Ok before we get to the strike style, I do have a one requests. Amber Tamblyn’s glasses are kind of funny and irreverent and the type of sunglasses you’ll look back on in photos and be like “wow, that was such a great vacation.” They are a mood setter. Sam Edelman makes these and this pair is relatively inexpensive (compared to the sunglasses I usually cover on here!).
I’m trying not to make Alive Boy richer so to find them just Google “Sam Edelman Daisy sunglasses” and it will come up in your area. (Thanks Tan!)
Now we can get to the picket lines. As we know, many famous faces are walking in solidarity with their fellow non-famous union members. It’s not because successful working actors think they themselves are undercompensated but rather they know how precarious every job is and how hard the average actors struggle. Very, very few make it to the top. Not everyone who works in IT is Bill Gates, right? Anyway, I had been thinking about doing a piece on this and with a nudge from a reader (thanks Valerie!), here it is.
Sun protection: most people are wearing hats because they know what’s up. Celebrities will say all they use for their skin is a splash of water and the drugstore brand face wash they so happen to represent and there’s an unspoken social contract that requires us to ignore this lie. But no famous face is stronger than the sun! The sun shows on all of us, it is great equalizer (kind of like this strike) and while I’m in favour of any and every hat, baseball caps have been dominant. I like a plain cap (I just bought a sand-coloured one from the Gap) or an actual baseball team. I have a small head so I wear my kids’ old team hats. But what I’ve noticed in my travels this summer is that LA Dodgers hats are really dominating right now. I dare say it’s the new Yankees hat. (I don’t think this has anything to do with team affiliation.) The blue is classic but I’ve also seen it in muted colours like sand and white.
Next up is the question of how to be hands-free during a strike. Annette Bening went with a bucket bag and that’s a great option, but the bag knocking against my thigh while I walked would annoy me. A lot of people are sporting fanny packs but wearing it across their body (I have the Festival Pack from Ganni and it is a good size for phone/wallet/keys/lip balm). I also recently purchased in the most humble It Bag ever, the Uniqlo round mini shoulder bag. It caused a sensation on TikTok last year and at the time it didn’t interest me but now I see it as a solid, no-fuss option for under $30.
If you are walking the picket line you need good shoes, especially in the heat. Worn-in sneakers work with every single outfit and so do Birkenstocks, the most egalitarian shoe in LA. Everybody wears them (even the Olsen twins!). I have a pair of the Arizona, a pair of the Boston mules in taupe (which I haven’t broke in yet) and I’m currently pondering the Big Buckle pair. I’m a little hesitant because seriously what am I, a Birkenstock collector? That’s a harrowing thought. And the Big Buckle is, per the name, big. It’s saying, “I chose these Birkenstocks on purpose and with purpose.” It’s the kind of sandal you see on a person and briefly wonder if they vaccinate their children. A white pair with a silver buckle has been in my cart all week. I’m including a photo of GP here because she’s been quiet on the strike and ya, a lot of A-list actors have (as Sarah has mentioned, that seems to be strategy) but she’s also married to writer/producer Brad Falchuk who works with Ryan Murphy. Just an observation!
Finally, there’s a lot of denim shorts but can I put forth another shorts options? Let me preface this by saying I hate hate HATE shorts on myself and this is the first time in my adult life I’ve worn them. The only thing that made me try again was ribbed bike shorts. They are available at most retailers in a wide range of sizes (got mine at H&M). I prefer the ribbed over smooth (that’s just me) and I wear with button downs or oversize t-shirts I buy at kitschy gift shops. I’m not posting a picture of bike shorts, you know what bike shorts look like. Here’s a couple of our sweet Succession babies.
Attached - Sarah Paulson in a hat and fanny pack on the picket line yesterday in LA.
