Retail Therapy 017: Top Sheets, Pickle Martinis, and Cowboy Boots
Now I ain't never been no cowboy, but heaven knows I try.
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The Great Debate: Top Sheets vs. Comforter-Only
In an effort to avoid uttering the words “A*me L*on D*re” too early in this week’s episode, we thought we’d begin with something less fashion-centric and more functional. Of course, we also wanted to go with something trivial. The direction we found ourselves in? Well, we were guided by this Instagram from The Wall Street Journal Magazine.
To save you a click for the caption, here’s some of what they had to say about it:
To its fans, the top sheet is an essential part of a made bed: a crisp, clean buffer between The Body and The Blanket. To its detractors, that same top sheet is a superfluous distraction that is a pain to arrange in the morning and annoyingly bunches around one’s feet at night. Team Top Sheet argues that it’s more hygienic, more proper, just more correct to use one. Team None responds that it’s more efficient to skip it, and if you change your duvet cover regularly it’s just as clean. (Many Europeans just use a duvet cover.)
Since the top sheet has been a fixture in American bedding for decades, the lines are largely drawn generationally. More traditional Gen X and Baby Boomers defend the top sheet; millennials and Gen Z are kicking it off.
“I’m sure it is generational,” said Suzanne Duin, 63, founder and interior designer of Maison Maison Design in Houston. Her bedscapes, for both clients and herself over the years, are Nancy Meyers wonderlands of proper, starched perfection, with pleated bedskirts and brocade throw pillows. Recently, though, her clients’ high-school and college-age children have been requesting no-top-sheet arrangements for their beds.
And yes, we can confirm that one of us uses a top sheet while the other prefers comforter-only. We’ll let you listen to find out.
Pickle Martinis
Whether the vibes are shifting or there’s a new trend in martinis, we’re probably on the case. This week: Martinis with a dash of vibe shift.
While “pickle martinis” haven’t *really* been a thing, they are popping up more as a variation of your classic dirty martini. And honestly, this makes all the sense in the world to me because “normal” martinis can only stay relevant for so long in this economy.
Want to take one for a spin? Here’s Bustle’s recipe:
Ingredients
2 oz gin (or vodka, if preferred)
1 splash of Vermouth
1 teaspoon of pickle brine (or to taste)
Pickle spear or gherkin (optional for garnish)
Directions
Combine ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice, and shake. Pour into a martini glass. Minchilli slices a dill pickle spear in half to add to her glass, but other TikTokers have used a gherkin (aka a baby pickle) for garnish. Prepare yourself to possibly wince through the first sip, then enjoy.
Me? Well I’m probably sticking with something that will make my eyes a little less puffy in the morning.
Cowboy Boots
With fall in our crosshairs, it became time to discuss something that’s been a fall staple for as long as you can remember: good ol’ fashioned cowboy boots.
While there’s been an uptick in celebs trotting around in them, my bigger concern was wondering how to wear them without coming off too cowboy-ish. Much to my dismay, however, Barrett gave me a full rundown of what to expect.
Whether or not I’ll be buying a pair this fall is still up in the air but I assure you that I’ll keep you posted.
As always, we closed things out with our wishlists and imminent cops.
Apologies for any broken links below — a lot of these products are now from older seasons or have since sold out, so our link situation will remain in flux.
Will’s Wishlist
Vintage Side Tables
Barrett’s Wishlist
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