List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

SAG-Aftra, which represents over 160,000 actors, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if talks for a new contract

The airline industry’s main lobby body is doubling its estimate for global net profit in 2023 as a

Taking off yet another pair of jeans that simply wouldn’t fit, I was on the verge of tears. Under the harsh glare of the dressing room lights, my reddening face felt even more humiliating as I shimmied myself back into my own clothes. I had dedicated the day to jeans shopping and started it feeling optimistic, but this was quickly waning. This was the sixth store, and the seventh pair I’d tried on. None of them were happening. I question why I’ve spent hours traipsing around Oxford Street, dodging crowds and trying not to get hit by a black cab. Jeans shopping is not fun. It’s a mission. More than three years ago, I swore off jeans for the foreseeable future. At the time, I was practically living in a pair of faded black M&S high-waist, straight-cut jeans that were cropped right above my ankle. The search for those jeans had also been painful, so when I found this perfect pair, I told myself that was it – I was never going to buy jeans again. But at the start of 2023, I was devastated to find my severe lack of a thigh gap had led to a rather large hole being rubbed into the inner thigh of my beloved jeans. I resolved to get the hole fixed and am still planning to do so, but I recently become enamoured by the idea of blue jeans. It’s been a long time since I owned a pair of blue jeans I really liked. Maybe it was time to start the search again? I initially felt buoyed by the knowledge that size ranges are more extensive than ever before. In the jeans section of Asos alone, you can filter the type of denim you want to unprecedented levels of specificity: choose from 17 different styles, over 30 “jeans families”, dozens of brands, colours, and washes, six “body fits” from Curvy to Petite, and sizes up to UK32. It’s a dizzying array of choices, but surely meant that it’d be easier than ever to find what I was looking for. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth for many women, particular those of the larger, curvier variety. I am currently extremely average in size at a UK14. But due to the aforementioned lack of thigh gap, combined with wide hips, a generous posterior and thick, muscly calves, I’ve struggled to find jeans that are both comfortable and flattering. It’s always one problem or another: gapping at the waist, unable to get them up past my hips, too tight to sit down comfortably, too baggy to look good, too long, too suffocating, too unforgiving. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, things are even worse for plus-sized women. A friend of mine, a size UK18, has been burned so often that she was ready to give up. She told me that when she visited Khloe Kardashian’s Good American outpost in Selfridges, she tried on one pair of jeans and nearly walked out when it didn’t fit, thinking none of the others would either. The sales assistant had to stop her and tell her she would help her find something else – and they did. The look on my friend’s face when she showed me the jeans later was priceless, like butter couldn’t melt. It struck me how rare this experience is. Women just want jeans that not only make them feel confident, but are also comfortable and are worth paying a bit more for Sonia Robinson Jones Part of the reason jeans shopping is so demoralising is the lack of consistent sizing in the fashion industry. On social media, some influencers have highlighted this by trying on jeans in the same size in different stores and showing how vastly different the fits are. A UK12 in H&M can fit just right, but a UK12 in Zara might barely zip up. The same size in River Island won’t even get past your thighs, while a pair from Next might be a bit too roomy. Unreliable sizing and poor quality construction makes clothes shopping such a headache, but still the high street brands persist with the status quo. According to Sonia Robinson Jones, associate lecturer in fashion at the University of East London, this is because fast fashion brands “tend to cut their [garment] blocks for the younger body size and grade their sizes up accordingly”, rather than allowing for the fact that women tend to become curvier as we age. “In essence, jeans need to be contoured to a wider selection of body shapes… Women just want jeans that not only make them feel confident, but are also comfortable and are worth paying a bit more for.” Then there is the question of sustainability. I had initially set off with a list of criteria for my perfect jeans: dark blue, high-waisted, no rips, straight leg, preferably from a company with sustainable credentials. My holy grail jeans would have been ELV Denim, which sources unwanted jeans from warehouses around the UK and reconstructs them into entirely new pieces – but at a starting price of £255 per pair, I’d have to save my pennies for another time. Other sustainable brands such as Nudie Jeans and Lucy & Yak were at a more digestible price point, but I wasn’t keen on the idea of returning jeans that didn’t fit and adding to my carbon footprint. Aja Barber, contributing editor at Elle UK and author of Consumed, which explores the effects of fast fashion on the planet, tells me she gets around the horror of it all by shopping for second-hand jeans on eBay. “I have one style that’s my go-to and they’re widely available because the maker over-produces, so I’d rather buy them secondhand than have them become landfill waste, which is what happens to a lot of secondhand clothing that doesn’t get bought,” she explains. “Plus some brands aren’t great on ethics or sustainability and I’d rather not give them my money even if they make my size. Secondhand is a work-around for this.” She also recommends thinking hard about whether you need lots of pairs. “The best route here is to realise you don’t need five pairs of jeans,” she says. “Two pairs max and spend the most you can on getting the best possible pair.” Barber is also an advocate for getting clothes custom-made for a better fit, if it’s within your financial abilities. “I think we shy away from ideas like getting your clothes made because it sounds inaccessible and fancy, but if you’re plus-size like I am, it can be a godsend. I think instead of trying with stuff on the rack, it might be best to take this route.” As for myself, I eventually caved and decided to try buying jeans online from US brand Everlane, which partners with ethical factories and uses recycled materials, organic cotton and less water to create their clothes. I ordered two pairs of jeans from their Curvy collection, knowing that I would not be sending them back, and prayed they would fit. When they eventually arrived, I was ecstatic. The jeans fit. They actually fit! And now, I will never buy another pair of jeans again. Promise. Read More Flip-flops, nudity and ‘up the vajayjay!’: How the red carpet became a platform for protest Women with body hair remain a cultural taboo, and I can’t see it changing Why I’m suspicious of the silver fox Edward Enninful steps down as British Vogue editor-in-chief amid reports of rift Barbie stars Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and Simu Liu react to their own doll replicas Amanda Holden’s most extravagant fashion from the BGT live shows

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The restaurant industry is ever-evolving and continuously bringing in new changes to menus to suit its demographic. Certain tricks in their menus allow restaurants to subtly nudge customers into enjoying a fuller dining experience, consequently increasing their spending. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter To help diners avoid falling for these tricks, an expert at Menu Price lifted the lid on the sneaky tricks that encourage people to spend and consume more: Value menus Restaurants introduce value menus with meals of different price points. The restaurant hopes that it will motivate customers to opt for the priciest range of the value menu, which has more options, or to bypass the value menu entirely due to its limited options. This strategy ultimately translates into increased profitability. "If a restaurant's value menu features items like burgers, pizza, and spaghetti, but your preference leans towards a steak, you'll find yourself ordering the steak at its regular cost, bypassing the value menu. This scenario directly contributes to a higher profit for the restaurant," says a Menu Price expert. Emphasis on certain menu items Restaurants strategically highlight specific dishes, often those with higher profit margins, drawing customer attention to these preferred items through menu placement and design cues. The use of colour Warm hues like red and yellow can trigger hunger, while cooler shades like blue make meals seem more refreshing. Strategically deploying these colours in their menus helps restaurants subtly sway customer choices. Photographs used sparingly To maintain a sophisticated aesthetic, restaurants use photographs sparingly, only emphasising selected dishes, making them more appealing to the eye and tastebuds alike. Descriptive language Vivid descriptions of dishes can create a compelling image in customers' minds, making the menu items more appealing and increasing the likelihood of ordering. Avoiding currency symbols Menus without currency symbols can encourage higher spending, as prices appear less intimidating. "Keep a close eye on prices, even when restaurants fail to integrate dollar signs. This can help you avoid paying more than you want for a meal," the expert said. Anchor items Restaurants place some of their most expensive items next to even more costly options. The Menu Price expert added: "When customers see a pricey dish positioned next to an even more expensive option, they are more likely to perceive the less costly of the two as a 'better deal." Use of boxes Boxes and borders draw attention to specific items, creating a visual 'stage' that makes these dishes stand out. "This technique is often applied to high-profit items, specials, or unique offerings," they said. Keeping portion sizes secret Restaurants offer full or half salads or sandwiches without revealing the portion sizes. Despite any clear explanation, consumers assume that half sizes are overpriced and the full size is more cost-effective. "Customers perceive they are getting a better deal without even knowing the real serving size of the food options." Difficult-to-read font Using complex fonts in menus can slow customers' reading, promoting more profound engagement with dish descriptions. This added interaction can enhance dishes' perceived worth and exclusivity, thereby subtly inspiring a readiness to spend more. Remain vigilant during your next dining experience and see how many of these subtle tricks you can spot and how much money you can save on your meal. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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