Style Spotlight: Looks, Trends & Fashion Inspiration

1. FASHION

Fashion legend Bob Mackie passed away this week, and this is a beautiful tribute! You probably recognize his name, he was the designer behind some of the most iconic looks in entertainment! Cher, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, and Tina Turner were some of his most loyal collaborators. His designs were notorious for being feathered, bedazzled, and meticulously made. Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, and Sabrina Carpenter have all worn archival Bob Mackie in recent years precisely because the pieces are so well crafted! While typically I associate him with Cher’s sequined and fringed wardrobe, I had no idea he actually created the original sketch for Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress! Law Roach recently threw his name out as a future Met Gala honoree. Now that would be quite the red carpet!

2. CULTURE

I did not expect this headline, but “wellness darties” are apparently a thing on college campuses now — daytime parties with yoga, HIIT classes, cold plunges, and N/A drinks as opposed to the dimly lit frat houses I was partying in during college! Videos have been going viral of college kids doing 5Ks and drinking green juices, which I can safely say is not what most millennials were doing at parties back in the day. As a late 30-something in her wellness era, I’m so into this…but I have a hard time imagining my college self turning down a vodka soda for a cold plunge! Times have changed!

3. HEALTH

This article about the germs tracked in by shoes is deeply unsettling and I cannot stop thinking about it! One researcher found between 3,600 and 8 million bacteria on a single pair of shoes…excuse me?! It’s estimated around 80% of shoe bottoms carry fecal bacteria picked up from bathroom floors, dogs, and sidewalk puddles and carpets are notorious for trapping all of it. Since moving to NYC I’ve noticed almost everyone here has a no-shoe policy, and apparently for good reason! This is exactly why I started doing shoes off at the door, and why I clean Reeses’ paws after each walk (I like these wipes.)

4. SOCIAL MEDIA

Has the mute button on IG — designed to be a kind, boundary-setting tool — actually created a new form of social anxiety? I’ve been seeing a lot of online discourse about muting and whether people can actually tell when they’ve been muted, and apparently, yes they kind of can! (Although I’d argue Instagram’s algorithm is also to blame for hiding people’s content from their followers.) The piece breaks down the different types of mute (the professional mute, the self-protective mute, etc.) and makes a pretty interesting point: when someone mutes us, we assume the worst, but when we mute someone it’s almost always about us, not them. I am actually the QUEEN of the mute button! I follow a ton of people (nearly 3,000 accounts!) – brands, influencers, celebrities, news sources, etc. For me, muting is about keeping me from getting sucked into the app when I’m there just to post! I’m very ADD (clinically diagnosed multiple times lol), and a minor distraction like watching someone’s stories or scrolling for a second can derail me for an hour. It’s also to keep me from going down a rabbit hole of comparison or being subconsciously influenced by someone else’s content. The downside to muting is that I sometimes miss people’s content that I do want to support – it’s a tricky balance!

5. TRAVEL

If summer crowds aren’t your thing, this piece on European destinations that are even better after summer ends is for you! There’s a case to be made for visiting places like the Amalfi Coast, Mallorca, and even the French Riviera in September and October when the crowds thin out, temps cool down, and locals are able to reclaim their towns! Especially with the heat waves across Europe this summer, the idea of visiting Sicily without the sweltering heat and elbow-to-elbow crowds sounds like a dream to me.

6. FOOD

Bon Appétit editors spent a year traveling the country for their Best New Restaurants list, but in-between dinner assignments (dream job, btw) they were quietly doing their own research on the side! The result is this delightful roundup of 11 of the best little sweet and savory treats across the country and I want them all immediately. A few I’m dreaming about in particular: ice cream and a glass of wine at a cozy Detroit wine bar, a Sticky Toffee Pudding in LA, and sausage stuffed olives from Chicago that I bet would be amazing with a dirty martini!

+ WHAT I’M EYEING

NEW AT NORDSTROM UNDER $150: (top) BLAZER // DENIM JACKET // BLOUSE // TANK // SWEATER TEE (bottom) SCARF DRESS // DRAPED DRESS // MINI DRESS // TIERED GOWN // BLACK AND WHITE DRESS // CAP SLEEVE DRESS

CHIC FALL NEUTRALS: BLACK TRENCH // STRAPLESS DRESS // POLKA DOT DRESS // LACE BLOUSE // EARRINGS // WHITE BUTTON-DOWN // SUNGLASSES // BLAZER & MINI SKIRT // FRINGED TOP // SKINNY SUNGLASSES // BOOTS // BELT // JEANS // BLACK PANTS // SNAKESKIN BAG // V-NECK BLACK TOP // WEDGES // DEEP V SWEATER

+ END OF WEEK EXTRAS

• Oh this metallic fringe blazer would be amazing for holiday season.
• Cabernet leather pants are officially on my fall wish list.
• I love Khaite jeans, this style caught my eye.
• Everything We Know about Widow’s Bay Season 2!
• This color of this mini bucket bag is stunning.
• This mini croc tote is darling.
• Love this take on the barn jacket!
• Even Marie Claire agrees, statement skirts are having a moment (my favorites are here!)
• A really stunning draped top, perfect to pair with jeans.
• The embellishment on this LBD is beyond gorgeous.
• Chic sunnies under $100.
• The biggest trends from New York Fashion Week.
• I’ve heard great things about the pouchette bag!
• A classic trench with the perfect pop of red.
• Zara does basics with a twist so well, I’m eyeing this pleated shirt and this ruffled blouse.

The post WEEKEND READING: 9.18.26 appeared first on Merritt Beck.

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