Did You Know That Zara Has A Cheaper Sister Brand?

January 12, 2017, 5:00 pm

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ICYMI (don't worry, we did, too), there's a cheaper version of Zara owned by the same parent company. Lefties was originally conceived as an outlet for Zara in 1993, but it's since evolved into its own brand with collections that are exclusive to its stores. You may not have heard of it because it doesn't even appear on Inditex's corporate website, as a 2014 Reuters report noted. Still, it's not exactly a secret — and a new Harper's Bazaar UK explainer has piqued interest in this contemporary label once again.

There is, of course, a big caveat: You can't shop Lefties in the U.S. A big differentiator between Lefties and other Inditex-owned brands is that it doesn't have proper e-commerce — there's just an option to reserve items at brick-and-mortar locations, which are currently only in five countries (Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, and Qatar). Inditex still groups Lefties' sales figures with Zara, as El País reported, and the brand is credited with helping grow the company's business in recent years.

Soft Winter Pieces, the new #womancollection by Lefties #comingsoon #fashion #winter16

A photo posted by Lefties Official (@leftiesofficial) on Nov 9, 2016 at 2:15pm PST

Basically, Lefties is in the same bracket as Primark, Forever21, and Boohoo, as Racked reported in 2014: high-street brands that offer goods at a very low cost. Its website looks a lot like sister brand Zara's in terms of how products are presented and how prices are listed. It even releases trend-based editorials, just like Zara. (Recent examples include Modern Countryside and The New Athleisure.) The big differentiator is that while at Zara, one might go straight to TRF for the lower-priced goods, everything at Lefties is already under $100. And, much like its better-known retail sibling, it, too, has been accused of ripping off independent artists, as El Pais noted in the wake of the Shop Art Theft movement.

Inditex currently has no plans of bringing Lefties and its even-lower-priced goods to the U.S. or any other countries, according to a Zara rep. Yet, two years ago, Inditex quietly began restructuring and rebranding Lefties in what many considered a move to make it a player in the budget market, according to Reuters. But, hey, if you happen to be traveling to Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, or Qatar and are looking to completely overhaul your suitcase on vacation, you may want to add a pitstop to the retailer to your itinerary. Alternatively, check out our favorite non-fast-fashion brands that are just as good as your neighborhood Zara.

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7 Things Your Doctor Wants You To Stop Lying About

January 12, 2017, 5:00 pm

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Even if you like your doctor, it can be hard not to think of him or her like your parent sometimes. On one hand, sure, you want to feel your best. But on the other hand, does this person really need to know how much weed you smoke? It turns out the answer is, basically, yeah — but not always for the reason you think.

"One of the most important parts of seeing your doctor is building that relationship, someone you can confide in," says Albert Ahn, MD, clinical instructor of internal medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. "Developing that relationship makes the whole thing more effective."

For instance, Dr. Ahn says you're much less likely to ask those lingering "Oh, by the way..." type questions when you don't feel comfortable around your doc. But those are often the kind of issues that have an easy fix (such as simply cutting back on the over-the-counter painkillers if you're feeling a little constipated), or the ones we're most annoyed about forgetting to bring up.

Still, there are some sensitive issues or questions that we're not so excited to answer honestly even when our doctors are totally chill. Indeed, a recent survey from NetQuote found that, although most women tended to be at least mostly honest with their doctors, the number one reason for lying was a fear of being judged. But Dr. Ahn assures us he's heard those (potentially embarrassing) questions many, many times before.

However, if you really don't feel like you can be honest with your doctor, or you feel like you've brought something up and been judged for it, it's time to move on: "If you’re not comfortable talking about your personal issues, it may mean you need to find a different doctor," says Dr. Ahn, "and there are a lot of options." You may want to try taking your question to a specialist (e.g. your gyno) or different kind of primary care provider (e.g. a nurse practitioner).

For now, though, we're going to assume you're cool with your doctor, but that there may still be a few sensitive issues you haven't exactly found a way to bring up — or you feel like your dishonesty is just a harmless "white lie." Click through to see seven things doctors wish we'd just get over and be honest about.

**Drugs**
Yep, that includes marijuana, cigarettes, and alcohol. "In my experience, a lot of times people use recreational drugs to self-treat underlying issues," Dr. Ahn says. "Whether it’s Adderall without a prescription or marijuana for anxiety or depression, getting a full history [of your drug use] can at least get you on the right track to treatment."
When it comes to alcohol, though, things can get a little extra complicated because the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pretty darn restrictive — they recommend *just one* alcoholic drink per day for women.
"I tell people those are the guidelines and the reasons [they're so restrictive] are a little antiquated and they can be a little flexible," Dr. Ahn says, "but the truth is chronic alcohol use can have long-term side effects."
So the rest of the picture of your health matters here, including your blood pressure and liver health. "But it's hard for me to assess [how flexible the guidelines can be for you] if people aren’t honest in the first place," Dr. Ahn says.
Photographed by Tayler Smith.

**Medications**
This definitely applies to any prescription medications (including birth control), but it also means you need to be honest about any over-the-counter meds you take — including vitamins and supplements.
"There's no medication that has no side effects," Dr. Ahn says. But those effects may not be so obvious. Medications like Aspirin, for instance, "are really common and can cause a lot of issues if they're taken chronically or inappropriately." That could include kidney issues, blood pressure problems, or interactions with other medications.
Some vitamins and supplements (such as vitamin E or St. John's wort) can interfere with medications, too. And when taken in large amounts, those vitamins can actually *cause*more problems than they solve.
Photographed by Megan Madden.

**Mental Health**
If you're concerned your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or you're just feeling a little off, your doctor can absolutely help you figure out what's up and get you on the path to any care you need.
"There *a lot* of extenuating factors that can affect mood," Dr. Ahn says. "Things like anemia, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid hormone issues — all of that can affect your mood, sleep, and overall health."
So it may take a little trial and error to get to the root of your issue, but that's where building a relationship with your doctor really comes in handy: "It’s extremely important for the patient to be able to express what they need to get to a diagnosis or treatment plan that best fits them because not everyone can be treated the same way for the same condition," Dr. Ahn says.
Photographed by Alexandra Gavillet.

**Sex**
Yep, sorry. You've gotta tell your doctor if you're currently sexually active and whether or not you're using condoms or any form of birth control.
First off, not all STIs come with obvious symptoms, but they may still have serious consequences. For instance, many of us have HPV infections come and go without having any clue. But there are some cases in which HPV can turn into cervical cancer. So information about your sexual health habits lets your doctor know to be on the lookout for some of these potentially scary things.
Second, the way your doctor addresses your health issues may change if there's a chance you're pregnant, especially with regard to the medications he or she prescribes, Dr. Ahn says.
Photographed by Megan Madden.

**Your Period**
If your period is extra painful, there's no reason to suffer through it. And although this may generally seem like a topic for your gyno to tackle, your regular doctor can help out too — and refer you elsewhere if needed.
Just like your mental health, your period could be made more painful or irregular thanks to a bunch of other underlying factors: "[It could be] anemia, your thyroid, eating disorders, underlying depression or anxiety, and some people do just have PMDD," Dr. Ahn says. "But there are treatments."
Talking to your doctor about your concerns can help you narrow down any hidden causes of period weirdness.
Photographed by Megan Madden.

**Healthy Habits**
Across the board, Dr. Ahn says this is one area in which patients "tend to want to present a better picture rather than a purely honest picture for fear of judgment."
But it's especially crucial for patients who have developed metabolic syndrome — a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and excess weight around the stomach — to paint that honest picture. That's because the first step in treatment is often a "drastic overhaul" of eating and exercise habits, Dr. Ahn says.
And while it's very easy for doctors to see improvements in lab tests, they don't know what you're doing at home. So if those lab tests aren't improving, you've gotta be up front about your out-of-office habits so your doc knows where to go next.
Photographed by Rockie Nolan.

**Gut Health**
Talking about your bathroom habits may not come particularly easily, but if you're concerned or just curious, your doctor would be more than happy to help out. And you might be surprised how *not* alone you are: "I’ve learned that people are *much* less shy talking about their stomach and bowel issues than I would have thought," Dr. Ahn says.
A lot of the time, Dr. Ahn says he simply reassures people that their habits are normal. What might be cause for more investigation is if those patterns have changed.
"If you eat healthy and drink lots of water and notice something changes, then [that may be]something to be concerned about," he says. And often changes are due to some underlying issue, especially anxiety.
Photographed by Alexandra Gavillet.

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These Are The Airlines With The Best Wi-Fi

January 12, 2017, 5:15 pm

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≪ Previous: 7 Things Your Doctor Wants You To Stop Lying About

Whether you're on a quick flight or in it for a long-haul, airplane Wi-Fi has become more of a necessity than a perk. With insane lines at security, outrageous baggage fees, and having to pay for just about everything, having a connection to Instagram might be the only thing keeping flyers sane when they're 30,000 feet in the air.

The team at Routehappy found that while you have a 39% chance of snagging a flight with Wi-Fi, the service you'll receive is anything but equal. The site shared some big news with Condé Nast Traveler about which carriers have the best service — and you'll be surprised to see which ones earned the top spots.

Domestically speaking, Virgin America and JetBlue can both boast having Wi-Fi on 100% of their contiguous flights (and JetBlue's service is free, at that). Virgin claims that its service is "8 to 10 times faster" than competitors, but CNT calls JetBlue's high-speed internet one of the best in the business.

The airlines that have the best international Wi-Fi are Emirates, Lufthansa, and United. Those carriers can't claim complete coverage, however. Etihad, Iberia, Scoot, and Icelandair can. Also keep in mind that price varies drastically, so you might not always get your money's worth when it comes to internet speed. That means you might be paying big bucks for a slow connection that won't stream Netflix movies, so you'll be stuck refreshing your Insta feed from takeoff to final descent.

That may change, however, because CNT reports that not only are more airlines offering Wi-Fi, the service is getting better. Delta Airlines is already on its third generation internet provider and long-haul overwater flights are starting to incorporate new Ku/Ka satellite tech so that service is quicker and more reliable. While we're still from having free and fast internet on every flight, you can count your blessings and remember that Netflix is letting you download some content to watch offline.

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Michael Keaton Offers Full Apology For "Hidden Fences" Gaffe

January 12, 2017, 5:45 pm

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Michael Keaton has finally owned up for his "Hidden Fences" flub. The 65-year-old actor found himself in hot water first when he accidentally mashed up the names of Hidden Figures and Fences during the Golden Globes, and again when Gabrielle Union blasted his non-apology.

Our Sesali Bowen was rightly upset that Keaton didn't really seem to give much of a damn. Of course, his non-apology was issued during a 15 second interaction with a random TMZ cameraman while Keaton was exiting a restaurant. Jenna Bush-Hager set the gold standard for "Hidden Fences" apologia when she cried on-air and asked for forgiveness. Keaton is from a different era, and he fucked up.

Now he's back, and he's contrite.

"I sure am sorry for making a mistake and misreading, and therefore upsetting people," Keaton told the Associated Press. "I understand that there's a strong reaction to the mistake that I made. I feel badly for the people who were involved in the movie...I, like a jerk, screwed up the title of the film...I messed up their shot at recognition because I didn't read it correctly. That really hurts me."

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Sesame Street Cast Offers Oscar Picks

January 12, 2017, 6:00 pm

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As we burble into awards season like a primordial swamp ooze, Sesame Street has offered some predictions. Elmo, Grover, and Cookie Monster joined HLN's Michaela Pereira for a truly strange two-minute segment in which they choose their favorite movies.

The assumptions at play here are truly astonishing. First, that Sesame Street has Oscars predictions. Second, that those predictions are deserving of air time on CNN. Third, that these predictions might offer insight.

I guess if you just don't watch cable news for a while you forget how truly strange it is. My own personal TV news viewing habits are pretty much restricted to election night and when I forget to turn off the TV after a football game, so this sort of thing is surprising. Is it common? Who cares.

Elmo likes La La Land, by the way. La La Land is a bad movie with good actors and a very interesting director that rides a non-interesting premise directly into the ground. The opening freeway sequence is terrible, reedy, and somehow manages to avoid introducing us to our main characters until the final second. Things only go downhill from there. Fitting that a literal puppet would cop to loving the movie.

Check out the rest of their predictions below.

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This Post-Election Shirt For White Women Is Riling People Up

January 12, 2017, 6:15 pm

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Two nasty women have teamed up to give us all something to show that we're #StillWithHer. Michelle Hirschberg and Karen Land Short wanted a way to tell the world that they are definitely not part of the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump.

The two ad creatives found that they were fighting the urge to tell people that they were not, in fact, white women who voted for Trump, and decided to work together to create something that gives women another way to show their distaste for the new administration. Inspired by a certain Nasty Woman T-shirt that raised $100,000 for Planned Parenthood, the duo created the Not This White Woman collection.

"We’re used to sharing our social/political beliefs on social media but as the election showed us, we’re all preaching to ourselves," Hirschberg told Fast Company. "I think people are wearing their beliefs because it is a way to share it in the real world. We want the world to know what kinds of people we are. To know that we think all people are entitled to the same rights (whether it’s marriage or health care or safety). That even with a president-elect inspiring hate and prejudice, there is still goodness in the world. And the hope is that if we show how many of us are out there, love really can Trump hate."

The Not This White Woman collection includes a crewneck tee, V-neck, sweatshirt, and more so you can show your leanings whether you're brunching or at barre class. You can even grab the slogan on a mug or button. However you choose to show that you're #StillWithHer, all the proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood.