From the Group Chat: The “Wicked” Press Tour 2.0, Lily Allen’s Divorce Drama, and “I Love LA”

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. According to moms everywhere, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. But I say honesty is the best policy, so it’s in that spirit that I'm tipping my hat to: Billie Eilish, for saying this about billionaires, in front of at least one (seemingly displeased) billionaire; Ina Garten, for adorably embracing the world’s fanciest vending machine (of course it’s in the Hamptons); and Prince Harry, for revealing he’s not up to date on this Taylor Swift drama. So, in an effort to follow in the footsteps of these brave truth tellers, this week I’ll...   

• Stop pretending that I’m on board with the animal print du jour (sorry, Dakota Johnson). 

• Confess that I binged all of Nobody Wants This in one evening, despite this extremely annoying distraction.  

• Acknowledge that I probably don’t need an entirely new fall wardrobe — I just need to dig through my closet for one of these unexpectedly cool color combos. 

• Admit that, unfortunately, I am kind of curious to know what Meghan Markle’s wedding smelled like. 

• Tell the world I have no idea what Demi Lovato's Halloween costume was referencing (please say I'm not the only one).

— Jamie Feldman / Writer, Culture & Lifestyle / Brooklyn, NY

😮 So long, Patagonia vests: Tech bros are apparently going to new extremes to get the Silicon Valley look — and it’s pretty painful, both literally and figuratively. 

👀 Wait, you’re telling us that the blush style we’ve spent our whole lives trying to avoid is actually in now? 

🍷 Stylish people everywhere are ditching black and brown boots for this surprisingly neutral shade — and it makes any outfit look more expensive.

🎩  Al Pacino, style icon? The next Cool Girl wardrobe staple looks like it came right out of The Godfather costume department.  

🛑 Stop right now, thank you very much, and look at Sporty Spice as the face of this high-fashion ad campaign. Mel C, we hardly recognized you.

Friends, click your heels all you want — but there’s no escaping the Wicked press tour 2.0. The good news? Wicked: For Good comes out in 19 days — so this one is guaranteed to be eight months shorter and less emotionally exhausting than the last. But, naturally, you can bet on Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande making the most of every minute. Case in point: Grande already resumed her method dressing ways, channeling her character with this semi-balletcore gown, a Labubu-adjacent minidress, and a piece of Oz-related history. (TBD how her new, very un-Glinda hair color will fit.) Interviews have also flooded in, like one in which Grande reclaimed this insult and another in which Erivo addressed her penchant for playing “ugly” characters. Plus, there’s what we can only imagine was a very expensive Dancing with the Stars theme night (we’re still thinking about this “Defying Gravity” moment), a special edition of People, and the premiere of an eight-episode Vanity Fair podcast (how??). Not to mention, Thursday’s two-hour TV special, with Grande and Erivo as hosts, surprise guest stars (fingers crossed for Jonathan Bailey and his sl*tty little glasses), and perhaps a sneak peek of the film. The actual movie will include the most perfect Cowardly Lion (casting people, we salute you) and is when, according to director Jon M. Chu, “you get to see Cynthia and Ariana really come to life” (our repeat viewing of the first film says otherwise). 

But none of this holds a broomstick to the dizzying amount of merch — which has somehow unlocked new levels of unhinged. Of course, there are the run-of-the-mill Stanley cups, Essie nail polishes, and makeup sets from Grande’s beauty brand. And yes, we’ll admit, we were pleasantly surprised by the actually chic ruffled Bombas socks, the nostalgic Vera Bradley bags, and this Polly Pocket collab (our inner child is healed). But why would anyone subject themselves to color-changing mac and cheese? And who in their right mind would purchase a $450 Le Creuset Dutch oven that looks like it belongs in a toddler’s playhouse? To answer our own question, probably the same person who would buy: a $1,400 Glinda-inspired trunk, a sparkly electric toothbrush (witch hat-shaped travel case sold separately), limited-edition protein bars, and quite frankly, an alarming number of cleaning products (what does a Wicked dishwasher pod smell like exactly?). The obvious question: What's next? Pink-and-green GLP-1s? Sequined weighted vests? Respectfully, no.

Even if the last time you thought about Lily Allen was 2006, when you were (poorly) singing along to “Smile,” you've probably noticed she's popped up in a number of headlines recently. For those who haven’t kept up with TMI Autumn, we’ll explain: In 2019, the musician met Stranger Things actor turned blasphemer David Harbour on Raya (because, of course) and they were married by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas a year later. Then, last week, Allen dropped her first album in seven years, West End Girl — aka what may be the most scathing divorce album in history. The 14 tracks, which Allen wrote over 10 days last December (notably, around the time that rumors of their split were widely circulating) and says shouldn’t be taken as “all gospel,” seem to tell the story of the pair’s exceptionally messy split. She sings about discovering a Pandora’s box of NSFW items in an extremely New York-coded drugstore bag (we’ll never look at it the same), the violation of an open marriage arrangement (who knows if Madeline is real or fictional?), and one “deranged” response to good news (a standing ovation for this hilarious Oh, Mary! comparison). The other main character in all of this? The couple’s ridiculously stylish Brooklyn brownstone, which was once featured in a massively popular Architectural Digest video (the bathroom is a choice), and coincidentally (??) was just listed for sale. If anyone has a spare $8 million, let us know.

If anyone can create the 2020s answer to Girls, it’s internet darling Rachel Sennott — and I Love LA is it. As the title suggests, the new HBO show (which premieres tonight) is set in Los Angeles, where it follows a group of codependent friends hurtling toward 30 (or, if you ask them, their Saturn returns). That includes Maia (Sennott), a down-on-her-luck assistant at a talent management agency; Tallulah (Odessa A’zion), a former best friend turned social media influencer who blows into town, ring light in tow; Maia’s sweet boyfriend Dylan (Josh Hutcherson), who has, how should we put this, at least one desirable physical quality; celebrity stylist Charlie (Jordan Firstman); and Alani, played by True Whitaker, who brings some real-life experience to her role as a Hollywood nepo baby. Add to that: an extremely LA claim to fame (naturally, it involves mortgage-priced smoothie depot Erewhon), a stacked roster of guest stars (like Leighton Meester as Maia’s Blair Waldorf-esque boss), a healthy dose of chaos — and, well, Lena Dunham, watch out.

Abercrombie & Fitch Essential Popover Hoodie

Martha, senior commerce writer, here. One thing you should know about me? I’m incredibly picky about sweatshirts — which, I realize, is a very specific thing to be picky about, but maybe you can relate. They’re always either too warm, too constricting in the neck, too oversized, or not oversized enough. But this Abercrombie & Fitch option is basically the Goldilocks of hoodies. It’s thick, but it doesn’t have the typical fleece lining that makes me overheat as soon as I step indoors, and it feels worn-in, like a well-loved sweatshirt you’d borrow from your partner. That’s probably because it’s technically a men’s sweatshirt, which just adds to the perfection of the fit and feel. I’ve spent entire days in this hoodie, and I love that it comes in about a million colors and patterns. Grab it for all the (hopefully) cozy days ahead.

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Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.