Vampires, fake bags, and Zara pants that are trying to kill us

Love Island has apparently taken over Gen Z's whole personality, staying in is not saving you money like you think it is, and I am officially back in my workwear wardrobe but staying far away from Zara’s viral “death pants.”

Let's get into it.

Love Island USA is basically Gen Z's Super Bowl now, and I get it.

If you’re trying to talk to your Gen Z coworker about anything other than Love Island, you can go ahead and consider yourself dumped from the Villa. The US version of the iconic reality dating show has become a summer viewing staple in recent years, but this season has reached a whole new level, pulling in 2.3 billion minutes of viewing in its first two weeks. Say what you want about reality television, but when was the last time a "prestige show” boasted those numbers? And Gen Z, who makes up the majority of those views, isn’t just passively watching. They're filling movie theaters and bars to watch it together like a sporting event. There's even a prediction market with nearly $32 million in trades riding on it. Even if you’re not actively watching the show, you’ve probably encountered enough people talking about it all over social media to enjoy the couple chaos. But if the name Sincere doesn’t evoke a visceral reaction, just know you’re probably missing out on a lot of fun this summer.

Zara's wide-leg trousers are apparently trying to kill us, and the internet has receipts.

When we asked for a pair of pants that slay, we didn’t mean literally. Apparently Zara didn’t get the memo because these $45.90 "flowy wide leg pants" have earned themselves the nicknames "deadly trousers" and "Zara death pants" because so many people are tripping and face planting in them. I’m not exaggerating. One Toronto woman broke her wrist and cracked her face open. There are now thousands of TikToks with hashtags like #deadlyzarapants showing the carnage: bruises, broken bones; one girl even claims she lost a toenail after five minutes of wearing them. Zara hasn't commented yet, but this is devastating news to flowy pants lovers everywhere. I will still be wearing mine, but with considerably more caution.

Turns out staying home isn't the money-saving move it used to be.

If you’re torn between staying in or going out, just know that your wallet doesn’t know the difference. Between streaming price hikes, gaming hardware costing more thanks to the AI chip shortage, and home fitness apps quietly raising prices, even doing nothing is getting expensive. Add in record-high electricity prices this summer due to nationwide heat waves, and I'm realizing my "cozy night in" era might not be the budget hack I thought it was. The one bright spot? Reading books is still cheap, so maybe we're not all doomed.

I technically was not OOO this weekend, but as the youths would say, I travelmaxxed my weekend work trip into a mother-daughter takeover of New York. As you all know, I am OBSESSED with musicals so we obviously had to see Lost Boys on Broadway. Just want to note that I did not clock that it was about vampires until we were already seated, which honestly was a delightfully unhinged surprise. I loved every second of it. We also may or may not have bought some fake bags together after I wrapped shooting on Saturday. My definition of a wild night on the town!

Officially back to the office, which means back to my workwear wardrobe. Can I admit that I kind of missed my corporate casual fits? Though, as much as I love this knit top and woven bucket bag for a day at the office, this could easily be added to the vacation outfit rotation. Just saying. For now, I’ll have to come to terms with the fact that I’ve officially swapped the shopping bags and spritz for a laptop bag and a lunch box … until my next OOO opportunity arises.

My weekend work trip was a reminder that traveling for work is a perk that can quickly lose its luster. Most of us who are lucky enough to travel for work fall into the rut of flying in, sitting in a conference room for eight hours, and checking out with nothing but a room service bill to remember our trip by. But there’s actually a lot of main character energy opportunities in these trips if you look for them. Here's how to actually turn your contractually obligated trip into a memorable travel moment:

If your trip is short, you want to make sure it’s sweet. That being said, you probably only have one free evening that you’re putting a lot of pressure on to enjoy. My advice? Plan ONE thing BEFORE you arrive, not once you're already there. A reservation, a show, a specific neighborhood to wander. Decision fatigue after a full workday is real, and "I’ll figure it out" usually means your hotel bed is the only thing you’ll be seeing that night.

If you have a little bit more time to spare, tap friends or family who are either down to travel or already in that area to join in on the fun. Loop them in on your itinerary before you go so they are fully aware of your work obligations and can plan their own fun while they wait for you. A work trip with a guest star who can also scope out the best spots for some after-office fun instantly changes the vibes, even if your days are still full of meetings.

And if your company is planning to pay for your travels, you might want to consider extending the trip a day or two by tapping into your PTO. The flight's already expensed, so you might as well stay a little longer. The only caveat is your company might not be down to pay to extend your hotel stay. If that’s the case, make sure to plan well ahead of time to find affordable accommodations so you can still extend the fun.

One extra little tip for your packing plans: Make sure to pack a work wardrobe that can easily transition from a day of lectures and LinkedIn invites to drinks and dancing. And if you have enough room in your bag? Go wild and pack a special occasion fit. Even if it’s just to wear out to dinner, there’s something about changing clothes that flips your brain out of business mode faster than anything else.

Thanks for reading!