What We Really Need

Hi friend,

In-person gatherings are a great way to counter malaise, but they do require some effort. It’s a struggle many aren’t making, if you believe the countless articles over the past few years about America’s loneliness epidemic and how it has frayed our social fabric and had detrimental effects on our health.

Friendship, or our collective lack thereof, is a nationwide obsession. We’re making movies about it, we’re reading books about it, and we’re seeing it discussed in conversations about aging and longevity. We’re encountering advice on improving our “social biome” by performing the most basic of interactions – truly. Like engaging in small talk, and aiming for one meaningful conversation per day. This seems dire.

Okay, so we all know we need to focus on our friendships and making plans, but how? 

According to this helpful letter from Jessie Loeffler Randall about starting a monthly craft club, it all starts with a clear framework for action. She lists off her six rules, which are applicable for things like a book club or a dinner club, too. Her most important tip? Schedule the next meeting before everyone leaves the current one. “It’s the best time to nail down a date while you have everyone there. It saves ten million texts going back and forth.”

We know it’s a little late for resolutions, but trying to get some sort of recurring gathering off the ground would still be a good one. Because offline, “most people are actually normal, or at the least they fall into the center range of a bell curve of Normal Behavior.” And it's nice to have this reasserted once in a while.

While we think about the surprisingly daunting task of hosting friends, we are dreaming about what we’d wear to such an event. Like a cute top. Our wishlist is below, along with a few recommendations for your week.

Bye,
Your (online) friends at Gloria

It shouldn’t be challenging to find a nice shirt these days, but the rise of cheap materials, strange shapes, and way-too-cropped fits make it so. If you’re looking for something truly wearable, with sleeves, made of cotton or silk, we have done the legwork for you. Below are 18 we’re eyeing right now.

• This shirt? Amazing. Simon Miller Loch Poplin Top, $245. Size XS to XL.

• A sweet printed option. Gap Relaxed Button-Down, $59.95. Size XXS to XXL.

• This chic navy popover could go dressy or casual. Tuckernuck x India Hicks Eleuthera Popover, $74. Size XXS to XXXL.

• This sort of pajama-top shape, done in silk, is very appealing. Red Valentino Silk Floral Bow-Tie Blouse, $165. Size 40/M. (Here’s a similar one from La Double J, and another vintage option.)

• The polish of a button down, but with a more interesting vibe. Maria De la Orden Iza Shirt, $179. Size 34 to 42.

• We’re partial to the animal print, but this comes in lots of great colors and patterns. Vitamin A Playa Linen Boyfriend Shirt, $165. Size XXS to XXL.

• A flirty option. En Elly Short-Sleeve Lace Poplin Swing Top, $108. Size XS to XL.

• This is a classic. J.Crew Garçon Classic Shirt, $98. Size 00 to 24.

• A boho-skewing, easy-wearing denim popover. Suzie Kondi Kaprico Gathered Denim Blouse, $110. Size XS to XL.

• Chloé-inspired ruffled tops are trending, but it can be hard to find one made of actual silk (like this). Ruffled Silk Crepe de Chine Blouse, $255. Size UK8 and UK10.

• The shape, the sleeves, the print — all winners. Rixo Gardenia Cotton Top, $200. Size 2 to 16.

• A high-quality blouse in a nice array of sizes. Elizabeth Suzann Artist Smock in Silk Crepe, $272. Size XXS to 6XL.

• This feels like it’d become a wardrobe staple. Polo Ralph Lauren Embroidered Checked Cotton-Flannel Shirt, $168. Size XXS to XL.

• A sleeved option that’s breezy enough to wear this summer. Leon & Harper Chemise Corso Leo Top, $170. Size XS to L.

• Prim enough for work, but pretty enough to wear outside the office, too. Argent Cowl-Neck Blouse, $250. Size XS to XL.

• Really beautiful. Heirlome Dolores Top, $375. Size XS to L.

• A nice combo of structured and bohemian. Maison Hotel Ariana Blouse, $209. Size XS to XL.

• We really want this, but wish it was cheaper. Isabel Marant Etoile Abadi Pintucked Voile Blouse, $294. Size FR34 to FR44.

TO WATCH The new documentary Becoming Katherine Graham, about the glass-breaking woman who became the publisher of the Washington Post during the Watergate scandal, is a fascinating watch. And not only because they have audio of Nixon bitching and complaining about her (courtesy of a trove of White House tapes) – though we did enjoy that part. Also: Meghan’s new lifestyle show is out today.

TO DOWNLOAD This spring is the perfect time to trade time spent on social media for time spent learning a new language with this language-learning app. It makes it easy and fun — they have award-winning lessons as well as games to help you stick with it. As a bonus: Gloria readers get 60 percent off a subscription with this link. #partner

TO MAKE As far as we can tell, this salad recipe doesn’t exist outside of this Instagram post. But it’s worth enduring a Reel for. So good, so crunchy; we added chicken to make it a meal. (Don’t overlook celery as the base for a salad!)

TO LISTEN This episode of This American Life, about how a father’s conspiratorial thinking alienates him from his family, is incredibly well done. It’s got a light touch but the emotional weight is significant.

TO WATCH We have been alerted to the fact that you can now watch multiple seasons of  ‘90s music mainstay MTV Unplugged on Paramount+. Just FYI!

“Do you remember how life used to feel?” • More on the White Lotus scene everyone’s talking about. • On trying to prevent height loss as we age. • The best sort of Rickroll. • The main takeaway from this menopause piece is its final line: “It’s not that there’s a conspiracy of silence around menopause; rather, it’s that, like death, menopause is a thing that happens to other people, until it happens to you.”

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