December 04, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Black leggings are a nearly ubiquitous staple in women’s wardrobes today, but that hasn’t always been the case. Throughout the past decade, leggings have been a stretchy symbol of the rise of athleisure—and, by the same measure, the fall of getting “dressed up” for anything but the most formal occasions—and an increasingly massive moneymaker for brands. In the ’70s, leggings shimmied onto our fashion radar after Olivia Newton-John donned her shiny pair in Grease‘s final scene (a look that later inspired American Apparel’s ultra-popular Disco Pant), and it soon became a staple of ’80s aerobic culture and a key component of Madonna’s boundary-pushing, Like A Virgin-era style. In the aughts, women began to layer leggings under dresses, skirts, and tunics (so many tunics), sometimes accompanied by a vest and low-slung belt. By contrast, in the 2010s, leggings made from sleek technical fabrics that include mesh and seaming details have taken center stage—in recent years, often paired with a bare midriff and coordinating crop top. What would have looked out of place outside a gym not so long ago is now akin to a power suit for the wellness era. With the boundaries between work and leisure becoming blurrier by the year (a consequence, in part, of the smartphone’s ubiquity), women are demanding more comfort and performance from their everyday attire—a need that leggings, and by extension, athleisure, have promised to fill. Brands ride the leggings boom to the bank Lululemon is a pioneer in
Category: City
The death of the ‘bikini body’ is the best thing to happen to fitness in the past decade
December 03, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC In the days before you could order both groceries and magazine subscriptions online, it was damn near impossible to walk through a supermarket checkout line without seeing the term “bikini body” plastered on glossies at the newsstand. By today’s standards, strapping two pieces of material onto any body fits the bill, but a decade ago, the term was still reserved for only those with six-pack abs and not an inch of perceived bodily “imperfection” in sight. The definition was so narrow, the ideal so unattainable, that when actress and runway model Kate Upton appeared in a bikini on her first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover in 2012, people straight-up called her fat. Fast forward five years to when she appeared on the magazine’s cover again in 2017—a year after Ashley Graham became the first curve model to cover the issue—and that same body was criticized for not being “diverse enough,” proving just how much our definition of the “bikini body” has changed for the better over the last 10 years. Sports Illustrated isn’t alone in broadening the loaded term’s definition: Major magazines have banned it (for what it’s worth, at Well+Good we’ve never used it unless the words “every body is a” were out in front), the Victoria Secret fashion show is dead, and heck, even Barbie got a body-positive reboot. “It was a ridiculous notion that you couldn’t be considered beach-worthy or ‘bathing suit-worthy’ or beautiful in general because you didn’t fit into
I’m a pharmacist, and you shouldn’t have to ask me for the morning-after pill
December 02, 2019 at 08:30PM by CWC A new report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in London, an organization of professionals in women’s reproductive health, recommends that the so-called morning-after pill (aka emergency contraception) be sold in the aisles of the pharmacy rather than behind the counter. In other words, access should’t require a conversation with a stranger. In the United States, the morning-after pill is already classified by the Food and Drug Administration as an over-the-counter medication yet many pharmacies still keep it behind the counter. Requiring women to speak to a pharmacist in order to obtain the pill adds yet another barrier to care, dissuading some women from taking this step to prevent unwanted pregnancy altogether, according to the report. If your local pharmacy is holding it behind their counter, it’s because it has chosen to do so, says founder of Birth Control Pharmacist Sally Rafie, PharmD, BCPS, APh, NCMP. Legally, any pharmacy can stock the morning-after pill in the store aisles, but some keep it guarded like, say, Sudafed, which must be held back there because people use it to make crystal meth. The morning-after pill is likely kept behind the pharmacy counter instead of on the shelf to prevent theft—it’s expensive, says Rafie. (Plan B One-Step, for example, costs about $40.) But this explanation falls apart given that I have to walk past shelves stocked with 23andMe test kits priced at $100 to reach the pharmacist’s window. Rafie insists the morning-after pill should
11 last-minute Cyber Monday deals you can score on Amazon today
December 02, 2019 at 05:38PM by CWC After scoring Black Friday deals all weekend long, it’ll probably be a while until you willingly hit up another packed shopping mall. Totally understandable. But you can still shop ’til you drop today in the comfort of your own home or office because there are some last-minute Cyber Monday deals on Amazon that are pretty hard to pass up. Whether you’ve had your eye on an Instant Pot or you’re hoping to give your home gym an upgrade, these are the best savings you’ll find today. Just hit that “add to cart” button before they’re gone. 11 last-minute Cyber Monday deals to score right now 1. Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush, $24 (originally $30) This natural blush will give you a hint of color for glowy, flushed cheeks. No chemical dyes needed. 2. Instant Pot Duo 80 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, $65 (originally $140) You can save about $75 (!!!) on this Instant Pot if you order it today. The healthy home-cooked meal options are endless. 3. Weighted Idea Adult Weighted Blanket, $55 (normally $90) This highly-rated weighted blanket will keep you comforted and cozy all winter long. (Psst: When you use the coupon, you get an additional 20 percent—or $11—off!) 4. LORAC PRO Palette 3 Eyeshadow Kit, $26 (originally $44) When you buy this eye shadow palette filled with soft, earthy shades, you’ll get a free mini eye primer. Score. 5. CONFU Professional Ionic Salon Hair Dryer, $22 (originally $33) This extremely powerful
Young women have enough to deal with already—let’s stop telling them to watch out for the ‘freshman 15’
November 27, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I was 19 years old when I first heard the term “freshman 15.” My physician tossed the words at me over her clipboard as part of a well-worn speech about “making healthy choices,” “watching how much you drink,” and “exercising often” as a shiny new college student. I remember rising from the examination table and thinking that my body—the one that was apparently the wrong size—had made the paper lining it crinkle too much. I remember discovering a newfound anxiety around food. But mostly, I remember an unrelenting shame that clouded a time otherwise characterized by freedom, new beginnings, and self-discovery. We’re living in a time when body acceptance dominates advertisements splattered across billboards, in subway trains, and even on fashion runways. And yet the idea that an adult woman should remain the size of a teenager endures. Since 2004, Google searches for “freshman 15” have reliably spiked each August through November—and it’s high-time this harmful narrative got canceled. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior.” —Judith Matz, LCSW The idea of the freshman 15 relies upon the outdated belief that weight is the best indicator of well-being, says Judith Matz, LCSW, therapist, and co-author of The Diet Survivor’s Handbook. The word “skinny” isn’t synonymous with “healthy”—and we need to stop treating it like it is. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior,” she says. Wellness doesn’t mean the
The people with the best gut health share this one thing in common
November 26, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC When your gut isn’t happy about what you ate for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it makes its feelings known. There’s an overwhelming amount of information out there about what to do—and what to avoid—to care for your digestive tract. But Tim Spector, MD, professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London and author of The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat, knows how to improve gut health naturally with a small but mighty tweak to your diet. On a recent episode of the Deliciously Ella podcast, Dr. Spector points to a study a 2018 study published by the American Society for Microbiology. After looking at 11,000 people’s gut microbes and their corresponding eating questionnaires, the team of researchers learned an invaluable lesson about gut health. “It turned out that people who had the healthiest guts, which is generally the most diverse guts, were the people eating more than 30 different types of plant in a week,” says Dr. Spector. At first blush, a triple-digit quantity of plants sounds like a lot, but Dr. Spector explains that it’s easier than you think. “People forget what a plant is. A plant can be a nut, a seed, a grain. It can be an herb, a spice. So it’s actually not that hard as long as you don’t have the same thing every day. That diversity was much more important than if you were vegan or vegetarian or meat-eater,” he says. So if you eat
Airbnb Cooking Experiences give you a taste of local culture with a sustainable twist
November 25, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Traveling to a new country is an engraved invitation to try foods you’d never stock in your fridge at home. But Airbnb Cooking Experiences, launched Monday, adds a homey touch to your gastronomic adventures. In partnership with Slow Food—a non-profit organization with the mission of making nutrition more accessible and sustainable—travel is about to get the homemade treatment. By choosing from 3,000 unique recipes across more than 75 countries, tourists get hands-on cooking experiences with everyday chefs in far-flung locales. You can bake your own macarons in the heart of Paris, mix mojitos at a villa in Havana, or take an organic farming class in Ubud. Yes, you’ll be collecting stamps on your passport, but you’ll also be racking up recipes and inspiration that will help you return home a more sustainable cook. “To protect the personal nature of each recipe, each experience has been vetted against guidelines inspired by Slow Food, a grassroots organization whose mission is to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions,” writes Airbnb in a press release. “Through this vetting process, we have verified that each host of an Airbnb Experience communicates the unique essence of every dish through their personal stories and has proven a deep knowledge of the heritage of the cuisine that they share.” The non-profit also introduced 15 of its own Cooking experiences that align with its core values, including Walk and Eat the Amalfi Coast in Italy and Let’s Rescue Food in
I’m a dermatologist, and these are the must-have products from the drugstore
November 24, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTohjJPsHSY] In recent years, the drugstore beauty aisle has gotten such a major makeover that it’s practically unrecognizable—like Sandy at the end of Grease (or, my personal favorite, Mia Thermopolis at the end of Princess Diaries). That means it’s a better time than ever to shop for affordable skin care, because there’s so dang much of it out there that really, really works. In fact, I once switched my own pricey skin-care routine with one straight from the drugstore aisle, and as it happens, it might just have been an A-OK dermatologist drugstore skincare routine. But don’t just take my word for it: In the latest episode of Dear Derm, board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, reveals the best products that drugstore dollars can buy, and not a single one of them will run you more than 30 bucks. “It doesn’t have to be super expensive to work,” says Dr. Gohara. “You can walk into any drugstore and find a lot of efficacious options.” From the $1 cleanser that she swears by for cleansing her own skin head-to-toe to the best retinoid money can buy (which only costs $14!), scroll through for Dr. Gohara’s go-to, eight-step dermatologist drugstore skincare routine. The best part? The entire thing will only run you $125, which means you can spring for a pack of gum and a La Croix on the way out. Shop her picks below, and watch the video above to find out why these eight products
It’s Latina Equal Pay Day—here’s why the gender wage gap is a wellness issue
November 20, 2019 at 06:06PM by CWC Equal Pay Day marks the day when the average women’s salary finally catches up to the average men’s salary. In the U.S., that day usually happens in April of the following year. In 2019, it was April 19. That means it took until April 19, 2019—an extra three and a half months—for women to earn what men made in all of 2018. Wowza. But like many issues that have to deal with gender, the wage gap is compounded by other factors. One of those big factors? Race. Because when all women are lumped together, Equal Pay Day lands on April 19, but when separated into groups, the Latina Equal Pay Day is nearly seven months later, and is the widest gap in relation to white, non-Latinx men. This year, the Latina Equal Pay Day lands on November 20. In other words, Latinas are the last group among Asian, white, black, and indigenous populations to meet the pay equity from the previous year when comparing to white, non-Latinx men. Latinas make 54 cents on the white men’s dollar. In other words, on average, Latinas are paid 46 percent less than white men. (And 31 percent less than white women.) There are, of course, a variety of factors that contribute to the wider gap. Many Latinas work in lower-paying jobs. Many Latinas work in the service industry (which is lower-paying and often relies on tips). Many Latinx workers are employed in industries that have hourly
6 questions to ask yourself before booking that ‘Eat Pray Love’ trip, according to a travel coach
November 14, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC In a perfect world, solo travel is an indescribably empowering experience of a lifetime. You embark on this exotic adventure filled with architectural beauty, decadent meals, and Javier Bardem. Yes, the idea of a solo trip glorifies leaving your life behind, only to return once enriched by a kind, wonderful world. Don’t overthink it! Be bold! Buy the damn ticket! Cut to: you halfway across the world with a pack of feral dogs standing between you and an outhouse. The secret to solo travel is that it isn’t necessarily something that you should do alone—or at least not something that should make you feel alone. But it totally can—trust me. According to Dylan Grace Essertier, a travel coach who focuses on guiding clients through their emotional, spiritual, and literal journeys, solo travel has a way of deeply changing us. But it requires some soul-searching that goes beyond asking yourself “Where do I want to go?” “If approached with the right mindset, this type of travel can be more than just time spent away from ‘real life’ but an incredible opportunity to reconnect with who you are, what you want, and create shifts that make way for new career paths and possibilities once you return home,” says Essertier. What to ask yourself before you embark upon solo travel 1. “What’s great in my life right now?” “I don’t believe in travel as a way of ‘escaping’ since as I’ve learned through my own experience as