Retail Therapy 034: Barrett Takes Tokyo
...and Gwyneth Paltrow's water bottle, of course.
Listen to today’s Retail Therapy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else podcasts are found.
Can’t lie, it feels good to be back in the saddle after Barrett’s trip overseas. And while our discussion about his shopping escapades in Japan dominated most of the episode, it makes far more sense for Barrett to compile his thoughts and links into one place rather than having me do it for him. That will be releasing later this week on this every Substack.
But let’s get into the rest of this week’s Retail Therapy, which you can listen to here:
Sneakers, Slides, and More Sneakers
Over the last couple weeks, there have really been two sneaker drops that have started some conversations. The first is a Ronnie Fieg-designed Adidas sneaker created in collaboration with Clarks. Yes, we’ve reached peak-collab. But honestly? I kind of dig ‘em — especially the dark greens.
And just before we started recording this week, Aime Leon Dore sent out a draw email for their most recent collaboration with New Balance. And while the various colorways of these all catch my eye, they’re simply not as wearable as the Samba-adjacent sneakers above.
And can we talk briefly about Jonah Hill’s leather slides that have been bopping around LA lately?
I know there’s quite the stigma around men showing toe in public while wearing pants but I may be in as long as Jonah’s in.
Quiet Luxury & Gwyneth Paltrow’s Water Bottle
Inspired by this post from Business of Fashion, Barrett and I dove into some discussion about “quiet luxury.” Here’s a brief overview of what they’re talking about:
Broadly speaking, quiet luxury refers to ways of dressing that subtly telegraph status via materials, cut and low-key signifiers rather than loud design flourishes and obvious logos. Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, Zegna and The Row are among the most frequently cited brands in this category, though even many luxury labels known for their wild prints and logos offer a selection of unadorned cardigans, blazers and handbags at high-end prices.
Or, you can simply read their Instagram post here since you probably don’t subscribe to Business of Fashion. Don’t worry, I don’t either.
But maybe the cockiest way of showing wealth lately? Gwyneth Paltrow’s Mountain Valley water bottle that she was dragging into court every day.
From The Washington Post —
Much has been made about her wardrobe and accessories — carefully chosen, as is everything about a Capital-A-list celebrity who has spent much of her life in front of the cameras — which conveyed a sort of stealthy-wealthy insouciance. But let’s not forget another way in which we consumers (and celebrities in particular) communicate with one another: our bottled water.
During at least two days of the trial, which ended Thursday with a judgment in Paltrow’s favor, the actress toted a half-liter green glass bottle from which she took fortifying swigs. At first squint, you might have thought it was Perrier, the OG of status-symbol bottled water. Or Pellegrino, perhaps — an Italian brand that also would look at home on the white-linen tablecloths of power-lunchers doing multi-zero deals.
But it was, as some sharp-eyed viewers determined, a brand called the Mountain Valley, which has low-key claimed a spot among the aforementioned classics of the genre, as well as trendier brands, as a bottled water of choice for the rich and famous.
Mountain Valley also made a cameo in the hands of another one-percenter pop-culture figure this week: In the season premiere of the HBO drama “Succession,” Siobhan “Shiv” Roy, one of the three scheming scions of a vast media fortune, is also shown drinking a bottle as she plots her next move.
So, of course, Barrett and I had to trudge through the “status waters” of years past. Yes, I went through a glass bottle Voss phase. No, I don’t regret it.
You can read that column — What Gwyneth Paltrow’s courtroom water says about her, and the brand — in full here.
Of course, we closed things out with our wishlists and imminent cops.
For 2023, we’ve hit the reset button on our wishlists and made them a bit more digestible for the year ahead. To access the complete version of our 2022 wishlists, look no further than our final Listener Digest of 2022. New items in bold.
Will’s Wishlist (2023)
YSL Patent Tortoise Le Loafers ($895) — Link
AYR Sweatpants ($145) — Link
Pebble Strike Match Holder by Houseplant ($125) — Link
NikeCraft General Purpose Shoe —Link(Bought and re-sold)Sangre de Fruta Garden of Earthly Delights Body Wash ($48) — Link
New Balance 574 Legacy (MKT) — Link
Barrett’s Wishlist (2023)
Loewe Puzzle Cardholder ($335) — Link
Bottega Veneta Credit Card Case ($420) — Link
R13 Beige Kurt Sneakers ($470) — Link
Le Labo Fragrances ($220) — The Matcha 26 | Another 13
Homme Plisse Issey Miyake “Color Pleats” ($325) — Link
Polo Country Ball Cap ($55) — Link
Listen to today’s Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found.
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