Retail Therapy 006: Matching Sets & Auntwave
Mentally, we're in New Mexico.
It’s a topic that’s been talked about ad nauseam, but one of the major changes the pandemic forced upon us had to do with our personal style. And in this week’s episode of Retail Therapy, those changes seem to creep their way to the forefront of our conversation.
This week’s episode saw us ruminate over two topics — the ‘Auntwave’ aesthetic and monochromatic/matching sets.
Auntwave
It should come as no surprise at this point that if there’s a new aesthetic floating around out there, Retail Therapy needs to cover it. This week’s crown jewel? Auntwave. Because I’ll do it no justice but attempting to describe it myself, I’ll allow the creator of the term, Blackbird Spyplane, to do just that:
Auntwave is an un-twee, un-indealized relative of “cottagecore.” It derives from the same wellspring of traditionally domestic/decorative arts (baking, knitting, gardening, crafting) that so many of us got in touch with over the past ~2 years that it became a Covid cliché: The kinds of slow-moving, cribbo-based hobbies and pursuits that lockdown helped many of us (re)appreciate.
BUT, crucially, the energy of an Auntwave jawn is weirder (bordering on grotesque) than a picturesque loaf of Instagram bread, or a cozy oatmeal-colored hand-knit pullover… There’s something that feels more unique, and uniquely daring, about an Auntwave jawn — it’s a little noisier, a little riskier, a little loopier, possibly a little unhinged, and at odds with the soft textures and quiet lines of the nesting-magazine “hygge” fetish…
Is this why we’re all fawning over Bode lumbar pillows and stuffed horses? Is this the reason we’re all leaning into high-end ceramic mugs from Coco Chispa and Alexandria Cummings? Well, maybe. But either way, a long weekend in Sedona may be in the cards if this wave keeps building.
Oversized Suits & Matching Sets
On the heels of Sunday’s Academy Awards, we also discussed what everyone has been discussing ever since — how good Donald Glover and Kid Cudi looked on the Vanity Fair red carpet. I mean, just look at them.
While Barrett and I don’t see ourselves showing up in this style of suit to any weddings this summer, we do give our collective nod of approval for those pulling the look off at awards shows and gallery openings — really the only places you can pull them off at this point.
These looks, however, inspired a greater conversation about the dressed-down version — the matching sets you’ve been wearing to the grocery store and airport every Sunday just like the one worn here by Love Island’s Molly Mae.
While we don’t see this trend going away any time soon, we did wonder if we’re reaching the end of the road when it comes to crewnecks and sweatpants cut from the same cloth (literally).
As always, we closed things out with our wishlists:
Will’s Wishlist
Nike Pegasus Trail 3 — New
Barrett’s Wishlist
Veja V-10 Suede Trainers — New
To listen to this week’s episode of Retail Therapy in its entirety, look no further than Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, if you’d like to watch it, look no further than YouTube.
Feedback? Compliments? Comments? Concerns? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s episode.
i’m listening a few days late but love the addition of a ladies’ sneaker to the wish list this week. selfishly hopeful to see more women’s or unisex items in the future! *adds veja v10’s to cart*