From the cocoon of the epidemic, we emerge ready for something new.
I, for example, am sick of leggings and sweatshirts. I fantasize about oversized white shirts, baggy khaki linen pants, and straw hats. And some smart leather sandals are barely there, too, because Poppy the pandemic pup has chewed all of my summer shoes (and many of my winter shoes, too).
On the home decor front, I’m desperate to throw away the dark brown reclining sofas I inherited when I bought my parents’ house last year. Who in sunny Southern California buys dark brown corduroy sofas? My dad had plenty of well-developed senses — humor, sarcasm, compassion — but when it came to material comforts, he kept a grip on his purse, typical of a depressed kid.
But now that we’re leaving days as dark as my dad’s couches, I need a change of ambiance. I want a lighter, brighter, more attractive lifestyle. I want glowing skin and soft towels.
Apparently, I aspire to be a coastal grandmother.
opinion writer
Robin Abkarian
“The phrase, which has popped up on TikTok and Instagram,” Jenny Singer wrote last week in a charming, widely circulated post, refers to the fresh, summertime-supplied lifestyle of a beautiful old woman in a Nancy Meyers movie or Ellen Fisher photoshoot. Coastal grandma doesn’t care about underwear or ketamine.
“She likes heirloom tomatoes and goes to bed early.”
This phrase was coined by Lex Nicoletta, the nickname for a 26-year-old woman living in California to describe a certain laid-back yet elegant aesthetic.
When I first heard it, I thought, Oh no, not another silly label. Why does every turn in the zeitgeist have to become a metaphor: a fleeting, mad-dream girl, or a soccer ball?
However, on reflection, I think this is ideal. As someone who drifts away from middle age toward Medicare, I’m well aware of how culture disappears for those of a certain age (except in the commercials for annuities or disability).
‘Coastal novelty’ undermines ageism by celebrating old age. It unambiguously embraces and destigmatizes the word “grandmother”, often used to negate the power of women.
“If you like Nancy Meyers movies, coastal vibes, recipes and cooking, Ina Garten, cozy interiors and more, there is a good chance you are a seaside grandmother,” Nicoletta explains in a viral TikTok post. “And no, you don’t have to be a grandmother to be a coastal grandmother. It’s for anyone and everyone.”
Nicoletta’s nutrition got a big boost recently, when coastal grandma, Diane Keaton, split scenes from the 2003 movie “Something You Should Give” with Nicoletta’s recap. Keaton posted the mashup on her Instagram account and commented, “From one coastal grandmother to another, thank you!!!” Then he was tagged with Myers, the film’s director.
Myers replied, “Googling what coastal granny?!!!”
“It was the craziest moment ever,” said Nicoletta, who has since been invited to appear on “Good Morning America” and “Access Hollywood” and give interviews to the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and, of course, “Architectural Digest” “. “
Nicoletta’s videos are honest, but they are in the joke. You don’t need a home overlooking the ocean to be a coastal gran.
In one post, I asked “Is Erewhon’s coastal grandmother approved?” Certainly it is, I decided. The expensive store is pure, she says, “like a Kris Jenner refrigerator.”
Watching rows and rows of food in glass jars, she adds, “Fun fact: If you put something in a mason jar, you increase its value by 200%.”
This does not mean that you have to be wealthy to be a seaside grandmother. “Coastal” – yes, it did! – It’s not about “your race, your gender, or your tax bracket. It’s a mindset.”
In fact, Nicoletta does not have a home in the Hamptons. They also do not live anywhere near salty air.
She and her husband live in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley. She grew up in a farming family that raised alfalfa, wine, grapes, and almonds, and graduated from Fresno State with a BA in Public Relations.
In January, she began posting about Sahel’s grandmothers on her TikTok feed, which now has 107,000 followers. Go ahead with us, she says, and we’ll ‘stranger’ together.
When I got to her by phone on Friday, Nicoletta told me she’d joked for years about dressing like a coastal granny. “I’m a huge fan of cardigans and the comfy cashmere cuffs,” she said. “I think it resonates because a lot of people like me grew up watching this comforting romantic comedy in the early 2000s. Combined with that going through the pandemic, everyone has had to slow down and look at what brings you happiness. At its core, being a grandmother. Coastal means slowing down.”
So far, you haven’t figured out how to monetize the phrase, but that looks like that’s going to change.
When we spoke, she was on her way to Carmel for the weekend away coastal Grandma, thanks to the city of Carmel. This is a match made in Synergy Paradise; Caramel is the cozy cashmere shawl for cities.
“I feel like I’m still getting my directions,” she said. “This happened overnight.”
The phrase may be a passing meme or a two-legged marketing tool. Whatever the case, I am an inspiration. Out with yucky brown sofas, with dirty linen pieces in just the right neutral shades. I’m a coastal grandmother, after all. My very tasty fate awaits.
