A Confusing Issue

Hi friend,

We always thought it’d be cool to have been young during the ‘60s and ‘70s. The music! The style! The disco dancing!

What we didn’t realize is if you turn back the clock to the counterculture years, you’ll also get a rewind on social progress and the embrace of cult-like fantasy thinking. We’re talking about utopian visions that are light on details; a reliance on rugged individualism over the collective; and ideas around medicine and health that lift up psuedo-science grifters and smear experts, doctors, and scientists.

We’re talking about the MAHA movement and this perplexing trust that a wealthy, roadkill-stealing, philandering falconer will partner with a president who previously rolled back environmental protections and who currently has the EPA in his crosshairs to solve the epidemic of chronic diseases in this country.

Please beware the pipeline that begins with concerns over food dyes and seed oils and then leads you down a rabbit hole filled with vaccine misinformation, weird ideas about trans people, and distrust of birth control. The Atlantic describes it as “woo-woo meets MAGA,” we’re calling it Dark Goop.

And pity the people who will be forced to endlessly study and relitigate established public health efforts while real progress is stymied. (Remember the precious resources wasted on ivermectin?) As Politico explains of RFK Jr.’s current bugbear with fluoridation of public water, “the EPA office that implements the toxic chemicals program has struggled to keep up with the pace that the law demands. Adding fluoride regulation as a major new priority could affect the agency’s bandwidth on other top-priority toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde and trichloroethylene, a widespread chemical made famous by the 1998 legal drama A Civil Action.”

Are we in for an administration that embraces “ancestral” diet wellness influencers as it jettisons real public health officials? As with everything else, it seems that only time will tell.

Now that we’ve got that rant out of the way, let’s turn to some more pleasant topics, including the color of the season, what we’re watching and reading, and much more.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

The time has arrived for one of our favorite fall shades. The richness and sophistication of this color make it a timeless choice, but for some reason, its popularity has skyrocketed this year. Deep, dark, plummy shades are everywhere — from dresses to sweaters to accessories. Below, 14 ways to wear it.

• An extremely glam pair of earrings. Mango Square Bead Earrings, $26.

• Crisp and refined. Faithful Vieste Shirt, $190. Size XS to XXL.

• A cute alternative to basic baseball hats. Kerri Rosenthal Baseball Hat, $58.

• Love the fit of these slouchy-cool trousers. Parentezi Straight Tailored Pants, $298. Size XS to L.

• A fleece that won’t completely swallow you. Year of Ours The Lucia Half Zip, $110. Size XS to 2XL.

• The color makes a simple silhouette feel more interesting. Zara Manteco Wool-Blend Coat, $229. Size XS to XXL.

• We’ve been wanting a pair of velvet Mary Janes, and maybe this is the one. Capulette Bambina Velvet Mary Jane, $85.58.

• These are going on the Christmas wish list (more sizes are left in other shades). Leset Pointelle Boxer Pant, $120. Size XS to XL.

• A sexy, stretchy, fitted top. Reformation Wiley Knit Top, $78. Size XS to XL. (Similar top in extended sizes here.)

• A gorgeous turtleneck in super-soft cashmere. Alex Mill Cecile Turtleneck, $325. Size XS to XL.

• The sort of simple, straight-leg shape that doesn’t go out of style. Levi’s Classic Straight Fit Women's Jeans $41.65. Size 2 to 18.

• Love this stripe. The Great The Sleep Henley $95. Size 0 to 3.

• If you’ve been looking for a holiday dress option. Rixo Clarice Lace-Trimmed Velvet Midi Dress, $360. Size 2 to 14.

• Something about this scarf is very appealing. Ganni Scarf, $135.

TO STREAM The dramatic new series Say Nothing (streaming Thursday on Hulu) drops viewers into the turbulent period in Irish history known as the Troubles. It’s based upon the bestselling nonfiction book of the same name. Speaking of series set in Ireland: Sharon Horgan’s acclaimed show Bad Sisters is back for another season tomorrow on Apple TV+. 

TO REST This mattress has been such a worthwhile investment for our sleep. It's high-quality, extremely comfortable, and EWG verified and GOTS certified organic (no polyurethane foam or flame retardants), so you can feel great and safe about where you spend one-third of your time. Check it out here, and use code GLORIA20 for 20 percent off. #partner

TO READ Want to get lost in a good book? In the twisty-turny detective novel Every Arc Bends Its Radian, out today from Pen award winner Sergio de la Pava (here on Amazon, here on Bookshop), a private eye travels to Colombia to track down a missing woman. You can get a sense of the writing from this excerpt.

TO LISTEN This “Sunday Read” episode of The Daily is all about dating in midlife. FYI, it takes about eight to nine minutes to get to the positive part; they profile the woman behind the “Burnt Haystack” dating method, which we covered here.

TO TRY Emilia Pérez is so audaciously strange, so French fever-dreamy, that the writers at Vuture are nervous about how it will go over when it debuts to streaming audiences on Netflix tomorrow. The musical crime comedy (yes) stars Zoe Saldaña as a lawyer who helps a retired drug cartel leader undergo a secret gender transition.

Scientists are increasingly interested in ovarian health and its link to aging. • Stop scrolling social media and go outside. • “The unspoken grief of never becoming a grandparent.” • On the chasm between young men and women right now.

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