2 h. ago A Christmas guru reveals the decorations, toys and gifts that are trending for 2025

Most of us roll our eyes when festive merch appears on shelves in October, so spare a thought for Lisa Cherry who starts prepping for the next Christmas on Boxing Day.

Politics

69 h. ago The small plates that stole dinner: how snacks conquered Britain’s restaurants

It’s love at first bite for diners. From cheese puffs to tuna eclairs, chefs are putting some of their best ideas on the snack menuElliot’s in east London has many hip credentials: the blond-wood colour scheme, the off-sale natural wine bottles, LCD Soundsystem and David Byrne playing at just the right decibel. The menu also features the right buzzwords, such as “small plates” and “wood grill”.But first comes “snacks”. There are classics: focaccia, olives, anchovies on toast. But more creative options include potato flatbreads with creme fraiche and trout roe, mangalitsa saltimbocca with quince, and what became (and has stayed) the Hackney restaurant’s signature dish since around 2012, Isle of Mull cheese puffs: plump, gooey croquettes filled with Scottish cheddar and comté, deep-fried until crisp and topped with yet more grated cheddar. Only two other dishes have never left the menu: fried potatoes with aïoli and cheesecake. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago ‘Superfluous consumerism’: adult Advent calendar trend alarms green groups

Trend is adding to ‘waste crisis’ owing to individual packaging and potential for unwanted items, campaigners sayThe trend for Advent calendars aimed at adults is “superfluous consumerism” that adds to excessive and wasteful consumption, according to environmental groups.While once children excitedly opened a door each day to see what festive picture lay behind it, adults can now count down the days to Christmas with calendars containing everything from luxury beauty products to instant mashed potato. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Wicked: For Good looks to buck 2025 box office trend after solid reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Is Wicked: For Good worth braving the UK weather to see when it’s released this weekend?

Politics

9 d. ago Do you know your 2025 lingo? As 'parasocial' is named word of the year, take the test to see if you can keep up with this year's trending language

Are you down with the latest lingo, or is your vocabulary behind the times? The answer may lie in which of these trending words and phrases you know the meanings of.

Politics

1 week ago Untie me! Why big bows are everywhere – feminine, ironic and strangely subversive

They can be garish and ostentatious, or a sign you are softer than you might first appear. From the catwalk to the high street to the big screen to the rugby pitch, you just can’t miss them right nowWuthering Heights is a story about pain, revenge and the Yorkshire moors as a metaphor for bad life choices. But if Emerald Fennell’s forthcoming adaptation is anything to go by, it’s also about bows.In the two-minute trailer for the film, Cathy wears red bows and black bows, navy bows and pink bows. There are bows around garden pots, and bows around “baddy” Edgar Linton’s throat. Some bows flutter in the fell wind, others are unlaced at speed. In one memorable shot straight from the Jilly Cooper precoital playbook, a pretty white bow is cut from Cathy’s bodice using a labourer’s knife, which would be unforgivable hamminess were it not incredibly hot. Never mind that Emily Brontë rarely mentions bows in the book; that one is an entire plot device. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Communal restaurant tables: 90% of gen Z like them – but why?

Boomers are nowhere near as keen, with only 60% up for bumping elbows with a stranger at a big table. What explains this generational divide?Name: Communal tables.Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Partywear trends for 2025: from velvet suits to subtle sequins all from £32

Party season is getting a luxe update for 2025 with velvet co-ords, understated sparkle, and modern silhouettes starting from £32

Economics

2 w. ago Boyfriends are cringe. But is the #boysober trend a feminist reclamation or a neoconservative tilt? | Lisa Portolan

Young women are rejecting the idea of emotional dependence on men. But as with any online feminist movement, it exists in tensionA few years ago, I wrote about the rise of the “soft” and “hard” launch on social media, those curated posts that signalled a new relationship. Online platforms had become an extension of the romance plot, a public stage where intimacy was proof of worth, and coupledom was still the ultimate status symbol.Back then, my research showed that many people felt their lives had not truly begun until they’d met someone. Being single wasn’t just a relationship status; it was an existential pause. To “get a life,” as the old saying went, meant to find a partner. Romance was the scaffolding of selfhood. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago How the Celebrity Traitors reversed TV’s most troubling trend

Fandom memes, influencers and TikTok deal helped secure industry’s holy grail – gen Z loyaltyThere are not many plaudits left for The Celebrity Traitors, which has delivered tension, crowd-pleasing ineptitude and the most famous fart in television history.Yet for all the show’s achievements, one in particular – a feat that TV executives across the globe have been desperate to deliver – may stand out as the most impressive: it has got gen Z watching live TV. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Trump voters for Mamdani and a new left coalition: the biggest surprises from New York’s election

Political analyst Michael Lange, a born and raised New Yorker who predicted Zohran Mamdani would win, discusses election night’s trends and surprisesUS politics live – latest updatesTwo days before the New York mayoral election, Michael Lange made a big electoral prediction – not just of who would win overall, or in each borough or neighborhood, but block by block. Lange, a political analyst born and raised in New York City, has spent over a decade in progressive politics and has become something of a local celebrity this year for his deep dives into city data and polling.He published his highly detailed prediction map – which correctly forecast that Zohran Mamdani would win although failed to predict Andrew Cuomo’s strong performance – on his Substack, the Narrative War. Lange has a flair for witty coinages. He highlighted, for instance, the divide between the “commie corridor”, stretching from Park Slope to Bushwick to Astoria, where he predicted (accurately) that Mamdani would wi...

Politics

3 w. ago Top 2025 Halloween looks revealed with Wednesday Addams and Claudia Winkleman trends

Wednesday Addams was ranked first in the Top 25 Halloween Looks by Aldi as she just saw off Labubu dolls, Claudia Winkelman and even Coldplay kiss cam 'couple'

Politics

3 w. ago ‘It’s risky business emotionally’: the social shift towards open relationships

With a rise in people opting for non-monogamy, experts suggest the idea of the traditional couple is radically changing“We had an arrangement, be discreet and don’t be blatant. There had to be payment, it had to be with strangers,” sings Lily Allen in her surprisingly candid and detailed album thought to be about her open relationship with her ex-husband.The album has catapulted the concept of non-monogamous relationships into the spotlight, and couples therapists report that an increasing number of their clients are choosing to go down this route. Continue reading...

Events