A Gilded Moment

Hi friend,

For evidence we’re in a new Gilded Age, look no further than this article about David Geffen’s divorce and its emphasis on “hypergamy.” Having never heard the word before, we looked it up; it’s defined as “the action of marrying or forming a sexual relationship with a person of a superior sociological or educational background



” aka “marrying up.” Gefffen is worth a reported $9 billion and there was no prenup.

The original Gilded Age is also making a comeback, both in the extremely popular HBO series (which has just been renewed for a fourth season), and in a new book out today, Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time: How Mamie Fish, Queen of the Gilded Age, Partied Her Way to Power (Bookshop, Amazon). The audio version is narrated by Ashlie Atkinson, the actress that plays the role of Mrs. Fish on the TV show.

If you’re watching the HBO series, you know how often the importance of marriage is stressed. The older women of the show are constantly agonizing over the choices of the younger. As author Jennifer Wright explains in this Town & Country piece, marrying “well” was crucial for Mamie Fish. She did so in order to “pull herself, her sister, mother, and brother out of poverty.”

There’s also an emphasis on entertaining, from elaborate dinners to charity luncheons to over-the-top balls, all with carefully crafted guest lists. To host a big party, you need a big space. Such as The Breakers, a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island that was built for the Vanderbilt family and serves as a filming location for the series.

And so, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that last week, the White House announced that construction will soon begin on a gold-trimmed ballroom “of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people” in order to host large gatherings. “Designed by the traditionalist architect James McCrery II,” it, “will be built in the style of Gilded Age neoclassicism, complete with arched windows, chandeliers and Corinthian columns.” Honestly, it’s much more fun to watch this sort of thing on a TV show than to live through it.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

We’re staring down the end of summer, but we’re not ready! To that end, we rounded up a ton of summery accessories — including bright prints, fun colors, lightweight totes, and sparkly sandals — that are perfect for these last few weeks of hot weather (as well as any vacations to follow).

• Such a cute color combo (and priced so much better than that one from The Row). Ban.Do Mesh Market Bag, $28.

• Board shorts are having a moment right now. Madesome World Short Shorts, $225. Size 0 to 10.

• Over-the-top flip-flops. Molozoey Crystal Flip-Flop Sandals, $50.

• A pretty print on a massive tote. SZ Blockprints Oversized Tote, $178.

• If Brian Wilson’s not your thing, maybe Kate Bush is? Sandwitch Shop Endless Summer Tee, $32. Size S to 4XL.

• A chic clear option. Steve Madden Frankey Flip-Flop, $30.

• These are really beautiful and special. Bangla Begum Gallipoli Earrings, $210.

• A classic summer shape. Old Navy Raglan Crop T-Shirt, $8. Size XS to 4XL.

• We thought we weren’t interested in fisherman sandals — until we saw this pair. Mama Praia Fisherman Sandals, $229.

• A crocheted tote with attention-grabbing paillettes. Antik Batik Tote, $240.

• Just the right amount of sparkle. Loeffler Randall Taryn Jelly Flip-Flop, $95.

• Bold polka dots in the cheeriest color combo. Susmies Mati Bag, $78.

Shop the Story

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TO WATCH Tim Burton’s Addams Family spinoff series, Wednesday, was a massive hit when it debuted. The show mixes genres, combining a typical coming-of-age story with a murder mystery. Now the star cast, including Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Catherine Zeta-Jones as her mother, and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester, is back for a second season.

TO DRINK Trade Coffee, a specialty coffee marketplace featuring over 450 handpicked roasts from passionate small-batch roasters worldwide. Freshly roasted and delivered within 48 hours, Trade has completely transformed our mornings, and we’re so excited to share it with you. As a Gloria reader, enjoy an exclusive 50 percent off your first month when you subscribe today. #partner

TO COOK We’ve been making a spin of this cold, crunchy salad with whatever protein we have on hand. You can use tofu or roasted chicken, and you can add rice noodles to bulk it up.

TO BOOKMARK Here’s a helpful guide of which herbs work well together, with pretty illustrations – plus a tasty way to use them.

“The GOP is choosing pesticides over the MAHA moms” (related). • The rise of the AI obituary. • These photos of Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan house are creepy. • Do Olivia Rodrigo fans understand what they just witnessed? • This new Sarah McLachlan single is good. • Why everyone’s playing mahjong these days.

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