From the Group Chat: The Plastic Surgery Transparency Trend, the Viral "Summer Intern Dress, " and "My Mom Jayne"

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday. Few things are worse than the post-long-weekend scaries — but this deep dive on TikTok’s viral “Princess Treatment” trend might top them. Yes, I did spend part of the weekend asking ChatGPT if making your husband tie your shoes and order your food qualifies as Stockholm syndrome. Go down the rabbit hole of PT at your own risk. As for a much-needed palate cleanser, I’m pleased to report that Wimbledon’s celebrity fashion (especially my queen, Cate Blanchett) easily outshone the Bezos-Sánchez eyesore, Mary-Kate Olsen cosigned sweatpants as actual pants (and presumably, hers aren’t from The Row), my favorite rom-com novel finally got a Netflix release date, and this HBO cult comedy has (at long last) been renewed for a third season.

— Alex Carr / Editorial Director / Brooklyn, NY

👗 Behold: The “summer intern dress” that’s gone viral faster than you can say “circle back.” Pro tip: You don’t have to be an intern to wear one. 

😎 The Y2K halter has returned and — dare we say — it’s actually stylish. (Cargo capris, blessedly, are not included.) 

👀 It must be asked: Who green-lit these strappy, open-toed “hiker-chic” sandals — and who hurt you? 

🍑 PSA: “Sexy butt tattoos are back.” And somehow, these are not the same thing as a tramp stamp.

It’s official: Celebs are in their Plastic Surgery Transparency Era™ — and the Kardashian-Jenners have crowned themselves queens of the anti-gatekeeping renaissance. The latest family member to spill her surgical secrets? The Protein Popcorn Princess herself, Khloé Kardashian. Last week, the self-proclaimed “aesthetics doctor” Jonny Betteridge posted an Instagram Reel speculating on the work she may have had done (because nothing drives engagement like unsolicited facial analysis). But he didn’t have to guess for long — Khloé quickly set the record straight. “I take this as a great compliment!” she wrote, before noting the images were “about 15 years apart” and rattling off a laundry list of procedures: a nose job, laser hair removal, Botox, salmon-sperm facials, soft wave laser (for skin tightening, obviously) — and even praising her doctors. 

Khloé’s konfession (sorry, had to) followed her mom’s new look, which had everyone furiously Googling “deep plane facelift” after People published a (not at all strategic) list of Kris’s tweaks. Even Kylie dropped her boob-job specs on TikTok like it was her chopped salad order. In recent weeks, the floodgates burst wide open as everyone from Kristin Cavallari to Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran (spoiler: she didn’t hold back) joined in. And sure, it’s a relief we’re no longer being gaslit into thinking lemon water will morph us into Gisele. But still: Why now? After years of downplaying (ahem, Kylie), deflection, and Facetune, what changed? Is it safe to assume Kris, High Priestess of KarJenner PR, spotted the perfect moment for her brood to be “authentic” via a well-timed overshare (or maybe, she just struck a group rate with their surgeon)? Will Ms. Nobody Wants to Work These Days actually put in the work by showing receipts? Who’s to say — but coming clean after years of selling a fantasy? That’s brand strategy, baby.

Lorde may be working through her feelings on Virgin — her new soul-baring album — but Kacy Hill’s the one airing the dirty laundry. Here’s the gist: The day before Virgin’s release, singer-songwriter Hill posted a now-viral TikTok set to Lorde’s track “Man of the Year.” The text overlay? A thinly veiled accusation: “Let’s hear it for the man who ended a 6.5 year relationship while making a girl’s album then started dating her.” The man in question is almost certainly producer Jim-E Stack — who worked closely with Lorde on Virgin and past projects — and, drumroll, is now Hill’s…ex. What actually went down behind the scenes is anyone’s guess, but this isn’t the first time the New Zealand pop star/Pigeon Whisperer has been rumored to have gotten — how do we put this — cozy with a collaborator. Cast your mind back to those charged live duets with Jack Antonoff — so intense that someone made a now-iconic PowerPoint about their alleged (though denied by both parties) affair with the rigor of an overcaffeinated investment banking analyst. (For context: Antonoff was rumored to be dating Lena Dunham at the time.) Which is all to say: Lorde might be chasing emotional clarity — but the vibes are still messier than an NYU freshman’s group chat.

Harry Styles threw the internet into chaos by locking lips with a mystery woman at Glastonbury Festival. And thanks to some Pulitzer Prize-worthy — yet highly speculative — reporting, we may finally have answers.

You know Mariska Hargitay as Law & Order: SVU’s toughest detective. But in her feature-length directorial debut, she’s chasing a more personal story: Who was her mom, really? In HBO’s My Mom Jayne, Hargitay sets out to uncover the truth about Jayne Mansfield — the Hollywood bombshell known for embracing and outwitting the “dumb blonde” cliché in the ’60s — through intimate conversations with her siblings and those who knew Mansfield best. Hargitay was just 3 years old when a car crash took her mother’s life (she survived, trapped under the seat). With barely any memories, she’s searching for answers, not tabloid myths. The result? A raw, reverent portrait that the New York Times declared “an exceptional family tale.” It’s not your typical starlet saga — and that makes it all the more gripping.

Reformation Sutton Low Rise 2.5″ Slouchy Jean Shorts

Caroline, Senior Commerce Editor, here. For several summers now, I’ve relied solely on a single pair of vintage Levi’s cutoffs to fulfill my jort needs. This year, I figured I’d give my denim security blanket a break and try these Reformation shorts which — like many Ref pieces — have become kind of cult-y among the fashion set. They fit differently from my beloved high-rise, butt-hugging Levi’s, but I appreciate the mid-rise, slouchier silhouette. It’s way more comfortable on truly hot days when I don’t want to feel cinched in. I scored the chili pepper-embroidered version after sitting on the wait list for a couple of weeks (I appreciate a sartorial sense of humor). Now that I’ve worn and loved them, I’m eyeing the crisp Optic White wash for something a little more polished.

Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.

This is the one place we're buying all our workout gear from this summer.

The Sephora sale ends tomorrow, so now's the time to stock up on beauty items for up to 50% off. We rec this cooling and depuffing eye gel after a late night.

Finally, we found a bathing suit that's just...normal. No complicated strings, no weird tanlines, just easy elegance.

Old Navy is taking 50% off everything until July 9. We have our eye on this trendy polka-dot two-piece for all our summer weddings.

Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.