March 16, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC My best friend was diagnosed with celiac disease when we were in high school, about six or seven years before gluten-free became mainstream. As her best friend, I had the distinct joy of trying out the (small amount of) gluten-free baked goods that were available at the time, and they were terrible. Flash forward, and TBH you can find some gluten-free goods that taste better than their wheat-based counterparts. I’m reminded of this as I try to put into words the trajectory of vegan leather. Before “sustainable fashion” became more mainstream, some of the only real leather alternatives you had were made out of new plastic. The first vegan leather jacket I purchased was, unfortunately, made out of 100 percent plastic. So, not only was it not great for the environment, it was also squeaky if I even slightly moved my arms. It also made me super sweaty because—surprise—plastic is not very breathable. In the many years since then, I’ve become a much more conscious consumer. So while leather is bad for the environment, just because a fabric is vegan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s environmentally friendly. Luckily, there has been innovation in recent years in leather alternative fabrics—they look like leather and feel like leather, but aren’t leather. They’re also better for the environment than leather and leather alternatives like plastic. They’re like the amazing gluten-free mini cake I had yesterday versus the cardboard-y gluten free bagel of 13 years ago. Only, you
Category: Fashion
If a good cry is healthy, the new season of “Queer Eye” has gotta be a cure-all
March 16, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC What does a perfect day look like for you? Maybe it includes an epic meal, jet-setting adventures, romantic moments that make Call Me By Your Name seem gray and boring, and of course: cathartic sobbing. (Just me?) Any great day for me can be made better by getting at least a little teary, because the high from that release is the quickest stress-buster I know. Medical experts agree that letting those tears flow, even if they come up at unexpected moments (like yoga class, during movies, and even, yikes, post-orgasm), is really good for you. So if you judge Queer Eye seasons purely on sob factor (again, just me?), let me give the third outing for the Fab Five, which dropped yesterday on Netflix, a hearty two (Kleenex-covered) thumbs up. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. Watching Queer Eye is like a beautiful detox to cleanse your tear ducts, your eyes, your lymphatic system, and your very soul. Or at least it feels that way. When the Netflix series debuted in early 2018 (God, was it only a year ago?), the crying was the point. Call it must-sob TV. It was a cultural moment where America took a break from its red state-blue state stalemate for some seriously therapeutic hugs. ( Oh, A.J…I hope you and your stepmom are okay.) And this season, as it strays further from
Make room in your closet: These 7 activewear brands are cute, comfy, and come in sizes up to *at least* 3X
March 15, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC It’s hard enough to find workout wear that looks and feels good on your body. It’s even more difficult to find a single brand that’s doing it well for an inclusive size range. Today, though, more activewear brands are making it their mission to create clothing to fit everybody. And guess what? They’re doing it in a way that isn’t only accessible, but also super-fashionable. The below seven brands are offering sizes that range from XS to 3X (and then some). They are setting the bar for all others to follow suit, making the statement that you don’t have to sacrifice quality or style for size. Here are the best size-inclusive workout brands you need to know. Good American Buy Now Good American The True Strength Sports Bra $49 Buy Now Good American The Icon Bike Short $65 Buy Now Good American The Gloss Sculpt Jumpsuit $139 Good American has built its entire brand (jeans, bodysuits, activewear, and more) on the platform of size inclusivity. Whether that means offering identical styles in straight and plus sizes or proving that you can’t very well put any body shape or size in a simple category, Good American has your back, with a size range that goes from XS to 4XL. Nike Buy Now Nike Sportswear Heritage Fleece Crew $60 Buy Now Nike Sportswear Graphic Leggings $50 Buy Now Nike Swoosh Medium-Support Sports Bra $30 Buy Now https://www.nike.com/t/swoosh-womens-medium-support-sports-bra-plus-size-2vzVmb $30 Longtime fitness staple Nike now makes workout
Spring break travel horoscope: Where to go, according to your sign
March 15, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC It might not feel like the case, but spring is coming…eventually. And though the days of partying it up in during a designated spring break timeframe might be behind you, there’s something to be said for escaping during that calendar window. But with so many destinations available for your wanderlusting desires, how do you pick the best spot for you? Why not look to the stars for the answers? After all, your zodiac sign can be a helpful resource for determining the best vacation for your specific personality and also for figuring out exactly what to do when you get there. That’s precisely where Katie Huang and Paula Pavlova, the astrology experts behind Moonbox, a subscription service integrating your beauty routine with the lunar cycle, come in. Below, they outline the best travel destinations for each zodiac sign, so the only thing left for you to do is book your tickets. Check out where to travel this spring, according to your zodiac sign. Graphics: Well+Good Creative Aries: Vipassana Meditation Retreat Symbolized by the ram, Aries love to be number one—which is why they’re the first sign of the zodiac. Ruled by fire, they like to dive headfirst into everything and think later, which can lead to some sticky situations. Basically, they’d do best to slow down…way down. That’s why Vipassana, a 10-day silent retreat that takes place in worldwide locations, is just the ticket. Calming the physical body extends to calming the inner fire in the
Is ClassPass still worth it? I tried it to find out
March 15, 2019 at 07:17AM by CWC Classpass has come a long way in the last six years. What started as a $100-a-month membership plan that gave you unlimited access to workout classes across New York City has now expanded 2,500 cities in 15 countries, and launched a booming digital fitness business that gives members access to top trainers from the comfort of their own living rooms. As the company’s offerings have changed over the last half-decade, so too, has its membership options. Which begs the question: Is ClassPass worth it? The monumental increase in partner studios and gyms (9,000 were added in the past year, rounding out to over 15,000 total) is just one of the many, many things that’s changed about the boutique fitness membership platform recently, along with the addition of varying class pack options, price hikes, the discontinuation of the Unlimited class plan, and the addition of wellness experiences to the growing roster. The biggest recent change, though, has been the introduction of the “credits” system. Unlike the original post-unlimited ClassPass model, where your membership afforded you a set number of classes per month (the Core Plan, for example, yielded 10 classes for $135), users are now able to purchase “credits,” and can redeem those credits at as many different classes as they’d like. Various classes retail for a various number of credits determined by a “dynamic pricing system”: A peak spot at Barry’s Bootcamp, for example, could cost 20 credits, while a two-hour slot at Crunch Gym will
The most important thing I ever did for my self-esteem was to stop wearing pants
March 14, 2019 at 01:04PM by CWC High school isn’t often characterized as a fun time, but those years were tumultuous for me in a very specific way. Long story short: I skipped two grades, so I was only 12 when I started ninth grade. While most of the people around me had already gone through puberty, I had yet to experience what it meant to have a “changing body.” When that uncomfortable coming-of-age moment finally arrived in tenth grade—I was 13 going on 14—my self-esteem went downhill, fast. That year, I got my first period and ballooned in size to about 300 pounds. I suddenly went from being baby-fat chubby to being the type of person who was now firmly in the plus-size category. (It would take me years to learn that I was dealing with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that can cause heavy periods, acne, infertility, and—yes—weight gain.) Of course, this meant my entire wardrobe changed, especially when my J-cup boobs continued to grow in. Before this moment, I hadn’t really thought about clothing that much. As the middle of five children, I often wore hand-me-downs or stuff my mom picked out. I didn’t really question whether something looked good or made me feel good. As I struggled to understand what felt like a completely new body, I realized that clothing now existed in two categories for me: clothing that made me feel good about myself and clothing that didn’t. I spent the better part of that year trying to
Think you’ve tried everything for your sleep issues? Enter CBD…
March 14, 2019 at 12:30PM by CWC As editor-in-chief and co-founder of Miss Grass, an elevated lifestyle shop and publication for women and cannabis, Anna Duckworth has tried cannabis for everything from sex to cooking. And now, she’s sharing her cannabis knowledge with Well+Good. Today, she takes on a topic we’re all more than a little bit obsessed with over here: how to get a better sleep. We are an exhausted nation: Roughly 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders. And, considering lack of sleep can lead to mood and personality changes, we’re a cranky one, too. To put it simply, we’re tired of being tired and we’re looking for solutions. Cannabis—CBD (cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive component of cannabis that’s cropping up in everything from lotions to lattes) in particular—is a tantalizing alternative to the typical Ambien prescription or medicine cabinet full of melatonin that, according to Elizabeth Cramer Ernst, nurse practitioner and owner of the medical marijuana clinic Hamptons Medi Spa, could provide significant relief for insomnias. In recent studies, CBD has shown promising signs of being both an effective and safe way to get more zzz’s, although much more research needs to be done before definitive conclusions can be drawn. Through the fog that comes with pulling unintended all-nighters night after night, however, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that difficulty sleeping is very rarely just that. It’s almost certainly the result of an underlying condition. For many people, a lack of sleep comes down to anxiety—which,
Why right now is the best time to work through your petty grudges
March 13, 2019 at 08:56AM by CWC My dad is a big fan of celebrations. He says if people aren’t gathering for a wedding, a graduation, or a birthday, it’s a funeral. “At funerals, people cry and say ‘we should get together,’” he says. “And then the next time they see each other is at another one of these things.” I didn’t understand this fully until I recently lost an estranged friend to suicide, an experience that left me with mountains of grief and pain resulting from never having let go of certain stupid grudges. Our relationship was complicated, but the lies about ex-boyfriends, a college-era love triangle, and fights about “accidentally” stolen shirts all felt so minuscule and stupid once she passed. Until I was tasked with navigating this situation of not even being able to forgive someone, I had lived by the millennial credo of “cut out all toxic people”—and that’s how she felt to me in the context of my reality. But had I known that reality were about to shift? I don’t know. And I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with these feelings. Thankfully, Virginia A. Simpson, PhD, a California-based bereavement-care specialist with over 30 years experience in the field of death, is more knowledgable than I am. With her insight, I began my healing process of decrypting my grief, learning how to reach out when it’s hard, and understanding why right now is the best time to let go of petty grudges. Why grief
Learn to unwind like Simone Biles (because you totally deserve a gold medal for crushing that workout)
March 13, 2019 at 08:14AM by CWC Clear your calendar. The summer Olympics will be here before you know it. In the meantime, between press junkets and rigorous workouts, athletes ramping up for an opportunity to win Olympic gold are also considering the importance of cooling down. A prime example of elite athleticism, gymnast Simone Biles, who turns 21 on March 14, is focused on thoughtful recovery as she prepares for Tokyo 2020. I caught up with Biles in Paris at the unveiling of the Women’s World Cup national team soccer kits. The new uniforms will dot the field when the tournament returns this summer. As a gymnast, Biles is united with the athletes of all types on the heels of a landmark women-driven Nike Just Do It campaign. (Seriously, you need to watch it because it will give you all the feels). “It was very empowering to see all the ladies out there taking such strong strides and having confidence—even when we’re speaking out—knowing that we can do anything that the male athletes can do and more,” Biles tells me. Biles’ efforts to change the sport of gymnastics are equally remarkable. She earned four gold medals and a single bronze at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janiero. She’s since proved unstoppable, performing never-been-done-before vaults and can’t-believe-your-eyes tumbling routines. Her workouts are no joke and neither is her recovery routine. “I love doing massages because it’s also relaxing and usually I fall asleep,” says Biles. And while a massage might
The best exercises to strengthen your hamstrings, straight from the experts
March 13, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC You pay extra close attention to toning your core, arms, and butt—but how about your hamstrings? The often overlooked muscle group (which includes the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris) isn’t just responsible for giving you a perky behind and toned legs. Hamstring exercises strengthen a muscle group that greatly affects functional movements. “Your hamstrings contribute to your functional motion (such as walking and running), help with posture, and are responsible for your speed, power, and agility in many sports. The stronger your hamstrings are, the faster you can stop, resume running, and change direction,” says Emily Samuel, a trainer at New York City’s Dogpound. “Muscles work in pairs, so if you have weak hamstrings, you’re mostly relying on your quads to take the load and stabilize the knees and hips. Those imbalances can lead to injury—you definitely don’t want the quads doing all the work.” To give your hamstrings get the attention they deserve, bring on the burn with these strengthening exercises, whether you’re working on a mat in your living room or lifting at the gym. 8 trainer-approved hamstring exercises 1. Kettlebell swings “Starting with the kettlebell about a foot in front of your feet, hinge at your hips, grabbing the kettlebell as it’s tilted back. Hike the kettlebell back to the upper part of your thighs, then drive your hips forward, using momentum to let the kettlebell float. Then let it come back between your legs and drive again through your