Things You Might Like, No. 5
I’ve had such lovely conversations with people this week saying very nice and encouraging things about this little newsletter; thank you so much! You have no idea how wonderful it is to get that feedback. This really is a way for me to keep writing in a pressure-free way, and to share the nice things I come across, so it’s beyond nice to know that people are enjoying it. You guys!
Things to wear
I came across a new-to-me brand this week that I wanted to share: E Nolan, based in Naarm Melbourne, making both ready-to-wear and custom clothing. I love their small collection of ready-to-wear classic pieces, although their size range is a bit uneven so not all pieces are in the full range of sizes they make off the rack. Nevertheless, my picks: I love this blue and white striped shirt and this classic white button down (both AU sizes 6—22), another white button down, this one in an oversized fit (AU sizes 6—18), and these cotton crewneck sweaters, in tan and black (AU sizes XS—XL). The home and atelier of the tailor behind E Nolan, Emily Nolan, was also featured this week on The Design Files.
Mary Janes are having a. moment. I liked this roundup of Mary Jane flats on Harlowe James, one of my favourite lifestyle / fashion / interior design blogs. Some more options: Verali; Spurr; Aeyede; a blush and a black option from ASOS; Topshop; Williams.
Just a bunch of unrelated things that have caught my eye this week: this perfect blue and white striped shirtdress (US sizes 00—24), and this beautiful pleated eyelet blouse (US sizes XXS—3X), both from J.Crew; this pretty printed midi dress, equally pretty pink blouse, and this gorgeous wrap dress, all from AERE (AU sizes 6—18) ; a great neutral shirt dress, denim skirt (very in at the mo), and these woven loafers (which are really tempting me), all from Country Road (clothing AU sizes 4—16); this big cosy scarf from Zulu & Zephyr; this faux leather bomber jacket from Anthropologie (US sizes XXS—3X); this perfect but, sob, so expensive dress from Dominique Healy (AU sizes 6—16); this knit polo dress, champagne-coloured satin slip skirt, and this gold sequinned midi skirt (wear with the matching tank or a white tee, cowboy boots, and a red lip to Taylor Swift next year!) from Seed (AU sizes 4—16).
Things to put in your home
At some point I’d really like to upgrade my dinnerware from the stock standard white set to some lovely ceramics. I’m not a super enthusiastic cook so a part of me thinks that doing so is a bit pointless (like, does my toast really need to be on a ceramic plate?); on the other hand, though, I like pretty things, what can I say. Some ceramic dinnerware can be prohibitively expensive but I’m eyeing off this set from Robert Gordon which, currently on sale, is on the upper end of what I’d pay for this kind of thing. I love the milky grey colour and the handmade feel of each piece.
My parents will soon be in a new place, which will include a classic black and white kitchen. I mentioned to my mum that (to me at least) it’s important to warm up a space like that because, although black and white will always work in a kitchen, you don’t want it to feel cold and sterile. After she asked me what kinds of things would help warm up the space, I thought they might be worth sharing here too. You absolutely want to include some elements of wood, perhaps with a decorative bowl or display board that you leave out on your benchtop (this is also lovely). These walnut salt and pepper shakers are ridiculously beautiful. You also want to mix the materials you’re using to warm up the space; so, don’t go overboard with wood, but rather combine them with some ceramics or marble pieces to provide visual interest. This ceramic pinch pot from Robert Gordon is super cute (and, on sale, super cheap!), as is this garlic canister (which until today I didn't know was a thing). I have a marble utensil holder that I got a million years ago and still love; this and this are both good options. And then of course you want to add in some texture with linens. Personally, in a black and white space I would stick with neutral or muted tones because I think that black combined with certain colours looks like bad active wear; you can go pretty fancy and buy expensive tea towels (like this and this), but to be honest a nice set from a place like Target does the job just as well (I really like these). I think the key with all of this is that most, if not all, of these kinds of things are pieces you would be keeping out on display anyway. This isn’t a matter of taking up valuable bench space with unnecessary accessories like art and lamps: I live in a shoebox, and cannot afford to give up that kind of space (although more power to you if you do have space to spare!). Rather, it’s about choosing pieces carefully and bringing them together to create pretty and visually interesting vignettes that add warmth and personality to your space.
Things to watch
Omg omg omg! The third season of Only Murders in the Building starts on Disney+ on 8 August: if you haven’t seen any of it, make sure to add it to the top of your list! It’s witty, smart, funny, heartfelt, and perfectly crafted. Steve Martin and Martin Short are fantastic, and with season three comes Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd. See the season three trailer here!
Released on Netflix this week, a new comedy series Survival of the Thickest. I watched a few episodes and really enjoyed them, particularly as the series unfolded. The premise: a 38-year-old, black, plus-size woman is forced to start over after she finds her partner in bed with another woman. Michelle Buteau, who created and stars in the show, also has a great stand-up on Netflix worth watching.
Things to read
This essay, by Melissa Johnson, confirms why I will never go on a days-long hike in the Guatemalan jungle (a tick bite on a vagina, a mosquito bite on an eyeball), but is also a testament to going forward in the face of adversity and uncertainty, of not giving up. These are good lessons, good values, and I will try and practice them anywhere other than a Guatemalan jungle.
A really interesting piece from 2022 about the (building of a) Jewish community in Nigeria:
In that void of historical knowledge, Judaism exerted a strong allure—not just because it wasn’t Christianity, or because its rituals mirrored Igbo ones, but because of the common Igbo lore about their Israelite beginnings. Paradoxical as it may sound, for some, becoming Jewish was a way to define and hold on to Igbo identity.
I wasn’t planning to talk about the queen, but then I came across this article on Overland by Ronia Ibrahim. Taylor Swift’s music is inherently self-referential; there are connections between songs, between albums, between moments in pop culture and relationships past and present and future, and I think what makes up the dominant theme of her music is her struggle to navigate or balance her public persona as “Taylor Swift” with what seems to be an ongoing desire to maintain some sense of personhood away from the public eye. It might even be to separate those two things. But, can is this even possible? Might this personhood always be shaped by, produced through, “Taylor Swift” the artist? As Ibrahim says,
Because of the entwining of Swift’s life and music, it is difficult to gauge whether her fame has been a direct cause of the era-making of her discography, or whether this was artistically intentional. Naturally, artists’ work will be influenced by their daily experience, but in Swift’s case, the creation of aesthetic sensibilities meant her life and career are also narrativised. Her discography is at once an embalmment, a concoction and an artefact. The public visibility of such curated timelines is irresistible to consume.
Things to listen to
I really like James Valentine, a broadcaster on Sydney ABC radio. His afternoons show kept me company (and kept me sane) as we all worked from home during the heavy lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. He’s now host of the breakfast show, which I rarely listen to live anymore, so I was super thrilled to see a new podcast he’s releasing on the ABC called Head Room, the Belief Series, which will cover conversations between Valentine and different people about the beliefs that drive their lives. The first episode is with Richard Fidler, also an ABC broadcaster, but apparently the historian Claire Wright is on an upcoming episode too.
Things to do
One of the films I wrote about in my book (gotta plug!), On the Beach, is based on a 1957 novel by Nevil Shute. It’s now showing as a play at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Walsh Bay, put on by the Sydney Theatre Company, until 12 August. TimeOut has given it a rave, five-star review, should that persuade you.
Two Sydney restaurants are offering their set menus for half price throughout winter, which is nice! One of them is The Fenwick in Balmain, which I’ve only been to once but had amazing burrata and wine and had the nicest view over the harbour.
Things to care about
We’re seeing the effects of climate change playing out right now. (Lamenting a potential European summer holiday in years to come? As ever, Mark Humphries gets it spot on.) What does this mean for the impending Australian summer? What are we going to do?
Will Donald Trump ever be held accountable? From The Atlantic:
The prospect that Trump will almost certainly avoid accountability for his criminal conduct if he is reelected is just a small subset of the broader threat he poses to the rule of law. But it is an emblematic possibility redolent with the odor of kingly prerogative. Sadly, the reality is clear: When Americans go to the polls in 2024, if Trump is a candidate, they will not simply be choosing between two political alternatives; they will also be making one of the most important choices in the history of the country. They will be choosing between the modern conviction that no man is above the law and a return to a time when political leaders could act with impunity.
Other things
Sinead O’Connor has died at age 54. Here’s a list of the controversial moments that punctuated her career, and an explanation of how “Nothing Compares 2 U”, her biggest hit, endured throughout the years. And from 2021, here’s a lovely review of O’Connor’s memoir, Rememberings, by UNSW historian Zora Simic.
Interior designers share the fictional interiors they’d most like to live in. I’m basic, I know, but the interiors of Nancy Meyers’ films are always wonderful; I especially love the Brooklyn townhouse in The Intern, and the amazing Santa Barbara home in It’s Complicated. To that point, please watch this. As Ayo Edebiri says,
Sometimes you just have to make yourself feel like a wealthy white woman with a seated kitchen island and Keanu Reeves besotted over you.
A list of Australian and New Zealand skincare brands worth knowing about (and including something for everyone). Can confirm that Face Hero by Go To is like heaven in a bottle.
The cringiest of awards shows, the Logies, are on this Sunday. I probably won’t be watching, although knowing who the winners are is always good preparation for weekly pub trivia. From ABC Everyday, a collection of “memorable moments” from the Logies throughout the years (including when Beyoncé performed, of all things).
Until next week,
Chelsea