Style's Week #16: Lists
What happened in the media this week? And why do we love lists? Are they useful?
Style’s Week is a weekly series covering the hottest media trends, business, culture and shopping. It is edited by Kevin Robles, and sent between Friday and Sunday.
Hello! Happy Sunday.
I feel like since I started writing on Substack, 16 weeks ago, I keep running across lists. This week alone I received another handful:
20 Ways to Style A Silk Scarf, by Jenny Walton, writer of Jenny Sais Quoi, who twists, ties, and drapes Hermès, Charvet, and Schiaparelli scarves into outfits.
Three Things, by Jenny Rosenstrach, writer of Dinner: A Love Story, who is promoting her vegetarian cookbook tour on Substack.
6 Gems! vol.16: escaping (if you’re going to get away, then really get away!), by Hey Mrs. Solomon On Style, who wrote about packing for vacation.
These Vintage Chinos Are Perfect, by Jake Woolf, who wrote about GOAT chinos, and offers 15 links to shop them.
Why do we like them so much? And do lists really make us more productive? I went digging through the annals on the Internet for some answers.
Maria Konnikova, wrote a tech essay for The New Yorker in 2013 about some reasons why we love reading lists. She said at the time, “the headline catches our eye in a stream of content; it positions its subject within a preëxisting category and classification system, like “talented animals”; it spatially organizes the information; and it promises a story that’s finite, whose length has been quantified upfront.”
When packing for a trip, lists allow us to remember what to bring, and chores we must do before taking off on holiday. At the office, lists offer a step-by-step roadmap to managing a project. They can be a tool used to delegate tasks. At the grocery store, lists are a means of diplomacy and budgeting.
They help find balance. And like avocados, they are a good source of media fat.
We are especially drawn to lists in fashion and pop culture. Who can forget the moment in The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda Priestly darts one out at her new hire, Andrea Sachs, in her lumpy blue sweater,
“I need 10 or 15 skirts from Calvin Klein, and make sure we have Pier 59 at 8:00 am tomorrow. And remind Jocelyn I need to see a few of those satchels that Mark is doing in the pony, and then tell Simone I’ll take Jackie if Maggie isn’t available. Did Demarchelier confirm? Did he confirm? Get him on the phone!”
The scene is not just funny, it’s also a tell of the productive force and process behind a list. They bridge the technical with the substantive. On fashion Substack, they zero in on a garment or broaden a style. And are sources for new ideas.
I for one enjoy reading a round-up of 20 shoes from GQ when I’m shopping, or 9 clothing rental subscriptions from Vogue, 8 of which are under $100/mo.
Still, although lists are practical, Vasundhara Sawhney, senior editor at the Harvard Business Review advises only using one for “new and difficult tasks”. She then argues, “It doesn’t make sense to include automatic, everyday tasks like brushing your teeth, clearing your inbox, or getting dressed for work on your to-do list.” Save the dopamine high from crossing items off your list for another moment.
As part of my personal style revolution (everyone is going through one these days), I’ve been focusing on footwear and jackets as building blocks for a more sensible and productive wardrobe. Clothes that are here to stay.
Jackets allow me to stay warm, cover up when I need to, and look more professional. Good shoes afford me an accent when I just want to wear a black tee and jeans. I believe in the power of a good leather shoe as part of your wardrobe. Shoes help me control my style, and set myself up for success—whether it’s changing, or codifying my personality into my wardrobe. They give me the confidence to keep going.
Still, Sawhney says that although lists can be power horses of process, “they do not go far enough toward committing us to doing the work.” When we create a list, we are essentially saying, ‘I will do this later’.
If you’re postponing tasks, it could be that you’re negatively impacting attaining your goals. This is because while we may know what we need to do, we may not necessarily know how to do it.
A way to enhance our productivity when it comes to lists is to edit them down, and then tailor an action plan, specifying when those actions need to be taken. Or, in layman's terms, routine.
Then remember, lists are only one tool of productivity. And because this newsletter is about dressing, and helping you shop better, consider lists as a way to build better shopping habits. Earlier this week I wrote about sensible shopping: buying in accordance with wisdom and prudence to keep looking ahead. I reported that surfing-style sandals and linens are having a moment, as are guys wearing shoes that show off their toes (eek!). And if hot summer collabs are your thing, don’t miss my roundup on these 5 NYC-LA crossovers.
Let’s get down to business.
NEWS:
‘Brat’, as political meme, is dead. (NYT)
It only lasted 2 weeks, the Brat craze. I wrote about how Brat was the vehicle that Delivered the Democratic party its candidate. And now, it seems that as a political cursor, it has come to an end. The Times reported that when political figures show their awareness of a meme, and as the news media tries to explain it, it overexposes internet culture in a way that makes a meme cringe. Still, they are an instrument to bring the conversation upfront and grow grass-roots supporter networks.
‘The Love List’ published its favorite newsletters report. (The Love List)
If you’re looking for fresh (and established) new reads and opinions, this is a good list from a Substack insider to subscribe to. It features publications in the categories: New and Emerging, The Fashion OG’s, Made the Jump, TikTok O’Clock, Founders, Food & Drink, Arts & Culture, Beauty, and The Boys. I highly recommend you take a look at the bounty of choices.
After walking off at the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles swept up 3 Gold Medals in Paris, making her the most decorated Olympic athlete in US gymnastics history. Her next event is on Monday, where she will be competing for another Gold medal. Her story is telling that perseverance and hard work win the race.
I wish you a good Sunday. Drop in on the comments if you use lists for your everyday task management, how and if they help you get dressed, and if you find them helpful. I’ll see you next week. Hasta la vista, baby!
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just signed up! stoked to follow you with your inside scoop, plus I work at Bonobos (chino central lol) so love hearing about other chino’s, have you heard of the Hiroshi Kato brand selvedge chino? their fantastic, recommend to all my clients!
Your article on the role of lists in various aspects of life was interesting. I appreciate how you linked their practical uses with their presence in fashion and pop culture ( loved the devil wears prada refrence! ). Thanks for sharing your insights!! 😊