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Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
35 Fun Things To Treat Yourself To This Summer
A 3-in-1 Lego set with everything you need to build three summer-ready critters. The 288-piece set can be rearranged to make a flamingo, axolotl, or cockatoo, which can be moved into different poses. Costing less than $25, it's a pretty solid deal compared to most Lego kits. Pickle cashews because real brineheads know that literally anything tastes better with a little dill and garlic flavoring. Warning: Only open this bag if you're prepared to eat all 5 ounces because reviewers say these are capital T tasty. A brick-shaped mold so you can found your own sand construction company and start building beach-front properties. Pack wet sand into the cube and pop out bricks that will give your castles a little more structural integrity. And after beach season, you can use this mold again to make snow chalets! A set of 10 retractable Crayola markers, which honestly should have always existed. How many of us suffered the fate of losing a marker cap or attempted to color only to find the red has completely dried out? Kids these days have it easy — just click and a fresh marker tip pops out, ready for art. Medicube Turmeric Overnight Wrapping Peel Off Mask boosted with kojic acid, hydrolyzed collagen, vitamin C, and turmeric to help reduce hyperpigmentation and dark spots, even skin tone, and add a little bounce. Apply the mask with a brush, get some beauty sleep, and awake to see the gift of ✨ glowing skin ✨ — just unwrap (peel off) and enjoy. ;) A miniature Stanley tape measurer keychain so you no longer have to wonder how tall something is and try to guesstimate with your hands. This would come in clutch when furniture shopping or calling out a date for lying about their height (JK, JK). A set of itty bitty vintage-inspired spoons — if these aren't cottagecore, I don't know what is. Set them out at your next tea party and let the compliments roll in. Praise for your good taste? Sweeter than two lumps of sugar. A clay charm kit so you can begin your foray into jewelry design. It comes with a metal bracelet, findings, and enough clay to make up to 35 different charms. Is it Pandora? NO it's Klutz. A Flamingo Estate candle whose smell can best be described as "sticking your nose directly in a pile of tomatoes at the farmers market." The fragrance is fresh, herbaceous, peppery, and PERFECT for summer. A pack of glittery paint pens to add some razzle-dazzle to your crafts. Phone cases, furniture, rocks from outside — nothing will be safe from the glitter ray once you see how deliciously smooth and pigmented these things are. Teeny-tiny onigiri vases who look thrilled by the opportunity to hold your new clippings and flower buds. Each smiling rice ball is handcrafted, so they're all unique. A viral "Soft" perfume rollerball for anyone who wants people to think of them and think "yum." Reviewers compare this ~$5 fragrance to caramel, lemon cupcakes, warm vanilla scones, and cotton candy. An ACOTAR hair claw featuring all the published books from everyone's favorite steamy romantasy series. Unlike other novelty clips, this one is still shaped like a traditional claw, meaning it can actually hold up thick hair — probably even Lucien's luscious locks! An expanding file folder you can fill with up to 200 pieces of paper and free up sooo much desk space. As an accordion folder follower, I have to say these things are top-notch for organizing everything from restaurant menus to ticket stubs. Reusable water balloons if you're sick of every balloon fight ending with little pieces of plastic littering your lawn. The silicone balls self-seal when filled with water and explode on contact. A pretty ribbed bikini that's so cute, mermaids will come out of the ocean just to compliment you. It comes in a TON of colors, so good luck picking just one! Liquid I.V. electrolyte drink mix in a variety of exciting, summer-ready flavors ranging from watermelon to pina colada. Besides being delicious, the electrolyte powder is formulated to help hydrate faster than plain water. It also just tastes good so you might be more likely to drink more in general. Sour blue raspberry gushers for masochist snackers who think their tongue has had it way too easy. One reviewer says these are 4–5 levels MORE sour than Sour Skittles. 🫣 A can of whipped crea— I mean, sunscreen that just looks like dessert, so don't eat it, OK? This tasty-looking skincare will make you feel like a cherry pie instead of looking like one (baked and bright red). Laneige's Neo Blurring Powder, a low-maintenance option for makeup minimalists who want a matte, yet still radiant, complexion. It absorbs oil and blurs pores, leaving your face as glowy as a forest nymph. An acrylic grid box for your tiniest treasures. The clear design ensures that your discoveries can be properly viewed, like a miniature museum. And if you fill it with sea glass, it'll create a stained-glass effect when you hold it up to the light! A pack of *limited edition* fabric Band-Aids with such fun, summery patterns, you'll find yourself actually wanting to get a paper cut just so you can wear one. A beeswax tulip candle that looks so much like the real thing, you could probably prank your guests when you light it up. I, for one, would never dare to set something so pretty on fire — it's going under a bell jar, Beauty and the Beast-style, forever. A glow-in-the-dark capture the flag game sure to be a hit on temperate nights. This game can accommodate two teams of five and is great for all ages, so even your neighbors can join the fun. Groovy Fruit, a summery variation from the beloved NeeDoh fidget toy line. The orange, banana, and strawberry toys are non-sticky and have the *perfect* amount of give, securing themselves a place in the stress ball hall of fame. A miniature stapler-in-gelatin set, which may very well be in the running for best office decor ever. It comes with a lil' book of Office quotes and a recreation of Jim's aspic prank, which plays quotes when pressed. Slam the button whenever you need a quick "That's what she said!" from Michael Scott. Lottabody Wrap Me Curl Mousse, a whipped-cream-like delight that defines curls, moisturizes with shea and coconut oil, and tackles frizz. The foam makes it super easy to distribute throughout your hair, and the heavenly scent will make you feel like you're on a tropical vacation. Mama Teav's Hot Garlic Chili Crisp sure to become your go-to condiment this summer. Throw it on pizza, chicken sandwiches, salads, I cream? Reviewers love the flavor and the fact it's free of sugar, soy, gluten, or other common allergens. A magnetic meal planning pad with a super cute, summery design and detachable shopping list so you don't have to hem and haw about what to make for dinner. If you plan out the whole week in advance, maybe you'll finally be able to finish an entire bag of spinach! A pack of self-heating lavender eye masks to help you get in the zone and let off some steam if upcoming summer travel plans, that one broken AC, an ant infestation, etc., have got you STRESSED! Just open, pop one on, and it'll heat up to 113 degrees — no microwave needed. Reviewers note that these are also great for headache relief. A giant bubble kit with a two-handle wand so you can all compete to make the biggest bubble. Just make sure no one tries to trap the dog in a soap ball prison. A high-end bottle of Takesan Kishibori soy sauce if you ever want to learn what you're missing by sticking with grocery store brands. No offense to Kikkoman, but this elevated sauce from Shodoshima, Japan offers a richer, more complex flavor that has happy reviewers pledging their allegiance. A floating cabana, so now any pool can have a swim-up bar. The nearly 6-foot-long inflatable offers shade, drink holders, and places for your ice or ingredients. With such a legit setup, I wouldn't blame you if you charged your guests for drinks. An alarmingly adorable capybara night-light to keep you company on sleepy summer evenings. Just bop your new silicone friend on the head to toggle through seven different colors and three dimness settings. And if you opt for the flower version, it comes with two different buds to hold. 🥹 A swimsuit with ruched sides and drawstrings that allow you to customize your fit, sort of like a corset. Reviewers like that the strings can change how much coverage you get, so you can adjust the look throughout the day. Phoenix and Miles sticky notes in case arguments with your roommate have left the passive-aggressive text stage and have entered a full-on aggressive realm that could be compared to a legal battle. Buy one for yourself and one for your opponent so you can duke out the case of "whose turn is it to do the dishes?" And L-shaped scissors so you can easily slice through all the gifts from Summer Santa coming your way. The Japanese stainless steel blades are designed to create the perfect angle that can glide through everything from cardboard to annoying plastic clamshell packaging. Thank you, Summer Santa! Your generosity knows no bounds. Me when I realize that I have to buy my own lil' gifts until December: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Which Hampton Are You?
Ah, summer. The season where New Yorkers pack their tennis whites and Hermès Oran sandals into a leather weekender; throw it in the back of a Blacklane, Blade, or their own Range Rover; and head out to Hamptons. (As Chuck Bass says in the canonical Gossip Girl episode 'Summer, Kind of Wonderful': 'What's a jitney?') Well, uh, the generationally wealthy ones anyway. The rest of us? We're stuck in a city that smells like microwaved garbage, wondering what white collar crime or Anna Nicole Smith-style marriage we've gotta commit to afford a house in a town where the median sales price is $24.9 million. Like me! For years, I've been a guest—never a resident—in the Hamptons. Instead, I twiddle my thumbs in my apartment until I get that text from that friend inviting me to that house. I accept immediately, and express my gratitude profusely. Then I schlep out on the Ambassador with an overstuffed LL Bean tote bag and a hostess gift that's more like a religious offering to an ancient summer deity: 'Please, oh benevolent god, let this olive oil and Fuyu persimmon vinegar set from Flamingo Estate prove my worthiness to swim in an in-ground pool and drink rosé at Topping Rose House.' So, as I wait by my window A.C. unit for an invite to come through, I decided to pass the time with the following activity: writing a satire about the type of people you meet in the Hamptons. By god, I hope one day I'm one of you. East Hampton This was supposed to be the summer you opened Hither Lane, your artisanal jams and cashmeres concept shop in East Hampton. But then your Bernadoodle, Beau, got in a fight with one of Martha Stewart's Chow Chows outside the Chanel on Main Street. The poor thing almost lost an eye. With all of this going on, you simply didn't have the time to run a store that's open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Wednesday.
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Times
15 Exclusive Mother's Day Deals Just for Wirecutter Readers
What's nicer than fresh flowers? Beautiful, interesting fresh flower arrangements delivered directly to the door. With plenty of modern, relatively affordable bouquets to choose from, our favorite delivery service makes it easy to find your arrangement of choice. Other things to know: Also recommended in multiple Wirecutter gift guides. Price varies by bouquet, delivery locale, and delivery date. Example pricing is for the Margot bouquet without a vase, and excluding the cost of shipping. Use single-use code WCMOMS to get 30% off pre-shipping prices. Read more: The Best Online Flower Delivery Service Some moms can be hard to shop for; consider this your secret weapon. With this food-shipping service, you can order up a host of local dishes and regional food specialties from all across the country, so you can surprise her with her favorite treats from a faraway place that's still close to her heart. Other things to know: Usually ships and arrives quickly. Get 25% off orders of $100 or more on full-price items with a free Goldbelly account and code WCMOMS25. Some shops excluded. Shipping costs vary. Cannot be used on gift cards or combined with additional codes. Read more: Your Grandparents Don't Need More Stuff With Your Face on It. Send Them Food Instead. Does your recipient love to cook? This pinafore-style linen apron will protect her clothes from splatters while keeping her cool in the kitchen. Not only is it absurdly comfy, but it won't slip around or get in the way while she's moving around, either. $95 $72 from Rough Linen Other things to know: Available in multiple colors in petite, regular, and large, fitting sizes 0 to 22. Costs more than most people are willing to pay for an apron, but made to last. Use code WCMOMS to get the deal price and free shipping. Read more: Our Favorite Kitchen Aprons Unlike most silk pajamas, this breezy set is entirely machine-washable, making it a great everyday indulgence. The youthful silhouette features an abbreviated crop top that exposes some midriff, and a sporty racerback that flatters a variety of body types. Other things to know: As noted above, it exposes some midriff. Shorts are quite skimpy, especially on tall people. Runs small and only comes in sizes XS to XL; we recommend sizing up for a more relaxed fit. Use code FOR-WCMOMS. Read more: The Best Pajamas Bring a bit of Mother Nature into her home with this luxe, soothing candle. The delightfully herbaceous scent and crisp, briny undertone come from the hand-poured vegetable wax, which is produced with ingredients from local farms. Plus, the calming green glass jar looks beautiful on a mantel. Other things to know: Sage scent smells slightly reminiscent of basil. Jar can get incredibly hot while burning, and blackens with soot after a while. Has subtle vegetal qualities of Flamingo Estate's popular tomato-scented candle, one of our top picks. From Flamingo Estate, get the deal price and free shipping with code WIRECUTTER. Read more: Nothing Helps Me Focus Like This Delightful Sage Candle Featuring a savory-and-salty aroma that left our testers split between delighted and displeased, this candle is a particular type of gift for a particular type of recipient. Whether they're a pasta-lover or just a fan of unusual gifts, it's sure to leave a lasting impression. $70 $56 from Huckberry Use promo code WCMDCANDLE Other things to know: Wicks on some of the candles we received were slightly off-center. Doesn't come with a lid, which is disappointing considering the price. Use promo code WCMDCANDLE. Read more: Our Favorite Scented Candles Whether she loves baking cakes or buying them, this stunning cake stand is sure to impress. Made from durable soda-lime glass, its hobnail design is inspired by the ornate beading style of vintage Parisian glass objects. Other things to know: Dishwasher-safe. Large 13-inch size is best for full-size cake rounds. Can be used to display baked goods or beautiful objet d'arts. Use code WIRECUTTER to get the deal price in clear glass. Read more: The 46 Best Gifts for Mom For an effortlessly chic look, this slinky robe features a generous and flattering fit with in-seam pockets and three-quarter-length sleeves. The buttery-soft fabric feels cool on the skin, like a luxe T-shirt, and clings to curves more than more-structured robes. Other things to know: May be too form-fitting for some. Slight shrinking after wash (3.85%), but that didn't affect the coverage or generous fit. Use code WIRECUTTER to get the deal price in anthracite gray. Only in stock in sizes XS-XL. Read more: The Best Robes Every mom deserves some 'me time,' and she'll truly feel pampered while relaxing in the cozy embrace of this plush robe. The indulgently soft cotton fabric is absorbent enough to dry off after a shower, and comfortable enough for winding down or just lounging around. $103 $75 from The Company Store Other things to know: Loses some plushness after heavy use, but this is to be expected. Thick terry can be too warm for hotter months, especially after a hot shower. Take care to separate your laundry if you buy a bolder color. Available in a variety of colors in XS to XXL. Use code WCROBE75. Read more: The Best Robes Formulated with just 16 ingredients, this sheer and cooling facial moisturizer is generously packed with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and skin-smoothing niacinamide. It spreads easily, absorbs quickly, and leaves behind a mattifying finish to tamp down shine. Other things to know: Testers preferred it for day, not night. Contains a trio of oil-absorbing particles: silica, starch, and perlite. 2.54 ounces. Use promo code WIRECUTTER to get the deal price and free shipping. Read more: The Best Moisturizers This broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen soaks into dry skin to hydrate while it protects. It can also serve as a good primer for dewy makeup looks without being oily or greasy. At just 1.7 ounces, it's not cheap, but one bottle is surprisingly long-lasting. Other things to know: Very watery. If you prefer a more matte look or have oily skin, this is probably not the sunscreen for you. Sweat-resistant up to 40 minutes. Use code WCESF to get the deal price for two 1.7-ounce bottles. Read more: The Best Sunscreens for Your Face Our sleep experts consider these silk pillowcases to be a holy-grail helper for curly or potentially frizzy locks as, compared with cotton, silk absorbs less product and creates less friction. They feel decadently lustrous and weighty right out of the box, but our testers liked them even more after the first wash. Other things to know: Recommended in several Wirecutter gift guides. The 25-momme count indicates a good weight of silk, and the 6A rating indicates a good strand length. Street price has recently risen significantly. Add two standard-size pillowcases to cart and use code WCMOMS. Read more: My Favorite Hair Care Tool is a Silk Pillowcase. I Hunted Down the Best One. Memories are a priceless treasure, and any sentimental mom would love to have them all in one place. From modern designs to great customer service, Mixbook offers the best photo-book-building experience. Its editing tools are simple and efficient, with color-accurate photo reproduction and versatile image-uploading options. $84 $47 from Mixbook Promo code WIREBOOK auto-applies for 50% off LayFlat photo books, shipping varies by selection Other things to know: Other photo book services offer more photo editing tools. Select the "lay flat" option before checkout. Code WIREBOOK auto-applies for 50% off lay-flat photo books. Pricing and shipping costs vary by selection. Not valid for 6x6 or softcover photo books. Read more: The Best Photo Book Service A perfect gift for any grilling enthusiast, this is the fastest and most accurate instant-read model we've tested. It's got a bright backlit rotating screen and a wide temperature range. Plus, it's waterproof, buttonless, and completely automatic. $109 $76 from ThermoWorks Use promo code WIRECUTTER Other things to know: Few recipes demand instant, to-the-degree accuracy. The switch to change between Celsius and Fahrenheit is inconveniently located inside the battery compartment. Street price has recently gone up. Use code WIRECUTTER. Read more: The Best Meat Thermometers Editor's note: The photo at the top of this article may reflect previous deals that are no longer valid and have been removed. Check out our Deals page for more great discounts on Wirecutter's expert-approved picks. This article was edited by Janie Campbell and Nathan Burrow. Your mom gave you life. Mother's Day is a chance to shower her with love and gratitude, with a gift that shows you see and appreciate her. Here's what the Wirecutter Deals team is looking for when they hunt for the best prices on Wirecutter picks every day of the week. The Wirecutter Deals team breaks down a few simple ways to save money all year long. What I Cover I am a writer whose coverage areas include deals on Wirecutter's style, beauty, home, and gifts sections. I also cover productivity apps and subscription shopping memberships.
CNN
13-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- CNN
From $85 tomato leaf soap to $2,300 Hellmann's mayo handbags, everyday food is now a status symbol
Take a look around your kitchen pantry, and what do you see? Boxes of pasta stacked high, maybe, alongside tins of sardines or a jar of olives. Maybe you have some fresh fruit lurking, olive oil or a bag of rice. But food motifs might also be popping up in your closet or living room. Perhaps some tinned fish on a T-shirt or a farfalle-shaped candle? The notion might seem strange, but across home decor and fashion, even luxury sectors, there's been an influx of food-centric design. And it's costing a pretty penny. A stool resembling corn on the cob, made famous by influencer Emma Chamberlain? $245. A T-shirt stamped with tins of sardines on sale at the famed Lisa Says Gah boutique? $78. Not to mention, lamps made from real croissants ($88), a purse mirroring a Barilla pasta box ($1,500 resale), and a faux-diner experience where, instead of the real, affordable food such restaurants are known for, one can pay $40 for a stuffed waffle (now out of stock online). See also the hype around tomato-scented hand soap, of which there are many variations: Loewe's $85 version, or Flamingo Estate's, a steal at $46. And these are just some examples. Seemingly everywhere one looks, there's an example of an expensive, designer food item. Not the thing you might cook and eat; instead, food imagery has somehow become caught up in our ever-churning trend machine. And while these items (corn, a tomato, a box of pasta) might be accessible pantry staples, they've now been transformed into symbols of luxury. This trend of food on clothing and in design has been percolating for a few years, but it's flourishing now as everyday foods, like eggs and produce, are becoming increasingly inaccessible. Food is no longer just something we eat, this current moment seems to signal. In the midst of an escalating tariff war, food iconography — both in what we wear and what we buy — has become a status symbol, too. The incorporation of food imagery in design predates the present moment. Antoine Vollon's 'Mound of Butter,' a 19th century still life of a heaping tuft of butter, highlights the importance of familiar ingredients, while Salvador Dalí used lobsters as a motif for sex and pleasure — also inspiring Elsa Schiaparelli's 1937 design of a billowing, off-white evening gown with a giant lobster printed across the front. The Pop art movement also frequently featured food motifs, (perhaps best exemplified by Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's Soup can artwork), while drawing on everyday mass culture and consumerism for inspiration. But what has led us to the current wave of such designs today? It starts with Millennials and their pantries, said Andrea Hernández, the founder of food and beverage trend newsletter Snaxshot. Millennials were the first to embrace a sort of 'premium pantry' item, she said, i.e. buying a higher-end version of an everyday item, like viral olive oil in a squeeze bottle (rather than grocery store bottles of extra virgin) or luxury hot sauce (versus Tabasco). Those higher-end versions may purport to be 'better' in some ways than household brands — better ingredients, healthier, or maybe just more aesthetically pleasing — but they also come with a higher price tag. (Cloud23, Brooklyn Beckham's hot sauce label, comes in a textured glass bottle and promises 'authentic ingredients' and peppers grown in 'organic soil.' A pack of two costs $34.99.) It's a type of affordable affluence, Hernández said. And it's everywhere: see viral Brightland olive oil ($37 per bottle), Fishwife tinned sardines ($32 for 3), and Fly By Jing chili oil ($15). If none of those interest you, what about Hot Girl Pickles ($12.99 for a 32-ounce jar)? This isn't to say these items aren't worth their price tags, but they often cost more than their supermarket equivalents. And they look nicer, with colorful, vibrant packaging that screams 'trendy product.' 'We can't afford cars, we can't afford houses, we can't afford anything,' Hernández said. 'It comes down to the last chair of a musical chair game, which is 'okay, I can still buy food, snacks.'' This normalization of high-end food items goes beyond the pantry. Think of Erewhon Market, that renowned Los Angeles grocery shop that in recent years has become known for its celebrity smoothie collaborations. Its famous Hailey Bieber collab is a $20 strawberry smoothie blended with hyaluronic acid and sea moss gel. While you're there, you can also grab one of its signature tote bags, which recently cameoed in an episode of HBO's 'White Lotus,' at just $52. Even Walmart has gotten in on the affordable affluence trend, launching a new private label last year, called bettergoods, clearly a more modern and Millennial and Gen Z-friendly approach than its other private label, Great Value. (Among items branded as 'bettergoods': organic chocolate milk, plant-based mozzarella cheese and single origin Colombian coffee). Put bluntly, Millennials and Gen Z are willing to spend more money at the grocery store for products they deem 'better' than the budget option, Hernández said — or at the very least, marketed better. In the case of Gen Z, spending money at the grocery store has become a way to splurge, according to a report from McKinsey, at a time when many people are tightening their belts amid a worsening economy. Call it a lipstick effect for the post-pandemic era. Now, this elevation of everyday grocery items is also leaking into design and fashion. As hype around regular grocery items grows, food has also wedged its way into advertising and luxury designs. Part of this surge is just practical, said Elizabeth Goodspeed, a graphic designer and writer. Food is an affordable prop for brand photoshoots, cheaper than flowers or other products that may bear another brand's imagery. Especially now, with everything being expensive, brands may be even more motivated to use food as a prop in their imagery. (Notice the way French fashion brand Jacquemus stamps its label on whole butter next to gold croissant earrings, or New York-based La Ligne's use of crusty baguettes in another campaign). Yet there is still, she noted, some class signaling. The same person that might be able to spend money on a bushel of picturesque apples from the farmers market, Goodspeed said, might also have the disposable income to spend $2,000 on a luxury bag. Follow the same logic for small-batch butter or bread fresh from a local bakery. But these luxury connotations have leapt from the glossy pages of magazine adverts and into real life. Food isn't just pictured alongside the luxury good, it's the luxury good itself. It's the corn on the cob stool, the pasta box purse, the Jacquemus milk carton, the Kate Spade BLT purse, er, the Kate Spade Heinz Ketchup purse. You could dismiss these examples as just kitschy trends, a way to weave personality and vibrancy into a drab mainstream aesthetic. And of course these products can be cute, said Jess Rauchberg, who studies digital culture at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. But what's beyond the cuteness? 'It's important to understand how is this being shown to us, and what does it mean?' she said. 'What does it mean when we see an egg plushie that's really cute, but thinking about the cost, thinking about are eggs accessible for every single American consumer right now? And if not, who has access to these products and to these consumer goods?' This sort of food-inspired trend has happened before. In the 2010s, we had cupcakes on dresses and bacon on everything — a shorthand for a gendered Americana energy. Today, there's been a slight change; we've traded our emblazoned bacon and cupcakes for pickles, olives, tinned fish, preserved lemons, heirloom tomatoes, ramps and butter. Case in point: Circa 2016, quirky American designer Rachel Antonoff embossed dresses with a multicolored tropical fruit print. Almost 10 years later, she's swapped the design for rainbow chard on knits and blue coffee cups on puffer jackets. 'It's just that the foods that we have assigned the value to have shifted,' Goodspeed said. So if people are spending more money on groceries and pantry items, and these items are seeping into luxury fashion and design, then what exactly does that indicate about us, the consumers? Buying certain kinds of products says something about ourselves or the way we want to live, Goodspeed said. A tinned fish shirt might say you care about seafood sustainability or accessibility. Spending $100 on the Loewe tomato leaves scented candle might say you care about organic produce or you enjoy the outdoors — see also the aptly named tomato girl summer aesthetic, featuring silk scarves, sunglasses and a coastal state of mind. What we ate used to be a largely private experience. We grocery shopped, we cooked, we dined, with little fanfare to those not under the same roof. But the advent of social media put that entire process into the spotlight, opening it up to critique from everyone in our circles. Now, there's pantry videos analyzing not just what snacks you have in your pantry, but how neatly it's organized (Khloe Kardashian's pantry has become a gold standard). We can observe how others landscape their fridges, or their freezers, eyeing what interesting products and organizational bins they have. And we can compare ourselves to what others are doing online. 'What you eat is being dissected and observed as much as anything else that you do,' Goodspeed said. And so food, especially seemingly modest ingredients, have become another way to signify wealth and luxury tastes. Fashion and design becomes an extension of that. By wearing food as an accessory, or as a design choice, we are signaling both that we have a palate for that product and that we can afford it. I'm wearing this $78 shirt with Fishwife tinned fish, which means I can also afford to spend $10 on a single tin of sardines, which means I have disposable income — and so it goes. This logic extends even to foods that might not usually be expensive, like corn or tomatoes, Rauchberg said. These humble ingredients become luxury emblems. 'It signals that I don't have to worry about where I'm getting my next meal,' Rauchberg said. 'Or I don't have to worry about these very basic life requirements because they've already been fulfilled.' In other words, removed from the anxiety surrounding grocery bills, these items are then elevated in fashion and decor. That this trend is coming to a head now, when grocery prices — especially seafood, fresh fruits, and vegetables — are poised to see a sharp increase with proposed tariffs, might be significant. As eggs, and eventually other staples, became more inaccessible to the average person, they may show up even more in fashion and other consumer products, Rauchberg said. You might not be able to have fish for every meal, she explained, or eggs, or even fresh produce. But just by wearing something with the product on it is a status symbol, she said. 'The purse, the T-shirt, the dress, the Jellycat, is a sign that you're able to be part of that consumer environment,' Rauchberg said. 'And status right now means everything.' As food prices rise, there will be people unable to buy once-affordable staples. But for those with the income, they might shell out $2,300 for a designer bag inspired by Hellmann's mayonnaise, just because they can.
CNN
13-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- CNN
From $85 tomato leaf soap to $2,300 Hellmann's mayo handbags, everyday food is now a status symbol
Take a look around your kitchen pantry, and what do you see? Boxes of pasta stacked high, maybe, alongside tins of sardines or a jar of olives. Maybe you have some fresh fruit lurking, olive oil or a bag of rice. But food motifs might also be popping up in your closet or living room. Perhaps some tinned fish on a T-shirt or a farfalle-shaped candle? The notion might seem strange, but across home decor and fashion, even luxury sectors, there's been an influx of food-centric design. And it's costing a pretty penny. A stool resembling corn on the cob, made famous by influencer Emma Chamberlain? $245. A T-shirt stamped with tins of sardines on sale at the famed Lisa Says Gah boutique? $78. Not to mention, lamps made from real croissants ($88), a purse mirroring a Barilla pasta box ($1,500 resale), and a faux-diner experience where, instead of the real, affordable food such restaurants are known for, one can pay $40 for a stuffed waffle (now out of stock online). See also the hype around tomato-scented hand soap, of which there are many variations: Loewe's $85 version, or Flamingo Estate's, a steal at $46. And these are just some examples. Seemingly everywhere one looks, there's an example of an expensive, designer food item. Not the thing you might cook and eat; instead, food imagery has somehow become caught up in our ever-churning trend machine. And while these items (corn, a tomato, a box of pasta) might be accessible pantry staples, they've now been transformed into symbols of luxury. This trend of food on clothing and in design has been percolating for a few years, but it's flourishing now as everyday foods, like eggs and produce, are becoming increasingly inaccessible. Food is no longer just something we eat, this current moment seems to signal. In the midst of an escalating tariff war, food iconography — both in what we wear and what we buy — has become a status symbol, too. The incorporation of food imagery in design predates the present moment. Antoine Vollon's 'Mound of Butter,' a 19th century still life of a heaping tuft of butter, highlights the importance of familiar ingredients, while Salvador Dalí used lobsters as a motif for sex and pleasure — also inspiring Elsa Schiaparelli's 1937 design of a billowing, off-white evening gown with a giant lobster printed across the front. The Pop art movement also frequently featured food motifs, (perhaps best exemplified by Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's Soup can artwork), while drawing on everyday mass culture and consumerism for inspiration. But what has led us to the current wave of such designs today? It starts with Millennials and their pantries, said Andrea Hernández, the founder of food and beverage trend newsletter Snaxshot. Millennials were the first to embrace a sort of 'premium pantry' item, she said, i.e. buying a higher-end version of an everyday item, like viral olive oil in a squeeze bottle (rather than grocery store bottles of extra virgin) or luxury hot sauce (versus Tabasco). Those higher-end versions may purport to be 'better' in some ways than household brands — better ingredients, healthier, or maybe just more aesthetically pleasing — but they also come with a higher price tag. (Cloud23, Brooklyn Beckham's hot sauce label, comes in a textured glass bottle and promises 'authentic ingredients' and peppers grown in 'organic soil.' A pack of two costs $34.99.) It's a type of affordable affluence, Hernández said. And it's everywhere: see viral Brightland olive oil ($37 per bottle), Fishwife tinned sardines ($32 for 3), and Fly By Jing chili oil ($15). If none of those interest you, what about Hot Girl Pickles ($12.99 for a 32-ounce jar)? This isn't to say these items aren't worth their price tags, but they often cost more than their supermarket equivalents. And they look nicer, with colorful, vibrant packaging that screams 'trendy product.' 'We can't afford cars, we can't afford houses, we can't afford anything,' Hernández said. 'It comes down to the last chair of a musical chair game, which is 'okay, I can still buy food, snacks.'' This normalization of high-end food items goes beyond the pantry. Think of Erewhon Market, that renowned Los Angeles grocery shop that in recent years has become known for its celebrity smoothie collaborations. Its famous Hailey Bieber collab is a $20 strawberry smoothie blended with hyaluronic acid and sea moss gel. While you're there, you can also grab one of its signature tote bags, which recently cameoed in an episode of HBO's 'White Lotus,' at just $52. Even Walmart has gotten in on the affordable affluence trend, launching a new private label last year, called bettergoods, clearly a more modern and Millennial and Gen Z-friendly approach than its other private label, Great Value. (Among items branded as 'bettergoods': organic chocolate milk, plant-based mozzarella cheese and single origin Colombian coffee). Put bluntly, Millennials and Gen Z are willing to spend more money at the grocery store for products they deem 'better' than the budget option, Hernández said — or at the very least, marketed better. In the case of Gen Z, spending money at the grocery store has become a way to splurge, according to a report from McKinsey, at a time when many people are tightening their belts amid a worsening economy. Call it a lipstick effect for the post-pandemic era. Now, this elevation of everyday grocery items is also leaking into design and fashion. As hype around regular grocery items grows, food has also wedged its way into advertising and luxury designs. Part of this surge is just practical, said Elizabeth Goodspeed, a graphic designer and writer. Food is an affordable prop for brand photoshoots, cheaper than flowers or other products that may bear another brand's imagery. Especially now, with everything being expensive, brands may be even more motivated to use food as a prop in their imagery. (Notice the way French fashion brand Jacquemus stamps its label on whole butter next to gold croissant earrings, or New York-based La Ligne's use of crusty baguettes in another campaign). Yet there is still, she noted, some class signaling. The same person that might be able to spend money on a bushel of picturesque apples from the farmers market, Goodspeed said, might also have the disposable income to spend $2,000 on a luxury bag. Follow the same logic for small-batch butter or bread fresh from a local bakery. But these luxury connotations have leapt from the glossy pages of magazine adverts and into real life. Food isn't just pictured alongside the luxury good, it's the luxury good itself. It's the corn on the cob stool, the pasta box purse, the Jacquemus milk carton, the Kate Spade BLT purse, er, the Kate Spade Heinz Ketchup purse. You could dismiss these examples as just kitschy trends, a way to weave personality and vibrancy into a drab mainstream aesthetic. And of course these products can be cute, said Jess Rauchberg, who studies digital culture at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. But what's beyond the cuteness? 'It's important to understand how is this being shown to us, and what does it mean?' she said. 'What does it mean when we see an egg plushie that's really cute, but thinking about the cost, thinking about are eggs accessible for every single American consumer right now? And if not, who has access to these products and to these consumer goods?' This sort of food-inspired trend has happened before. In the 2010s, we had cupcakes on dresses and bacon on everything — a shorthand for a gendered Americana energy. Today, there's been a slight change; we've traded our emblazoned bacon and cupcakes for pickles, olives, tinned fish, preserved lemons, heirloom tomatoes, ramps and butter. Case in point: Circa 2016, quirky American designer Rachel Antonoff embossed dresses with a multicolored tropical fruit print. Almost 10 years later, she's swapped the design for rainbow chard on knits and blue coffee cups on puffer jackets. 'It's just that the foods that we have assigned the value to have shifted,' Goodspeed said. So if people are spending more money on groceries and pantry items, and these items are seeping into luxury fashion and design, then what exactly does that indicate about us, the consumers? Buying certain kinds of products says something about ourselves or the way we want to live, Goodspeed said. A tinned fish shirt might say you care about seafood sustainability or accessibility. Spending $100 on the Loewe tomato leaves scented candle might say you care about organic produce or you enjoy the outdoors — see also the aptly named tomato girl summer aesthetic, featuring silk scarves, sunglasses and a coastal state of mind. What we ate used to be a largely private experience. We grocery shopped, we cooked, we dined, with little fanfare to those not under the same roof. But the advent of social media put that entire process into the spotlight, opening it up to critique from everyone in our circles. Now, there's pantry videos analyzing not just what snacks you have in your pantry, but how neatly it's organized (Khloe Kardashian's pantry has become a gold standard). We can observe how others landscape their fridges, or their freezers, eyeing what interesting products and organizational bins they have. And we can compare ourselves to what others are doing online. 'What you eat is being dissected and observed as much as anything else that you do,' Goodspeed said. And so food, especially seemingly modest ingredients, have become another way to signify wealth and luxury tastes. Fashion and design becomes an extension of that. By wearing food as an accessory, or as a design choice, we are signaling both that we have a palate for that product and that we can afford it. I'm wearing this $78 shirt with Fishwife tinned fish, which means I can also afford to spend $10 on a single tin of sardines, which means I have disposable income — and so it goes. This logic extends even to foods that might not usually be expensive, like corn or tomatoes, Rauchberg said. These humble ingredients become luxury emblems. 'It signals that I don't have to worry about where I'm getting my next meal,' Rauchberg said. 'Or I don't have to worry about these very basic life requirements because they've already been fulfilled.' In other words, removed from the anxiety surrounding grocery bills, these items are then elevated in fashion and decor. That this trend is coming to a head now, when grocery prices — especially seafood, fresh fruits, and vegetables — are poised to see a sharp increase with proposed tariffs, might be significant. As eggs, and eventually other staples, became more inaccessible to the average person, they may show up even more in fashion and other consumer products, Rauchberg said. You might not be able to have fish for every meal, she explained, or eggs, or even fresh produce. But just by wearing something with the product on it is a status symbol, she said. 'The purse, the T-shirt, the dress, the Jellycat, is a sign that you're able to be part of that consumer environment,' Rauchberg said. 'And status right now means everything.' As food prices rise, there will be people unable to buy once-affordable staples. But for those with the income, they might shell out $2,300 for a designer bag inspired by Hellmann's mayonnaise, just because they can.
