A New Pursuit

Hi friend,

The amount of productivity that’s expected of women is, frankly, unsustainable and ridiculous. And so many of us are pretending to be on top of everything while frantically trying to stay above water.

With that being said: When someone asks you how you’re doing, do you respond with a generic “good?” (Our new favorite is “fine enough.”) In writer Kimberly Harrington’s world, people – well, women – are saying, We’re all just doing the best we can, right? 

“Do you remember when women started saying ‘we’re all just doing the best we can’ to each other?” she asks. “I want to say it was during the pandemic when we were not, in fact, doing the best we could. But perhaps we’ve been saying this for a while now, as a more sober and evolved version of the chirpy ‘there’s no such thing as perfect!’

Anyway, I’ve had a running joke that’s one of those jokes that’s less funny than it is just true. Every time someone remarks, ‘We’re all just doing the best we can, right?’ I always respond, ‘Well, I’m not.’”

Forget striving for self-improvement, forget relentless optimizing and multitasking, and just accept that whatever you’re doing is enough. Stop being hard on yourself. That’s her takeaway. Maybe this is a midlife realization, or maybe it’s the result of a midlife crisis that none of us can really afford to indulge in, save for getting a tattoo or trying out a new form of exercise.

Speaking of exercise, it feels like everyone’s into tennis recently? More on that, plus a few recommendations for your week, below.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

Tennis solves a few problems. It’s an excuse to get outside and be social, and it gives you something to wack. No wonder so many women we know are either starting to play, or picking up the game again after a long time away. There are new brands dedicated to the sport, too; because, as a bonus, tennis clothes are cute. Below, we went shopping for sporty-preppy gear for playing the game or just hanging.

• A flippy little skirt. Wilson Midtown Tennis Skirt, $78. Size XS to XL.

• This brand has many absurdly strange (yet cool) options. The Courts Summer Slam 2025 Tee, $32. Size S to 2XL.

• Love the fabric, the color, and the fit. Lululemon Court Rival Short, $78. Size 0 to 14.

• Adorable socks for a great price. Old Navy Athletic Quarter Crew Sock 3-Pack, $6.49.

• A comfy gift for your friend who loves the game. Recreational Habits Martina Tennis Jogger, $125. Size XS to XL.

• The hit sporty sling bag in a cool new colorway. Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag, $19.90.

• A very sexy workout dress. Girlfriend Aileen Paneled Dress, $89. Size XXS to 6XL.

• We like the cut of this oversize tee. Nike Slam Dri-Fit Short-Sleeve T-Shirt, $45. Size XS to XXL.

• A flirty little skirted pink number. Year of Ours The Courtney Dress, $145. Size XS to 2XL.

• Very chic. Tnuck Cropped Caroline Polo, $98. Size XS to XXL.

• We’re into the retro vibe here. Serves Nylon Racquet Short, $108. Size XXS to XL.

• This fun cap feels tennis-adjacent. Kule The Lemon Kap, $68.

• The embroidery on this pleated skirt is great. Rowing Blazers Pleated Skirt, $138. Size XS to XL.

• A pretty polo with lace-like inserts. L’Etoile Sport Lace Polo Shirt, $82.50. Size S to XL.

• Have a feeling a lot of people will be wearing this come summertime. Alo Yoga Grand Slam Pleated Airlift Tennis Skirt, $88. Size XXS to L.

• This is so perfect that we can’t imagine sweating in it. Staud Wells Mini Sport Dress, $195. Size XS to XL.

• A tank that’d get a lot of wear. Outdoor Voices Mesh Cropped Muscle Tank, $48. Size XS to XL.

• Very polished for a sweatshirt, right? J.Lindenberg Mikki Sweatshirt, $135. Size XS to L.

• A versatile skort in a lot of nice colors. Athleta Weekender Run Skort, $41.30. Size XXS to XL.

• Extremely expensive, but hits all the marks. Tory Burch Pique Polo, $198. Size XS to XL.

• A preppy classic, with a few nice tweaks. Lands’ End Drifter Varsity V-Neck Sweater, $57. Size XS to 3XL.

• A date-night dress, but for sports? Okay. Berlook Crop Workout Dress, $68. Size S to L.

Shop the Story

TO READ We predict that a lot of people will be talking about Melissa Febos’s new book, The Dry Season (Bookshop, Amazon), this summer. It’s about her year of celibacy, and what she learned from that time.

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TO WATCH A PSA: If you missed out on the much-discussed film phenomenon Sinners in theater (you can still catch it in a few places), it’s now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

TO LISTEN After reading this article about roots music (easy-listening, twangy country-bluegrass) we decided to give this new album a try. We get the hype! When we’d had enough of that, we turned to this upbeat, retro-synth “Gay Wave” playlist courtesy of writer Kate Schatz.

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This is deep stuff. • An interview that makes us want to hang out with Candace Bushnell. • Seven years after Kate Spade’s death, her best friend has a book out about their relationship and the start of her business. • What happened to the after-work happy hour?

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