suggested. The looks were undoubtedly contemporary and stylish, but fell short of the boldness to dare to have the models appear more than a little awkward on the runway—something that is essential for a campy show.  Rather, the collection felt like a vulnerable homage to Thompson’s hometown. Bringing the relaxed and easygoing nature of the Bay Area to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the collection featured oversized coats, blazers with draping trains, and tastefully bleached fabrics. Personality and punk met with formal and office-friendly attire, as if to say that being unapologetically yourself in an unfamiliar place, even if you do feel a little insecure about it, is the essence of what “Boosty” is about. “ [The show] was a lot of wanting to keep the Bay Area and Oakland native and storytelling about home to some degree and just highlighting the culture of the Bay Area,” Thompson told WWD.  In short, 5000 put together a show that celebrated individuality and inspired me to be comfortable within my own Bootsy-ness. 🌀 7.9 Niya Doyle  is a forever East Coast-based writer, beauty buff, and cat lover. She is a freelance journalist for HALOSCOPE covering beauty. You can follow her makeup and skincare journey on TikTok .

Longevity, sillage, and the fictions of perfume. You might have seen this crop up from time to time in perfume-related online spaces: What are the best ways to keep one’s perfume on for as long as is physically possible? The newest trend, funnily enough, is using makeup primer, preferably a really sticky one like the viral NYX Face Glue Primer. Fragrance experts advise that you apply a bit of the primer on your wrists and neck before applying perfume to the intended points. Claims of “everlasting smell” often adjoin these perfume “hacks”. You’ll smell incredible all night, through sweat-soaked clubs, through dinner with friends, through love affairs well into the quietest hours of the night.  It’s striking how this mentality of desiring ever-lasting perfume has occurred in recent months within the online discourse of perfumery; from Twitter groups to reels and TikToks, there appears a clamouring call for the pernicious desire to use perfumery in this way. This desire and pervasive argument is a re-formulation of the central concepts of the Clean Girl aesthetic into the olfactory realm of perfume. You must be constantly bettering yourself through the consumption of products. You must be rigidly organising your life and daily routine around the concepts of beauty. You must conform to these concepts of beauty as a veritable lightning rod casting electric rays outward to signal your moral superiority. You smell good, so therefore you must be good. And, above all else and without fail, you must not be human — at any cost.  Using primer as a base for your perfume fundamentally elides the nexus of skin-scent that creates the foundational crux of perfume’s transformative capability. Primer, as its name is taken from the material products of paint, (to which the whole semiotic web of makeup as paint and skin as canvas reveals a wealth of interpretation of how we view our own faces and bodies), smoothes out and neutralises a base product. With traditional painting materials, one applies a primer base coat to smooth out the textural fibrous quality of canvases, so that the additional top layers of paint have a surface to stick to, and also to cover the natural fibres, filling in the natural gaps of the material. Gesso, the most familiar priming product for painting, creates a surface through combinations of glue to which acrylic paints can more readily stick without the paint seeping into the natural woven material of the canvas sheet.  But, why would you want to do this with perfume?  Perfume’s transformative capability is nestled within this combination of one’s natural scent blending with the chemical complexity of the perfume’s construction. This is why some perfumes will smell incredible on one person and terrible on another. The perfume itself, in isolation, could smell divine and wondrous but sit uncomfortably on the skin. It is a personal communion. Your skin is as much the component of perfume’s beauty as the scent itself. Perfume can transform the muted smell of your skin, influenced by a whole array of physiological characteristics, into a site of true olfactory pleasure — the pleasure of memory, the pleasure of desire, the pleasure of sociality. Perfume releases these pleasures precisely through and by its contact with the human organ. Without the organic fabric of the skin to hold the scent in such a way, the essential cornerstone of beauty is lost in the vaporous air.  Mentioning the Clean Girl aesthetic hints at where this trend of everlasting perfume means culturally and politically. The concept of the Clean Girl or "minimalism" has often been attributed to the rise of conservatism and fascism throughout particularly the United States and my native England. The Clean Girl — hand in hand with culturally pertinent concepts of cleanliness as a representative of good moral fibre and hygiene — is utilised as a status emblem highlighting the originator’s belief in beauty as a moral value judgment. Clean Girls look effortlessly beautiful in their deluge of online presence. They wear "minimal" makeup, none of the frills or extravagance of the 2000s party girl, neutral colours, natural hair, perfect skin, and straight white-cut teeth. They are ubiquitous and uniform, an expression of a beauty climate that has, in recent years, prioritised and privileged "health" and "wellness" as signifiers of moral hygiene. Lifting that half-dark veil of this aesthetic reveals its falsity almost immediately — makeup found in the form of long-lasting tints, hair extensions, extensive to the point of fanatic skincare routines, veneers, and cosmetic surgery. There is typically nothing "natural" and "clean" about any of what this aesthetic pretends to align itself with.  Utilising hacks, such as the primer hack, to elongate a perfume’s efficacy and sillage is a reflection of this climate in olfactory terms. What the Clean Girl signifies is the idea that these women are essentially ready-made perfect. They are born hairless, teeth-glowing, eyes-bright. Think of the concept of the "everything shower," in which influencers online discuss their bathing routine with the language of taming some sort of feral beast or maintaining a mechanical engine. You must look beautiful, but without showing all of the work . Extravagant, avant-garde, or plentiful makeup immediately signals effort and work. But look at a contemporary Clean Girl, and they present a veritable optical illusion. Whilst current discourse found online attributes the Clean Girl and  minimalism as a "recession indicator," this argument is less convincing than that of rising conservative attitudes found in online spaces. One only needs to look back to the outlandish fashions of 2008 and 2009 to realise that minimalism and recession or austerity do not go hand-in-hand. But the difference between 2008 and 2025 is the political climate. 2008, in both the U.S. and in the U.K, was a signal towards a re-packaged liberalism with both Democrats and the Labour Party in control of the respective countries. Following the deluge of incalculable violence found through the dirge of the Iraq War in the early 2000s, both the U.S. and the UK seemed to tilt toward a liberalised framework for the political landscape. But the 2008 financial crash added salt to an already blackening wound. In the UK, following the crash, we had over ten years of Conservative rule that decimated public services to the point of an inertia fouler than any, house prices have skyrocketed, wages stagnated, and Brexit added further insult to injury. Take ten years of perma-austerity, anti-immigrant xenophobic rhetoric, and poor standards of living, and you get racist pogroms targeting immigrants and asylum seekers televised for all the country to see. We do not live in liberal times now. A large part of these online trends are reflective of political landscapes that abet, contribute, and are informed by economic policies.  Moving back to the quality of perfume with the political backdrop dancing in the distance, we can see the interlocking facets of particular qualities of the Clean Girl and the desire to treat perfume in this way. Consumption of perfume and its longevity has figured as a central concept in maintaining the illusion of perennial perfectness that dominates our understanding of conservative fictive womanhood. Smelling good as a symptom of good moral grounding is, not by a long stretch, a new phenomenon. In Victorian England, it was commonplace for bourgeois and higher-ranking households to covet precious smelling materials in their homes as a signal to guests of their wealth, status, and cleanliness, during a period where bathing habits differ drastically from ours today.  This lean-in, fostered through constantly trying to elongate fragrance through "hacks" such as this, reformulates this Victorian usage of scent for a contemporary context. Rather than using the quality of perfume to inspire intimacy, through the subtle exchanges between people found in burgeoning romances or budding friendships, this method instead intends to spread the scent far and wide. It is, for the most part, a symptom of expressing one’s status symbol through the power of scent. Here I am, late at night, still smelling as fresh as when I woke up. It is used as a signifier of one’s, not only good taste but physiological superiority. Instead of focusing on the direct personal intimacy afforded through the close smell of another one’s scent, this typology of stretching the sillage of a perfume to the end of its capacity removes intimacy for a sort of blanket statement about the wearer. It is a repackaged desire to walk through the world ready-made and perfect. This is not to say that the impulse to smell a certain way is always connected to an inherent conservative worldview and political drive, but this manifestation found so commonly in online discourse plants itself firmly in the well from where the Clean Girl sprang.  Perfume cements the fiction that we create about ourselves. This is perhaps why perfume finds such a bedfellow with the world of literature, with so many contemporary houses, from Anaïs Binguine’s Jardins D’Écrivains to Cherry Cheng’s Jouissance Parfums , delving into the literary world as a fount of inspiration for their olfactory creations. But, in its components, perfume amplifies the fictitious aura that we create about ourselves when stepping out into the world. We wear certain scents to amplify or signal certain elements of our personhood, our interests, our desires, and who we are as people. Think of how many scents are attached to benign stereotypes, from Baccarat Rouge and the "female manipulator" to the more obvious Dior Sauvage and its toxic masculinity connotations. Perfume, in this way, functions like an olfactory magnifying glass in the very way in which we view ourselves and how we wish to be perceived by another’s gaze.  But to purposefully elongate the longevity of a fragrance by utilising methods such as priming reveals an added layer to this matrix of desire. By not allowing the skin, and by obvious extension the body, the ability to interact with the material, we create a blank canvas devoid of mood or sensuality. We remove the sensual component of perfume’s transformative capability and instead install a fictive artificial essence onto our personhood. We privilege the object over the subjectivity of personhood. We dare not let the sticky mess of being alive interrupt our carefully orchestrated narratives of ourselves. We invite others to read us as perfectly formed creatures, who even through the toils and trials and trifles of the day wandering through smog and smoke, remain poised, voluptuous, and ready for consumption.  🌀 M.P.S is a writer, zine-maker, part-time urban researcher, full-time perfume over-thinker, maximalist fashion enjoyer,   and creature from East London. You can find her looking gorgeous on Instagram as @_femmedetta  or giving unsolicited opinions as  @cyberyamauba  on X.

Thoughts on the Met Gala, the concept of "effortlessness," and a sale at Eileen Fisher. Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.  This week, the Met Gala happened (and it went…well?), the difference between dreaming of labor and delighting in effort, Fashion Brand Company drops its cutest collection yet, a new bombshell summer shoe has entered the villa, the summer kicks off with a sidewalk sale (AND pierogies), and more. The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion. Emily Kirkpatrick’s “ Met Gala 2025: Live red carpet reaction ” via I <3 Mes s is truly the only coverage of the extravaganza worth checking out. Her incisive commentary, witty observations, and ruthless, rarely met standards set a bar for fashion analysis media that legacy publications could only dream of clearing.  “ The Best Men’s Makeup Seen at the 2025 Met Gala and Beyond ” by Lauren Valenti and Margaux Anbouba for Vogue  is notable mainly for the fact that as the years go by, more and more masculine folk seem to be adopting makeup as a means of highlighting or concealing their feted or unwanted features as has traditionally been a feminine pursuit. This year, graphic, cartoonish makeup didn’t dominate the masc mugs; instead, subtle eyeshadow and tightly-lined eyes dotted the dandyish red carpet.  Though it doesn’t focus on fashion, the latest issue of Eleonor Botoman’s Screenshot Reliquary , “ 68. Laborious Reliquary ,” is one of the most relevant pieces to come out this week for any industry. They write, poignantly: “Even if what we all choose to do is different, our fights for dignity and survival remain the same,” then highlight fiber artist Tabitha Arnold’s textile tribute to the 1934 strike by workers at the Coosa-Thatcher textile factory in Chattanooga. Screenshot Reliquary  may not be strictly tied to the style world, but its myriad ports of call are a great reminder of how fluid every sector of creativity can be if we keep our minds open to receiving inspiration. “ the effort is the point ” by Rabbit Fur Coat ’s Eleanor is a simple exhortation to reject a facile conception of “effortlessness” as the ultimate goal in style, referencing detailed tapestries and deliberate displays of artistry in exalting the ultimate display of love: trying. For a solid primer on sporting the controversial pants length, check out “ Are Capri Leggings Really Back? Here’s How to Wear the Controversial Length in 2025 ” by Talia Abbas for Vogue , replete with reference photos and shoppable styling ideas. What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks. The Met Gala came and went, as it always does, and commentators were largely impressed with the stylistic showings, an impressive statistic given the fact that the historical theme of Black Dandy fashion seemed an easy one for the Eurocentric constituents of the event to pervert. As expected, the best dressed list  included Zendaya (though many were underwhelmed by her simple, yet immaculately tailored, white suit), Colman Domingo, and other Met darlings, but Alton Mason stole the show in a sparkly, chest-baring suit referencing the anime Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure .   Underrated label Fashion Brand Company’s summer-ready Sailor Collection  will drop on Tuesday, May 13. I have rarely encountered quality as high as that of FBC’s garments in a comparable price range, and I have been lusting over the simple, smartly-cut navy sailor dress since it was teased months ago.  Black Crane is another under-the-radar brand that deserves its flowers, debuting its SS25 collection at Bona Drag  with good-weird bubble-wrap-like quilted fabrics and what seem to be the label’s first forays out of neutral territory and into the world of bright colors.  I am NOT a sexy shoe kind of guy, with foot problems that make me unable to do much more than hobble when saddled with a strappy sandal, plus a sense of pragmatism that rejects any footwear designed for decoration, but Gimaguas’ new summer wedges  are the first hype-y shoes I’ve seen that have made me genuinely gasp. Forget MNZ’s Olympias and The Row’s cursed jellies—these are a sun-drenched patio with an Aperol spritz in hand in footwear form.   Get first access to Toteme’s SS25 collection  with a ℅ Toteme account—this is what The Row thinks  it’s doing, especially accessories-wise, with abundant potential it-bags and suave slip-on sandals. Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.  One of Tangerine NYC’s famous sidewalk sales  is about to hit Brooklyn. Be there on Saturday, May 10th, from 12-5 for deep discounts on brands like Coming of Age and Emily Dawn Long, plus pierogies via Veselka (I’m heartbroken to miss those).  Save up to 40% off a selection of embroidered tops, summer-ready sundresses, and more in the Sea, New York seasonal sale .  Take an extra 20% off the already-on-sale underwear at Cuup , including plenty of brightly-colored sets perfect for layering under sheer dresses this summer.  If it’s casuals you need, Eileen Fisher offers an extra 25% of f its sale section, with especially good color picks this go-around.   Grenson discounts its leather goods , including tons of all-weather footwear, by 35% in its seasonal sale.  🌀 Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.

The Australians call it a thong for a reason. In case you missed it, Gigi Hadid has partnered with the Havaianas flip-flop brand  for a series of shots that places the supermodel atop and across surfboards and sandy beaches for the ultimate retro-feeling vacation vibe.   Not since Rihanna’s 2011 Vita Coco collaboration has a celebrity-led campaign featuring some of the most seemingly everyday objects so successfully sold the beach life to out-of-season cosmopolitans. Smiling coyly towards the camera, the fresh-faced, combed-back-hair Hadid looks not dissimilar to a Mad Men-era model, with the nostalgic lighting and ‘60s prints to boot— or, rather, sandal.   “Whether it’s my shorts to go to volleyball practice, or jeans to go get a smoothie, it feels like me to put on Havaianas,” Hadid told ELLE . It’s easy to experience a spiritual eye-roll whenever a celebrity professes personal usage of a product they’re being paid to promote — remember when everyone thought Kendall Jenner was going to come out  but instead just told us she used Proactiv for her acne? — but in this case, I’m inclined to believe it.   For the urban flip-flop has been on the rise for a while now. The flip-flop market (it’s a thing!) was valued at over 4.7 billion USD for 2025, an increase of 1.2 billion from 2019. This is not a whirlwind, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, seemingly overnight affair with all the timings and trimmings of a TikTok-ignited, subsequent PR campaign-fanned phenomenon. Instead, the flip-flop renaissance has been a lot slower and, with that, considerably more authentic in its spread.   The Row, for example, debuted its The City Sandals in its SS23 collection, pairing them on the runway with black gloves and an elegant midi dress. The $860 sandals, shaped like everyday flip-flops, serve to neatly conclude the outfit, a classic offering reflecting The Row’s trademark minimalism. In this instance, the flip-flops act as a neutral compliment to the outfit, allowing the accessorising of the gloves to command the observer’s gaze. It’s a kind of shoe for the sake of not being barefoot, in the most comfortable, sparse format possible.   Other brands have since followed suit. The zeitgeist brand of our age, Miu Miu, included several pairs of kitten-heeled flip-flops in their SS25 runway collection — complete with chipped nail polish, for the ultimate messy-chic girl look — while Ferragamo’s take on the classic silhouette meets the ballet pump at its source and accessorises it with winding ribbons. Unlike The Row’s flip-flosp — which have since been snapped up by Kylie Jenner and Zoe Kravitz — these are quirky reimaginations of the millennia-old style of the shoe, neatly re-appropriated to reflect the aesthetics of the respective fashion house.   The flip-flop spectrum is widening, and from the Miu Miu mild heel to Hadid’s Havaianas, these are not shoes exclusive to a beach vacation. Instead, flip-flops are city shoes in their own right, as The Row so clearly christened them. Too minimal in shape to be a statement piece and too discreet in format to demand attention, this shoe from our childhood exposes as much of the foot as possible — I suppose the Australians call it a thong for a reason — for the ultimate laissez-faire  approach to urban dressing.   For wearing flip-flops in public is the no-bra look of the Tarantino persuasion. City strutting in a pair of flip-flops is a gorgeous exercise in repurposing vulnerability into strength; it says so much because it amounts to so little. More casual than a Birkenstock and more exposed than a Croc, having what is essentially your entire foot out in public — with nothing but a mere inch of plastic separating sole from ground — is rendered all the more sparklingly audacious with its redirection of purpose. Conducting an entire day wearing flip-flops is so utterly chic because of the level of confidence necessary to do so. And what makes it so deliciously fun is the notion of this symbol of nonconformity being something as innocent and innocuous as a flip-flop.   Flip-flops work so well on the beach because you want to feel the sand and the lapping ocean. Traditionally, when worn in an urban environment, it’s within the confines of your personal neighborhood for lazy weekend errand running, coupled with sweats and a messy bun of the 2011 honey-wake-up-Harry-Styles-is-downstairs  variety. When instead paired with a fabulous outfit for some serious city slicking, the shoe grants the look not only considerable irony but also a genuine sense of defiant belonging within the anonymity of a city; for the wearer, the dirty city is only as threatening as a white sand beach. For shoes that cost as little as two dollars at Target, they symbolise a lot of grit and gumption.   Wearing flip-flops is by no means a new trend but rather a return to ‘90s minimalism and ‘00s neo-bohemia. In the days before every celebrity had a personal stylist for everyday dressing, Jennifer Aniston looked her coolest when snapped out shopping with a fantastic blow-dry, gorgeous red cargos, and black flip-flops; Sienna Miller, the doyen of modern bohemian dressing, avoided looking like she put too much thought in her outfit when her fur jacket-and-skinny jeans-for-a-night-out combo concluded with a pair of flip-flops hitting the tarmac. It is so fabulously random, so free-spirited in vibe, making any plotted outfit look casually thrown on. And isn’t that kind of the point of city dressing?   But as usual, the coolest city fits are not worn by the famous, but the random girl you find yourself staring at a bit on public transport. A few weeks ago, when London woke up to glorious warm sunshine so unseasonal for early spring, I was transfixed by a woman’s maxi skirt exposing the flip-flops underneath when she crossed her legs and shoved her Balenciaga city bag in between her legs. In a society dominated by clean girl monotonous piety and the remnants of Brat summer-curated maximalism, this stranger felt so at home on the London Underground that she deemed it appropriate to wear the last frontier of casual shoes across it. Well, of course, the next day, when the sky remained just as perfectly blue, I frantically dug out my old Havaianas to wear myself. Hadid was right; it did feel like me  putting them on. Bad news for the people who make a fuss about hating feet. Statistically, fashionably, anecdotally: flip-flops are in for the summer. 🌀 Bea Isaacson is a culture and travel writer based in London.

From Colman Domingo to Tyler Mitchell. The 2025 Met Gala has officially wrapped, and the stars who flooded the red (or should we say blue? ) carpet are either tucked into bed or off to the mid-week after-parties. Meanwhile, we’re already in pajamas with a glass of wine in hand, ready to rehash the jaw-dropping fashion moments that had us pausing, zooming in, and gasping from the couch last night. For our best-dressed list, we’re spotlighting the guests who actually  followed the theme: “Tailored for You.” Most attendees leaned into tailoring, giving us a range of sharp, stylish takes on suiting — but let’s be clear, the basic black-and-white tux brigade didn’t make the cut. The Met Gala is about innovation and individuality, and frankly, the only suits that caught our eye were worn by powerful Black women channeling Harlem royalty. As for the men? We see suits on you every year.  This list is for the ones who got it . The ones who honored Black designers and tastemakers, who understood the assignment, and who paid thoughtful tribute to the Costume Institute’s new exhibit, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style . Our Top Ten of the Night Colman Domingo honoring Andre Leon Talley (and then reappearing in a fantastic suit) Diana Ross , who had her family tree embroidered on the train of her dress Gigi Hadid honoring Zelda Wynn Valdes, who dressed Josephine Baker in a similar look Doechii appearing in Louis Vuitton and puffing on a fake cigar like a business tycoon Pharell Williams wearing a pinstripe suit detailed with pearls Khaby Lame show-stopping in Fendi Monica L. Miller , one of the designers of the exhibit, had cowrie shells embroidered on her blazer — a shell with the historical significance of bringing protection within Black culture Zendaya embracing a simple suit, but with the tailoring so perfect and detailed we had to include it Sydney Sweeney highlighting flapper culture in a stunning Miu Miu dress Lizzo puffing on a faux cigarette holder with a look inspired by jazz history Our Honorable Mentions Jennie from Blackpink in Chanel couture inspired by the 1920s and ‘30s Angel Reese wearing a stunning Thom Browne skirt suit set (tailored to perfection) Tyler Mitchell in a white Grace Wales Bonner suit with a feather boa (now this is how men should wear a suit to the Met). 🌀 Sydney Yeager  is a fashion writer and content creator who explores luxury fashion and trends with the gaze of how it can be accessible to the everyday consumer. As much as she adores avant-garde fashion, elegant and feminine looks will always have her heart, this is seen in both her writing and on her Instagram @sydselegantfinds.

"An artist's duty is to reflect the times and the situations in which I find myself. When every day is a matter of survival, how can you not reflect the times?" In 2025, the public is coming to terms with the notion that fashion has often held an unwitting mirror to the political landscape. This year kicked off with the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump in his second nonconsecutive term, and, mere weeks later, Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar took his coveted halftime show slot at the Super Bowl to televise the revolution. Lamar delivered a layered, deeply nuanced performance underscoring the rich histories of the Black American experience. And he did it all in a pair of Celine flare jeans. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, thousands of young American men were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War . Flared trousers were already an American military staple throughout the early 20th century . This cut quickly earned a new reputation during the Vietnam era, when flare jeans first hit the fashion scene and were more commonly referred to as bell bottoms . The cut of the bell bottom was then adopted in various materials. Denim, the most accessible fabric for working-class consumers , was worn by both men and women throughout the hippie counterculture movement, as well as in emerging music scenes, like California folk-rock and New York City’s underground disco floors. The cut of these pants, once traditionally masculine, came to no longer conform to a gender, as the roles of men and women in American society were rapidly changing. It was a time in which Stevie Nicks’ capes and long skirts were as eye-catching as Cher’s shimmery two-piece ab-bearing ensembles.  Throughout the 1970s, states followed California in legalizing no-fault divorces. By 1973, Roe v. Wade  codified access to birth control and legalized abortion; by 1974, women could apply for their own credit cards. The role of the nuclear family was deteriorating in importance, and the freedoms of young American women opened new paths to opportunities that their mothers could not access in their youth. In the fashion world, this allowed for a new era of experimentation. Personal stylist and ethical fashion educator Lakyn Carlton  spoke to me about this period’s notable impact on the world of personal style. Social and political upheaval left both men and women feeling experimental in their wardrobes and sexual expression. “The thing about the 1970s, about menswear in the 1970s, especially among Black men, was it was a lot more feminine. Not only were they wearing bell bottoms, they were wearing platforms, and they had long, permed hair,” says Carlton. “I think of the Isley Brothers, and I think of all of the funk in that part of the Black community and Black music, how the men were not afraid to look a little feminine. And you know, they were wearing blouses, right? They had their chests out and were trying to really claim it.” Over 50 years later, the distinct flair of the 1970s is a faint echo in a monochromatic, clean-girl world . In 2023, online circles forecasted new fashion trends leaning in an ultra-minimalist direction. It was the first year of being outside post-COVID, a time in which people experimented with their personal style from the comfort of their homes and behind a mask. By 2023, people started playing it safe. For men, this meant abandoning their Harry Styles-inspired painted nails and pierced ears, instead opting for the viral old-money aesthetic. For women, this meant glossed lips, sleek hair, a touch of mascara, and a lack of personal accessories dominated TikTok’s For You page, opposite videos of Nara Smith’s latest home-made concoction and Ballerina Farms’ newest pregnancy announcement. As the Internet machine tends to do, many of these trends were taken from minority communities , who often relied on slicked-back hair and minimal makeup in a beauty industry that lacked inclusivity. This very counterintuitive, conservative-coded phenomenon  is at the center of the clean-girl, quiet luxury, tradwife world. On the contemporary counterculture end, things look very different. Similar to what the fashion world sees today, after the 1970s came the shiny, maximalist, corporate 1980s. The Reagan administration saw what is now referred to as the “mom jeans” revolution, along with looser silhouettes and shoulder pads. As women began to rise on the corporate ladder for the first time, they started “power dressing” in new ways throughout the rest of the decade and into the early 1990s. Among the most iconic red carpet looks of this era is Julia Roberts’ menswear-meets-maximalism Armani suit at the 1990 Golden Globes. This trend is recently back on the rise, as Ayo Edebiri — soon to co-star in After Hunt opposite Roberts — brought a fresh take on this silhouette to the 2025 Golden Globes , with Nicole Kidman also opting for a pantsuit instead of a dress. Carlton is noticing that her women clients in Los Angeles, many of whom lean left and are looking for new ways to differentiate their personal style, are also following suit (literally).  “A lot of my women clients who wear womenswear are leaning more into androgyny. And I think it's really interesting. It's something I've been trying to sort of figure out and put my finger on. I think it has the capacity to say different things for everyone,” says Carlton. “But I do think that there is this idea of strength behind more masculinity, which is true. It is not the best truth, but it is true that we associate these styles as power dressing, if you will, [like] the 1980s, right? There is sort of a strength with being less likely to be walked all over. I think it is the idea that we won't lay down [sic] and be treated a certain way. I do think you can say that with femininity, though, and I do aim to lean into being able to do that, to not necessarily use this stereotypical idea of masculinity as what is strong.” As for how men can find personal style, Carlton anticipates there is hope yet for young men in a red-pilled world . “It's not the same as the women who are seeking security in masculinity, but it's men who are more like, ‘You know what? I don't actually want to fit into this rigid box. I don't want to be associated with this misogynistic super-conservative movement.’ I'm not going to say something that they might agree with, and say that they're possibly adopting the aesthetics of being more experimental in a way that would mislead [about their sexuality]. But I do think they also have their own kind of subconscious thing going on where it's like, you know, ‘This is bad, and I want to push back in some way.’ I want to believe that some of them are not adopting these beliefs so they think ‘Maybe I can at least hang out with a woman, or speak to one.’” The pendulum is always swinging back and forth, and while Trump is not personally dictating women’s fashion, politics and fashion are still just as intertwined as ever. With this all in mind, developing a unique personal style is about to be a mark of rebellion, and it all started with Kendrick Lamar’s aforementioned halftime show. This year, the runway is reflective of this rebellious energy. Flare denim and pants are trending  at the same time as the return of boho-chic , a style widely associated with 1970s counterculture and the 2010s Coachella revival, and widely pioneered in the high fashion world by labels like Isabel Marant , and, this season, Chloé, Valentino, and Fendi. Boho-chic is among the most accessible fashion trends, with eclectic vintage pieces and western boots only a Goodwill trip away for the average consumer.  At the same time, tweed women’s sets are resurfacing, with brands outside of the typical Chanel silhouette opting to present designs in the same vein. Glamour  referred to this phenomenon as “loud luxury,” a change from the logo-free, quiet luxury  designer pieces that hit 2024 runways. This trend is far less attainable for the everyday consumer. Now, personal style is viewed as a way to read a person upon first impression. The online lexicon has placed fashion aesthetics into cores , including coastal-grandmother core, old money core, fisherman core, cowboy core, and more. It demands the question: is originality or branded designer pieces the way to be revered most? And, perhaps most importantly, what does personal style have to do with politics? As of 2022,  Pew Research Center found that 62% of female social media users aged 18-29  reported that their favorite influencers swayed their purchasing habits. Oftentimes, the two are inextricably linked – such can be said of the ongoing Republican makeup trend on TikTok, and how progressive women are looking out for new ways to differentiate themselves from their conservative counterparts. Deshon Varnado, an Assistant Professor of Fashion and Justice at Parsons College of Art and Design, has insight into why these two topics feel more tethered than ever. “An artist's duty is to reflect the times and the situations in which I find myself. When every day is a matter of survival, how can you not reflect the times? When I think about the relationship between fashion and politics, Nina Simone's words immediately come to mind — like literature, music, and art, fashion serves as a cultural mirror, responding to and predicting political shifts,” says Varnado. “For instance, consider how the Feminist Movement empowered women to popularize the pantsuit or how the Civil Rights Movement made the Black Panther aesthetic a symbol of resistance. Sustainability laws also shape the future of ethical fashion and political moments, dictating what we wear and why. While it's common to see a designer or a brand utilize fashion as a tool to make a statement, even the person with little to no interest in fashion uses garments to create a statement, intentionally or subconsciously.” Another part of the ever-evolving relationship between fashion and politics is the issue of environmental sustainability, which has been largely politicized by the GOP. Amid the threat to withdraw from the Paris Agreement , the mass firings of National Park workers, and the end of the Chevron Deference , shopping secondhand has become the norm for many young Americans aiming to limit their carbon footprint. The Seattle Times reported this year that 83% of Gen Z consumers  are willing to shop secondhand.  “At the same time, fashion can also predict political shifts. We've seen an increase in DIY and thrifting culture, which is a clear indicator of the values of our youth and has paralleled the growing political discussions around climate change,” says Varnado.  These shifts do not solely affect the average consumer, but politicians themselves, too. Former Vice President Kamala Harris solely wore pantsuits throughout her 2024 presidential campaign, challenging the norms of dress for the women in politics who came before her, both in silhouette and in platforming new designers. Instead of the typical Oscar De La Renta and Chanel gowns and matching sets, Harris wore progressive labels like Chloé and independent American designers (namely, Sergio Hudson). Instead of the traditional femininity of the 1960s fashion looks worn by Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and the simple skirt set silhouettes worn by Laura Bush in the early aughts, Harris opted to bring the aforementioned power-dressing technique to the White House. “Public figures, particularly women, often use their wardrobe to challenge norms, yet they face criticism when dismantling stereotypes about what they are 'allowed' to wear. From politicians wearing bold colors to reject traditional femininity to celebrities embracing androgyny to challenge gender roles, fashion becomes a statement on shifting societal expectations. Ultimately, fashion serves as a reaction and predictor of the political climate and a cultural barometer that reflects social values,” says Varnado. The conservative indicators rising in our culture via the clean girl aesthetic, ultra-minimalism, and more, coming in tandem with Kendrick Lamar’s viral flare jeans, stimulate the conversation surrounding what truly defines rebellion or resistance, versus a mere trend. With subtle neutrals and slim silhouettes on the rise for the average consumer to blend into the background of the global landscape, the audacious bell bottom, once a symbol of the hippie counterculture, is regaining its role in liberalism and defiant dressing. Varnado questions whether Lamar’s sold-out jeans allow for revolutionary groups to organize — or for the fashion item to become absorbed into the trend cycle.  “Kendrick’s halftime jeans from Celine sold out immediately  following the show, proving how a single moment of cultural defiance can quickly be absorbed into the mainstream. This raises an interesting tension — can fashion still serve as rebellion when it becomes a trend? I ask that question, considering the many people who bought the jeans simply because Kendrick wore them, which speaks to his influence,” says Varnado. Varnado has hope for the future of fashion regardless of the speedy trend cycles in a digital world — namely due to the heightened engagement his students have shown this semester. “Students explore subject positions and the concept of intersectionality. While they have the creative freedom to curate their work based on their own aesthetics, they inherently weave their political and personal beliefs into everything they do following this workshop. They learn how to bridge theory with creative practice, ensuring that their work reflects, in some way — whether through a minute detail or a bold statement — who they are now and who they aspire to be in this world. Participating in the fashion system itself is a political act,” Varnado tells me. Whether they be bell-bottoms, pantsuits, or platforms, fashion’s next look will be watched under a microscope — and go down in history as a sign of the times. 🌀 These interviews were edited and condensed for clarity. Madison E. Goldberg is an entertainment and culture journalist, narrator of the news, and a former Jersey girl gone west to Los Angeles. She is often seen taking the world by storm in cowgirl boots in search of the best matcha latte. Her words have appeared in Billboard, The Boston Globe, What’s Trending, and more. You can snoop her weekly musings on Substack at Words From My Wits’ End.

Thoughts on Miranda Hobbes' style, elevated beachwear, and a secret sale at Bonne Suits. Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.  This week, fashion photographers you need to be checking for, another Miranda Hobbes style coup far ahead of its time, the Challengers  wind that makes people cheat is about to strike, a potentially life-changing denim sale, Friday plans for those in Amsterdam, and more. The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion. Beyond the well-trodden Petra Collins-Cobra Snake-Mr. Street Peeper frontier lies a world of artists whose names are not yet shorthand for stylish vision, but Vogue ’s Ana Cafolla writes “ 11 Fashion Photographers Redefining Style as We Know It ,” introducing us to camera wizards such as Nadine Ijewere and Hugo Comte—names to know for sure.  The most level-headed response to the tariff-driven “exposure” of the luxury accessory industry comes from are you wearing that?  by Subrina Heyink in the form of “ A brief note on craftsmanship .” Read this if you’re feeling compelled to bookmark Birkins on TheRealReal without knowing quite why.   In “ why miranda is the only SATC character who could pull off this custo barcelona top ”, Viv Chen of The Molehill explains the offbeat appeal of the Y2K brand that looks like the wardrobe of a Groovy Girl x MyScene girl love child. Viv CONSTANTLY opens my eyes to entirely new genres of clothing from designers and labels I never consciously knew existed. Whether or not I want to wear the pieces she painstakingly annotates, I am always inspired and invigorated by these esoteric deep dives.  Big Undies ’ Corinne Fay always has a smattering of excellent recs to keep on your radar, and the roundup included in “ Everything on My Wishlist Right Now Is Striped or Light Blue ” is no exception.  “ How To Clean Jewelry, According to the Experts ,” by (again) Anna Cafolla for Vogue , is a primer on maintaining different types of baubles that is invaluable whether you wear one pair of studs every day or maintain an ever-changing lineup of decadent accessories.  What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks. The summer drop from Pardo Hats  is the apex of elevated beachwear, with plenty of straw hats in unique silhouettes (think sailor’s or pillbox) and accessories laden with starfish and shells to perfectly bridge the gap between streetwear and seawater.  One of the top tennis players in the world, Coco Gauff, will debut a Miu x New Balance  collection later this year that looks like it’ll be perfect garb to don when the “ Challengers  wind that makes people cheat” blows through your town in late summer.  Starting May 1st, POTR x Studio Nicholson  provides a version of minimalism edged up by the former, a Japanese studio, and tempered by the latter’s earthy sensibilities.  A dash of practicality and a dollop of sly dreaminess make the MM6 x Salomon collab , with its bomber jackets, slide-on sneakers, and more, feel just as relevant as when the duo started working together.  The Love List x Chava Studio  collaborate on a pink button-down to join the ranks of Chava’s smart but sexy work shirts, but to perfection in crisp swaths of Swiss cotton.  Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.  Gap’s spring sale  offers some of the best deals on denim I’ve seen in my life. Tip: check out the men’s offerings no matter your gender (they’re personalizable with shorter inseams and charts that make size conversion seamless).  Tons of romantic but work-appropriate summer dresses, tops, and bottoms go for under 100 bucks each in the latest Maya Meyer sale .  Head over to the Mansur Gavriel seasonal sale  for up to half off the statement bags and other leather accessories that have long since achieved cult status.  Here is the address  for this Friday’s Bonne Suits sample sale —anyone lucky enough to be in Amsterdam this week needs to go pick up an ingenious, regal suit set on the cheap in my honor.  Starting today, the Magniberg spring cleaning sale  cuts the prices of luxurious bathrobes, towels, and more—the IYKYK factor surpasses even Tekla’s.  🌀 Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.

Thoughts on Pope Francis' eternal style, recession spending, and a sale at Sleeper. Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.  This week, Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of divine drip, a “net-zero buy” might be the savior of recession style, the GOAT Jonathan Anderson has his work cut out for him at Dior, a (more affordable!) collab is reheating Wales Bonner’s nachos, lots of lingerie is up for grabs at a discount (including some inspired by Greek mythology), and more. The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion. I am a sucker for theological drip, so I was glad to see Raquel Lanari’s Wearable Art  covering “ RIP Pope Francis, the public servant who drove Vatican tailors crazy with his 'papal athleisure .'" This short but potent piece on the evolution of papal style is a great way to fall down a rabbit hole.   In The Molehill , Viv Chen reminds us that “ the best time to shop for an occasion dress is when you don't need one ,” a timely notion given the advent of wedding season. For my friends’ nuptials last week, I lucked into a 45% off Greta Garmel  dress, but Chen’s proactive philosophy is an inspiration for the future.  Though unfortunately behind a paywall, Passage Keeper ’s “ The Essential Guide To Laundering Vintage ” by Kari Koty is a resource worth copying and pasting for future reference. Preventative care saves money and grief over pilly sweaters and warped lace. In “ Recession Spending and Pilates Pessimism ,” You’ve Got Lipstick on Your Chin ’s Arabelle Sicardi introduces the idea of a “net-zero buy,” an alternative to “no-buys” that I find much more sensible and appealing: only purchase nonessential items with the money you make from selling others. This seems like a sustainable practice for recession spending that doesn’t totally suck the joy out of maintaining one’s closet.  “ HOW TO WEAR: Blazers ” by Kelly Williams for Midimalist  is another one of those articles, like last week’s  guide to pairing bottoms with socks, that transcends “personal style” and feels genuinely helpful instead of irrelevantly subjective.  What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks. Jonathan Anderson is officially in at Dior , and the jury’s out on how his quirked-up stylings will manifest within the perimeters of a fairly staid, stale brand. The general consensus is happily hopeful! The latest offerings from SC103 continue to trickle out, landing in boutiques like Maimoun  and Stand Up Comedy  with tissue-thin but regally ruffled blouses and frocks, athletic pants with weird details like knee pockets, more colorways of the label’s beloved Links tote, and more.  The famed Martine Rose x Clarks  collab is back in stock, with plenty of pairs of its edgy faux-croc creepers and heels up for grabs in colors like caramel and oxblood.  If the Challengers trio had been more into weed, they’d have eaten up the latest from adidas Originals x Brain Dead : tracksuits with sophisticated colorways that recall the best of Wales Bonner pair well with the striped sneakers on offer.  Dropping today , the Éliou summer collection  promises to be as sun-drenched and cheeky as the warm-weather label’s offerings have been in years past, with plenty of shell-based jewelry for relatively reasonable prices (think under $200) given some of the statement pieces that Substack froths at the mouth for though they run upwards of $1k. Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.  Nik Bentel’s skeumorphic accessories —picnic blankets resembling stretched-out tees, wallets that look like computer icons, credit cards fashioned into knives—are up to 40% off right now. Plenty is on offer for under $100, making this a repository of unforgettable gifts.  Use ARCHIVE15 for an extra 15% off the Emi Mess archive sale , running until Friday and offering huge discounts on luxurious trench coats, blazers, t-shirts, and other unimpeachable classics.  Get up to 80% off a selection of Thistle and Spire’s lingerie , including unique designs inspired by Greek mythology, astrology, and high fantasy. Speaking of lingerie, FOAP20 gets you an extra 20% off some of the classic purveyor Agent Provocateur’s  sultriest spring styles.  If you’re looking for something just as sexy but more full-coverage, check out the Sleeper seasonal sale  for PJs and loungewear adorned with embroidery, feathers, and other dramatic details.  🌀 Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.

Thoughts on Duran Lantink at JPG, Simone Rocha SS25, and a sale at Proenza Schouler. Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.  This week, trans lives always matter, sock styling mysteries are solved, Duran Lantink is in at JPG—yay?, big week for weird collabs, Cold Picnic turns 15, and more. The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion. One of Vogue ’s best writers, José Criales-Unzueta, covers the T-shirt du jour  in “ How Conner Ives Raised Tens of Thousands For Trans Rights, With a Little Help From Troye Sivan, Pedro Pascal, and Haider Ackermann .” You’ve surely seen the shirt grace your timeline in a dozen instances this week, but unlike most microtrends, this one will have an impact beyond its lifespan, with 100% of the profits from each $99 tee sent to Trans Lifeline . The cherry on top is that the shirt isn’t just a throwaway piece of merch: it is smartly cut in what looks to be high-quality cotton.   One of my favorite genres of stylist writing is when someone whose style I don’t relate to at all gives me advice that transcends aesthetics and feels shockingly objective. “ Which socks and when? ” by Abby Arad for Your Stylist Says  is one of those pieces—Abby manages to nail down the specifics of why some looks are ruined by an expanse of sock but others benefit from it, even going so far as to explore the nuance between pairing socks with hemmed vs. cut-off shorts.  “ My Ride or Die Fashion Brands ” by Lucy Williams for Remotely is a solid primer to IYKYK indie-leaning labels, perhaps for someone slowly weaning themself off fast fashion: Gimaguas and &Daughter number among those listed.  Selleb Sisters and Arden Yum ask “ Is there a Gen Z uniform? ” and answer their own question with some insightful anthropological/sartorial observations.  “ Coachella 2025: The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Celebrity Looks ” by Brooke LaMantia for The Cut is exactly what it says on the tin: a reminder that there have been AT LEAST a few decent looks in the desert among a sea of copy-paste microtrend mélanges.  What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks. The Cut ’s Danya Issawi reports that “ Duran Lantink Is Jean Paul Gaultier’s New Creative Director ,” but whether this is good or bad news is up for debate—the young designer seems to have vision, but as I <3 Mess ’ Emily Kirkpatrick opined , his brash sense of body humor with little regard for the nuances of gender politics seems immature and doesn’t bode well for heading a brand as sensuality-centric as JPG, especially in comparison to former JPG resident Ludovic de Saint Sernin.   The Simone Rocha SS25  collection is out, and though it’s quite darling, its themes seem to be a jumbled mass of trends recently passed: sailor collars, ballerina tulle, the dreaded “just a girl” bow… Often underrepresented in the world of activewear, hiking is a gold mine for sportstyle fits, and Girlfriend Collective’s new hiking line  is a brilliant entrée, with windbreakers cheekily cut like moto jackets; colorful, sleek compression tops; and thick socks that proclaim “kick rocks” or “touch grass.” The marriage of two weirdo brands is always a sight to behold, and Yume Yume x Andersson Bell  offers up freaky, futuristic footwear with signature flair from both labels.  Coming soon to Gimaguas : a special project with Havaianas. Guess we know what every Substack girlie with robust arches will be wearing this summer! Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.  Every interior design lover worth their salt knows of Cold Picnic , and this week, its founders celebrate the 15th anniversary of its founding with a 15% off sale using 15FOR15. Now is the time to snag the statement rug that’s been on your wish list since 2015! Take up to 70% off a sprawling selection of past seasons’ fare in the Proenza Schouler archive sale —some amazing bags in there, especially.  Use SPRING2025 for 30% off selected styles of denim, flannel, and other hardy basics in the HOPE Stockholm seasonal sale .  SUNSHINE gets you 40% off sitewide at Vanessa Arizaga , with plenty of summer-y jewelry and seasonless baubles to pore through.  Get up to 40% off selections from brands like Helmut Lang, Erdem, Vince, and more right now in the Bergdorf Goodman spring sale . 🌀 Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.

Thoughts on the perpetual shopping cycle, wardrobe revivals, and a sale on Bottega Veneta. Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.  This week, we ask if buying stuff is ever enough, Godard raincoats have a moment, Studio Nicholson is the ghost of Muji’s past, SC103 invents a new form of torture, Tove creates a speculative season of White Lotus , folksy future heirlooms have arrived in stores for spring, and more. The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion. Far less disparaging than its title suggests, “ I Would NEVER Wear That ” by Lakyn Carlton for True Style is a fan letter to a heaping handful of fashion plates who don’t dress like she would but inspire her nonetheless.  “ Buying stuff is never enough ” by Catherine Shannon is an audio post (are audio posts on Substack considered podcasts?) about how we justify making big purchases, with the thesis that we “will never find [ourselves] through a series of rational choices and consumptive experiences.” Good reminder.  “ The Free Version Of Things I'm Being Advertised ” from Totally Recommend  is a cheeky look at the mildly ridiculous way we fetishize items that might not perform better than, say, an ice cube from our freezer.  If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned, vibey source of style inspiration, Katie Merchant’s “ Spring Wardrobes ” for her newsletter Thank You, OK  delves into Godard raincoats, eulogizes Mansur Gavriel’s RTW line, makes a case for polka-dot scarves, and more.  Street Night Live ’s “ How to revive your wardrobe ” makes salient points about the compulsive-feeling “spring refresh” that might save you time, money, and sanity.  What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks. Studio Nicholson’s newly-launched SS25  takes a bite from Bottega Veneta’s SS25 menswear runway looks with clothes designed to look tousled, wrinkled, even, at all times, or “crinkly, crunchy and a tad tumbled looking” in the words of Creative Director Nick Wakeman. Remember how Muji used to sell gorgeous-quality basics meant to be chucked into suitcases and taken on adventures (now they just make plasticky monstrosities)? This collection begins to fill that all-too-important niche.  SC103 continues to update its website  sporadically with some of the best SS25 pieces I’ve seen thus far. It’s agony every time one is marked “Sold Out”—the biggest blow was the label’s flawless “Prince Top” with its navy ruffled collar and royal red button details.  With a bit of neo-Grace Kelly flair and light hippie aspirations, Tove’s SS25 collection  looks like it could outfit an entire season of White Lotus , maybe one that took place at the only estate rented by straight people on Fire Island all summer.  A new season from Filipino label Jos Mundo is available at 100% Silk , including marshy-green stone necklaces, folksy embroidered platform heels, and statement belts sprouted with realistic-looking orchids.  The underrated label Nikki Chasin has outdone itself this spring season  with neo-folksy embroidered frocks in thick, hardy 100% cotton, new colorways of its famous chunky cardigans, unexpectedly sexy (but demure) going-out tops, and more finds that feel more like heirlooms-to-be than seasonal scores.  Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.  Get an automatic 25% off all the new arrivals from labels like Acne, Bottega Veneta, Dries Van Noten, and Jacquemus in the TONS Shop spring pre-sale .  A large selection of Pact’s carbon-neutral dresses  hewn in organic cotton are now on sale for prices that dip below the $60 mark.  Uniqlo’s spring sale  offers tons of transitional-weather staples like trench coats and bomber jackets for up to 50% off.  With HAPPY20SF, take 20% off your Saks purchase  of $250 or more—a ton of perfect wedding guest and bridal party dresses number among the steep discounts. SPRING will get you an extra 10% off the already-on-sale stock at Gap , with plenty of steadfast spring basics to pad out your warmer-weather wardrobe.  🌀 Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.

The craziest thing about being creative is…. Vita Kari  is most commonly known for their viral TikTok videos featuring creative illusions. You’d probably recognize their intro: “The craziest thing about being creative is…” they’d say toward the camera before ripping away a piece of paper from the viewer’s sightline. “This isn’t even a staircase; I just printed it out.” Kari follows in a long line of out-of-the-box performance artists. Their pieces are more whimsical than those of Abramovic, but more conscientious of the internet’s perspective than, say, Dora Garcia (whose work is most appreciable in person). One of Kari’s more recent works,  performed outside Art Basel in Miami , involved Kari being trapped in a giant can, shrieking and screaming for help as onlookers poured water on the artist’s head through a plexiglass window. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Vita Kari describes themselves as a lifelong creative. “I actually started out with music funnily enough [...] eventually, I got more interested in art and really carved out a space for myself there.” Kari has done collaborations with some pretty high-profile clients. To promote Tory Burch’s SS25 ready-to-wear collection, the brand commissioned Kari to craft a miniature wardrobe that housed a tiny version of the runway show and a TB gift card. Fans then went on a scavenger hunt through New York to find the miniature. “I just love   minis!” Kari said while recounting the experience. “I have some more minis in the works. I can’t talk about it too much yet, but I’m really excited to share some big minis [laughing]  coming soon!” For Loewe, Kari recreated a version  of their “Virality as Form: The Craziest Thing About Being Creative is…” TikTok using the Fall 2023 Petal Brush heels  as a makeup brush. Then, for Marc Jacobs, Kari did pretty much the same video template again  — just using the MJ Nano Charm bag.  Kari views themselves as a performance artist first, influencer second. “Let’s be honest here,” Kari began, “performance art makes absolutely no money. It’s really important to me to always compensate my assistants and anyone else who helps me put together my pieces. That’s a top priority for me. So the influencer stuff, the brand deals and collaborations, those are so, so important to keeping these projects running.” Kari’s performances are incredibly intricate, pre-planned events that somehow still feel electric and spontaneous. Their recent performance, ON THE WALL, is a perfect example. From the audience’s perspective, they see a legitimate news segment reporting on a crazed Tiktok star who has duct-taped themselves to the wall and plans to stay there for five full days. Authorities intervene, concerned citizens remark, and the performance ends. But in reality, it was all staged. Kari’s team used a real news camera to fake the footage, and the reported quotes from “authorities” and “concerned citizens” are all made up. “I was actually only up there for a couple hours,” said Kari. “It was so fun and exciting. The perceived legitimacy of the event is what makes it interesting. That’s why we made sure to have an outlet like Artnet  report on it. It helps the illusion because it’s a respected publication, and the footage looks so legitimate — you’d have no reason not to believe it.” For more information on Vita Kari’s work, including upcoming performances and gallery dates, please visit @vitakari  on Instagram.  🌀 Kaitlin Owens is the Archival Editor of HALOSCOPE and the Editor in Chief of DILETTANTE. For a closer look at her portfolio, please visit kaitlindotcom.com or @kaitlindotcom on Instagram.