'My serve, she has to be ready.'

This is a Margiela Tabi discourse-free space. Here are some gems I've enjoyed reading this week.

Welcome to Quality Sheet, a weekly assortment of outside-the-box news, events, trends and offbeat oddities to indulge your curiosity. Subscribe for a midweek treat each Wednesday that'll make you hummm with intrigue and amusement.

Between Burning Man bungles and Beyoncé’s birthday, it’s been a big week for the TL. Read on to learn how not to flirt, explore the case for dressing like a chef, and find out how the climate crisis is increasingly weighing on some people’s decision to become a parent.

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“I don’t care what she does on her serve. But my serve, she has to be ready.” New motto: unlocked. Coco Gauff’s words have been rattling around in my brain ever since she so rightfully stood up for herself during her first-round US Open match. She said what she said. At a historic tournament, too.

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“What did you eat before you came here? Your breath is really funky. It’s making it hard to have a conversation.” AaaaHHHH!! Think about your worst-ever flirting attempt. Are you cringing yet? Have you curled up into a ball of shame?? It’s okay. Console yourself with other people’s disastrous encounters!

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Not all taboos were created equal. What about prohibitions that exist in a grey area, like talking back to an elder you disagree with? Or snogging obnoxiously in public? (This is a plug for my other newsletter, Colouring Outside The Lines. Don’t be shy, click here to sign up and read.)

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“It’s an awakening toward the rights of women.” Homeownership among single women has been on the rise in China for a few years as they look to gain independence and security, especially if they decide to get married later. Related: China’s housing market is doing terribly.

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It’s always fun when you’re talking to someone and they suddenly drop the “where are you really from?” bomb. A new exhibition aims to tackle the complicated question in the open—literally. If you’re in the UK before October 2, keep your eyes peeled for outdoor digital screens and billboards displaying 11 artworks from artists around the world. Themes include “identity, origin, heritage, belonging, and what it means to be ‘from somewhere’.”

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“Most of us have no reason to believe the future we were promised has ever existed, so for anyone thinking about their first or another kid now, imagining a future for them at all makes that leap harder and harder to make.” The rigid expectation among previous generations that you will have children is softening into an understanding that doing so is a choice. Parents and non-parents are increasingly using social media to share honest accounts of their experiences on both sides of the fence. But one concern seems to unite both groups: the climate crisis. Here’s a thoughtful piece on how we measure hardship, deciding to raise a family now, and cultivating optimism about the future.

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I used to fantasize about dating a chef. Thanks to ‘Chefcore’, I can shortcut that wish by going out with someone who simply dresses like one (and is probably less highly strung). Anyway, this reminds me that I should watch The Bear.

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Share to sweeten someone’s day—and enjoy the rest of your week!

Isabel :)

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