Without pregnancy cravings, the Dubai chocolate bar wouldn't have been born
WEAR / Slide show
My first thought on beholding a freshly unboxed pair of Gen-FF Buckle 2 Bar shearling leather slides ($220) was, 'Cute, but how do you wear them?' (Answer: with a wide pant, ideally, and possibly a tonal ankle sock.) My second, a few seconds after placing my tired trotters inside them, was, 'If every shoe had a shearling foot-bed, no one would ever wear anything else.' And so it has come to pass; off-duty, I'm now wearing them with everything. These newcomers feel every bit as magical as they look, and it's not just about the shearling: designed by FitFlop, in consultation with Calgary's Human Performance Lab, their raison d'être is to bestow serious comfort by way of cutting-edge biomechanics. This is probably why they have a little bit of a wedge, too, because wedges make everything comfier. All of which is to say, a slide in midwinter? Hell, yes. In Chocolate Brown or Stone Beige. Sharon Bradley
LISTEN / Teen dream
When she was a teenager, Shima Oliaee was a contestant in America's Junior Miss pageant. Renamed Distinguished Young Women, it's an annual competition held in Mobile, Alabama, where 50 high-school girls – the best and brightest from each US state – compete to win a $US40,000 ($62,000) scholarship. Two decades later, Oliaee, who's now a journalist, returns as a judge. Her podcast, The Competition, is both a fly-on-the-wall look at the intense pressure-cooker nature of the two-week competition – which includes scholastics, fitness, talent and public speaking – and a reflective journey for Oliaee as she looks at who she was then and who she is now. With Roe v Wade being overturned mid-competition, it also trains a spotlight on what it means to be a young woman in America today. Barry Divola
SHOP / Snap chat
The Polaroid Flip is a retro-cool, instant film camera packed with sharp smarts and serious style (polaroid.com; $399). Under the flippable lid? Four automatic lenses, sonar autofocus (yep, it uses sound waves to measure the distance between camera and subject) and Polaroid's brightest flash yet. It even lets you know when your shot's overexposed. Pair it with the app for double exposures, timers and manual controls – or just point, shoot and let the magic happen. Compatible with i-Type and 600 film and USB-C-rechargeable, the Flip is built for capturing real life in bold, beautifully imperfect prints. Frances Mocnik
WATCH / Friends in high places
Some watch the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That … for the fashion, the friendship and the fellas, but what you should really be keeping an eye on is the real estate. While Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker, below with Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon) and co will always have my heart, season three promises a big change: Carrie is no longer a West Village girl. Yep, she's swapped her one-bed, brownstone apartment with its magical closet for a $US5 million ($7.7 million), four-bed townhouse in Gramercy Park in the heart of Manhattan – a 30-odd-minute walk away (longer in Louboutins). Timing is everything. New York Magazine has lamented the takeover of Carrie's old, once-Bohemian enclave by 'West Village girls', who dress the same, only drink three cocktails a night and spend their time working out. There goes the neighbourhood and there goes our girl – forever ahead of the curve. On Max from May 30. Louise Rugendyke
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Sydney Morning Herald
5 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why will no one publish the novels of straight white men?
A similar kind of justice has been accorded to Elizabeth Jane Howard, the English novelist married to Kingsley Amis at the height of his fame (and legendary alcoholism). Howard was a brilliant novelist but was overlooked in her lifetime, dismissed as a 'women's writer'. Now, her books, particularly the marvellous Cazalet Chronicles – a saga of upper-class English life which spans the two world wars – are being reprinted at speed to keep up with a younger generation of readers just discovering her. Meanwhile, Kingsley Amis' work, and to a lesser extent, that of his son Martin (whose own writing was encouraged by his stepmother), has now been relegated to the genre of Straight White Man's Novel. And sadly for the Amises, the Bellows, the Roths and the Mailers, not to mention all contemporary wannabe inheritors of the tradition, this once-vaunted body of work is sputtering to its death. This controversial claim has long been muttered among straight white man writers finding it difficult to sign publishing deals for their literary novels. But it flew out into the open in an essay published in March in the American literary journal Compact. In it, American writer Jacob Savage, once a screenwriter, now a ticket-scalper, charted the downfall of 'The Vanishing White Male Writer'. Savage conducted a forensic audit of literary prize and 'notable novel' shortlists over the last decade or so and found them wanting in straight male whiteness. His conclusion is dramatic: 'Over the course of the 2010s, the literary pipeline for white men was effectively shut down'. Savage goes on to argue his case, which is compelling because there is little doubt that in the United States and beyond, including in Australia, the contemporary literary fiction market is increasingly dominated by women and people of colour. This is not for reasons of charity or self-sabotaging affirmative action on the part of publishers. It's because literary fiction by women and people of colour is what readers of fiction (the majority of whom are women) want to buy right now. Savage's critique is not a cry of self-pity (well, maybe it is a little bit); it is an attempt to explain this phenomenon of increasing female literary dominance and its co-phenomenon, the demise of fiction-reading among men. The piece startled a lot of commentators and led to some derision, which only served to prove the potency of Savage's point. Savage also argued that white male novelists were not producing innovative or fresh work because they were self-censoring according to the laws of Millennial political correctness. 'Unwilling to portray themselves as victims (cringe, politically wrong), or as aggressors (toxic masculinity), unable to assume the authentic voices of others (appropriation), younger white men are no longer capable of describing the world around them,' he wrote. The New York Times examined his claims in its own think-piece, entitled 'The Death and Life of the Straight White Man's Novel', in which it posed the question of whether we should care if the perspective of the straight white man is hopelessly démodé. We probably should, at least insofar as it conveys interesting shifts in culture. The alienation of the straight white male – particularly the economically displaced working-class men who powered Donald Trump's voter base – has self-fulfilling political power. Loading The anomie and anger of these men are being expressed, just not in the novel. Instead, it has spawned its own multiverse – loosely called the manosphere – with podcasters like Joe Rogan sitting at its apex, and the humiliations of misogynistic porn occupying its gutter. Straight white men reigned the realm of the English novel for centuries – indeed, they invented it – Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders (by Daniel Defoe) are generally considered the first novels in English. Great female novelists only crept into publishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. Jane Austen published all her novels anonymously, the first under the byline 'By a Lady'. The Bronte sisters originally published under male pseudonyms. Now, the advent of 21st-century postmodern identity politics has profoundly splintered the arts in a million fascinating directions. If reading a novel is a window into another world, then a window into the world of a historically marginalised perspective represents a particularly interesting vista. Women buyers power the fiction market. As noted in a 2024 NYT article (by a male creative writing university teacher), 'over the past two decades, literary fiction has become largely a female pursuit. Novels are increasingly written by women and read by women'. Loading In her 2019 book, Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of our Lives, Helen Taylor cited research that women account for 80 per cent of the fiction-buying market in the UK, US and Canada. They also constitute most of the patrons of libraries, literary festivals and book clubs. She quotes novelist Ian McEwan as saying 'when women stop reading, the novel will be dead'. In her informal survey of women readers, Taylor found that women often associated reading for pleasure with guilt, self-indulgence and even indolence. I can attest that the best compliment an author can receive from a female reader is the confession that they 'hid' from their family to devour another chapter, or were so engrossed in your book that they ignored their children. And yet, it's sad too – I wonder if men feel a similar guilt for indulging in their hobbies.
The Age
5 minutes ago
- The Age
Why will no one publish the novels of straight white men?
A similar kind of justice has been accorded to Elizabeth Jane Howard, the English novelist married to Kingsley Amis at the height of his fame (and legendary alcoholism). Howard was a brilliant novelist but was overlooked in her lifetime, dismissed as a 'women's writer'. Now, her books, particularly the marvellous Cazalet Chronicles – a saga of upper-class English life which spans the two world wars – are being reprinted at speed to keep up with a younger generation of readers just discovering her. Meanwhile, Kingsley Amis' work, and to a lesser extent, that of his son Martin (whose own writing was encouraged by his stepmother), has now been relegated to the genre of Straight White Man's Novel. And sadly for the Amises, the Bellows, the Roths and the Mailers, not to mention all contemporary wannabe inheritors of the tradition, this once-vaunted body of work is sputtering to its death. This controversial claim has long been muttered among straight white man writers finding it difficult to sign publishing deals for their literary novels. But it flew out into the open in an essay published in March in the American literary journal Compact. In it, American writer Jacob Savage, once a screenwriter, now a ticket-scalper, charted the downfall of 'The Vanishing White Male Writer'. Savage conducted a forensic audit of literary prize and 'notable novel' shortlists over the last decade or so and found them wanting in straight male whiteness. His conclusion is dramatic: 'Over the course of the 2010s, the literary pipeline for white men was effectively shut down'. Savage goes on to argue his case, which is compelling because there is little doubt that in the United States and beyond, including in Australia, the contemporary literary fiction market is increasingly dominated by women and people of colour. This is not for reasons of charity or self-sabotaging affirmative action on the part of publishers. It's because literary fiction by women and people of colour is what readers of fiction (the majority of whom are women) want to buy right now. Savage's critique is not a cry of self-pity (well, maybe it is a little bit); it is an attempt to explain this phenomenon of increasing female literary dominance and its co-phenomenon, the demise of fiction-reading among men. The piece startled a lot of commentators and led to some derision, which only served to prove the potency of Savage's point. Savage also argued that white male novelists were not producing innovative or fresh work because they were self-censoring according to the laws of Millennial political correctness. 'Unwilling to portray themselves as victims (cringe, politically wrong), or as aggressors (toxic masculinity), unable to assume the authentic voices of others (appropriation), younger white men are no longer capable of describing the world around them,' he wrote. The New York Times examined his claims in its own think-piece, entitled 'The Death and Life of the Straight White Man's Novel', in which it posed the question of whether we should care if the perspective of the straight white man is hopelessly démodé. We probably should, at least insofar as it conveys interesting shifts in culture. The alienation of the straight white male – particularly the economically displaced working-class men who powered Donald Trump's voter base – has self-fulfilling political power. Loading The anomie and anger of these men are being expressed, just not in the novel. Instead, it has spawned its own multiverse – loosely called the manosphere – with podcasters like Joe Rogan sitting at its apex, and the humiliations of misogynistic porn occupying its gutter. Straight white men reigned the realm of the English novel for centuries – indeed, they invented it – Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders (by Daniel Defoe) are generally considered the first novels in English. Great female novelists only crept into publishing in the 18th and 19th centuries. Jane Austen published all her novels anonymously, the first under the byline 'By a Lady'. The Bronte sisters originally published under male pseudonyms. Now, the advent of 21st-century postmodern identity politics has profoundly splintered the arts in a million fascinating directions. If reading a novel is a window into another world, then a window into the world of a historically marginalised perspective represents a particularly interesting vista. Women buyers power the fiction market. As noted in a 2024 NYT article (by a male creative writing university teacher), 'over the past two decades, literary fiction has become largely a female pursuit. Novels are increasingly written by women and read by women'. Loading In her 2019 book, Why Women Read Fiction: The Stories of our Lives, Helen Taylor cited research that women account for 80 per cent of the fiction-buying market in the UK, US and Canada. They also constitute most of the patrons of libraries, literary festivals and book clubs. She quotes novelist Ian McEwan as saying 'when women stop reading, the novel will be dead'. In her informal survey of women readers, Taylor found that women often associated reading for pleasure with guilt, self-indulgence and even indolence. I can attest that the best compliment an author can receive from a female reader is the confession that they 'hid' from their family to devour another chapter, or were so engrossed in your book that they ignored their children. And yet, it's sad too – I wonder if men feel a similar guilt for indulging in their hobbies.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Tasmanian-born Queen Mary's eldest daughter Princess Isabella slammed after donning X-rated t-shirt at music festival
Queen Mary of Denmark's eldest daughter Princess Isabella has been warned 'there are limits' to her wild child behaviour by Danish political commentators after stepping out in an extremely risque outfit at a music festival. Queen Mary of Denmark's eldest daughter has lit up headlines after wearing a bold slogan T-shirt to a popular music festival, prompting claims the Aussie-born monarch may have a wild child on her hands. Princess Isabella, 18, has been spotted mingling with friends at Smukfest, held each summer in the northeastern town of Skanderborg. Her older brother, Crown Prince Christian, 19, is also attending the event. But it was the Princess' Wednesday night outfit that drew the most attention, a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase: "F****d him yesterday" (translated into English). The top is believed to be merchandise for Danish hip hop group Suspekt, known for their dark, intense sound that has been described as horrorcore. Isabella was seen wearing it to one of the band's concerts at the festival. — ChristinZ (@ChristinsQueens) August 7, 2025 The look quickly stirred online debate, with popular Danish political commentator Jarl Cordua taking to social media to condemn the choice. "'F****d him yesterday'. The rich are having a party because the second-oldest royal child let loose at a festival yesterday wearing a shirt with the aforementioned text," he wrote next to a photo of Isabella on Facebook, translated by "Not surprisingly, there are people who love that kind of thing. I'm also in favour of the royals letting loose a little. They always have. They should definitely be allowed to. BUT. There are limits." However, not everyone agreed. Long-time royalist and Danish TV presenter Jim Lyngvild hailed the T-shirt as "brilliant" and "the best PR move for the Royal House in many years". "I expect a lot from her… I LOVE that our royal youngsters also have personality and courage – and don't follow the neat pleated flow," he wrote on Facebook. "The time of the ladies in the hat is over, Princess Isabella is in." Speaking to Danish media outlet BT, Lyngvild admitted he was initially shocked by Isabella's T shirt, but quickly changed his tune. "At first I was taken aback by that: 'Oh, you can't do that'. And I thought: 'Who said yes to that?' But when it was just missed, I actually thought: 'That's brilliant'. "It's the best PR initiative for the Royal House in many, many years." He said the move reflected the modern approach of her father, 57-year-old King Frederik X. "It shows that there is a new king who has, in many ways, ordinary family that represents today's values. We have mirrored the Royal House in hats, tea parties and pleated skirts that were popular in the 50s, and that is over," Lyngvild said. Cordua, however, maintained that the outfit crossed a line. "Isn't that exactly what their job is? To maintain a certain standard? To show some kind of style? Dignity? I doubt that everyone thinks that's the case when a royal celebrates promiscuity on a shirt," he said. "We'll probably live with that shirt, but I wouldn't recommend making it a habit. Being royal is an obligation. And it's probably time for someone to tell her that." Lyngvild countered that concerns about the royals appearing like common folk were misplaced. "Some might see the picture of Princess Isabella and think that the t-shirt is too much, and that the Royal House should be careful about 'too ordinary' behaviour. The Royal Family must be careful that they don't become normal - that's something stupid," he said. "They have the numbers with them, and they are really popular, so they must be doing the right thing." Lyngvild even suggested Isabella may now be more popular than her mother, 53. "I think if you did a poll now, she would surpass Queen Mary in popularity," he said. "There are no other princesses in the world who would dare to do that." Isabella and Crown Prince Christian are expected to remain at Smukfest until it wraps on Sunday, before heading to the Danish royal family's summer retreat, Gråsten Palace, in southern Jutland.
