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Welcome back to our Saturday edition, a look at our best lifestyle reads. Now that I'm back from vacation, I'm regretting my poor vacay diet. It reminds me of an Italian doctor who started eating like an American and saw his cholesterol skyrocket.
On the agenda:
- Put this all-business-class airline on your bucket list.
- A simple injection promises to reverse-age your knees. Is it worth the risk?
- Burberry is having a major identity crisis.
- Here's what it takes to build an Olympic athlete.
But first: Summerween is a thing.
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This week's dispatch
Halloween is here early
If you've been back-to-school shopping and noticed pumpkins, scarecrows, or ghosts, you're not alone. Retailers have been stocking their shelves to get us in the Halloween spirit even though the dog days of summer aren't yet behind us.
Veronica Thatcher, who's worked at Costco for 18 years, told Business Insider she also spotted "Halloween- and harvest-themed decorative pillows" in the big-box store this month.
It feels disorienting to think about Halloween costumes and spooky decor while I'm planning our last beach trip. I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Mike Booth, the music director for CFVR-FM in Alberta, Canada, spotted a nearly open Spirit Halloween, which is set to open more than 1,500 stores this season, and questioned if it was "too early or not."
"It feels like this happens every single year where people just get really excited about costumes in the month of August. Like, are people throwing Halloween parties already?" he questioned in a video shared to his station's X account.
Well, many excited consumers are ready to start prepping for Halloween, and retailers started luring in customers early.
According to eMarketer, Lowe's made Halloween merch available online on June 1 and it'll be available IRL on August 23. In an even more extreme example, Home Depot gave shoppers a sneak peek at its spooky products back in March.
If you're one of the many who are ready to swap your beach umbrella for a witch's broom, there are tons of retailers already in the summerween spirit — from Michaels and Target to Home Depot and Lowe's. Happy hunting!
All business class, all the time
Beond, an airline launched in November, is attempting what other companies have previously failed to do: Run an all-business-class flight. Beond calls it "premium leisure" flying, and offers no economy seating.
Business Insider's Taylor Rains joined Beond for a flight from Italy to the Maldives. Even though it has some quirks, like a fuel stop in Dubai, she found it's a comfortable ride worth splurging on.
Wealthy patient, healthy joints
It's hard to slow down aging, but the wealthy are giving it their best shot, literally. For some, including tech CEO Bryan Johnson, that means flying to the Bahamas for an experimental injection.
The injection sends millions of stem cells into patients' knees, hips, and shoulders. Stem cell therapy does show promise for age-related diseases, but using it for healthy knees is new, expensive territory — Johnson pays about $16,500 per joint.
The pursuit of "superhero joints."
Burberry's identity crisis
The English fashion label's trench coats and signature plaid print launched the brand to fame in the early 21st century. But in the mid-2010s, Burberry started to suffer an identity crisis.
New creative directors tried to emulate high-fashion houses in attempts to launch Burberry to new heights. Instead, the British brand lost sight of what made it so iconic — and its sales flopped in the process.
Also read:
The makings of an Olympian
Olympians are, quite literally, built differently. Sure, they've spent years training to compete at the highest levels. But on a micro level, they're far different than the average person.
Their VO2 max, a common marker of endurance, is far above regular levels. The insides of their mitochondria are more wrinkly, which could help fuel exercise. Their brains might even make better use of dopamine than the rest of us.
All the ways Olympians have optimized their bodies.
Also read:
What we're watching this weekend
- "Love Is Blind: UK": Netflix's flagship reality dating franchise released its latest international spin-off this week. Good news: The UK-based singles are just as messy as their US counterparts.
- "Industry": Kit Harington ("Game of Thrones") joins the HBO hit finance drama in its third season, which premieres this weekend.
- "One Life": The true-story drama stars Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins as a London stockbroker who once helped rescue Jewish children from Nazi-occupied territory. It's streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.
Deals we love
- Not your average PJs: Consider upping your loungewear game with these 14 pajama brands for men. When it comes to designs, comfort, and cooling, it doesn't get better than these.
- Cool-sleep essentials: Are you a hot sleeper? These 11 cooling products can help lower your body temperature in bed, resulting in better, more restful sleep.
- Thanks to our teachers: Several brands show their appreciation year-round by offering exclusive freebies and savings just for educators. From meal kits to streaming services, here are the best teacher discounts available now.
More of this week's top reads:
- A woman retired in Italy at 55. She lost her pension, but says she's happier.
- Devastation and disbelief over Taylor Swift's canceled Vienna shows.
- Silversea's new cruise ship is designed to lure younger travelers. It's working.
- Why short, intense workouts are so good for your fitness and longevity.
- A full-time solo traveler shares the top hidden-gem destinations to visit alone.
- Sleep alone can't cure burnout. You need seven kinds of rest to feel refreshed.
- Gyms have a Gen Z problem.
- Long layover? Look for a transit hotel.
- Weird new status symbols, like $540 moisturizer, are on the rise.
- A ranking of all 50 states, according to someone who's visited each of them.
- An NYC carriage house from the 1800s is on sale for $7 million — take a look.
The Insider Today team: Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.