As August draws to a close, let the record show the Man Repeller edit team has only published two stories on the end of summer and the resulting anxiety that accompanies it — a marked improvement from 2016’s 10-part dissertation on the topic. Perhaps it was fitting, then, that this past month’s theme was SO WHAT. Maybe we’ve moved on! Or maybe we’re practicing avoidance? Either way, there was plenty to cover this month without so much as touching summer scaries with a 10-foot pool noodle. In case you missed it, scroll down to catch up on our top 10 stories from August.
1. Mercury’s In Retrograde, But What Does That Actually Mean?
“Astrology experts say, in Knapp’s case, moving in with a new roommate or making big decisions during Mercury retrograde is risky, since you may not have all the information needed to make a realized choice during this time. Mercury retrograde is also said to present the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past, pick up old hobbies, reevaluate current routines or reconsider old flames.”
2. A Tour of Leandra’s Mom’s House in Southampton
“After she finally agreed to have her house photographed (she wasn’t even home), she put up a stink about answering the questions. ‘I’m done with school, I don’t do homework,’ she told me, to which I replied, ‘Just answer them.’ What I received in return was the following, which I have dutifully annotated because that’s just the kind of friend — and daughter — I am.”
3. The Style in ‘The Parent Trap’ Is Even Better Than You Remember
“If you think about it, the 1998 reboot of The Parent Trap is a sartorial tour of the suburban ‘90s. The plot supplies all the right ingredients: 1) an ensemble cast 2) of stereotypes clashing 3) in a wide variety of settings. Penny Rose, the movie’s costume designer, had a delightfully heavy hand in communicating that via clothes.”
4. The 10 Most Addicting Books, According to the Internet
“When I asked the MR community to help me compile a list of genuinely addicting books, I had no idea the request would be met with such gusto. As of right now, there are 771 comments, my heart is dangerously warm and my to-read list is overflowing… [I]f those numbers overwhelm you, below is a starter-pack of the ten most recommended books.”
5. I’m Sorry But Low-Rise Jeans Might Be Coming Back
“Here I was, innocently assuming we’d learned our lesson after the low-rise tragedy of the late ’90s/early aughts, while solar plexuses were quietly scheming for a comeback. Am I being dramatic, or should the words ‘waistlines’ and ‘fall lower’ be flagged by concerned citizens when witnessed in close succession?
I am a citizen, and I am concerned.”
6. I Tried the Morning Routines of 5 Successful People
“But what if jumping out of bed isn’t enough for my more dramatic long-term goals? What if there are other key components that lead to true outlier-level career triumphs, and I am missing them? Nothing a little research and replication can’t eke out. I tried five morning routines of five successful people… mostly because someone has to feed this hungry internet beast.”
7. How to Become a Morning Workout Person
“At a certain point, the mental benefits of a marginal amount of extra sleep were being totally erased by the mental handicap of letting my workouts loom over me like sweaty rain clouds. When it dawned on me that exercise had become more of a chore than a choice, essentially rendering a healthy thing unhealthy, I knew I needed to make a change.”
8. I Dressed Like My High School Self for a Week
“When I volunteered as tribute for the challenge of dressing like my high school self for a week, the first thing I did was open up Facebook and scroll back to the very beginning of my timeline. Facebook is a perfect time capsule of my high school self because I signed up for it my first week of ninth grade (September 10th, 2006, to be exact).”
9. 24 Women on How Life Changes With Age
“Silky hair is merely one thing I don’t give a shit about anymore, but there are many others: needing to be happy, having ‘a crew,’ being understood, reading the classics, looking as conventionally attractive as possible, feeling certain. The list is only growing, and every addition, every release of a concern that previously held me hostage, feels like a personal triumph. Like another stone laid on a path worth following.”
10. Jennifer Garner’s DGAF Style is an Act of Heroism
“I thought Jennifer Garner’s greatest sartorial contribution to the universe was running around New York in that pink silk nightdress in 13 Going on 30, but I was sorely mistaken. Her opus had yet to unfurl itself like the plebeian-friendly red carpet I didn’t know I needed until it was staring me in the face inside a tattered copy of Us Weekly at my favorite nail salon.”
What stories were your favorite this month? What do you want to see more of? And who else is ready for September?
