Dodie Smith and the publishing industry, lit girl summer (again), tweens' obsession with skincare, Iris Apfel's style advice
And also, a huge SHOP edit.
READ: Excerpts from Iris Apfel’s new book, from the Financial Times
A true rare bird, Iris Apfel has such an eye for print, colour and shape — her style cannot be replicated. The next best thing is to read her upcoming book, Colourful, which is coming out after her death (she died earlier this year) which she had been working on since last year.
This is a super short but joyful article that gives you a taste on the new book.
READ: Rediscovering Dodie Smith, ‘The Small Girl’s Proust’, by Anna Leszkiewicz for New York Books
Dodie Smith’s I Capture The Castle is one of those charming, beloved books that has this reputation for being fuzzy, cute and quaint. Smith hated that, writing to friends and in her own diary that becoming a bestseller meant that it was now considered a middlebrow work rather than a literary one.
I read this article whilst finishing off RF Kuang’s very popular book Yellowface which I enjoyed and would recommend. Racy plot aside, the elaborations on the inner workings of the publishing industry — how books are marketed and how authors and their work is angled to the media and public was fascinating and well, salacious. In this essay about Smith’s work, it delves into how a woman writing about a girl coming-of-age was (back then) and even now considered a very female, domestic sort of novel.
Yet it has never received the critical treatment Smith hoped for. The cultural conflict that defined its reception—between “lightweight and unimportant” middlebrow writing and the highbrow literary fiction that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s—is one of the central preoccupations of the novel itself. Beneath its surface charm is a metaliterary inquiry into form, style, and merit, as well as an affecting portrait of the artist as a young girl.
Yellowface explores who has the right to tell stories, and how certain authors can be marketed in certain ways (namely now it being attractive, ‘diverse’ ones, but there can only be ‘one Asian one’, because the slot has already been filled).
I love books written about women, for women, by women. But there remains a stereotype at-large that these aren’t serious, literary books. Even Henry James saw this himself:
In his preface to The Portrait of a Lady, James wrote of the “problem” of a novel that takes the trials of an ordinary young woman’s life as its subject: “the wonder being, all the while, as we look at the world, how absolutely, how inordinately, the Isabel Archers, and even much smaller female fry, insist on mattering.” Smith’s hope was that the diary of a teenage girl, written with wit and melodrama, might, “in some tiny way,” insist on mattering—that it might have literary merit of its own.
PS while we’re here talking about books, here is the requisite article about ‘lit girl summer’ from US Elle. Did reading ever go away?? No it didn’t, but how it’s used in fashion marketing comes in ebbs and flows and with us all being so very online, hard copy books as social signifiers is still happening.
READ: What the tweens get from Sephora and what they get from us, by Jia Tolentino for the New Yorker
When one of my cousins was in high school, I asked her what her favourite skincare products were. Drunk Elephant she deemed was ‘for kids’ — she, on the other hand, preferred Dr Sturm.
I was shocked — even as someone who had been working in the industry, I wavered over spending that kind of money on skincare.
But the last few years has seen Gen Z and Alpha’s spending powers in the beauty industry reach fever pitch, as acclaimed writer Tolentino explores. They’re buying vitamin C serums and experimenting with retinol — their lip balm fascination in comparison is benign. Though, is likely a huge proponent of Summer Fridays’ success, which I wrote about last month.
PS For more brand deep-dives, you can find it all here.
The earnest language of corporate-approved wellness disappeared from the mainstream somewhere around 2020, along with the figure of the girlboss (who often relied on that very language). The mood regarding beauty—and also culture, politics, and whatever it is we’re all doing—is raw, pragmatic, aggressive. The deference to brute material reality comes a lot faster these days…
…Beauty, or our idea of it, is always rooted in deep desires, capitulations, and pathologies. It makes certain things so obvious. How we spend the present trying to secure the future, and thus squander what’s in front of us.
READ: Who wants a man in finance? The song of the summer captures the bleak truth about today’s dating scene, by Christine Emba for The Atlantic
Speaking of the youth — Gen Z seem SO much comfortable with the capitalistic world and talking about how they want to marry rich.
Jess Carbino, a former sociologist for Tinder and Bumble, told me that this craving for stability “points to a sort of exhaustion” in how many young people view their own prospects for building a career and a home life. They’re overwhelmed by “the general impossibility of fashioning an American dream in the same way of their parents and grandparents,” Carbino said. This sentiment reflects a lack of faith in traditional modes of advancement such as work and education, and, for women, perhaps even in established feminist values of self-sufficiency. Why climb a greasy career ladder (which may be missing the rungs at the top) when you can take a 6-foot-5 elevator to a life of luxury?
EXPLORE: Comedian Dan Rosen on TikTok
A comedian on interiors and art. This is a Venn diagram of my interests that I’m into.
SHOP
If you follow me on Instagram, you know how enamoured I’ve been of Manu Atelier’s *ahem* rendition of the Margaux bag. Cettire has the cream one on a reduced price — NO IDEA how, since it’s such a new design. (I mean, I kinda know from the exposés about them.)
PS I wrote about how to find the perfect bag for you for Style Strategy last week.
If you want a reasonably priced non-chain store bag, this By Malene Birger tote is down to a really reasonable price. Perfect for work, a small weekender or baby/nappy bag. There’s also a black version, but I prefer the above one because of the two-tone so you can see the detail.
I have this belt and it’s great. It’s from By Malene Birger again, and on sale.
If you’re still wanting a mesh ballet flat with good proportions, these Tony Bianco versions are on sale.
I’m looking for a sterling silver, organically shaped pendant. I’m into this one from Agmes NYC.
It is NOT smart to be buying jeans when you’re in your third trimester of pregnancy, but I still want these Dries Van Noten jeans. And they’re down to a decent price. Also these DVN pants are the BEST cut — I have them in green.
I love a scarf jumper!!! This is from Arket, it’s 100% wool and I am very tempted. It also comes in khaki green.
Still at Arket; my friend has a great Frankie Shop double-breasted blazer coat and I want in. I’m into this grey version.
This is a cute version of The Row’s Idaho, from Arket.
I get asked frequently about ideas on what to wear to work particularly when it’s hot. You can make this Cos dress work with a long-line blazer (because office air-conditioning is usually on at full blast). It’ll work with chunky loafers or kitten heels.
I’m really into new season Mango, like this Khaite-esque studded leather jacket.
There is ONE size large left in this dress from The Row, on sale at Net-A-Porter.
70% off at MyTheresa! Wear this with an oversized white shirt or a chunky knit.
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During this panel about “sad girl novels” that was part of All About Women 2024 - they discuss how novels about women’s lives aren’t considered serious literary fiction.