| Good morning.
Feeling chilly? If you’re in Britain, you’re likely enduring the umpteenth week of rain, cold wind and all-pervasive greyness. In which case: might I interest you in a pashmina? The silky scarf, a staple of south Asian design, is back in fashion, says Maria Shollenbarger, and though it won’t do the heavy lifting of, say, a shearling coat – which Sara Semic has also found the best of – it could help with the creature comforts. 
© Backgrid The pashmina’s comeback has been sealed by fans such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kendall Jenner and the ever-chic Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. It tickled me pink because, however beautiful and elegant, it has long been associated with the kind of posh, Sloaney socialite whose vowels will be just as wafty as her scarf. In some circles, a “Pashmina” is a person. But Maria, a long-term fan and collector, reminds us that it has a far more storied history than its clichés would suggest.  <img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/t/2/8448/npnj5xo85s@niepodam.pl/5824522933157968/0/0'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npnj5xo85s@niepodam.pl/5824522933157968?pid=1'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npnj5xo85s@niepodam.pl/5824522933157968?pid=2'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npnj5xo85s@niepodam.pl/5824522933157968?pid=3'><img width='1' height='1' style='display:none;border-style:none;' alt=' src='https://images.passendo.com/extt/2/8448/npnj5xo85s@niepodam.pl/5824522933157968?pid=4'> |  |
© Philippa Langley Another comeback: Boots, a stalwart of the British high street, has managed to reinvent itself. The pharmacy chain was at risk of becoming passé but has adapted to beauty’s terrifyingly fast-changing trends, in part by using AI. Products now appear under “Trending on Social” banners in Boots, channelling whatever is blowing up on TikTok; it has also leant heavily into wellness, launching 750 items in that sector in the past year alone. If you’re interested in knowing how we shop, and why, Hannah Coates’s report makes for essential reading. 
© David Abrahams Those who go to the gym will know that one of the great sources of bonding is that one person who lifts too heavily. As they yank and wheeze and put themselves in clear danger, we all smile, nod smugly and tut that it’s all about the “form”. However, there is also the danger that you don’t push yourself at all, and spend years doing essentially the same thing, in the same way, while answering emails. (And yes, this may possibly stem from personal experience.) The latest in our Is It Worth It? column asks the salient question: should you be lifting heavier? It jolted me a bit – maybe it’ll jolt you too. Finally, we spend a moment with fashion content creator Lyas, who freely admits that his success is inspired by “hate”. This isn’t because of liberal trolling, but because he loathed not being invited to certain fashion shows despite his burgeoning popularity online (he has 428k followers on Instagram). The young Frenchman’s response was to organise “watch parties”, where he and other non-invitees could convene to watch style’s big happenings. They’ve since become some of the most popular events of fashion week: Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut last October attracted 2,000 people to a dingy corner of the 10th arrondissement. The atmosphere at the events is fabulously raucous. At last: a hooliganism we can all approve of. | | | | THREE MORE STORIES TO READ THIS WEEK | | |
