Sewing your own clothes is life-changing, and I truly believe that anyone can do it. The main reason to make your own clothes is because most garments you buy just don’t fit very well. If your body is anything but what the fashion world considers standard then you’re left with poor-fitting clothes. Let me get you started on sewing clothes that actually fit your body. 1. A Simple Sewing Machine If you are just starting out and need to buy a machine, a basic sewing machine is all you need. I used a beginner Brother… Read more

On Saturday, the 19th of November, an armed man entered the LGBTQ+ nightclub, Club Q, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, just before midnight. He then opened fire in the middle of the club, ultimately killing five people and injuring 25 before being taken to the ground and disarmed by people inside the nightclub. A few moments after the horrific event, the clock struck midnight, and it was the 20th of November, the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR is a day to remember victims of transgender hate crimes.… Read more

Check out BUST's Holiday Gift Guide! We rounded up the best small-business buys and holiday finds to make your winter merry and bright! BLACK PHOENIX ALCHEMY LAB Celebrating its 20th year as an indie perfume label, BPAL specializes in personal and home fragrance that is cruelty-free and blended by hand, channeling realms of history, myth, enchantment, literature, and other avenues of the uncanny into scent. FAT AND THE MOON Fat and the Moon is an herbalist-founded and formulated, head-to-toe bod care line. Low waste,… Read more

Women getting paid less than men who do the same job is a tale as old as time, but, thanks to the creator economy, that might be about to change. In the past couple of years, we have shifted how we work. It’s clear now that a traditional corporate job isn’t the only way to make a living, and a 9-5 job has been proven not to be the best career investment for women —a recent report by McKinsey & Company showed that, in 2021, for every 100 men that were promoted from entry-level roles to manager positions, only 87 women… Read more

Four years ago, Jenny Nguyen rolled up to a sports bar with some friends in hopes of watching the NCAA women’s basketball final. The bartenders wouldn’t change the channel on the main TVs, though, so the group ended up crowding around a small TV to watch the game—with no sound. “There was this epic, last minute three-pointer,” Nguyen, 42, says.“I remember jumping up and throwing my hat across the room, then just looking out to the bar and seeing that everyone thought I was crazy.” That’s when Nguyen told her friends… Read more

Our lifestyle editor Lisa Butterworth is always looking for the best in brand-new lifestyle hacks, products, and fun, and here are her top 5 picks for fall: Up With the Matriarchy Tackling home-improvement projects on your own can feel daunting, and looking for guidance can come with a hefty dose of mansplaining. Matriarchy Build, created by longtime friends Lacey Soslow and Gabriella Ainslie, is an online community of women and LGBTQ+ pros—plumbers, tile setters, carpenters, electricians, and more—available for… Read more

Multiple states and politicians in the USA are trying to make it illegal—or at least as difficult as possible—for people to get abortions. When the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade this spring, it became up to each state to decide whether to either legalize or ban abortion. As a result, in many states, obtaining an abortion became nearly impossible. No matter how many politicians (or, let’s be honest, white male Republicans) attempt to prevent people from getting abortion care, the need for abortions will always… Read more

Nina Hagen first rose to fame as an actor and musical theatre performer in East Germany in the early 1970s and by mid decade, made her way to freedom in West Germany. Hagen was trained in the Weimar cabaret tradition of Brecht and Weil, and was an opera prodigy, who grew up a fan of Folk, Psychedelic, and Glam Rock. Visiting Punk-era England and hanging out with bands like The Slits and Sex Pistols influenced Nina greatly. She returned to Germany and formed the Nina Hagen Band in 1977 Nina created an over the top… Read more

“I didn’t know how to do anything but apologize a lot and try harder,” explains Jessica McCabe of living with ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). So, in 2016, the actor, writer, and activist began creating content across social media aimed at providing those who share her diagnosis a toolbox of techniques to accommodate their neurodifferences. From crash course videos on definitions, to relatable, 30-second clips on everyday problems, McCabe has been making information and resources on ADHD accessible in a… Read more

When it comes to natural formulas that cater to melanated skin, black-women-owned skincare products are the way to go. Many of these companies are flourishing in the beauty industry, and supporting them benefits them as well as the consumer, irregardless of your skin tone. We’ve highlighted eight unique brands, as well as a few you may not have heard of, that you will want to add to your skincare routines. Alikay Naturals View this profile on Instagram Alikay Naturals (@alikaynaturals) • Instagram photos and videos… Read more

Did you ever make potholders as a kid? If so, you were probably given a metal loom and a pile of multicolored loops and were taught the basics of weaving: over, under, over, under. Unfortunately, the completed project usually came out looking like rainbow barf. So it might come as a revelation that loom-woven potholders can actually look pretty profesh, as long as you follow some centuries-old weaving patterns. Make a set for yourself, or match a friend’s kitchen colors for a perfect housewarming gift. For this… Read more

My most treasured times are sitting on the kitchen floor in my family’s home in Southern India watching my grandmother, or paati, draped in her colorful silk sari, shuffle around making her special masala chai tea. She grinds spices and we laugh and gossip as the room becomes fragrant with fennel and star anise. After she pours the tea, we watch the morning come alive as clouds move over the mountains and peacocks begin to talk. Back at home in my modern kitchen, I make this chai concentrate trying to replicate paati’s… Read more

Fall is almost at its last breath, which means winter is just around the corner. With winter approaching, is it coming down to your last chance to switch up your fall playlist. But don’t worry, darling; there’s still time to embrace the last bit of fall before the inevitable Christmas music. BUST has made it easy for you with the BUST Magazine Fall 22 Playlist already ready and available. The playlist is a compilation of selected singles from new album releases to put you in the mood for rainy days and cozy times.… Read more

The temperature is dropping, and the leaves are falling. If you enjoy makeup, the changing colors may inspire you to try different shades of beauty products. Here are 13 of our hand-picked favorites to consider—from lipsticks to eye shadows to blush to even fragrance—in cozy shades that conjure the season, such as wine, burgundy, burnt orange, blackberry, and even hot chocolate! Dark Lips Dare to be dark and bold this season with gloomy color lips. Colors like dim wine, deep burgundy, and blackberry are flattering,… Read more

Peaches is a rock star, producer, director, visual artist, and performance artist who rose to fame in the electroclash era of the early 2000s and whose terrifically transgressive albums—including Fancypants Hoodlum, The Teaches of Peaches, Fatherfucker, Impeach My Bush, I Feel Cream, and Rub—are absolutely part of the feminist canon. Think you know how Peaches stays so juicy? Then take the quiz! Born in Ontario, Canada, on November 11, 1966, Peaches’ given name is ________. a. Merrill Niskerb. Alecia Moorec. Lesley Sue… Read more

In light of the recent overturn of Roe V Wade, blocking access to legal abortion in at least 14 states, there has been a lot of conversation happening on reproductive rights and social practices. The book Ejaculate Responsibly by Gabrielle Stanley Blair uses 28 brief arguments fueled by meticulously sourced facts and studies to challenge men, particularly men against abortion, to take responsibility when it comes to unplanned pregnancies. Gabrielle Stanley Blair, a Mormon mother of six and creator of the parent… Read more

If you want to look like a boss bitch who is about to get shit done (or if you want to actually get work done in the garden and need tons of pockets for tools), then overalls are the look for you. Here Comes the Sun Mokuyobi Sunshine Zap Overalls, $176 Just because you’re doing serious work, that doesn’t mean you can’t brighten up the room (or the yard) with your ’fit. Image Credit: (Mokuyobi) Gabriel Mendoza Weiss In the Weeds Duluth Trading Women’s Plus Heirloom Gardening Bib Overalls, $89.50 These babies have 12… Read more

America, it’s time to vote. Today is the 2022 midterm election day, and the election has already been named “the most important midterm election” by the media. And they are not all wrong; abortion is an essential topic in this midterm election. After the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, abortion is a highly discussed topic in both the Republican and Democratic parties– and in five states, abortion is on the ballot. Therefore, it is important to look at who is eligible to vote on this controversial… Read more

Hair swinging, air guitar, teenage rage. The first shot of Amazon’s new TV series High School (2022) consists of two identical girls headbanging together, immersed in their own world, symbiotically connected through their joy. The scene abruptly ends with the two twin sisters entering a new world, but this time not together, as they are about to enter their own separate lives as high school students. Based on the New York Times-best-selling memoir by musicians Tegan and Sara Quin, High School is 8-episode series that… Read more

Self-love requires self-recognition—which means you recognize your self-worth, and acknowledge that it’s worth celebrating. To this end, Wondershare, the global leader in creative software, has teamed up with Step Up and Dress for Success, two non-profit organizations dedicated to empowering women of all ages, to launch the Wondershare Claim Your Space Campaign with the mission to uplift women through a collective celebration, empowerment funds, and content creation. “Here’s a beautiful idea,” said Shaan Jahagirdar,… Read more

Vintage suit; Jenny Bird necklace; Bowen NYC earrings. Karen Elson is finally ready to have some fun. “Being a model, I felt for many years like I had to work extra hard to prove myself as a musician. I felt like I couldn’t just be good—I had to be incredible at it. I had to almost bleed for it,” the singer/songwriter/supermodel says of her recording career, which began with the 2010 album The Ghost Who Walks. “I got older, and I got more comfortable in my skin. Also, there was something about COVID—it’s been such a… Read more

There aren’t many astrology books that focus on the in-depth meaning of the moon. Luckily, Narayana Montufar’s best selling astrology book Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power serves as the fantastic lunar book to boost and guide us through every element of the moon. In astrology, the moon represents our emotions, maternal instincts, emotions (how we express and experience our feelings), the divine feminine, intuition, memories, and comforts. But, it’s so much more than that. The moon shows us how we can help… Read more

Little Bits of Things We Dig! Check out our round-up of some of our fav fashion and beauty products you will want to cop this fall. YOUTH IN REVOLT Every piece of jewelry made by Laser Kitten’s founder and creative director Marisa Ravel is a sweet sucker punch to my nostalgic heart. From the bedazzled Furbies to the colorful Tamagotchi earrings, rhinestone Clueless pendants, and Spice Girls charms (prices vary, laserkitten.com), I’m immediately transported to my youth. –marie lodi GLAZED OVER If vegan lip color is your… Read more

The Beths Expert in a Dying Field(Carpark) The endearingly brash-but-melodic New Zealand indie power-pop rockers the Beths provide listening comfort and joy on their third full-length. Recorded at guitarist Jonathan Pearce’s Auckland studio, further patched together remotely in quarantine, and ultimately finished in L.A., Expert in a Dying Field pairs joy with well-executed sonic chaos. Vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes shares the impact of an array of relationships, picking them apart and underlining the maddening… Read more

President Joe Biden announced on August 24th, 2022 that the federal government will be relieving $10,000 in student loan debt per borrower and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. However, a federal appeals court has halted the progress of the relief program due to six Republican-led states claiming Biden does not have the authority to cancel student debt across all states. In response, the government’s lawyers pointed to the HEROES Act (the Higher Education Relief Opportunites for Students) which was established… Read more

Have you ever had a delicious slice of pie and asked, “What’s the secret ingredient?” Without that one special something, the pie wouldn’t be as memorable. And the same goes for beauty products; it’s the hero ingredient that really makes it. “A hero ingredient is the most important and effective active ingredient in a skincare product,” explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Macrene Alexiades. “It’s a signature ingredient that sets it apart from other products.” You’ve likely heard of tea tree or rose oil, but… Read more

MUSIC REVIEW: BETH ORTON Weather Alive (Partisan Records) I interviewed Ms. Orton once and she revealed that one her favorite albums is Joni Mitchell’s classic Blue. One could draw comparisons with Orton’s latest release, Weather Alive (her first in six years), because of the intimate lyrics and the sparse musical arrangements. Although Orton is known for being a guitarist, most of these songs are piano based and enhanced with both electronic and natural instrumentation. “Friday Night,” “Fractals,” and “Haunted… Read more

It’s the spookiest time of the year, and the Halloween costumes of the celebrities this year is frighteningly on point. The weekend of Halloween celebrations may be over, so here’s a list of this year’s best-dressed celebrity Halloween costumes to get you in the mood: Kylie Jenner as Elvira: Mistress of the Dark @kyliejenner ♬ vent - Baby Keem In previous years, Kylie Jenner has not been able to settle with just one costume and this year is no exception. This year’s costumes include Frankenstein’s Bride and her… Read more

The editors at Harper’s Bazaar called it “The Nine-Day Wonder Diet” and promised readers they would lose a pound a day if they followed it diligently. To help them do so, the magazine produced a silk scarf, printed with all nine days’ worth of menus. “DIETING IS FUN when you wear this sensational new scarf with its design theme of the famous Harper’s Bazaar 9-Day Wonder Diet,” read a 1953 ad inIndependent Woman magazine. “Wear it as a bright color accent for your new spring costumes, and as a reminder to slim down.”… Read more

On the 13th of September this year, Mahsa Amini, 22, was arrested in Tehran for violating the rules of not wearing a proper hijab or headscarf. She was severely beaten by the police and died following the brutal treatment. Ever since that day, both Iranian men and women have been protesting on the street against the strict guidelines regarding women's clothing under the Islamic Regime, and a conversation has started about how the government treats Iranian women, and the many rules they must obey, especially regarding… Read more

What Is Pancake Spaghetti? Many people consider breakfast the most important meal of the day, and the latest viral food trend, “pancake spaghetti,” is guaranteed to flip your lid. On September 29, TikToker Briana Archuleta shared with the world how her husband, Steven Archuleta—who calls them “squiggle cakes”—created the pancake spaghetti idea by buttering a hot griddle, and placing the pancake batter in long, striped spaghetti-like lines until they were golden and crispy, then piled them high in a bowl and topped them… Read more

A cursed priestess, radioactive cockroach women, and a warrior with her head chopped off, along with many more symbolic and oh-so-real stories of the female race through the ages fill the book, Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby. A stunning debut, this collection of twenty-one flash fiction and short stories brings women from as far back as the Trojan era right up to modern-day life to the same level, presenting the reader with a stark reality of how similar we all are in the end. As many women and femme people are… Read more

When I catch up with Regina Hall via Zoom, it’s a busy, sunshiny day for her in New York City, full of photo shoots and interviews. I can’t help but compliment the jovial actor on the chic headscarf she’s wearing, and when I do, she leans toward the screen with an infectious laugh and says, “It’s Zoom. Girl—the wig is right here. But I was like, ‘I’m not gonna have time to put the wig on. Whoever they are, they’re gonna have to get a little scarf today.’ So how are you?” Hall, 51, has had a long and celebrated track… Read more

The English Poet John Donne said, “Death comes equally to us all” (true) and “makes us all equal when it comes.” Mmm, questionable. I’m guessing Donne wasn’t fat, ’cause it turns out, the typical Western rituals around death and burial can be challenging for fat folks and their families, and are often more expensive, too. Caitlin Doughty, of “Ask a Mortician” fame and a major player in the death-positive movement, first hipped us to this, and here, she walks us through what fat people, and those who love them, should… Read more

Ring the alarm! Beyoncé has surprised fans and hinted at a world tour for her album Renaissance scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2023. On Saturday, October 22, Variety reports that at the WACO Theater‘s Wearable Art Gala, the singer auctioned off a package that included two tickets to one of her upcoming concerts a year from now. Although she hasn’t officially confirmed that a tour will take place, fans are ecstatic and shared pictures of the auction online. Beyoncé confirmed a Renaissance summer 2023 world tour at… Read more

A depiction of something—be it “bad,” like violence, or “good,” like a strong female protagonist—should never be conflated with the artist’s endorsement of it. But what is the cumulative effect of a medium like film that so frequently shows women being beaten, killed, and violated while simultaneously objectifying them? Nina Menkes’ expansive documentary Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, out October 21st, 2022, touches on those repercussions—the absence of women behind the camera, the lack of agency female actors have in… Read more

A new era in Iranian history began five weeks ago with the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who was arrested by the morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly. After being taken into custody, Amini was tortured for three days until she passed away. This sparked the beginning of what some are calling a feminist revolution in the country. Unfortunately, as the protests gain traction, the death toll continues to rise, with currently 244 people dead, as the Iranian government refuses… Read more

Are you gourd to death by regular ol’ jack-o’-lanterns? Get creative with fall décor that’s more sweet than spooky by turning this year’s pumpkin into a tiny home fit for fairies, gnomes, or wee woodland creatures. This project was inspired by the pumpkin house displays at the pick-your-own farms my son and I visit every year. We decorated ours with found natural elements, so start by taking a seasonal foraging stroll around your own neighborhood. –Ashley Koshimizu (@woodlark) Materials Pumpkin Serrated knife Metal… Read more

I do not come from a one-bite family. Unless that one bite was Godzilla’s. So I have trouble with the notion of dainty hors d’oeuvres. If you’re going to go to the trouble of putting something in your mouth, it should at least be a mouthful—like these. What follows are a few of my tried-and-true favorites—plus making them is way easier than spelling hors d’oeuvres. TUNA FISH + CHIPS Serving gorgeous, sushi-quality tuna on a potato chip is so wrong it’s gloriously right. Buy the best sushi-quality tuna, remove the skin… Read more

I love a good queer period drama. Carol is my favorite Christmas movie. Gentleman Jack sent me on a deep dive through the Anne Lister Diaries on Audible. I’ll even go for a screening of If These Walls Could Talk 2. The stomach-twisting stress of the closet of generations past usually leaves me with an affirming sense of relief. My queer family can move through the world not only safely, but seen. As my streaming service algorithms predicted, when queer applause exploded for Prime’s reimagining of A League of Their Own… Read more

Don’t want to be bothered with dressing up this Halloween? Wear your costume on your mouth! Makeup artist Ryan Kelly (@RyanKellyMUA), who is famous for her amazing lip art, created this spooky tutorial that gives you two choices: a chic gray ombré look that can be worn alone for a subtle scare or transformed into a bone-chilling skull with just a few extra steps. “Remember to have fun with it and use a straw when you go out!” she says. –Marie Lodi Here are Kelly’s instructions for turning your lips into a ghostly work… Read more

ACNE: A Memoir By Laura Chinn (Hachette Books) Let’s say you were to pick up a copy of a book that had a very straightforward title, something that made you think of your own goofy teen years. Pretend that the first couple of pages in this book neatly adhered to said title and took you to that dorky, hormonal place. Imagine that the book then veered into a painfully funny, raw, and even scary collection of personal essays that—stay with me—still somehow managed to incorporate the title as a unifying theme. Great news:… Read more

I’ll never forget the Christmas my father broke all my brother’s toys with a hammer. He did it because we were not acting grateful enough, but I could swear I had been doing everything just right. Clearly, one of us had gotten it wrong, and he exploded with rage in ways we were used to but still found terrifying. I remember my little brother at eight years old sobbing while my father broke his new Legos into tiny pieces. I waited until my Dad was worn out from yelling and hammering and then, as usual, I went and sat on… Read more

Concerns have been circulating within the state of Florida educational system, as a third-party digital platform is now being used to record female student athletes’ menstrual cycles. Why? Apparently, this is necessary knowledge the public school district must know in order to allow female students to participate in school sports. Not only are the distinctive questions only angled towards female athletes, apparently these gender-specific questions have been asked for two decades. Here is a copy of the form itself… Read more

Amber Tamblyn’s Poetry Corner We Are Mermaids (Graywolf Press) is a potent meditation on personal excavations, written with wit, honesty, and introspection by the singular trans writer, cultural critic, and poet-at-large Stephanie Burt. Burt’s poems are illuminations of life’s many transitions; of living between worlds, identities, beliefs, and stories. In the poem “My 1994,” Burt writes: “I didn’t know. But I knew. I took off the dress/Kay offered and apologized for my striped boxers./I called myself a kid in a candy… Read more

FROM A YOUNG age, 26-year-old Yasmin Benoit knew she was different. “I realized before that, but I found the word [asexual] 10 years ago when I was 15,” she says. Asexuality is the lack of, or complete absence of, sexual attraction and desire. Until recently, not much was known about this sexual orientation; therefore, research and information about people who are asexual or aromantic, is sparse. Upon discovery of the term, however, Benoit says she didn’t have an a-ha moment. “[Asexuality] was very much just something… Read more

The internet is exploding with influencers spreading information about ADHD, especially how it affects women, with podcasts such as LadyHD, youtube series on how to navigate life, and much more. As a woman with ADHD, I can attest that there is very little understanding of how this neurological disorder affects women due to a lack of research on how adult ADHD looks versus childhood and that this plus the integrated sexism within American healthcare causes a lack of proper diagnoses. It wasn't until the 1960s that ADHD… Read more

Throughout her 47 years in show business, Sainte-Marie has always done things on her own terms, and she has piles of awards to show for it, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her most widely recognized songwriting credit, “Up Where We Belong,” which she penned for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. And despite her unwillingness to fit into the rigid girl-pop mold of the ’60s, she was a success from the very beginning, nabbing Billboard’s Best New Artist award for her first aptly titled album, It’s My Way!… Read more

If you’re looking for a song that channels boss-bitch vibes and emphasizes the importance of being yourself and being heard, you should stream M.I.A’s new single, “Beep.” On September 30, 2022, British rapper and singer M.I.A .released the electronic dance-inspiring song of the year: “Beep.” The drop comes just ahead of the release of her sixth studio album, MATA, which is set to hit streaming platforms on October 14. View this post on Instagram A post shared by M.I.A. (@miamatangi) The rhythm-heavy song makes you want… Read more

For today Oct. 7th only, Good Music and Noise For Now has announced there will be a one time sale for the compilation album Good Music To Ensure Safe Abortion Access To All. The compilation album features exclusive never-before-heard songs, remixes, live demos and much more. Contributing artists such as Wet Leg, Tegan and Sara, Maya Hawke, David Byrne, and many more will be featured on the album. Additionally, you can pre-order t-shirts that feature Kim Gordon’s Liberate Abortion artwork via Noise For Now:… Read more