defining success
unofficial book club
Life of Gay would not be possible without your support, you, readers. This is a fun passion project and who says millennials don’t have hobbies? Send this newsletter to your friend, a friend-of-a friend. Your dentist. Your poppers dealer. Whoever.
As an elderly millennial, I spend a lot of time at Winners and HomeSense. More than I would like to admit. Last week, I was searching for pots and a Lodge 12 inch cast iron skillet. I left the store with neither. While shopping around, they played what sounded like Blue Hawaii. I was like, I am at Winners, you have the wrong demographic. “L.O.V.E.” by Blue Hawaii was playing while surrounded by offensive easter decor that could only be loved by a suburban woman.
There are very few designer brands that I have on my top secret list that is stored on the Keep app. A list I look back to for inspiration and styling, over and over again. It doesn’t get updated often because my interest in fashion has hit a metaphorical wall. I am trying my best to change that by reminding myself why I love it so much. Mostly, I am just looking at street style images of Alexa Chung. And Brittany Bathgate. As corny as this sounds, they make me want to dress better. Casual, utilitarian and unfussy.
Back to the list, Lemaire has remained on the list for many years. The Twisted Belted Pants could function in a variety of scenarios. At dinner. The bar. The screening of The Drama on opening night. Complete the look with the Croissant bag. Though I am cautious of it being a touch ubiquitous. But it still feels like someone who carries the bag is a fashion person.
Blackbird Spyplane, fashion sletter #1, interviewed Christophe Lemaire — the man, the legend. Interestingly, no mention of Uniqlo U. There were a few takeaways, like me looking up the band Suburban Lawns. To slap a logo or not to slap a logo. Chiefly, the biggest takeaway is this:
“We don’t have dreams of big expansion. We’re very glad to be successful, but we could stay where we are right now, and I’d be happy about that. We’re not trying hard to get new customers. And we’d never put a logo just to sell more. We want the interest of the product to be enough.”
I am not anywhere near as successful as I want to be professionally, personally or creatively. I used to fear that what I defined as successful may come off as lazy or lacks ambition by societal standards. Once you define what success looks like, chasing beyond that becomes meaningless and hollow. Most of my ambitions don’t have monetary value and in a capitalist world. What currency does that actually hold?
A house would be nice. All I am asking for is two bathrooms because that would solve a lot of problems. I would like a good paying job where I enjoy the work and get to be creative. I am not looking to climb the corporate ladder. I might have to though if I want two bathrooms and an herb garden. I want to start lead climbing. And give it my all. Not like Janja good. But good enough. I don’t even need a lot of subscribers to this newsletter. I have a number though.
Can’t recommend the COS Pleated Barrel-Leg Wool Trousers enough that Brittany Bathgate wears at the 42 minute mark. They are casual enough to wear it day-to-day but also smart enough, as the Brits say, to wear to weddings. I have worn them to two weddings.
After months of Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo sitting idly on my night stand, collecting dust, I finally finished the book while reading on the SkyTrain performing my masculinity on public transit.
I was loosely paying attention while reading so I can’t offer much. I kept picking it up and putting it down and would forget things as time passed. I wagered sunk cost fallacy, however I like to see (some) things through. A friend said it was her best book yet. A person I know, who I have never met, read it over a weekend. The ending really tied it all together.
While spending hours looking up pictures of Alexa Chung, I stumbled on an interview at The Face magazine. At the time of the interview, she was reading Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran and now I am shopping around indie bookshops for one.
In the meantime, I am currently reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding and it is concerning that I have never read it. Not sure if it’s the best time to read this book (read the news people), but I am in a never ending battle with my screen time which averages around three and a half hours a day. I would like to get it down to two.
And no, I won’t be reading Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden which has everyone at my corner of the Internet talking. I then went down a rabbit hole of wife abandonment syndrome… I got the synopsis of the book from Chelsea at The Financial Diet.
This is now turning into a book club, so, what do we think about Lindy West’s new book: Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane? I probably won’t read it. I read a lot of Lindy West’s work at Jezebel and was very much into the TV show Shrill, loosely based on her life. I think we are living in a time where every millennial and gen-x writer is writing about breakups, divorce or open marriages.
All Fours???
When I need a screen break I just take a 10 minute walk to the harbour. And no, I don’t believe in Brick. I don’t believe that you should buy a product to reduce your use of another product.