This is such a novel exploration of the loneliness epidemic, seen through the cherished moments that we often lose sight of when we're constantly distracted and disconnected from one another.
@alv9n.com is your tour guide through the bright spots of happiness: pudding.cool/2026/02/happ...
Too real!
My clothes never fit me right. I'm not the problem. Most women who buy off the rack can't find well-fitting clothes! Hence the trend to tights and T-shirts
#Clothing #WomensClothes
pudding.cool/2026/02/wome...
Many of these problems have been around for decades — generations even. Does it have to continue this way?
The system is optimized for mass production in a sprawling network of global supply chains — not women's bodies. But at what cost?
Personally I feel poor sizing contributes to the overall decline in quality in women’s clothing. Shapeless cuts, drop-shoulder styles, cheap/synthetic stretch fabrics, all offer wiggle room to fit a greater variety of body types and offset the many shortcomings of a broken sizing system.
Clothing sizes are inconsistent. Vanity sizing is rampant and real. And if there are no universal standards uniting the size labels on garments, then “sizes” as we know them lose all meaning.
The struggle with clothing sizes hits at a deeply personal level. Negative experiences can feel painful or even traumatic and stick with us for many years, which makes it all the more frustrating to know that a lot of women’s sizing is, to some extent, made-up bullshit
Learning how to make my own clothes completely recontextualized everything I’d known about sizes and shopping. Finally I had hard data and raw measurements to truly understand why my clothes didn’t fit right. And that it wasn’t my fault.
For years, it really bothered me that women were expected to learn each clothing brand’s unique sizing system through a rough combination of dressing room meltdowns and trial-and-error.
So I gave up and learned how to sew.
I’m so excited to be publishing my first-ever visual essay with @puddingviz.bsky.social:
pudding.cool/2026/02/wome...
It brings together so many of my recent interests — research, coding, design, and sewing — on a topic that won’t leave me alone: the chaos of women’s clothing sizes.
My latest: Sitters and Standers
Interactive: pudding.cool/2024/11/sitt...
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE_E...
Here to serve random fruit facts!
Best All-Around Rare Gem: Tayberries
Harvest-time: 1-2 weeks in July
Hands down my favorite berry. A hybrid cross between a raspberry and a blackberry, tayberries are so sweet that they practically melt in your mouth. A major downside is that they have a nonexistent shelf-life, so eat ‘em fast!
Best for Baking: Boysenberries
Harvest time: Late July-August
Boysenberries are literal juice bombs. Bakers love their plump, built-in sweetness for jams and pies, but I actually prefer to eat boysenberries fresh. To me the seeds are less off-putting than most blackberry hybrids.
BONUS RECIPE: Blue-Raspberry Cones
For a fun interactive dining experience that tiny humans universally enjoy, stick a Toro blueberry inside of a Tulameen raspberry like it’s a mini ice cream cone.
Most durable: Toro blueberries
Harvest time: Mid/late July- August
Toros can grow to be the size of a quarter and they have such a satisfying POP! when you chomp down. Blueberries tend to hold up better than most specialty berries, which makes them a handy travel snack to eat by the handful
Best Binge-Eating Berry: Tulameen raspberries
Harvest time: July-August
I used to pop these suckers like Sour Patch Kids. Tulameens are sweet with a sometimes tart finish that’s super addictive. Plus they have an odd fuzzy texture that makes them weird/interesting to eat
Best All-Around Strawberry: Shucksan
Harvest time: Mid-to-late June
Shucksans are the most satisfying strawberry to bite into when they’re perfectly ripe and juicy. They often grow in weird-ass shapes, which makes it feel like you’re getting a two-in-one bonus.
