Anthropologie is kicking off its Black Friday deals tomorrow (November 25) with a 30%-off sitewide markdown through November 29, but our inside sources at Anthro shared an early discount code. Today only, use the code BEPRESENT at checkout and snag your favorites on sale the day before everyone else does.
We've rounded up the best of the shimmering steals right here, so scroll on to shop a selection of our favorite on-sale scores. From comfy fashion finds to luminous home goods and big-name beauty gifts (hello, Sunday Riley). Don't forget to keep tabs on this page — we’ll be updating it with more unique-chic Anthropologie deals as the last few sale hours dwindle away.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team, but if you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Amadi Danika Fuzzy Jacket, $, available at Anthropologie
Sunday Riley Pro Vitamins Vitamin C Bestsellers Gift Set, $, available at Anthropologie
Saturday/Sunday Carmen Knit Lounge Set, $, available at Anthropolgie
Anthropologie Furoshiki Holiday Wrapping Cloth, $, available at Anthropologie
Anthropologie Petra Cut-Out Tote Bag, $, available at Anthropologie
Pilcro and the Letterpress Ultra High-Rise Cropped Wide-Leg Jeans, $, available at Anthropolgie
Line & Dot Dessa Cable-Knit Turtleneck Sweater, $, available at Anthropolgie
Anthropologie Jenara Wool Pillow, $, available at Anthropolgie
Margot Reversible Sherpa Coat, $, available at Anthropolgie
Mario Badescu Mini Mist Collection, $, available at Anthropolgie
Saturday/Sunday Avery Lounge Set, $, available at Anthropolgie
Calpak Astyll Small Suitcase, $, available at Anthropologie
Voluspa 12 Day Candle Gifting Advent Calendar, $, available at Anthropolgie
Maeve Irina Relaxed Ponte Pants, $, available at Anthropolgie
Anthropologie Mathilda Knee-High Boots, $, available at Anthropolgie
Porridge Penny Gingham Mini Dress, $, available at Anthropolgie
SOREL Whitney II Weather Boots, $, available at Anthropolgie
Woven Barlow Rag Rug - 3' x 5', $, available at Anthropolgie
Anthropologie Dagny Monogram Mug, $, available at Anthropologie
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Snagging an air fryer for 50% off is fun and all (thanks to TikTok), but this Black Friday, we’re focusing our attention on a category that feels even more relevant in lockdown than cooking appliances: jewelry. Hear us out: Those of us who spend a majority of our day hopping from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting know that jewelry is the easiest way to make a look appear polished, even if you’re wearing loungewear. An Entireworld sweatsuit? Just add your trusty gold hoops. A button-down and track shorts? Harry Styles’ pearl necklace is an easy add-on. But, after nine months spent on Zoom, our jewelry collection could use some new pieces. That’s where Black Friday jewelry sales come in.
Right now, thousands of retailers are majorly marking down their items for the biggest sale day of the year — many of which offer deals on jewelry, from chain necklaces and signet rings to colorful baubles. But while we love online shopping more than anyone, scrolling endlessly through lists of sales can feel overwhelming. So, to make upping your Zoom fashion game an easy feat this sale season, we went ahead and rounded up 17 of the best jewelry sales going on now.
From brands sold at Nordstrom like Lizzie Fortunado and Zoë Chicco that are up to 50% off from now until December 1 to small, indie brands like Wolf Circus and Missoma that are knocking 20% and 25% off, respectively, in the days ahead, there’s certainly something special for everyone to shop in the slideshow ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Dates: 11/25 - 12/ 2 Sale: For every order, Missoma will plant one tree in partnership with Treesisters, a nonprofit organization promoting collective responsibility for environmental restoration with a focus on empowering women and tropical reforestation.
Lucy Williams x Missoma Gold Flat Curb Chain Necklace, $, available at Missoma
Net-A-Porter
Dates: Now Sale:Up to 50% off; additional 15% off sale (applied at checkout) Promo Code: None
Roxanne Assoulin Tube Wood Necklace, $, available at Net-A-Porter
Nordstrom
Dates: Now - 12/1 Sale:Up to 50% off Promo Code: None
Argento Vivo Sterling Silver Medallion Pendant Pearl Necklace, $, available at Nordstrom
Brinker & Eliza Hudson Necklace, $, available at Shopbop
Studs
Dates: 11/27 - 11/29 Sale:20% off sitewide; 10% of proceeds will be donated to the New Georgia Project, an organization supporting the local senate runoff in Georgia. Promo Code: None
US President Donald Trump visits his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, November 3, 2020. – A bitterly divided America was going to the polls on Tuesday amid the worst pandemic in a century and an economic crisis to decide whether to give President Donald Trump four more years or send Democrat Joe Biden to the White House. A record-breaking number of early votes — more than 100 million — have already been cast in an election that has the nation on edge and is being closely watched in capitals around the world. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
In part, many believe that Trump’s disproven claims of election fraud are just a ploy to run the clock that will eventually land him behind bars. So the question is, what kind of power does the president really have to pardon himself? According to Article II of the Constitution, a sitting president “shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” That may sound like we have already answered the question; however, therein lies a small yet important technicality within that phrase that requires some unpacking. The operative word? Grant.
Because of this, we are actually asking the wrong question: It’s not about whether Trump can pardon himself, but whether he can grant himself a pardon. This may sound like the exact same question but bear with us. According to context clues from the text of the Constitution and the word’s meaning at the time it was written, the answer is no. He cannot pardon himself. The president only has the power to grant pardons. For context, the same word appears multiple times in various clauses of the Constitution. Every time the word appears, “grant” is a transmissive term meaning it is from one entity to another, reportsThe Atlantic. It is not used reflexively as in “to grant oneself” a pardon — it is always used interpersonally.
Comparing a word to its uses in other instances within a historical or legal document is a common technique used by judges and legal scholars to surmise the intended meaning in context. If a court were to base its judgment solely on the context of the word in the Constitution, it would be reasonable to determine that the president cannot, in fact, grant himself a pardon.
But it probably wouldn’t be that simple. One of the most common legal interpretive methods, promoted by Justice Antonin Scalia and popularized among conservatives, is to look for a term’s “original public meaning.” This would involve looking at how everyday English speakers in the late 1700s would have understood the word should they have read it in a legal document.
So based on context clues from the original document, legal dictionaries in use at the time, and the development of the English language in the last few centuries, the seemingly inconsequential word “grant” might have just kept us away from an even more complicated end to Trump’s presidency.
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In November 2018, Williams was arrested for helping to protect protestors from police brutality at the Georgia State Capitol as they demanded every vote be counted in the gubernatorial election between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp. Williams has also fought for the right to free and fair elections in her home state of Georgia and beyond.
Before her election to Congress, Williams served in the Georgia State Senate, where she made voting rights a core policy priority. She was also the first Black woman, the second Black person, and the third woman ever to chair Georgia’s Democratic Party. She began her career with the Young Democrats of Georgia and would go on to serve as the Vice President of Public Policy at Planned Parenthood Southeast, as well as the Legislative Coordinator and Regional Public Policy Manager for Planned Parenthood of Georgia.
While much of the 2020 election news out of Georgia centered on the state’s flip to blue — the first time it’s gone Democrat in a presidential election since 1992 — Georgia’s 5th District, which Williams won handily (83.9% of votes to her opponent’s 16.1%) and which includes most of Atlanta, has already historically voted blue. Even so, her record in the State Senate and wide swath of supporters — from a diverse coalition of voters, to progressive PACs like Moms In Office, to Sen. Bernie Sanders — would’ve likely helped her assume the seat in other districts as well.
That’s exactly why it’s candidates like Williams, longtime advocates for radical change, that represent the dawn of a new era of leaders.
Despite a hectic schedule, Williams joined Refinery29 to discuss post-election reflections, policy, and putting her own foot forward — without forgetting to look back, of course.
You’ve been one of the loudest voices in this country’s continued fight for free and fair elections. How do you plan to ensure Georgia, one of the most critical states in every election cycle, empowers those people who’ve previously found participating in electoral politics inaccessible?
“Voter disenfranchisement is rampant in Georgia and throughout the country. Republicans are working non-stop to prevent people from voting because they know how powerful a vote is . They can only get away with it if people don’t stand up and demand their votes are counted. On day one in Congress, I will demand the Senate pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act because we’ve seen the dire consequences after the Shelby v. Holder decision. I will centralize the most marginalized in my decision-making in Congress the same way Congressman Lewis did. I will fight for numerous reforms to our voting process, including same-day voter registration, restoring voting rights to convicted felons, ranked-choice voting, and standardizing our vote-by-mail process.”
Many have said that you have some pretty significant shoes to fill in taking on Rep. John Lewis’ seat. What from his legacy do you intend to continue? More importantly, what might you do differently in creating your own legacy?
“No one can ever fill the Honorable John Lewis’ shoes. I’m going to Congress to be Nikema Williams, that’s all that I can be, and to live up to the legacy he left behind. There’s more work to do, there’s different work to do but Congressman Lewis showed us the way. I am looking to take those lessons he taught me and make sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure I am moving our state and country forward.”
As a mom to a young child, you join a very small group of representatives in the same position. How do you think your personal experience will inform the policies you’ll fight for in Congress?
“As a mom with a five-year-old son and a full-time job, I have seen firsthand the disastrous effects of Trump’s incompetence handling the COVID-19 pandemic. My son’s first day of kindergarten was not spent getting on a bus to meet new friends, but sitting at home in front of a computer. That’s why I will trust scientists when we create new national COVID-19 response and relief programs. I know the shortcomings of our healthcare system; I once chose to not receive medical care after a dangerous car accident because the visit to the Emergency Room would have been too expensive. I struggled to pay for my mom’s treatment as she battled Stage IV cancer in the final years of her life. Healthcare is a human right, and I support Medicare for All. Every single American, regardless of income or Zip code, must be able to receive the care they deserve. Medical care shouldn’t make you bankrupt.
“Families in our country are overworked, underpaid, and still forced to choose between paying their bills or paying for the care of a loved one. Affordable, quality childcare is just the beginning of addressing these issues. I will fight to invest in strong federal infrastructure ensuring that quality childcare, paid family and medical leave, and long-term care is a reality for those who need it.”
It seems the focus of many voters in the 2020 election was defeating Donald Trump, but what other crucial things are at stake in the U.S. that have little or nothing to do with him?
“This was the most consequential election of our lifetime. Trump Republicans were trying to take away Americans’ healthcare with no plan of their own. All across the country, people are seeing the horrors of police brutality. What we saw were not just isolated incidents, it’s just things that were caught on tape. Black people in this country have been the victims of police violence for generations. Voters realize like never before that Black lives matter, and they have the opportunity to reform police power. More than 8,600 Georgians and 243,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. We elected leaders who will trust science and lead us out of the pandemic.”
During your race, you were endorsed by President-elect Joe Biden. What did that mean for you and your campaign and now, for your time in Congress under a Biden administration?
“I am proud to have been endorsed by Vice President Biden. Americans have a ticket with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris dedicated to undoing the unchecked damage of four disastrous years of Trump Republican extremism. Vice President Biden’s endorsement shows I have the support locally and nationally to be the best congresswoman possible for the Fifth Congressional District. I have been a supporter of Vice President Biden for years and I am excited for eight years of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
What do you hope the American people continue to do post-election to remain active participants in this shifting political landscape?
“John Lewis taught us the importance of causing “good trouble.” Americans, win or lose, should continue causing good trouble. Showing up to every election to vote, the most powerful non-violent weapon we have, must be the first thing people do. Continue to stand up for your rights because there is still a lot of work left to do to make sure every American, no matter their zip code, no matter their race, no matter who they love, can share in the promise of America for all.”
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Like many people during the pandemic-induced shelter-in-place orders, I turned to improving my living space with all of the free time I suddenly found myself with. While many looked to revamping their at-home workspaces or repainting their living room, I cleaned out my clutter-filled closet — and then turned it into a capsule wardrobe.
As a writer that’s been covering fashion trends for years, shopping is not only my favorite pastime but also basically part of my job. Over the years, though, I had managed to collect so much clothing that it was causing me to feel like I was drowning in my own closet. And so, confined to the walls of my apartment, I decided it was time to give my wardrobe a makeover.
While I’ve always tried to keep sustainability in mind when shopping, by buying from ethical brands and shopping secondhand, I was still guilty of making a few fast fashion purchases each season. I often made impulse buys on a whim, which led to a closet full of clothing and accessories I wore once or, worse, never at all. With the pandemic, this became only more apparent: As I wore my new uniform of hoodies and bike shorts during most hours of spring, summer, and fall, my impulse buys gathered more dust in the back of the closet.
Inspired by fashion writer and influencer Stephanie Broek, I decided to create a capsule closet, a tightly curated and streamlined wardrobe made up of quality staples and statement pieces — one that I sourced as sustainably as possible. (I also had a move on the horizon, and my new closet space would be a far cry from the walk-in closet my husband and I were sharing, which I had already taken up 95 percent of.) And so I made a pledge to myself to quit shopping for new pieces entirely, promising to only buy secondhand and vintage pieces going forward.
After a week spent downsizing, a few months of sourcing “new” secondhand pieces, and a new physical closet later, I’m working with a wardrobe that’s less than 50 percent of what it used to be, and 100 percent more wearable. Here’s how you can build a capsule wardrobe, too.
Assess what you already own
The first step in creating a curated closet is assessing the pieces you already own. The idea is to build a wardrobe filled with clothing you’ll wear again and again. With that in mind, take a look at the contents of your wardrobe and decide what doesn’t fit that description.
After taking out the pieces you hardly or no longer wear, decide: What can you resell (to make money to reinvest into your new wardrobe), and what can you donate? Bring your items to sell at stores like Buffalo Exchange (which also offers Sell-by-Mail program) or Crossroads Trading, or mail them to be sold virtually at places like thredUP. You can also sell the clothing yourself on platforms like Poshmark, eBay, and Depop.
Before you think of tossing something just because it has a bit of wear and tear, consider taking the time to mend it. “It’s really important to fix nicer, classic items before buying new — for example, resoling a black bootie or fixing straps on a designer handbag,” says Cassandra Dittmer, a sustainable stylist, consultant, and expert. “Shifting your mindset to a place of taking care of what you already own is a powerful way to evolve as a consumer.” Fun fact: One of my favorite shoes is a pair of sculptural Marni sandals (pictured here) that I’ve gotten cleaned and resoled after finding them secondhand.
For pieces that may seem too far gone to salvage or donate, do some research on where you can bring them to be recycled (do not just throw them away as they’ll end up in landfills). Living in NYC, I drop off my unwanted clothing at donation bins from HELPSY, a textile recycling service that sorts through your old goods and recycles anything unwearable into rags for industrial use. If you don’t have a similar donation bin near you, look at store programs (Reformation, H&M, and Levi’s are just some of the brands that will take clothing from any brand) that will recycle them for you. You can also pay to ship unwanted clothing and textiles to be recycled through programs like TerraCycle.
Once you’ve sorted through what you already have (and hopefully made a few bucks in the process), you’re ready to start rebuilding your wardrobe.
Fill the clothing gaps
Every capsule closet should have a variety of classic pieces that won’t ever go out of style. Think items that have remained staples for the last few decades: trench coats, crisp button-downs, cashmere sweaters, blue jeans, black boots, blazers, etc. “These are the items you can wear any given day from year to year that never look outdated,” says Liisa Jokinen, vintage expert and founder of vintage search engine Gem, a platform that indexes vintage and secondhand items from all over the world (more on it below). “You can never go wrong with these items, and they’re easy to mix with anything. They’ll also save your day when you feel like you have nothing to wear.”
After looking at what remained in your closet, fill in the missing gaps. The good news is that all of these timeless pieces are usually available in excess pre-loved at places ranging from affordable thrift stores to luxury consignment boutiques. Prioritize what you need first by seasons. Did you let go of a bunch of old fast fashion, not-so-warm winter coats ahead of the cold weather? Start by investing in one or two practical coats that work with everything, like a simple trench or understated peacoat.
Getting dressed should be fun, which is why your closet should also include statement pieces. In this case, opening yourself up to vintage can lead to many one-of-a-kind options. “Shopping vintage is one of the best ways to experiment with funky and unique silhouettes,” says Dittmer. “It’s a great way to explore different eras of fashion and boundaries within your own personal style.” But while you should have fun, do think about the wearability of the piece. “I would avoid anything that feels too costume-y, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re shopping secondhand. I try to remind myself, if this piece was new, would I still buy it, or am I only liking it because it’s vintage? I still make sure it’s something I would reach for without the vintage clout.”
Jokinen recommends opting for statement items like jewelry, blouses, and shoes, or other “small accents that don’t make your whole outfit scream for attention.” This way, you can pair them with the classics you already own. “Think of combining the above-mentioned white blouse with a pair of dangling statement earrings, or blue jeans with a pair of shoes in a bright color.” For Dittmer, it’s all about subtle statement details, “like a pearl button or unique scallops.”
Of course, this doesn’t always have to be the case. If you find the perfect vintage floor-length sequined dress — something you probably wouldn’t wear every day, but you know you’d wear time and time again over the years — by all means, go for it, so long as it’s not an impulse purchase. My rule of thumb is: If I see something amazing in a shop or online that I can’t stop thinking about for a week or two, it’s worth buying. “The important thing to consider when shopping for statement pieces is that they should be purchased just as thoughtfully as your classic pieces,” says Dittmer.
What to invest in
Owning a high-quality wardrobe doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend a fortune. Thanks to shopping vintage and secondhand over the years, I have amassed a collection of built-to-last pieces I would have never been able to afford new.
That said, there are some things worth investing in — things you’ll be able to wear for literally decades to come, or easily resell when you’re done with them. “Anything from Chanel to Hermès, to Gucci — those are the pieces you can always resell. Not necessarily for profit, but you won’t lose out on all your money,” points out Jokinen.
A few months into quarantine, I fell in love with a vintage Gucci Boston bag that I found on The RealReal. Despite it being older with a bit of wear and tear, it was still in good condition. It was pricier than I wanted it to be, but I knew it would last me, as long as I took care of it, and be worth it in the end. Not only was it a classic style — a medium-sized barrel shape with two top handles — but modern iterations of this style still make their way down current Gucci runways. Even at a higher price than some of my other purchases this pandemic, I still ended up paying a quarter of what these bags go for today.
Labels aside, there are a couple of wardrobe staples that are worth spending your hard-earned cash on to ensure that they last season after season; according to Dittmer, “investing in quality shoes, denim, and basics is a good place to start.”
On the other hand, there are some items that aren’t worth shelling out for that you can easily score at a wallet-friendly price (and without running to your local Zara), such as trendier styles that probably won’t be as in-demand a year from now. “Most of the current trends are so easy to shop secondhand, as fashion is largely inspired by past decades,” says Jokinen. “Things go in circles. Plus, by shopping trends secondhand, you can create your own interpretation of them and stand out, which is the fun part!”
For example. one trend that’s been having a moment for a few seasons is the puff sleeve dress. Why spend on a pricy designer item — or a cheap fast fashion duplicate — when you can find plenty of show-stopping pieces straight from the ‘80s? Not only will they be one of a kind, but as Jokinen points out, the quality of pieces over 20 years old is much higher than of clothes produced today, so they’ll last you much longer. That said, do look at what the item is made from when deciding on a purchase. “I would avoid cheap and synthetic fabrications and focus on natural fibers,” says Dittmer.
Still, if you really want to buy something of-the-moment from a buzzy contemporary brand, it’s possible to do so secondhand. There are plenty of people selling their gently worn pieces on platforms like Vestiaire, Depop, and Series. That’s where I’ve managed to nab pristine Orseund Iris knits and a Stand Studio coat without having to drain my savings account. It just might take you longer to find the exact piece you want.
Where to shop secondhand
With our ability to shop in person limited due to the pandemic, there’s no longer the thrill of the physical hunt — digging through rack after rack in an overstuffed secondhand shop. However, we can thank the internet gods for giving us access to vintage and consignments from all over the globe and the ability to search exactly what we’re looking for. My new favorite way to shop is through Gem, a platform that aggregates a whopping 30 million products through major luxury designer consignment retailers, online marketplaces like Etsy and eBay, as well as thousands of independent vintage shops. Another great platform is Thrilling, an online marketplace that sells goods from over 130 small vintage stores across the U.S. Compiling an assortment of designer and no-name vintage, it offers a wide range of price points and highlights Black-owned vintage businesses.
For specific designer labels, whether a vintage handbag or something from a contemporary brand, I love shopping on The RealReal, Vestiaire, Heroine. Platforms like Depop, ThredUp, and Poshmark are also great for more affordable brands.
There are also plenty of independent vintage e-commerce stores to choose from. Personally, I love The NXCVintage Shop for in-your-face colors and prints, Mirth Vintage for neutral wardrobe staples, Berriez for a size-inclusive assortment of colorful statement pieces, The Break for an incredible curation of quality shoes and bags, and Singulier MTL for chic ‘60s and ‘70s retro wares.
Months after beginning this journey, my closet is much more cohesive, and it takes me significantly less time to get dressed. Despite reducing what I owned by 50 percent, I feel like I now have more options because I have pieces that are more wearable and can be mixed and matched together in a number of ways.
I constantly reach for my classics: the vintage men’s blazers I’ve had for years, my newly downsized collection of denim, basic turtlenecks and tees for layering, Dr. Martens boots, and a vintage burgundy Helmut Lang trench coat my husband scored for me a while back. While filling the gaps, I’ve added a tan leather trench, a handful of plain men’s button-downs, and a vintage leather blazer à la Nanushka into the mix. Next on my list are a simple leather skirt and a pair of high-rise trousers.
In terms of statement pieces, I still cherish my collections of vintage long-sleeve maxi dresses and colorful mini bags, as well as a pair of vintage platform Prada boots and the aforementioned Marni sandals. However, some of my favorite statement items I own were pandemic purchases: the floor-length logo-covered Fendi winter coat of my dreams, a leather Zayna Bayne harness bra, a satin bustier, and a chunky chain link necklace — all secondhand purchases.
While I’ve taken the pledge to quit shopping new for the time being, does that mean I’ll never buy another new thing, ever again? Likely not, but, the next time I do choose to, I’ll be much more mindful about what I’m purchasing and who I’m supporting. From brands upcycling deadstock fabrics to ones that have adopted a circular fashion model, there are plenty of small, independent brands, who are trying to combat fashion waste, to turn to should I fail to find something secondhand. “We have so much access to wonderful clothing that I now prioritize brands that are transparent and ethical and that deserve my investment,” confirms Dittmer.
Ultimately, when building a sustainable capsule closet, it’s about starting with what you have in your current closet and changing your consumption habits to be more mindful in the future. Think through each purchase, whether it’s secondhand or from a sustainable label, and make sure it’s something that you’ll wear after the current season comes to an end. Most importantly, take care of the clothes you wear so that you can keep wearing them — and so that someday, someone else can, too.
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Complex family dynamics exist everywhere, including the White House. Lincoln’s Lie: A True Civil War Caper Through Fake News, Wall Street and the White House, Elizabeth Mitchell’s new book, centers on an early incident of fake news during the Lincoln presidency near the end of the Civil War. It reads like a mystery but is also a story about the sometimes messy lives of First Families. The two colleagues and long-time friends talk about what they’ve learned through research and from first-hand experience.
Darcey Steinke: Lincoln’s Lie is a book about a scandal during the Lincoln administration, but it’s also a portrait of a marriage — Abraham Lincoln’s marriage to Mary Todd. What did you learn about that union?
Elizabeth Mitchell: Its layered nature. It was at times intellectual, romantic, physical. They shared deep sorrows, including the loss of two sons. He was aware of her mental and emotional instabilities and tried his hardest to be compassionate about those. On the other hand, those instabilities caused him tremendous problems in his professional life. It was interesting to track that negotiation.
One anecdote that I read about in preparation for this interview really stays with me. The Lincolns had just moved into their first house. Someone reported seeing Mary Todd running out the back door and then Lincoln, holding a gun, running behind her. Once outside Lincoln tapped her behind and they both started laughing. It reminds me of other high-octane couples, Elvis and Priscilla, Sid and Nancy, Kurt and Courtney. I mean on one hand it looks bad, but on the other it’s this goofy volatile couple that is just really in love.
The connection between them was intimate but a bit destructive, and they knew it. Before Abe married Mary Todd, he went into a pretty severe depression. His friend was so worried about him, he took Lincoln in for months and removed all weaponry to keep him safe. Both Mary Todd and Abe had attachment issues, I would say, so if she did anything to sort of reject him, it put him in a tailspin.
I know that Mary Todd was well educated and that from a young age she was interested in politics. At nine she was so set against Andrew Jackson as a presidential candidate, she refused to see him speak or go to the reception for him. She even got into a fight with one of his supporters on the street. She was interested in the presidency, even as a young girl and often said, the man she was going to marry would be president. I know that you too, as a girl were very interested in the presidency. Can you give us some insight?
I didn’t have any aspirations of being president. I think you’re talking about the Gerald Ford incident [laughs]. In fourth grade our teacher asked us to write to Gerald and Betty Ford because of her breast cancer. He wrote back to me with a little signature card. That inspired me the next year to inexplicably write to him again. That time he sent me back a photograph of him with his dog Liberty. That inspired me at age 12 or 13 to write a rock song about him called “Master of Liberty.” It was my ambition to have my brother’s band play it. It came full circle when I was at George [magazine, as the executive editor] and I ran into [my boss] John [Kennedy Jr.] in the hall of the Republican convention when he was on his way to interview Ford. He kept saying I needed to come along to see my childhood hero. The whole time we were talking to Ford, John kept saying, “Hey, she’s your pen pal. She wrote a song about you.” John was so delighted but it didn’t seem to register with Ford.
See, I think that’s the root of your interest in presidential history.
Maybe. I saw them as humans early on, like any other person on the street but making these wildly big decisions.
When I read about Mary Todd, I was struck by her similarity to another First Lady, Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Both spoke beautiful French, both were interested in fashion, redesigned the Rose Garden, redecorated the White House, grieved the death of children publicly, tragically sat beside their husbands as they were murdered, and also had blood splattered on them. And both, after their husbands were killed, decamped to Europe for a while. Can you comment on this?
That’s all true and both had intellectual ambitions. Jackie famously won hearts by speaking other languages directly to foreign leaders and having intelligent things to say about larger political issues. Mary Todd tried to advise her husband constantly — you know: “Get rid of this guy in the cabinet.” And: “This person is your enemy and you don’t realize it.” It could have been an aspect of paranoia, part of her mental health issues, but more often than not she was correct.
There is one distinct difference between the women, which is that Jackie Kennedy was so good at keeping herself almost as a performer in the presidency. She didn’t reveal all of her emotional life. Something about that dignity and cleanness appealed to the American public. They could handle a First Lady’s sorrow but not necessarily the messiness of sorrow. Now, Mary Todd Lincoln was not like this. Once her husband was killed, she was quite vocal about her grief, her fury that they were kicking her out of the White House, her horror about the level of debt that she was in because of a mania she had for shopping, and that she expected the powerful American people to rally and pay her bills. When they didn’t, she started selling off her personal possessions in a very public way, including things as basic as a parasol cover. A lot of people talked about the shame that she brought on the country by doing this. So her fleeing to Europe was probably more of an effort to escape this heavy criticism, whereas Jackie’s was, from that famous quote — “they are killing Kennedys” — more about the safety of her children. We should mention Jackie Kennedy was the editor of your first novel. Did she, by any chance ever speak of Mary Todd in your conversations?
Not that I can remember. There was some discussion bout being the First Lady though. I was around 25 years old when she edited me, so I was at the stage of, “I’m never going to do anything in the domestic sphere.” She was good, when we were talking, about saying, “Look, I know our situations in life aren’t equal.” Like she would always say, “It wasn’t like I was chained to the dishwasher.” But she would talk about the glories of the domestic life. That I should consider them.
I like the idea that you had about Jackie being clean. In reading up about Mary Todd, one of the things that really struck me was, when she was selling her clothes, a lot of the journalists would talk about the clothes being dirty, that they had sweat stains or food stains. I thought that was over the guardrail. That’s the lowest point of debasement, saying a person is dirty.
Yes, the press liked to present the Lincolns as not presentable enough for the White House. I recently came across an anecdote, when they’re arriving in a town on the train trip to the inauguration, they’re about to pull into a station and he says, “Do I look okay?” And she stands up on the seat — a banquette basically — parts his hair and combs it. The newspaper reporters have never seen anything more horrifying in their lives. She licked her palm to flatten the hair down. So there was that idea these people were kind of “trash.” Once he died, they wanted her out of the White House, almost to begin forgetting it even happened. Misogyny is super powerful and they didn’t have any patience for somebody like her who had so much to say.
Let’s talk more about control. Lincoln was never able to control his wife at a time when husbands did. She was outspoken, vivacious, prone to shopping sprees. There has been speculation that Mary Todd was what we would now call a White House leaker. Leaking is an interesting way to recalibrate power. Do you think she was trying to equalize what she saw as an unfair power balance?
If we look at her first alleged leak, it’s not clear what its motivation was; if it was financially motivated, it would have been her trying to sweep away her problem with shopping, which was a mania. I don’t think she ever wanted to damage her husband. I think she actually would have hated to think of herself as doing that. It was more that since she was surrounded by all of these political people in D.C., some of whom were corrupt and some of whom she felt probably were less intelligent than she was, maybe it was more she wanted power over them or at least to share the power they had. I didn’t see signs of professional jealousy with her husband. She wanted her husband very much to be president, that’s clear. Not necessarily for her own power. She seemed to have a sincere belief in him as a good trustworthy person who was going to do the right thing. She was against slavery obviously. Somebody had to be courageous enough to rise to the presidency and take that stance.
Right.
The only power dynamic that I noticed being problematic was their mutual jealousy. In newspaper clippings, you find enough suggestions of him being a bit too attentive to young women, let’s say, and she was so brutally insecure that anything could trigger her. At the time, there were annoying traditions, such as the First Lady wasn’t the one who walked with the president into a room for a dinner or such. Often that someone else would be a younger and perhaps more attractive woman, and Mary Todd always felt terribly about this. And then meanwhile, there were a lot of allegations that she was having affairs on the side. If she wasn’t having affairs, then she might have been doing things to make him jealous, like taking long carriage rides with the guy who was the most flirtatious in D.C.
Lincoln seemed to have sympathy for his wife’s struggles, her sometimes frail mental health.
I found moments when Lincoln would say something wildly flattering to her to help her gather her fragile confidence before a public event. One of the most moving efforts he made to protect her was when Congress was investigating a leak from the White House of what we now call the annual State of the Union address. All evidence pointed toward Mary Todd. Congress wanted to begin questioning her but it was exactly when their 11-year-old son Willie was on his deathbed with typhoid. Suddenly Lincoln appeared in the Congressional meeting room in a state of absolute sorrow and said, “To my knowledge, no member of my family has engaged in treasonous activity.” The people in the room were so struck by his arrival and the sadness etched in his face that they just decided to drop the Mary Todd investigation. Now first of all, it’s interesting that he said “to my knowledge,” so he’s still leaving the possibility it could be true. But he needed to tell them to back off because his wife’s heavy grief.
A couple of years later Mary Todd was afraid that her debt would be used to smear her husband and he’d be defeated because of it. You get the full sense of somebody with that kind of mania who can’t control it, and just thinking, I’m bringing this person I love down. We’ve seen that every once in a while — Billy Carter, Roger Clinton.
Trump definitely doesn’t seem to have sadness or worry that his kids aren’t doing the right thing. He’s just plowing ahead.
I was wondering in regard to the profligate spending of Mary Todd, you worked as an intern in the Reagan White House. Nancy Reagan was a shopper. Did anything odd come up with her and shopping?
When presents would come in from politicians passed on from their constituents, part of my job was to figure out what to do with them. For instance, the red, white, and blue crocheted potholders would go to this gigantic warehouse. I remember once there were 100 pounds of potatoes from Idaho and the staff thought, Could we use them in the White House kitchen? But they considered, they might be poisoned. So you couldn’t give them to a shelter, either. I remember once we received a hundred of those birds of paradise flowers sent from maybe the Hawaiian congressman or senator. I thought, Well, Nancy would like this. I called up to her office and they deliberated. The hundred flowers were everywhere in my office. And then I got the call back from her chief of staff: “Nancy does not approve of birds of paradise.” I always remember that. Because the buds are kind of phallic. Somehow, for me, that story seems to embody the Reagan years.
One last question: As a historian could you talk about the work of bringing back the complexity and humanity of famous men and also more particularly historical women?
It’s interesting how traditionally so much of what we know about First Ladies comes through betrayals by people who worked closely with them. I feel a little bit bad even for Melania that it was a friend who secretly taped her. With Mary Todd Lincoln various people she considered close exposed things about her. Jackie had similar circumstances. Male history traditionally tracks what they did, what they wrote, and females keep getting written up as confidences betrayed.
But one recent development helps us get closer to women’s real roles: newly digitized newspaper archives. Now we get access to more local press coverage of women that wasn’t originally incorporated into the historical canon. Perspective matters as well: History still seems more of a male dominated field. So being a female writer, maybe I can recognize in women the signs of thrashing, of efforts to throw off oppressive power, whereas, I would say a male might look at the woman’s behavior and say, why is she acting so crazy? I can track what ambitions she had and how they were thwarted. And also, what did this woman actually achieve when the historians of the time were looking the other way?
