Nymphet Alumni – Details, episodes & analysis

In this week's episode, we take a deep dive into Grisch, the fascinating niche style gaining traction among Sweden's affluent youth. Drawing on our listeners' firsthand accounts and a century of Scandinavian cultural history, we dissect its surprisingly long lineage— from fin-de-siècle dandies and Eurotrash dudebros to gangster rappers and old money influencers—all culminating in a high-stakes world of designer denim, puffer vests, and luxury low-profile sneakers. We ponder how the complex relationship between class, age, nationalism, and masculinity embodied by Grisch might result in its global domination.

Special thanks to Charles, Elsa, Justine, Iman, Matilda, Ebba, and Jesper for their insights! 

Links:
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Selected TikToks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Chris Heyn Jr. on TikTok
eric_roth2 on TikTok
Marcus Rolf on TikTok
Your Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Fashion by The Daily Scandinavian
About Us – Garde Grisch
De Vet Du – Sture P (Music Video) 
Peder Fogstrand aka Greven
"The Law of Jante" (on Janteloven) by Michael Booth for The Paris Review
The Murder of Einar (Swedish rap legend) – YouTube
Azealia Banks announces her move to Stockholm in Swedish radio interview
Yung Lean @subwaytakes Interview
Consumers that are middle and upper class in Nordic countries 2024 – Statista

In this episode, journalistic superstar Ezra Marcus joins us to chronicle his journey from the ashes of millennial digital media to the frontlines of today's most exciting investigative reporting. We extol his epic track record—the Sarah Lawrence sex cult, the culinary horror story of Horses, the galaxy gas epidemic, and more— and discover what draws him to the shady fraudster kingpins that personify online hustle culture. We also discuss the true crime documentary slop machine, moonlighting as a party-pumping DJ, the idea that men are the new women, and what it means to stand at the brink of the Chinese century.

Links:
Ezra Marcus's Website 
Ezra Marcus on Instagram
Some of Ezra's greatest hits:
The Next Drug Epidemic is Blue Raspberry Flavored 

The Package King of Miami

The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence

The Cat Who Could Kill Horses

The ‘E-Pimps’ of OnlyFans

How Do You Make a Weed Empire?

In this Halloween centennial special, we have the sublime honor of being joined by one of our all-time heroes Valerie Steele, fashion studies trailblazer and director of the Museum at FIT, to discuss all things Gothic, inspired by her seminal book Gothic: Dark Glamour. We explore the aesthetic’s medieval origins and trace its cultural evolution through literature, art, and architecture all the way to the rise of the Goth subculture in the 1970s and beyond, covering Victorian dandies, sexy vampires, McQueen skull scarves, Japanese couturiers, and more. 

Thanks so much to Valerie for joining us! 

Links: 

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The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology

Gothic: Dark Glamour by Valerie Steele and Jennifer Park

Gothic: Dark Glamour exhibition at MFIT on Google Arts & Culture

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu

Goth Talk: Christina Ricci - Saturday Night Live

“Very Mad, Very Maudlin, Very Macabre: It’s Showtime for the Goth Revival” by Tish Weinstock for Vogue

How to Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style by Tish Weinstock

In this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable Emma Glenn Baker, NYC personal trainer and host of the podcast STARGIRL, to discuss all things body and the cultural status of fitness as it relates to body, brand, and spirit. We discuss activewear power players from Gymshark to Lululemon to Skims, the rise of the erotic fitness-inspired editorials, the sublime embodiment of Gen Z sweethearts Livvy Dunne and Addison Rae, the spiritual consequences of a life lived in stretchy clothes, and more. 

Listen to STARGIRL, join the Patreon, and follow Emma on IG!

Links: 

“Athleisure, barre, and kale: the tyranny of the ideal woman” by Jia Tolentino in The Guardian

Toxic gym motivation trend on TikTok 

“Make Yourself a Gift” by Emma Glenn Baker in Real Life

Equinox “Want It All” ad campaign

The Official Gymshark Story

“Musclebound” in A Dedicated Follower of Fashion by Holly Brubach

In this week's episode, we define the Pastel Protestant Grandmother aesthetic, a cozy visual universe recognizable to anyone belonging to the American Middle Class, or anyone who's ever been to an antique store in America. We discuss the hypnotic sedation of low-definition media, nostalgia-based commodities from Precious Moments figurines to dusty dollhouses, anti-intellectualism and sentimentality in American culture, the social history of craft, Christian kitsch and camp, the dark side of elderly matriarchs, and more.  

Links

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Pastel Protestant Grandma – Our Official Playlist! 

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life – Richard Hofstadter

Red Hat Society

”The Forgotten Everyday Origins of ‘Craft’” – Sarah Archer 

Cræft: An Inquiry into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts – Alexander Langlands

Hobbies: Leisure and the Culture of Work in America – Steven M. Gelber

“Do Protestants Have a ‘Low’ Aesthetic?” – Front Porch Republic

“A Defense of Christian Kitsch” – Paul Griffiths

Gaither Music on TikTok

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In this episode, we investigate the cultural landscape of the 1990s with the help of a most legendary guest: NYT pop music critic and Popcast host Jon Caramanica. We discuss slackerism and authenticity discourse, the rise of alternative and independent media, the intricacies of subcultural style, the twin flames of rock and hip-hop, the surprising parallels between Gen X and Gen Z, white rappers, child rappers, Tommy Hilfiger grails, and much more.

Links:
Listen to Popcast
Jon on Instagram
Lady Gaga on the Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW, 2014
How SoundScan Changed Music Charts – Billboard
Pop Music's Middle Class by Shaad D'Souza – New York Times
Ice Spice vs. Cleopatra Drama Explained – Rolling Stone 

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the most pressing topics facing fashion and culture, featuring analysis of Sabrina Carpenter’s grindhouse pinup comeback, Addison Rae's arthouse cult single "Diet Pepsi," reflection on Simon Porte Jacquemus's legacy (and speculation on his rise to the Chanel throne), Hollister nostalgia-baiting, global fashion updates from the UK and Mexico, and more.

Links:
Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet – Video Playlist
"Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae (dir. Sean Price Williams)
"Breakaway" by Bruce Connor
The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
Chanel's New Kaiser – Lauren Sherman for Puck News
Hollister long-sleeve babydoll tops on TikTok
"Archive" Hollister tops from 2022 on TikTok
Halley Kate v. Sophia La Corte drama summary
Tribal trend in Mexico (some TikTok examples)
Intentalo by 3ballMTY

In this episode, we embark upon a swashbuckling anthropological journey into one of the most mysterious aesthetics of the menswear universe: Male Pirate Dressing, a style beloved by prestige actors and aging rockstars alike. Along with our two expert witnesses, James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman of the Throwing Fits Podcast, we ask some of life’s most difficult questions: Why is midlife crisis boho such a prevalent phenomenon? Are indie sleaze icons destined (or doomed) to succumb to over-accesorized fashion piracy in the years to come? Do men know about John Galliano? Tune in to find out!

Links:
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Alexander McQueen Spring 2003 Ready-to-Wear

Heidi Slimane Wearable Pirate Uniform

The Trouble with Johnny Depp – Rolling Stone

Were Pirates Foes of the Modern Order, or Its Secret Sharers? – The New Yorker

Throwing Fits on Substack

Throwing Fits on Instagram 

In the third installment of our Study Break series, we turn our attention to the world of sport, analyzing the Broquette SKIMS campaign and all things Olympics, including Ralph Lauren boater costumes, the radical European uncoolness of the Opening Ceremony, and our own creative styling concepts for Olympic athletes. We also discuss Mark Zuckerberg's rebrand, "Brat hangovers," and Kamala Harris's Loewe tomato girl potential. (Disclaimer: this episode was recorded July 28!)

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant App here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.

Learn more about Croissant on their website!

LINKS: 

SKIMS Summer Uniform Campaign

Nicola Coughlan for SKIMS Soft Lounge Campaign

2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

How Team USA's 2024 Olympic Outfits Were Made By Ralph Lauren

Mark Zuckerberg personally fuels the rumors of his Supreme takeover

J. W. Anderson Gucci rumors

Alexi's Kamala-core Pinterest board 

Adam Lambert, ‘Moana’ Star Auli’i Cravalho Taking Over Lead Roles in Broadway’s ‘Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club’

Fragrances by Sabrina Carpenter

In this week's episode, we revisit the '90s does '60s phenomenon and discuss the parallels between the two decades—swinging youth culture and nightlife, technological optimism, design innovation—while also finding surprising similarities to our contemporary moment. We highlight the Austin Powers trilogy as this sensation's most brilliant high-camp cultural artifact, unpacking its satire of free love, modern masculinity, and British cheekiness. We explore Space Age fashion, the British Invasion(s), pop environmentalism, Volkswagen Beetles, iMac G3s, the Powerpuff Girls, and much more.

Special thanks to our sponsor Croissant! Download the Croissant app here to easily add the Safari extension to your mobile browser: shop with a guaranteed resale price and unlock an effortless resale experience.

Learn more about Croissant on their website!

Links:

https://pin.it/tXaQphpiE
Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute's "Groovival" Are.na Board
"Austin Powers-core" musical subgenre Tweet
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery – fashion photography montage
Obituary of Pierre Cardin – The New York Times
Industrial designer Karim Rashid
"BBC" by Ming Tea – Official Music Video
Dressed to Regress: Interview with Austin Powers costume designer Deena Appel (1999) – LA Times
Deena Appel interview – From Tailors With Love
The Peacock Revolution: 1960s Menswear – Victoria & Albert Museum
Peter Bogdanovich on the lasting influence of Austin Powers in Goldmember – The New Yorker
‘A real stroke of genius.’ How Apple’s iMac G3 became an object of desire – CNN
AWOLTrends on Blobjects
Prada's spacesuits for NASA's 2025 Moon mission – Forbes
The Low Earth Orbit Economy – NASA
"Bye Bye Sixties" – Nancy Sinatra, Goldie Hawn, and Ruth Buzzi (1969)