A Blast From the Past

Hi friend,

Etiquette guides must be “back,” because we keep running into new ones. Do we think this is because everyone is rude now, or is it because the outlets publishing these guides are being run by fellow aging millennials/Gen Xers who have entered the “in my day” phase of life? As in, in my day, we didn’t watch TikTok videos full volume with no headphones in a room full of other people.

Maybe things have changed, because according to the headlines, etiquette violations are everywhere. On airplanes and the subway; in restaurants, offices, gyms, movie theaters, and comment sections online; at weddings and fancy sports events like the Ryder Cup.

Have we fallen so far as a society that we need to tell people to say “please” and “thank you,” to not vape inside, to bring something to a dinner party if you are a guest? According to GQ, the answer is yes. They’ve collated those rules, plus 122 more, for rude guys everywhere. We doubt that the men who need to learn these lessons read GQ, though (or read, like at all).

These editors are undoubtedly in their curmudgeon era. But we also blame political leaders who have, through their own words and actions, empowered the most boorish (and violent) among us. Always, the worry remains: “Are we breaking apart, or is there enough to bind us?”

What is bringing people together: Silly, ‘90s-tinged tribute tees featuring beloved television and movie characters. Scroll on for our deep-dive into the trend, plus a few recommendations for your weekend. And thanks to everyone who has filled out our reader survey! If you haven’t had a chance, it’s right here.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

A year and a half ago, Nat, who runs No Context the Pitt on Instagram, was gifted an Etsy-bought bootleg T-shirt emblazoned with late-‘90s pics of Noah Wyle’s iconic ER character, John Carter.

“It was a gag gift, but I don't think [my friend] realized how seen and heard I felt by it,” says the Midwest-based part-time PA and nanny. “The shirt is a good way to start conversations with people, who always react to it.”

These irreverent, ‘90s-referential tees are popular with television fans and celebrities alike. In 2023, Kim Kardashian posted a TikTok in a tee picturing little sister Kendall Jenner and five NBA players alleged to be ex-boyfriends. At the 2024 Indie Spirit Awards, host Aidy Bryant did a bit with Charles Melton’s face all over her shirt, with the May December actor returning the favor. (Inspired, I immediately copped my own shirt with Melton’s face.) And RIP to the Internet that same February, when Morgan Spector — who plays robber baron/wife guy George Russell on The Gilded Age — posted a thirst-trap gym selfie in a bootleg tee of Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon).

“Some people call them ‘rap shirts,’ some people call them ‘meme shirts,’” says Andy Sargeant, the nom de guerre for the creative professional who designed Spector’s (in)famous shirt for his Etsy store, TheColormart. “It’s a ‘90s throwback in a way, but that style of shirt is really popular [now] as a funny, ironic statement. Bertha Russell is the antithesis of what you would expect to see on that style of shirt.”

The recognizably retro design traces its origin back to ‘90s hip-hop album cover art and unlicensed iterations made by fans and indie vendors. Costume designer and vintage T-shirt collector Charlese Antoinette credits the genre-defining work of Pen and Pixel Graphics, a Houston-based design firm that specialized in album covers for Southern hip hop artists of the era — namely Cash Money Records (Big Tymers, Juvenile) and Master P’s No Limit Records.

“[The designs were] colorful, layered, and an explosion of imagery,” says Antoinette. It was really appealing, and really different from standard record-label marketing, where you get this polished photograph.”

Known as “The Original Kings of Bling,” Pen and Pixel created a singular aesthetic, blending bold, 3-D style lettering in lavish metallics; audacious artist imagery; and success signifiers, like diamond-encrusted watchfaces and high-end champagne. Turns out, there is a throughline to Bertha Russell, in her finest Parisian couture and extravagant jewels, gracing an off-brand tee today.

In memoriam, or RIP, T-shirts, which rose to prominence in the ‘80s and ‘90s, also helped shape the design and commemorative spirit of today’s bootleg tee. The grassroots, limited-edition shirts, rooted in hip-hop, street culture, and local print shops, honor lost loved ones with photos and custom tribute text. Following the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac in the late ‘90s, friends, fans, and indie vendors made their own memorial shirts. “These shirts were never meant to be mass produced. They were a limited run for family and close friends,” says Antoinette. 

Kelly Swainson, who runs NeonPersephone, one of the many Etsy shops selling The Gilded Age-themed tees, cites another sentimental ‘90s crossover: customizable airbrush T-shirt stations at malls and fairs. “I'm picturing, like dolphins and bubble letters with a very specific flavor recalling street art,” says Swainson. “It was a way to make tributes to things that are important to people, without being mass produced.” With customizable options easily accessible on Etsy and other online shops, everyone can be their own bootleg vendor now. 

The appeal of these shirts also highlight — or inspire —  a special bond amongst like minds and common interests. “It feels like an ‘if you know you know’-type signifier,” says London-based costume designer Molly Emma Rowe, who treasures a T-shirt celebrating Mariska Hargitay and her longtime Law & Order: SVU hero, Detective Olivia Benson. 

Rowe, who recently worked on updates of iconic ‘90s IP Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Interview with the Vampire spin-off Talamasca, continues, “And, if you know, then you must be cool, too, and we will definitely have something in common to talk about — if you recognize or comment on my fan tee.”

For The Gilded Age cast members, participating in the T-shirt fun signals they’re a part of the fan community, too. Responding to her on-screen husband a few months later, Coon gleefully upped the ante with a George Russell-themed “Rail Daddy” tee during an Emmy-season sitdown. In a late-2024 interview, stage and screen legend Christine Baranski, who plays old money doyenne Agnes van Rhijn, mentioned a bootleg “Aunt Agnes” tee amplified by her tagline “heads will roll.” After season three concluded in August, Ben Ahlers, who plays footman and clock savant Jack, popped up on Instagram in that very shirt.

“It shows that [the actors are] in on it,” says culture writer and television critic Emma Fraser. “There is this real conversation, in a way, between actor and fan. There's definitely that wink, wink.”

Swainson, who’s active in the show’s subreddit, immediately made her own “Aunt Agnes” shirt, and introduced one of intrepid journalist Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) after polling fellow members for requests. Around that time, Sergeant also noticed a spike in interest in his OG Bertha shirt, which has sold over 500 units to date. (A representative for HBO declined to comment.)

We’ll admit that we didn’t expect to find some of our favorite beauty brands tucked away on QVC.com. It’s not at all like the channel we remember from childhood (though we remember it fondly). Online, QVC feels like a secret beauty outlet with prestige brands and a Black Friday sale every single Friday. For instance: cult fave Kora Organics’ Noni Glow Face Oil, available here at a great price. We also found this Tatcha set, packed with the Japanese brand’s most hydrating products. And if you’ve been thinking about investing in a high-tech beauty device, the HigherDose Red Light Mask (complete with light-activated serum) is here, too — at a price that has us considering it. #partner

TO STREAM We’ll just say up front that the new Netflix romance French Lover has been critically panned (according to one outlet, “it’s an insult on all the senses”). But it’s also wildly popular and looks like the kind of lightweight viewing material we’re craving right now. The premise is very Notting Hill: A handsome male star falls for a normal-looking waitress, but they have to contend with being from different worlds. Meanwhile, the critically acclaimed mockumentary Abbott Elementary is back for a fifth season this week.

TO WEAR This fall, we’re shopping this sustainable apparel brand for the everyday staples we actually want to wear. We have our eye on a cute tee that goes with everything, soft bralettes perfect for all-day wear, and a lightweight sleep set that won’t make us overheat. All the pieces are simple, comfortable, and made of 100 percent organic cotton. #partner

TO COOK This is a delicious and foolproof carnitas recipe. It calls for pork, but we’ve made it with chicken (in a regular Dutch oven) dozens of times.

TO GET Will any pieces from the limited capsule collection Ikea released today online with color-loving Swedish designer Gustaf Westman be left by the time you open this newsletter? We love this quirky, tubular pink table lamp for $20.

There is plenty of inspiration to be found in this list of the 25 most influential magazine covers of all time. • Attempting to understand the Labubu craze. • The dark arts of today’s celebrity crisis PR pros. • Wow, this documentary about conflict photographer Lynsey Addario looks great. • The return of The Root and the Committee for the First Amendment.  • “After years of repression, conservative Christian lesbians are coming out.”

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