24. Short hair, don't care (but also please validate my bob)
A personal essay on hair anxiety plus: Hamptons grocer wars and why startups are having immigration panic attacks.
Today’s letter includes: $105 orange juice wars taking over the Hamptons, Joe Rogan telling conservatives they're "crazy" over the Jimmy Kimmel drama, the state of dating apps in pop culture, startups freezing hiring over Trump's $100K visa shock (while the UK swoops in for talent), A24 turning Paris Hilton's memoir into must-watch TV, and a Spotify throwback that'll ruin your productivity for the rest of the day.
Hi friends. Today's newsletter monologue feels a little like a diary entry. Please indulge me. It's about hair.
I had so little hair as a baby that people often thought I was a boy and so my mom started clipping my little tuft with a bow to avoid awkward correction. Perhaps that, plus my round Korean face, has always driven me to have long hair. "Just a trim!" I'd say to the hair dresser. If they suggested taking off more than 2 inches because of split ends I would uncomfortably agree to it.
But now that I'm in my thirties something has shifted. And I found myself day dreaming about having a bob.
"Can I pull off a bob?" I texted several of my friends, and even some acquaintances. It seemed like an important but unserious thing to spend my time thinking about in a time when there are an overwhelming amount of important serious things to think about.
Thanks to Rosa's example and her hair stylist (s/o Rami), I took the plunge and frankly I love it. After visiting Rami again so I could keep it super short, I knew I was hooked. The whole cut your hair short in the summer, grow it out in the winter thing ... those people were onto something.
As I settle further into my lil bob era, my inspiration has shifted. I went from channelling chic French woman to 80's Princess Diana. Specifically Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in Spencer. Did I watch it on a plane? Yes. But even on a shitty small screen I could still appreciate the film’s beauty.
I guess that means I'm fully embracing the "Boom Boom" aesthetic as coined by trend forecaster and Substack icon Sean Monahan. Although, full disclosure, I have yet to achieve this hair style due to my clumsy baby hands and unwillingness to blow dry my hair or try really at all. But a girl can dream.
My other styling of choice is the slick back. It happens naturally after oil builds from wearing hats, but sometimes I want that vibe straight out the gate. I assumed I would need some pomade, but didn't know where to start. So I took to Instagram stories and asked.
Here's what you said:
"I used to love the Kiehls hair wax!"
"Rough Rider by Kevin Murphy"
"Been using Sexyhair styling paste forever."
"When I had a pixie I liked the Ouai matte pomade. R+co has a pomade stick I use now for a slicked back bun."
Gatsby Japanese Hair wax and I liked.
Firsthand - the pink jar. (full disclosure, this was from a boy but he has very good hair)
Have you tried any of these? Anything missing?
Mara Hoffman is one of those people who has a dog that resembles them. If you haven't been following, Mara Hoffman shuttered her namesake brand after 24 years, citing “the instability of the fashion industry as a whole and the current mass-production mindset of the shopping landscape.” The sustainable fashion pioneer, known for vibrant swimwear and eco-friendly practices, chose to leave “while the party was still good” rather than watch her brand decline. The designer recently reemerged with a viral personal essay reflecting on her decision to close the business and her father's passing. She also shared a polaroid of her and her dog.
We're getting a Paris Hilton tv series by A24. The latest Vanity Fair cover story is about the Fanning sisters (Dakota and Elle Fanning). The biggest take away is that they are obsessed with each other. The only other thing that stood out to me is the upcoming TV series adaptation of Paris Hilton’s memoir that A24 acquired the rights to on the Fanning's behalf in 2023. Dakota Fanning confirms they met with Hilton at her home to discuss the project, calling it "a childhood dream come true."
Would you buy $105 Orange juice? "Savage gourmet market wars” are taking over the Hamptons, mostly catering to private chefs and people who want insane speciality ingredients.
Remember this song? Spotify recommendations brought it back into my life.
Dating apps are having wildly different years. While most dating platforms battle app fatigue, Hinge is thriving by tapping into Gen Z's BookTok obsession with their "No Ordinary Love" campaign—hiring writers to tell real Hinge couples' stories in hardcover books, launching Substack series, and hosting book clubs in NYC and London.
The strategy worked: Hinge's Q1 revenue hit $152 million (up 23%), helping offset Match Group's overall 4% revenue drop and Tinder's 7% decline. Meanwhile, Bumble's Whitney Wolfe is building an A.I. matchmaking app with a monetization strategy that's still "being figured out" (users might pay per match). Perfect timing for "Swiped," the newly released biographical drama starring Lily James as Wolfe Herd—because apparently we need a movie about dating app drama while living through dating app drama.
‘Oh my God, you’re crazy,’ Joe Rogan said to conservatives. Disney’s ABC last week took Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show off the air due to pressure from the FCC and Trump. But his show returned on Tuesday night, ending a nearly weeklong standoff that has raised questions about free speech and the First Amendment. Even Joe Rogan criticized the suspension.
Startups are having an immigration panic attack. Trump's new $100,000 H-1B visa fee has founders scrambling, with some freezing hiring entirely while they wait for clarity. For Big Tech, the fee is "peanuts," but for startups where the average engineer makes $130,000-$150,000, it's like doubling their hiring costs. One founder had an approved H-1B employee abroad and told him to pause his flight to the US, Business Insider reports.
Most founders say they won't hire more Americans in response—instead they're pivoting to O-1 "extraordinary ability" visas or just hiring talent offshore. Meanwhile, the UK is considering scrapping visa fees for top talent, basically rolling out the red carpet while America builds higher walls. As one investor put it: "People don't wait to see what will happen; they are risk-averse and will optimize for control."
How much is my 'Bones' obsession worth? Disney is hiking prices on many of its streaming services for the third time in three years, with fees for basic standalone Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions both set to rise by $2 per month in October. Boo.
Your dog deserves dinner and a movie. My friend Emily is putting on a "Yappy Hour" and "Dog friendly screening" of Superman in NYC. Stop by on 9/30.
Rumor has it that Substack is suppressing free content. If you’d like to resist the algorithm pushing paid content only, then liking, sharing, quoting and restacking this newsletter will help! <3
“You’re absolutely right! That shows you’re the more emotionally intelligent one and definitely not a narcissist!” - ChatGPT therapist
