Not too long after we decided to dedicate an issue to exploring our relationship with clothes, a book crossed our path that seemed to encapsulate much of our thinking on the subject, while also challenging many of our core assumptions. Worn Stories by Emily Spivack is a collection of some 60 odd, clothing-inspired narratives from an array of cultural figures and storytellers that testify to the incredible role clothes can play in our lives. When reading the book in the context of the damaging effects of fast fashion and its eco-friendly alternatives, we noticed ourselves thinking a lot less about the clothes we ought to consume and much more about the relationship we ought to have with our clothing. The book has sage advice for our times: Stop your shopping spree, slow down, and learn to develop real relationships with the clothing you wear. We here at GOOD are clearly not the first to wonder whether fashion might be following the way of the slow food movement, but reading Worn Stories, we found a bold and prophetic path that could lead us in that direction.
We were tickled silly when Spivack agreed to guest edit GOOD’s first-ever fashion issue. She set the tone for the issue by inviting a group of her friends in and around the fashion industry to speculate about the murky future of fashion in our second GOOD Dinnertime Conversation.
Spivack also conceived of a fashion story that aims to turn the sweat on our clothing into a badge of honor instead of a mark of shame (“The Human Stain”).
[new_image position="standard large" id="null"]Photo by Christine Hahn[/new_image]
And shame might also come to mind when you think of the ankle monitor, but Rob Walker traces the counter-history buried within the punitive technology and wonders whether it might increasingly be used as a force for good (“When Bleeding Edge has a Bleeding Heart”).
Allen Salkin also turns to history, revisiting the paper clothing trend of the 1960s and hypothesizing that the solution to fast fashion might lie in an even faster form of fashion (“Who Killed Paper Clothing?”).
In new fiction by Aimee Bender, we enter a vintage store where clothing has the power to communicate so much more than style, a place where William Blake might have seen a world in a button (“The Memory Store”).
We hope that our cover story, a conversation between transgender icons Zackary Drucker and Hari Nef (“As We Are”), functions as a rejoinder to an issue devoted to exploring who we are and what we wear. After all, who we really are depends on what’s within.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.