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Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kmart shoppers go wild over $2.70 'perfect dupe' of popular $18 item: 'OMG I need it'
A bargain buy that's just landed in Kmart Australia has been hailed as a 'must-have' for Pilates and yoga classes. Fitness lovers were quick to spot the Pilates-perfect Frill Quarter Crew Non-Slip Socks in the Love Cherry Multi design newly available at the budget mass retailer. The best part? The price tag is only $8 for a pack of three pairs of socks - making them just $2.66 per pair. Shoppers were also quick to note that the budget-friendly socks were a 'perfect dupe' of other pricier Pilates sock brands, with similar looking buys found costing between $18 and $25 for a single pair. Kmart Australia recently showcased the footwear find in a short six-second video shared to both their TikTok and Instagram accounts. '$8 for a three-set of the cutest Pilates socks we ever did see,' Kmart said in its post. The video quickly attracted hundreds of likes on social media, with impressed shoppers excitedly taking to the comments. 'OMG,' simply stated one response. 'Super cute,' declared another. 'Not a want. A NEED,' chimed in a third. One happy shopper was already planning to take the socks out for a test run at Pilates. 'I bought these the other day. They're so cute!! Can't wait to wear them to class,' the Aussie woman wrote. The quarter crew shape and the underfoot non-slip grip make these socks ideal for fitness classes like Pilates, where students wear no shoes and only socks. (Or are barefoot). The cotton rich socks are made from a blend of cotton, polyester, elastodiene and elastane materials and come in a pack of three different coloured designs. The main pair from the three-pack that are featured in the video are a cute red-trimmed sock with red bow-shaped grips underfoot and a cherry with bow logo around the ankle. The second pair in the same pack is a pale pink trimmed sock with matching coloured heart-shaped grips, accompanied at the ankle by a cute heart logo. The final, simpler pair in the pack features no logo on the white sock, but has a lavender frill and snowflake-shaped grips underfoot. As Kmart shoppers noted online, the added aesthetic details of the sweet coloured trim, matching logos and patterned grips make these socks look extra 'cute'. The Kmart Pilates socks also feature a ribbed elastic welt to help stop the sock from slouching as you move through your workout. They have also been designed with a Rosso machine toe closure, which should help prevent any sneaky toes from poking a hole out the top of the sock as you lunge and squat in class. The care instructions confirm these socks can be warm machine washed, but should not be tumble dried or dry cleaned, in order to best maintain their stretch and shape. Pilates socks are somewhat of a recent phenomenon, combining function with fashion. The footwear is often worn to fitness classes like Pilates, barre and yoga, with wearers convinced the socks' non-slip grippy bottom helps prevent them from sliding on the mat or machine. Sam Mostardo, owner of Club Pilates North Lakes, told Daily Mail that Pilates socks were essential during classes in their studio. 'Club Pilates requires grip socks for safety and sanitary purposes, we do not allow normal socks or bare feet,' Sam said.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
The moment I knew: crying over my ex, he comforted me without jealousy or judgment
'There's something I need to tell you,' said my new boyfriend, Brent. We were sitting on his leafy balcony in Sydney. His expression was grave, his skin pale – nothing like his usual relaxed, smiley self. He'd been hiding something from me and he'd finally decided to confess. My thoughts raced. He's married. He has a kid. He's moving to a small island in the South Pacific. 'I have a pet,' he blurted. I blinked. He rubbed his palms together nervously, then disappeared into his bedroom. I waited, beginning to guess where this was going. He reemerged clutching a writhing snake. Brent had been hiding his pet python from me because he was terrified it would be a dealbreaker. It wasn't, I actually love snakes – although if it had been a tarantula, this story might have had a different ending. We had met at my work Christmas party only a few weeks earlier. He was invited as a guest from another company and was busily chatting with a friend of mine whom he already knew. I stood on the sidelines and stared at his face. So handsome. Then, his eyes flickered to mine and held my gaze, and something quietly stirred within me. The shift was subtle, but it was unmistakably there. After my colleague drifted away, Brent and I started talking. We couldn't seem to stop. Noticing his accent, I made the rookie mistake of asking him (a Canadian) where he was from in America. He didn't mind at all. There wasn't much that bothered him. He was gentle, patient, kind – and irresistibly intelligent. We swapped numbers and for our first date, he took me to a buzzy Thai restaurant beside the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We talked so much our jaws ached. I still couldn't quite tear my eyes off him. Things moved fast. There were weekend drives in his cool vintage car, staying up all night babysitting wide-eyed puppies, countless red carpet events I dragged him to because I was working as an entertainment reporter, and more of that endless, joyful talking. He told me he believed that if we'd met when we were little kids, he would have wanted to be my best friend. I told him I could be locked in a jail cell with him for the rest of my life and never get bored. He was utterly fascinating to me. Still is. Not long after the snake reveal, my ex-boyfriend contacted me out of the blue asking if we could do a video call. When he and I broke up, it hit me pretty hard. Even though I was just about to leave to go to Brent's place, my ex said he had something to tell me. Apparently, those words are my relationship anthem. Somehow, though, I knew this wasn't going to be about a pet. Through the screen, my ex revealed he'd cheated on me while we were together. Not once, not twice – around 20 times. He'd come to realise he had some issues he needed to work out and part of that involved telling me the truth. And I do commend him for that. It can't have been easy. But at that moment, I felt as though I'd been punched in the chest. I was sick with hurt and humiliation. All the signs I had missed began flashing back in vivid detail. I thought I'd be fine by the time I got to Brent's; after all, my ex and I had been over for a while. But the grief and sense of betrayal wouldn't let me go. I walked into the apartment, sat down on the couch, and broke down in tears. I couldn't stop. I was so embarrassed – and horrified for Brent. This was supposed to be our honeymoon phase. Why was I crying over someone else? I tried to hide my face. He asked me what was wrong and I told him everything. I braced for confusion, jealousy, maybe even a fight. Brent had every right to question why I was so upset over another guy. But instead, he reached for my hands and looked straight into my eyes, his brow furrowed. He looked heartbroken – but not for himself. 'I am so sorry,' he said. 'That must have been really awful to hear.' Then, he pulled me into a tight hug, his palm stroking my back. He never once made it about him. His concern was all for me. That was when I knew what a good man looked like, and that I had fallen in love. Seventeen years later, we're still together. We've lived overseas for 10 of those years, been married for 12, and have two amazing children – plus the slightly alarming reptile who has been with us all along. Brent is still my favourite person to talk to. With him, I've found a kind of safety and comfort that I hope lasts a lifetime. Natalie Murray is the author of Lights, Camera, Love (Allen & Unwin; $22.99) Do you have a romantic realisation you'd like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Lucinda Williams: ‘My singing is better now than it was before my stroke'
You've played many prestigious venues in your career. How do you feel about gracing the Sydney Opera House stage? It's on a lot of people's bucket list, so I'm very excited. I've been doing this show [Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets, based on Williams' memoir] at different venues. When I play, I always tell a little story about each song anyway, but this is where I stretch out and go more into detail, and I've got a visual screen behind me showing photographs of some of the characters I refer to in the songs. It's similar to Bruce Springsteen's Broadway show. You're touring with Paul Kelly, who's a national treasure here, but not as celebrated in Europe and America. Should he be better known beyond our shores? Yes. Absolutely. That's one of the issues in America that really bothers me, because if someone stands out, instead of holding them up, we just call them a cult artist or whatever. When I was first starting out, the record companies kept saying they didn't know what to do with me, because my music fell between the cracks between country and rock, which is now referred to as Americana. Being unique and original doesn't always work in the record business. It's all about marketing. You had a stroke in November 2020. Can you describe your recovery – can you play guitar any better now? I can sing better; I can't play guitar better. But I've been blessed with two brilliant guitar players, Doug Pettibone, who's been with me for a while, and a new one, Marc Ford, who was in the Black Crowes. It works really well, I can just concentrate on my singing. A lot of people have approached me and said that my singing was better now than it was before my stroke. What's the most memorable first date you've been on, good or bad? Oh, Gawd. First of all, I didn't like the whole idea of dating, because I was so shy. The whole idea of going out to dinner and a movie would just terrify me, because I would just feel really self-conscious. But I remember being asked to dinner by this guy, and sitting down at the table and hearing him say he'd already eaten. That just really turned me off. I thought it was extremely rude. What's the best lesson you've learned from someone you've worked with? I was working with an engineer, Dusty Wakeman, on the Sweet Old World album. I was complaining about an itty-bitty tiny mistake that I'd made, and he told me about how Native American Indians, when they'd weave a blanket, they would leave a mistake in the weaving on purpose. You are a road warrior. When you check in to a hotel, what's the first thing you do? I'm a road worrier! People tease me all the time about worrying too much. What's the first thing I do? Well, it depends on if we have a show that night or what's going on. But after we check in, I like to sit down in a regular chair or on the couch. Just to be able to be off the bus and sit in a regular piece of furniture feels really good. What was the song you last played on Spotify? I don't use Spotify. Mainly because, you know, the artists hardly get paid. My music's not on Spotify. [Lucinda's husband and manager Tom Overby interjects off camera: 'Yes it is!'] Oh, wait a minute. I made a mistake. Would you consider withdrawing your music from Spotify, as Neil Young did temporarily, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have more recently? Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion [Tom in background: 'Yes, we may.'] Yes, we may do that. [Raises voice] Manager/husband Tom said yes, we may withdraw my music from Spotify! … I think the new album probably won't be available on there. You have to make a stand and get your message across when this sort of thing crops up. I've enjoyed your Lu's Jukebox series, particularly the album of Tom Petty covers, Runnin' Down a Dream. What's a song you wish you'd written? Oh, so many. That's the thing that's probably the hardest about covering other people's material. So many of Tom Petty's and so many of Bob Dylan's songs I wish I'd written. One of the Tom Petty ones that really struck me was Room At the Top. And of course Runnin' Down a Dream too, it just goes on and on. He was just great. What's the weirdest thing you have done for love? The weirdest thing I've done for love? OK … the weirdest thing I've done for love. That adds a different element … It's not called 10 chaotic questions for nothing! OK, does this count? I got married on stage [to Tom] at First Avenue, the eponymous venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lucinda Williams is touring with Paul Kelly around Australia and New Zealand from 26 August to 12 September. See here for all dates
