WEEKEND READING LIST: 7.3.26 – Merritt Beck

1. SKINCARE

This is your yearly reminder that most of us aren’t using nearly enough sunscreen! Dermatologists say the right amount for your face is about a nickel-sized dollop, or sunscreen drawn lengthwise across both your index and middle fingers. Most people use far less and therefore aren’t getting the protection level listed on the bottle! A few other things worth knowing when it comes to sun protection: SPF 50 is the sweet spot (anything higher offers only marginal extra protection), you should reapply every two hours if you’re outside, and your neck and décolletage need the same treatment as your face! Lately this has been my go-to sunscreen for under makeup, and this for body.

2. CELEBS

I know she can be a bit of a polarizing figure, but I actually enjoyed this profile on Olivia Wilde! She’s quite candid about the Don’t Worry Darling era – the tabloid spiral, the rumors, dating Harry Styles, being told to stay quiet and just smile through all of it. She spent the years after traveling alone, doing therapy, reading, and essentially rebuilding herself from scratch. She also talks about her kids and her co-parenting relationship with Jason Sudeikis (which sounds genuinely warm despite him serving her divorce papers in public…completely forgot about that). She seems like someone who came out the other side of a really hard few years with a lot more clarity, a great read!

3. FASHION

This piece on first ladies and fashion traces how the most influential women in the White House have used style as a deliberate political tool! Jackie Kennedy’s look reinforced JFK’s image as a fresh, youthful candidate. Michelle Obama wore affordable J.Crew pieces during the recession to signal relatability, while quietly championing young American designers like Jason Wu. Nancy Reagan’s maximalist wardrobe echoed the excess of the 1980s. And Jill Biden used color symbolically on Inauguration Day. The idea that style has always been a form of political signaling feels especially resonant right now (and I know Elizabeth Holmes would agree!)

4. WELLNESS

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how rarely conversations go beyond the surface, so this piece on how to have deeper ones felt very timely! The article opens with a Lyft driver who’s spent 8 years and nearly 12,000 rides figuring out how to get passengers to take their earbuds out, but it quickly gets into the actual science! The best tip is simple — shift from “what” questions to “why” questions. “So what do you do?” becomes “Do you enjoy what you do for work?” Same conversation, completely different direction! Also: the magic is usually in the second or third follow-up question, not the opener. Worth a read before your next dinner party!

5. HEALTH

This piece about lifelong runners who are forced to quit hit a bit close to home. The article profiles several runners who had to walk away from the sport due to injury or illness, and the grief they describe is real! Running isn’t just exercise for most people, it’s therapy, identity, and community all wrapped into one. One woman compared watching other runners to seeing an ex with someone new. While I wasn’t running marathons, I had to give up running when my hip issues started, and honestly I still miss it! As someone who works out nearly every day, when injuries prevent you from moving the way you’re used to (I’ve had on and off hip and lower back issues) it can be incredibly depressing. On the bright side, my injuries have forced me to step out of my comfort zone and explore new workouts – like swimming!

6. STYLE

This was a fun read on the origin of the Ralph Lauren flag sweater, and timely with the Fourth of July this weekend! (You know the one.) It debuted in the Fall 1989 collection as part of an homage to American folk art and patchwork quilts, first worn on the runway by model Isabelle Townsend, and has been reimagined in different materials and silhouettes basically every season since! The most memorable moment: Ralph Lauren wore it himself to close his Spring 2002 show, held just 10 days after 9/11. These days it feels quintessentially East Coast/New England to me!

DAY TO NIGHT SUMMER DRESSES

(top) FRINGE HEM DRESS // FLORAL DRESS // STRIPED MAXI // OMBRE DRESS // EMBELLISHED GREEN MINI // SHORT SLEEVE MINI (bottom) COLORFUL STRIPED DRESS // AQUA MINI // IKAT SHIRT DRESS // NAVY FLORAL DRESS // STRIPED MINI // RED MINI