TGIF | 05

making the case for addison rae

Did the Princess of Genovia help the eagles win the Super Bowl? Will Kendrick Lamar single handedly bring back flare jeans? & yes of course we’re going to talk about Addison Rae’s music career.

2025 is shaping up to be a great year for culture. Last week we dissected why the Grammy’s actually worked & this week we had a historic Super Bowl performance + win. There’s a lot to be down about but at least pop culture isn’t one of them. Let’s get into it.

Men are paving the fashion way for women (me. I am women.)

• There was a lot of bad fashion from the football players that we aren’t going to speak about, but Jalen Hurts was not one of them. This man was carrying a Coach Empire Carryall Bag 48 which is now sold out (I hope they cut him a check). I’ve been long on Coach for awhile as my coworkers circa 2015 can attest & it finally feels like they’re making inroads with being an ‘it’ brand again. They made it to #5 on the Lyst Index (up 10 spots!!!!) & this bag along with the Brooklyn Shoulder Bag that Bella Hadid constantly wears definitely helped. These bags work because they are high quality, a relatively low price point for a luxury bag & the silhouettes are timeless. Right now with ‘quiet luxury’ trending these bags fit the bill. ***this is not sponson for Coach I’m just giving flowers where they are due. it is valentine’s day after all <3

• Obviously we need to discuss Kendrick Lamar and his flares? bootcut? jeans - let’s debate. I’ve seen a lot of posts saying these are bootcut jeans but they have been identified as the Celine Marco Jeans (a nice, steep $1,200 price point - don’t worry I got you with other suggestions!) which Celine describes as a flare cut. So there we have it. If you are a millennial you will remember wearing flares for the majority of your youth so you, like me, probably loved to see this silhouette on Kendrick during the half time show. I literally could not take my eyes off of them! Kendrick is no stranger to fashion - he’s a Chanel ambassador despite the brand not offering menswear - so of course he was going to shine at the Super Bowl. I do not think most men could pull off this trend but I do anticipate a resurrection of it for women. Again to give flowers where they’re due - the kids of Park Slope have been wearing these for at least 1 year now so he’s still not totally ahead of the curve. My suggestion on where to find yourself a less expensive pair would be the same place I’m betting the Park Slope kids are getting theirs - thrift stores. Again - we wore this silhouette for years and years & I’m sure many a pair have made it onto eBay, goodwill or other 2nd hand shops. Let’s not be wasteful with our clothing or our wallets and lean into this trend sustainably please!

  

  Kendrick @ a recent Chanel show

Outside of the Super Bowl there hasn’t been too much pop culture content this week, until today, because Addison Rae has released another bop. Most people seemingly hate her or certainly don’t understand my hype for her so allow me to explain.

I suppose I’ll start with where I think the hate is coming from - 1) She started out on TikTok which most people, especially elders, do not respect. I’m on TikTok but like I get it - it’s a hard app to take seriously for sure. 2) In order to get a leg up on other TikTokers someone (presumably her manager) brokered some type of deal where she became ‘bffs’ with Kourtney Kardashian for a hot second. As no one really respects the Kardashians, especially in 2025, I don’t know how much this helped her brand overall. 3) She hasn’t actually released a full album - she does have an EP & a handful of other songs, all of which I love! But again makes it harder for people to believe she is a real musician.

Why I still love her? I think she’s doing something different from most celebrities out there - it’s definitely not unique, more so reminiscent of a time that most celebrities are trying to avoid. She captures the ‘Tumblr, indy sleaze, early 2010s era’ very, very well. It was an era that although it had social media and camera phones was still less online & celebrities weren’t as fearful of their image or what was posted by them or about them. It was an era where maybe not everyone had a stylist & were OK experimenting with fashion and kind of looking crazy. It was a freer time for all involved & this is just her aesthetic. When you get into her music it’s fun, again it is not that serious & it’s very experimental. None of her songs sound the same - you aren’t going to confuse Diet Pepsi with Aquamarine that’s for sure. Did I mention it’s fun? It doesn’t have to be that deep. Did I sell you yet? That’s all I have - I’m very much of the mind if you get it you get it and if you don’t it’s not for you (yet!) because I bet this girl will be around for awhile. I’m long on Addison the way I was long on Coach so let’s see what she does next.