We’ve seen the TikTok trend – so we’re going to try it… for January… at least…
Today, just like every weekday at THE GLOSS, we performed the same routine: we got to The Courtyard, unlocked our offices, switched on the lights, cranked up our computers. The last person to have their coat on walked down the Main Street to the coffee shop to pick up the team’s flat whites, skinny cappuccinos and americanos – all extra-hot, hoping Dawid, our proudly newly naturalised Irish citizen barista, was on duty. (He makes the best coffee.)
We cherish our daily routines dearly – they are acts of privacy in a world accustomed to playing out the banal-made-perfect day-to-day online. As author Eliane Glaser says: “Living in a culture that simultaneously demands perfection and orders us to be happy with our imperfections, produces a paralysing dilemma.” In a culture torn between the security and pleasure of the routine and the need to be extraordinary, the middle ground, or average, may actually be “our best life”. But we need to be careful about what average means now. So-called Ms Average of our times, Mrs Hinch, the former hairdresser from Essex whose cleanfluencing Instagram account dedicated to displaying various aspects of her at-home life and glorification of domestic cleanliness generates an audience in thrall to banality, epitomises how far away from average we now think average is. And it also reminds us of Simone De Beauvoir’s 1949 book, The Second Sex, when De Beauvoir took aim at housework as torturously repetitive and inane, stunting the self through endless, ubiquitous domestic routines and rituals that offer “little affirmation of individuality”. Why on earth do we, 75 years on, celebrate, elevate and worship those who show us how to wipe down a surface!
But properly, quietly average, living our lives in contented acceptance, that’s an idea we can get behind. The middle ground is a good place to inhabit. Forget an idealised image of how life should be and make peace with how it is right now. Could 2024 be the year to ditch the pressure for our routines to be amazing, and embrace the everyday, non-performatively, and in private?
OUTS
Vision Boards: With over 5.6 million views on TikTok for #manifestationsong, a new trend for attracting luck via music is on the rise. To manifest a better future we suggest listening to Lana Del Rey’s Hundred Dollar Bill track might work…
Regular Lipsticks: It’s all about investing in refillable lipsticks only. Try Prada Beauty’s Soft Matte shades (at Brown Thomas) for starters.
(ALL) INS
Bardot Bangs: Adieu the Butterfly Bob and Cub Cuts, hello Bardot Bangs. The iconic fringe may have appeared first in the 1960s but the face-framing style still looks chic and suits most people.
Analogue Adventures: Gen Z is so over selfies and now favours old technology such as Polaroid cameras and camcorders to document their trips. This may mean the return of photo-albums too.
Reading: Sense of Place, Design Inspired by Where We Live, Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel, Abrams.
Wrapping Up: In a Lucy Nagle X Laura Wills cashmere-mix polo-neck sweater; www.lucynagle.com.
Planning: Design your new interior this spring at Minima’s smart showroom at One Ballsbridge, Dublin 4; www.minimahome.com.
Supporting: The annual fundraiser in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre by watching six new mini-masterpieces starring actors such as Niamh McGrath during The ’24 Hour Plays hosted by the Abbey Theatre on Sunday, January 14. www.abbeytheatre.ie.
Checking Out: Gaia installation by artist Luke Jerram in The Old Library, Trinity College Dublin. We’ll also visit the Book of Kells immersive digital exhibition that transports visitors into the pages of the ninth century manuscript. www.visittrinity.ie
Signing Up: For a class or course at Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin 16. These include baking and cookery classes in the Neff Inspiration Kitchen and interesting talks on gardening that cater to all abilities and ages. www.airfield.ie.
Having Brunch: At Krewe South, Charlemont Square, Dublin 2. The New Orleansinspired bar, sister to the original on Capel Street, fuses fun with Creole cuisine, interesting art and lively music on the menu. www.krewe.ie
Learning To Layer: With tips from Style Editor, Aislinn Coffey as seen in the January Issue on Newstands now!
