Hey, it’s Ashe! The newsletter is late because we had some *ehm* technical difficulties with Substack (and a confusing morning for Ashe). 😞
But the trends… they really have been trending.
Remember our May pistachio prediction? Now pistachio knafeh chocolate bars are everywhere. And Logan’s cucumber vids? Cucumber and mandolin sales are up. Plus the men’s bag market is booming!
It can’t just be our algorithm echo-chambers. We’re on top of these trends, and we’re happy to give you the information our observation obsession gives us.
Plus, we’re adding some pop culture tidbits to keep you in the know— no, we’re not reporting politics, but there are some more newsy pieces you deserve to know going into your weekend. So don’t skip past the end!
Some 🧂 Trends:
Skinny jeans?
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, fashion oracles both in media (Vogue) and socials (TikTok) predict we’re gonna swap jorts and capris for skinny jeans. They’re talking but will we listen, though? Everyone deserves a medal for rocking them with normal, adult female forms.
DUDES, we’ve not forgotten about ya - they say that baggy denim will be switched to more straight-leg look.




Chainmail and chivalry ⚔️
Last fall was all about Pirate-core, but this year, Knight-core is creeping in.
With Umbro's chainmail football shirt and a surge in medieval-inspired looks (ok, maybe just the metal and leather aspects), we're starting to see chainmail, armor vibes, and even turtlenecks knighting the streets.
It’s not quite everyday wear, but much like Pirate-core, it’s all about exuding the vibe. Knight-core has been bubbling up since at least 2018—remember Zendaya’s iconic Met Gala look?
Maybe now, knight-core is finally ready to joust its way into fashion.



Asics revival
Asics (specifically the GEL-KAYANO 14) has snatched the crown from the New Balance 530 as the go-to white girl/guy shoe, according to TikTok trends and the streets of Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, NB is entering the sugar-daddy market with a Loro Piana collab. Anyone up for some boring $1K sneakers?



Dopamine Menu
People are sharing lists on social media of what sparks joy in their daily routines—from morning matcha to playing sudoku.
The concept was introduced in 2020 by Jessica McCabe in her YouTube series How to ADHD.
A good start? Sprucing up your space with some fun little details—dopamine decor, which we covered last week.
Interestingly, last year, dopamine detox was booming—cutting out high-stimulation activities like social media to hijack the brain's reward system and boost focus.


Planning Fits on the Notes App
Grocery lists, tough conversation scripts, business ideas—our Notes app is the ultimate one-stop-shop, and now there's another reason to use it: making sticker collages to log your fashion moments and gather inspo. Just turn your pics into stickers and paste them in the Notes app.
Vogue Business on the trend here.


Long-sleeves under tees
This Y2K skaterboi look comes in time for the confusing in-between season. Wearing your long-sleeve under shortsleeves, whether it's tees or button-ups has a perk - if it gets too hot, you can always dress down. The drawback? Might not fly in an office setting.


Cutting-edge of sandwich-making or just a trendy gimmick?
Forget triangles or quads—there's a new sandwich cut in town. The "Y-Cut" slices your sandwich into three pieces, promising the perfect balance: not an overwhelming amount like four pieces, but more satisfying than just two.
It’s the same amount of sandwich, just divided differently. But is it really giving you enough of an extra bite with the mildly extra effort?
While we’ve got our skeptics (not everyone wants to make three individual cuts instead of just one), anecdotal evidence from some of our readers is that yeah - it’s a really nice for a toasted sandwich. Especially if you’re packing yourself a lunch.


Triangle Factory Meme
If you’ve been on X the past few days, you’ve seen variations of the triangle factory meme. It’s a two-panel MS Paint comic depicting workers at a "triangle factory" reacting differently to an unexpected blue circle emerging from a machine. One worker is curious and eager to report the anomaly, the other, less fazed and representing the monotony of nine-to-five jobs, simply remarks, "I guess we doin circles now."
This is doing circles (pun intended) especially with variations taking creative liberties to make jokes about the diversified goods under different companies, social situations, and sometimes a completely ‘ship of Theseused’ version of the meme.
Perhaps there’s a webcomic boom incoming (or just under the radar)…
New on the streets of…
Rome the movie director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) designed a hotel in the Italian capital that, unsurprisingly, is a stunner!
📣Extra! Extra! 📣 Some news-y stuff:
LEGO and Nike reveal a multi-year partnership starting in 2025, hinting at co-branded products.
More giants teaming up: Coca-Cola and Oreo drop a collab, with special cola cans already spotted in Dutch grocery stores. Link
Are we still on YouTube? Cristiano Ronaldo's channel just broke the record for most subscribers. Link
Gstaad Guy’s jewelry line, Poubel, is as delightfully absurd as you'd expect. Link
The CEO of Telegram was arrested in France for failing to prevent criminal use of the app.
Every dude at a party with a guitar can rejoice— the band behind the only song they know how to play, just announced a reunion.
Nintendo just announced MySims for the Switch—feeling old yet? Here's more from Nintendo Direct August 2024.
"Kaos" has landed, and it's a wild ride through modern-day Greek mythology with Jeff Goldblum as Zeus. Is this show your next obsession? Link.