Why is everyone suddenly wearing a tie? 👔

+ cafes to work from, your fave Māori-owned brands

My friend Emma often sends me this photo of Charlie in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It’s like a visual representation of her brain when we’re bantering about hyper-niche, ultra-specific fashion trends and she’s laying out her clever, unexpected everything-is-connected theories.

This week, it’s the literal perfect illustration for her deep dive into ties - an accessory Emma wears well, and has spotted on both cool kids about town and corporate-core late-20-somethings. Why ties, why now? As always, there are layers. Click here for the tie report.

I work in fashion and media and exist in the 2025 gig economy, and know many freelancers who have the pressure/pleasure of not having to work from an office. So when Krysana Hanley pitched a story rating some Auckland cafés to work from, I immediately said yes - partly for selfish reasons. Click here for her list, and reviews.

Finally… Ensemble Presents: Party Girl is this Thursday night! If you haven’t already, buy a ticket to the screening here, dress up in your best party girl ensemble and meet us in the Hollywood’s garden bar from 6.30pm for late 90s music and a cocktail.

✨ ICYMI: We asked our community to share their favourite Māori-owned businesses, brands, makers, artists and more:

The semiotics, satire and style of wearing a tie in 2025

In case you need proof that ties are cool: Synthia Bahati, Peter Wing and Levi Tan, three of Auckland’s best-dressed and tie fans.

“In no particular order, ties call to mind social hierarchy, conformity and decorum; power, wealth and status; gender norms and class presentation,” writes Emma Gleason about the accessory she’s been seeing everywhere. They can also be a vehicle to subvert all of the above.

She explores the trend today and in the past, and talks to people who actually wear them about what ties mean to them.

We love publishing clever stories from clever writers - but we can’t do it without you

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A non-exhaustive list of Auckland cafes to work from

The writer Krysana at Ozone in Grey Lynn.

I don’t miss toxic office culture but I really miss having an office. Sometimes you just need to get dressed, leave the house and work somewhere else. The classic freelancer dilemma! As Krysana Hanley writes for us this week: “I’ve recently become a freelancer and with that comes the joy of being able to work from wherever, while simultaneously only ever working from home.”

She’s done the legwork for us, spending a few weeks working from cafés across Auckland, rating them on noise, crowd levels, food, drinks, WiFi (essential) and staff judgey-ness.

Are we missing your favourite? Where are great cafés to work from in other cities? Share in the comments

Foggy, flirty and too much: Jane Austen's menopausal women

Miranda Hart as Miss Bates in the 2020 adaptation of Emma.

Was Jane Austen the first writer to show how it really feels to be a middle-aged woman? Micro-portraits of women of a certain age - foggy, tired, bad-tempered, with diminishing bone-density, putting on the pounds - are scattered across the writer’s work, writes literature academic Sophie Gee.

The Ensemble Edit

Things we’ve seen, saved and shared, a (mostly) weekly column for paid subscribers. This week, ballet flats, live music and classic Auckland restaurant highlights from Zoe Walker Ahwa.

🇵🇸 I’m a fan of artist Emily Hartley-Skudder’s work, and style, so was excited to see her collaborative project UNERASED: Made in Palestine is coming to Tāmaki Makaurau. Featuring photo prints of vintage cosmetic products made in Palestine, plus a fragrance created by Of Body, the exhibition opens at 250 Ponsonby Rd this Friday, 6-8pm. It’ll run for two weeks, with proceeds going to Convoys of Good for families in Gaza.