Reading The Game: Walden

Blue flag blooming along Walden Pond in early fall.

Our occasional series on storytelling in video games returns with the most intentionally literary game we’ve ever looked at: Walden, A Game, in which you play as Henry David Thoreau (yes, really).

(Image credit: Screenshot courtesy of USC Game Innovation Lab)

The Skinny-Jean Style That Didn’t Sell This Year

As we mentioned yesterday, with the end of the year comes reflection and reminiscing on the high and low moments, lending a time to reset and plan fresh beginning for the 12 months ahead. In fashion, an annual reflection means combing through data to find the most popular T-shirt of the year, the new fashion poses trending on Instagram, and the trends that flunked and dominated. Today we’re narrowing in on the denim department and highlighting the top-selling skinny jeans in 2018. Thanks to insight from our in-house affiliate team, we’ve gathered the 11 pairs of jeans that our readers dubbed the most wearable.

After looking through the section of skinny jeans, we noticed one style missing from the bunch: light-wash jeans. We’re referring to skinny jeans with a super-duper light wash, not to be confused with a vintage-inspired wash. Although there’s a bit of variety in terms of styles and silhouettes, the least popular skinny-jean style of the year goes to light-wash denim. The styles that made our list all have a high-rise waistline and are slightly on the cropped side rather than full-length and bunched at the ankle. Below you’ll find the skinny jeans ranked from the 11th slot to the number one style (can you guess the brand?) of the year. Scroll down to see and shop the most popular skinny jeans.

Up next, see the “boring” skinny-jean style celebs are bringing back.

6 Shoe Trends That Will Die Once 2019 Starts

Believe it or not, 2019 is right around the corner, meaning there’s no time like the present to get ahead on your shopping strategy for next year. Instead of overwhelming you with a list of all the trends that will be cool for the upcoming year, we’re going to make it quick and simple by filling you in on the trends experts say will die in under a month—shoe trends, to be specific.

Ahead, we’ve asked some of the most reputable experts in the industry, ranging from fashion directors of your favorite online shopping destinations to marketing specialists at one of the most popular shopping search engines on the internet, to fill us in on the shoe trends they think will be officially “out” next year, in addition to the ones they are expecting to flourish. Ready to see what they said?

Up next, shop the 2019 way to style all of your airport outfits

French Girls Laugh Every Time Americans Wear These 3 Things

There’s no denying the fact that Americans are obsessed with French-girl style. As we’ve discussed pretty tirelessly, Parisian women dress in a way that has that certain je ne sais quoi that for whatever reason American girls aspire to achieve. Normally, we ask our favorite French girls all about the items they’re buying, wearing, loving, etc. so that we can all go off and make our purchases accordingly, but this time we wanted to switch it up. Intrigued yet?

We reached out to a handful of our favorite French women and asked them what, if anything, it is about American style that makes them laugh. I tried guessing before I asked them the daunting question, but my answers were nowhere close to what they had to say. When it comes to the differences between American and French style, these classy Parisian ladies have quite a few things to say. Ahead, find out what French girls said they find funny about American style.

Style Tip: If your dress has a festive adornment like feathers or crystals, opt for some more-subdued shoes to let the real party pieces shine. 
Style Tip: However, if you want to go all out the French way, make sure to choose pieces that are neutral in color and unique in silhouette, like these crystal-fringe pants.
Style Tip: Make an all-black party look pop with sparkly accessories.
Style Tip: Even the simplest of black dresses can be made more interesting with the addition of statement shoes.
Style Tip: Tone down a skirt that’s really “extra” with unusual counterparts like cowboy boots and slim sunnies.
Style Tip: Instead of a minidress and platforms, try a velvet suit and manageable pumps.
Style Tip: Pair a bold-colored top with leopard pants for a truly trendy look. You’ll look cool with minimal effort.
Style Tip: Wearing plaid pants? Opt for a contrasting plaid accessory to make your look feel more forward and less dated.
Style Tip: Toughen up preppy plaid trousers with a graphic T-shirt.
Style Tip: Make your timeless wardrobe staples feel fresh by way of chunkier sneakers.
Style Tip: Even your work trousers can feel more fun with quirky last-minute additions like colorful sneakers and a shiny puffer.
Style Tip: Instead of reaching for your tried-and-true pumps when rushing to get to the office, slip into a sleek pair of sneakers instead.
Style Tip: It’s not the heel height that will make your outfit a knockout; it’s the heel shape. This season, opt for square toes and low block heels.
Style Tip: White shoes will always make you look polished, no matter how low the heel.
Style Tip: And if heels aren’t your thing, this photo is proof that you can still look sleek sans heels, even while wearing sneakers. 
Up next, find out which trends were the most googled of 2018.