Who Needs Jesus When the Chloé Girl Hath Risen?
Plus: Dries, Loewe, Kate Middleton, Summer House, Jax + Britt, Bravo lawsuits, Monica Lewinsky, Sydney Sweeney, Beyoncé, #1 Olivia, Eras Sydney, new Kacey + more.
Hi hi hello.
You know how I kept doing that thing where I’d apologize for this coming out later on Fridays than my self-imposed late afternoon deadline? Yeah, I’m stopping that. I cannot tell you how much I was beating myself up over something that truly doesn’t matter and that not a singular one of you has ever complained about. (Thank you!)
Why do so many of us do this to ourselves? Ughhhhhhh.
Anyway, this gd leap week sorta kicked my ass all over the place in a lot of ways. What about you?!?
Getting back into this space always makes me feel better though—especially when I let go of some of my “rules”.
I will say that I very much need this ADHD med shortage to get itself sorted. I am certainly fine without them, as I was for most of my life. But my god, they have helped so much with my overall anxiety and I want them backkkkkkkkkkkkk. See also: creative focus + finally finishing my closet clean out by actually donating and/or selling the piles of things currently littering my guest room.
The best thing about Leap Day is that it gave BookTok + beyond another reason to celebrate Tia’s latest novel, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. If you’ve read it, or are in the process, you know that February 29 is part of its, um, magic. I love hearing from so many of you about the book and have been passing along the compliments to T, who is THRILLED so many people are enjoying her words.
I also realized I forgot to share the very cool press box that went out for the book. You know your friend has really made it they design all the packaging around the look of the book…and you get lots of legit goodies.
The candle fits right in, nestled between Harry/Pleasing merch. (If you’re newer to these parts, Tia was my acid trip guide when I first went fully off the deep end over the British Fruit Witch.)
I’m VERY excited that Indy is now on the book tour. Gary G. + I will be going to fangirl out, natch. I think I’ll wait until after that fun event to do my big post on the book so I can include some nuggets and vids from the evening.
I did my English major thing again…and I even color-coordinated like a real nerd. I have so many things already written about this gem.
But I also want you all to send me questions you want to ask Tia about ALSFRW (the pianogasm!), her other books, writing, fangirl life, Prince1, or whatever. I’ll get you as many answers as I can 😉.
Leave them in the comments, reply to the newsletter via email, DM me, text me, whatever. I shall keep you anonymous if you wish!
ICYMI, I waxed poetic about my blankie and The Graham Norton Show earlier in the week for paid subscribers—though everyone gets a lil preview.
Let’s get into the rest, shall we?
The Return of Waity Katy
Back in the day, the tabloids called Kate Middleton “Waity Katy” pre-Wills proposing and during their on/off dating periods. They, obvs, meant it to be mean-spirited. Now Katy has the whole world, um, waity-ing once more. She first turned the tables when the press waited for her to give birth to George, then Charlotte + Louis.
Now, it’s whole different thing.
To be fair, my royals obsession has decreased sharply in recent years and I haven’t been in deep on the whole Kate situation. But I have found it all extremely curious from the day the Palace announced she was having abdominal surgery back in mid-January—and would be in hospital2 for two weeks. That felt like a LONG time, but I’m no doctor nor expert in the British healthcare system—let alone what that looks like for the current Princess of Wales.
Now, I totally believe that the royals (and anyone in the public eye) deserve privacy around health matters. Another longheld belief? The Firm is terrible at PR and often makes things worse for themselves.
I’m not sure why the “What’s the deal with Kate Middleton?” conversations really exploded online this week, as I’ve been seeing them in my corners of the internet since day one—but they sure did. I guess part of it was William skipping his godfather’s funeral for “personal reasons”, but also just the internet internetting. The memes were everywhere.
Honestly the BBL and Wonka experience ones made me laugh so hard—and the bangs grow-out.
Hopefully it goes without saying, but I hope Kate is doing fine and recovering from whatever needed recovering from. I’m not out here hoping there’s something dire going on, health or otherwise. That’s the ick of the week…the people doing that.
Even for those who don’t like the woman, I’d hope they aren’t wishing ill. But because I’m someone who lived in royals land for ages and did a lot of writing here and elsewhere on the topic, I know that’s not true. Few places are as toxic as online Kate/Meghan convos, then and now.
Along with the funny bangs memes, there are hardcore ”online investigators” and conspiracy theorists (which is basically everyone now, to some degree) up in this business.
They’re bringing up the alleged affair between Wills + Rose Hanbury, even saying things about Will physically abusing Kate. They’re discussing eating disorders and much more seriously unhinged stuff.
There are lots of timelines in play and the feeling that the surgery was planned (as in not emergency), but not known about far in advance because of engagements she had planned. I totally think that makes sense and have from the jump—but that’s medical privacy stuff. She could have been diagnosed and then had a surgery planned for a few days later. That doesn’t mean she’s run off with the children and the Middletons.
I get the fun convos, for sure. But much of this reeks of what I hate so deeply about the current version of the internet—where virality is equated with truth and a bunch of video views turns someone into an expert on a subject they actually don’t know anything about.
Can the Chloé girl stash even just a smidge of media literacy in one of those delish bags on her way back into our lives?!?!? (Much more to come on that fashion front in a few.)
The Palace does themselves no favors on this front because their statements always feel cagey, even when they’re not. See: Wills and the godfather. It took all the online insanity to get this: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."
Once something gets this bonkers online, though, it’s too late to stop the madness. I see they’ve tried to get ahead of themselves about Easter again, but I think it’s all just going to get more weird and speculative until Kate appears.
Also, everyone knows she’s not going to comment on all this, right?
Like, she’s gonna say “Thank you so much for all the kind messages of support. I’m doing well, thank you. Yes, the children were lovely and helpful.” And that’s maximum. She might just say the first sentence in a crowd line while she accepts flowers. Nobody’s sitting on a porch in Montecito to give you the play-by-play on the three months she wasn’t out in public.
Speaking of Montecito, Lauren Sherman has some great stuff in her Line Sheet column on Puck about what’s going on with Meghan Markle’s attempt at a rebrand.
Government Reform
Reformation debuted a new campaign this week starring Monica Lewinsky, photographed by Zoey Grossman. It’s called “You’ve Got the Power” and includes a partnership with Vote.org.
I fucking love it and she looks incredible. Well done by all the parties involved.
I just think Monica is so impressive (and a gorgeous writer). I don’t know how she even survived all that happened to her and I carry a lot of guilt for my own internalized misogyny about her way back then. I wasn’t a Monica hater by any stretch, but we all let her down in a big way.
I was young, sure. But so was she. Seeing her thrive always makes me v. happy.
She spoke exclusively to Elle about the partnership. “I don’t know if this will sound corny,” she said. “But I think a way that women can feel more empowered is by recognizing places that they may need more assistance and asking for that assistance.”
I think that is so true and I am constantly working on it myself.
This is great, too:
“I am a huge, huge proponent of blocking. You want to say something, that’s your prerogative. I don’t have to listen to you…I take myself out of conversations that people have included me in without my permission, which is fine. They’re allowed to do that. It’s just that most people don’t want to be brought into a conversation that is inappropriate to be a part of.”
This shoot got me thinking about when we had her on the cover of Jane in April 2000, a topic of much debate at the time. I did indeed have this issue in my stack!
Terry Richardson shot it and that certainly didn’t age well, given all his mess. But I remember being really proud that we did that story with Monica at the time.
Of course, I started flipping through the whole issue and it’s wild how vividly I remember all of those stories and even the beauty products we shot for tiny little items. What I did last week is fuzzier. Also, my god what a great magazine I got to be a part of—that time was so special.
The masthead from then…
Just a sampling of what was inside:
Sofia Coppola doing The Same Five Questions We Always Ask.
(I’ve long thought about doing modern day dupe of that column here with different people that might be interesting to the WHN audience. Is that something you might enjoy? Let me know—and who you might like to hear from in the Abbyverse.)
A Michael Stipe-lensed fashion well story.
Chuck Close3 photographing female music legends of a certain age. We died dead over this then, too. It was such a get to have Chuck shoot for us, and to be able to book all of these women.
My fashion modeling debut—alongside Sophie Dahl4.
Yes, that’s your girl in the floral skirt and the sliver of Burberry waiting for the elevator. Yes, we shot it over the weekend in the sexy confines of our offices at 7 W. 34th St. Yes, I probably had many cigs in the fashion closet (aka a “CC”). If we did it during a workday, of course we did it on le weekend while shooting fashion, darlings.
There were also some amazing feature pieces that nobody else in the women’s mag space would have been running at the time and a sex positions story that you’d actually find funny and useful. And so much more…
Is it of interest to go through some of these old mags here? Let me know!
Cool Enough to Burn Me Through and Through
Speaking of high fashion, I’m still absolutely high from the fashions at Chloé this week. My beloved has returned to form and Chloé girls across the land have risen up in all their boho chic glory.
This was the first collection from Chimena Kamali and she fucking crushed it in every way possible, as far as I’m concerned.
It is so of the house, but she also very much put her own spin on my ultimate cool girl. Chimena was an intern at Chloé under Phoebe Philo and a designer under Claire Waight Keller, so she knows the brand. And she’s wildly talented herself.
Previously on WHN: A Few of My Favorite Phoebe Philo Fashion Moments
Chimena was giving us that aughts magic of Phoebe, for sure.
But her vision was also informed by the Karl Lagerfeld Chloé of the ‘70s.
I don’t think it’s any surprise that I’ve always dreamed of having an entire closet of Chloé from many decades. Boho is always my style, but sometimes it becomes THE style again and the options abound for me to pull fresh vibes into my personal aesthetic.
The Chloé girl is boho, but with a bit of rock edge to her. She is a bougie hippie with eclectic tastes and effortless cool. She will be out with you until 4 AM and knows where the dopest after after after is. If you can handle it. Her fuck perfection approach to style is actually what creates utter perfection. She is girly and cheeky, but never twee. She can fuck you up, for sure. But she is also deeply unbothered.
I love her so much. I’m beside myself that she’s back in full force.
This collection is a DREAM and I would love to manifest a sponsorship for my 2024 concert season5.
I want to throw up, it’s so good.
I had to stop myself from pulling every look.
Truly…
The return of the Chloé girl without Sienna would have felt so very wrong.
Luckily we didn’t have to worry about that.
I love that we’re bringing Meghann Fahy into this world. As an OG Bold Type stan, this is everything I could want for her.
Look at that front row section. Jerry Hall, a literal callback to Chloé girls past, with Georgia May Jagger? Swooooon.
We love to see it—and those glorious wood wedges all in a row.
GET THEM ON MY FEET IMMEDIATELY.
(Will this be treacherous for someone with my foot issues? I don’t want to talk about it. That said, these busted feet of mine do much better with a wood platform than anything else with height.)
It me. (I didn’t have a chance to properly look at Posh’s latest collection yet!)
All of the other accessories are straight heaven. I would also kill for my hair to look like that every day.
This collection is seriously going to motivate me to get going on trying to expand the WHN universe and some other creative ideas just so I can afford to buy everything Chimena creates henceforth.
Elsewhere in Paris, the Dries show was also excellent. Those oversize sweaters are everything. I love the shapes, especially in the outerwear, and all the really inventive layering and styling.
My amor Loewe came through yet again.
It’s insane how many ideas Jonathan Anderson has—and how excellent they are. I’m wildly jealous of his artistry and creativity. The way he pulls in references and inspiration to create something wholly new and extremely him is, honestly, thrilling to behold.
I gasped when this plaid dress appeared. Ugh, I’m sick over its glory.
I live for a detail shot from the runway.
I can see so many of the pieces from these three collections mixed and matched in my closet.
Oh, to be riiiiiiiiiche.
From the Notepad
What to call these…
Thought starters? Discussion topics? Partially formed ideas? The new quickies? Something I’ll abandon in a few weeks? Who knows.
(Or with me in the comments + elsewhere!)
Sydney Sweeney’s styling is an utter disaster more often than not. I feel like she’s starting to fully flop and needs a project that reminds us she can be good at acting again.
Not even Stevie could make me get into Dune. I hope all of you who are have a blast, though.
I will never tire of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton lore—and letters. This has always been a favorite and I loved seeing it pop up in my feed. If you are also this person and haven’t read Furious Love…stop, go order it, then come back here.
“Never forget your strange virtues…I shall miss you with passion and wild regret.”
GET OUT OF TOWN, LITERAL SIR!
Tony Goldwyn is replacing Sam Waterston on Law & Order Original Sauce and I both love that and don’t enjoy all the times I’ve had to part ways with Jack McCoy.
#1 Olivia remains #1.
Hey, Bradley! It’s okay not to say everything out loud. You’re still not winning an Oscar this year.
When Summer House rises, Vanderpump Rules must fall. These two shows have been on a teeter-totter for a few years now and it’s Summer House’s time in the sun. VPR sucks and the first two eps of SH have been phenomenal, giving us lines like “West fucks. Jesse humps. West knows where your clit is and Jesse’s on your left lip being like, ‘Is this it?’” “Jesse asks, ‘Did you come?’ and West knows that you did.”
There is a lightness in the house, but also Lindsay Hubbard’s psychotic personality. That woman is NUTS and I can’t believe she has a singular friend. Blindsided my ass! The fight we saw this week is proof enough that that relationship was already a nightmare in July.
I absolutely feel that Bethany is behind Leah, Rachel/Raquel, and Brandi’s lawsuits. Also, I would love to do bumps with Andrew Cohen.
Jax + Britney’s “separation” reeks of a publicity stunt for that terrible The Valley show that looks absolutely unwatchable. Not that I’m out here thinking they weren’t always going to break up at some point, but yeah no this is transparent AF.
Larsa Pippen is an absolute liar and garbage person with three brain cells6. Her face and chest literally look they hurt when I’m watching the show.
I can’t believe that she used to look like this.
How did I miss that my chaotic nutter of a show 911 is moving to ABC? I can’t wait until it’s back in my life soooooooon. In a ridiculous twist that could only happen in this TV landscape, 911: Lone Star is still on Fox for at least one more season.
Beyoncé continues put in press promo work in a way she hasn’t in years. No shade, she just hasn’t gone this route of late. Next up: CR Fashion Book + a chat with Carine.
Ms. Tina is giving ‘70s chic in the shoot. Obsessed.
What an internet culture time capsule.
Kacey Musgraves can have my heart and my money. Her new song “Too Good to Be True” is another chill ass groove that highlights the insanely pure tone of her voice. The interpolation of Anna Nalick’s “Breathe” is just divine. She’s also on the cover of The Cut.
Also, how many tour dates will I hit up?? Guesses???
I learned this week that Boston Rob is back on TV. That man will always be able to get it. But…I don’t think I can watch Deal or No Deal: Island. What are we doing, America? Just get Rob + Ambuh on the next season of Traitors.
Countess Luann liked one of my Stories. I squealed. I mean, it was of her obviously. That’s exactly what I expect of my Lu.
LFG Indiana Fever!!!!!!!!!
Eras Tour Diary: Sydney
Oh, hi. Welcome back to the Eras tour.
Before we dive in, I’d just like to say that I will never fail to love how nerdy and smart and psychotic this fandom is. I am honored to be a part of it.
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Also, kudos to Sydney for excellent promo. So many cities have embarrassed themselves over the past year, but this is great.
Indy, please call me to help you with this content. Thanks.
The surprise song slots have gone off the rails, emotionally, and it was exquisite torture to wake up and cry to them each morning. Blondie is unhinged. Who the fuck knows what Singapore will bring…help.
N2:
“Should’ve Said No” x “You’re Not Sorry”
Or, “should’ve said naur” if you’re giving Aussie.
“New Year’s Day” x “Peace”
Um, I’m still not okay. I may never be okay. I said I needed 3-5 business days to recover but there’s been a delay. “Peace” is one I’ve been manifesting since my first posts about tour. But…at least nothing is ever off the table and this was gorgeous.
Now, if you really really need a good cry, watch this video of the “22” hat moment from N2. Like a CRY cry. You have been WARNED. I have seen it 20+ times and convulse with sobs with each viewing.
Sweet Scarlett, you are an angel. So are you, TAS.
My god, I’m already sobbing again just typing this.
Her lil face and labored breaths. Taylor’s hand kiss. I cannot.
That sweet baby has been given about 12-18 months to live and I’m so glad she had this beautiful moment. I honestly don’t know how Taylor can just keep going after looking into those eyes. But good job, Swifties in Australia and beyond who made sure Scarlett’s story got in front of the right people online and she can think about this for however long she has left.
N3:
My friend Steph + her daughter Tilly had an amaaaaaaazing time at this show. As I said, this makes me feel like I was there in some capacity. Yay! Also, before the surprises, let me try to bring you back up emotionally with the delightful kid who got the “22” hat this night.
We cry then we dance, here in Swiftland. It is one of our favorite mood swings.
She really is having so much fun with these mashups.
“Is It Over Now?” x “I Wish You Would”
So, as I’ve stated here many times, 1989 is an album that holds a special place in my heart and in my grief journey because it came out the fall after my mom died and really helped me pull myself out of the deepest parts of the Swamps of Sadness. And I looooooooove an invisible string—and can find them in so many places.
Previously on WHN: A Deep Dive Into 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Because “Isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to meeeeeeee?”7 Do you all do this with events and people regularly—or is that a weirdo Abby thing? I’m constantly finding connections and bridges between the things I love, be it friends, songs, cross-generational pop culture moments, and more.
Anyway, I feel like this mashup is a Steph + Abby invisible string.
For some insight into my brain, follow along:
Steph + I met in our post-college NYC era and ran around that city getting up to shenanigans for a loooooooong time, well past our 20s. These two songs are both from 1989 (TV), Taylor’s album that is firmly rooted in her own NYC 20s—and Harry Styles ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. “I Wish You Would” was one of my surprise songs at Soldier Field, in Chicago where Steph grew up and attended many Bears games and concerts. It’s also a song that makes me think about my mom. Now, she got to experience it in Sydney—where she now lives and I studied abroad—with her own daughter.
Boom. File name: Witch Shit
Anyway, that’s the kind of synoptical nonsense that’s going on in here at all times. Is it any wonder I so enjoy being a Swiftie?
Here’s the fab mashup.
She followed up that banger with…
“Haunted” x “Exile”
N4:
The final night in Oz could be categorized as mass emotional assassination. We hated it and we reveled in it.
“Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” x “Ivy”
Going straight from, “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first” into “So yeah, it’s a fire. It’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it” took our collective breath away.
It was the goddamn fight of our lives and she started it. I cannot imagine being in that space.
One of my dearest Swiftie friends and WCS/Ivy stans had a birthday this week and I told her I had reframed missing this live to mean “it was Blondie’s demented birthday present for you, in a very her way. Like your energy was melded with hers.” If you need a spin, I’m gonna have one for you. Just like when I heard “The Lakes” in Chicago and have retrofitted that to mean it was a message for me about TTPD. Super regular thought stuff.
But she wasn’t done being a monster…
“Forever & Always” x “Maroon”
We shall see what Singapore brings before we take a tour break until May—with an album release in the middle.
Oh, and…
RIP Richard Lewis, a person who absolutely helped shape what I would find funny for my entire life. Bless grief humor by way of his dear, lifelong friend Larry David, too. It really is a beautiful love language … I need more details on what the F1 man has been dabbling in whilst cheating on our beloved Ginger Spice. Why the fuck isn’t the Daily Mail printing the What’s App messages? We know they have no morals or journalistic standards, so there must be something more happening behind the scenes, legally or otherwise … The lede to this Erika Jayne Reuters story is wild: “Reality TV star and singer Erika Jayne Girardi has lost her bid to strike a lawsuit accusing her and her estranged husband, indicted California attorney Tom Girardi, of bribing a former U.S. Secret Service official to pursue false charges of credit card fraud against a Hollywood costume designer.” … I don’t think the kids will ever understand what a chokehold (pun intended) the scarves (mostly skinny, sometimes not) had us in during the aughts … Um, yeah Taylor and Ari were like “hard no” on Jennifer Lopez’s insane movie that I wish for one second she wasn’t being so self-serious about.
Until next week, here’s a video of British teens trying Wendy’s8 for the first time. I found this whole series hilarious.
xA
She is the all-time Prince fangirl and expert.
Yeah, I did it the British way. Add it to the list of things they say better, headlined by “jumper”.
I know bad shit came out about him, too, before he died. There was so much ick happening back in those days with photographers and the like. It was “Not Great Bob” gif.
Roald is her grandfather.
This is not a thing that exists, nor would ever happen with my non-influencer level social following. But that is what dreams are for, right?
Not a hot take.
“Invisible String” originally opened the Folklore set on the Eras tour, but she changed it up to my faaaaavorite song from that album, “The 1” pretty early on. However, she actually switched it back for Nashville N2 in May, as the song references Centennial Park and her life in that city. So I got to hear both. It has not been heard again. YAY and more to add to Filename: Witch Shit.
Absolutely my #1 fast food chain growing up.
This was a JOURNEY! Loved it and learned a lot. Cool Rider always and forev.
Sorry Abby, but I'm all in on the Kate Discourse. It's so OBVIOUS that the British Press was told to keep quiet and keep away. No little stories about how the kids are "stepping up to help mom"? No paps in Bucklebury to snap pics of the Middletons (and no pics of her parents or Pippa visiting Kate in the hospital)? Especially compared to how visible Charles and Camilla were around his own surgery and recovery.
Not everyone is a Meghan fan (and I do understand some of the criticism) but it's clear the Royal Family put in the effort for Kate that they were unwilling to do for Meghan. And because (IMO) they were so vague (and all the William weirdness at the same time) it is going to be that much more scrutiny for Kate when she does return.