If you’re in Raleigh, it’s the start of planting season, namely flower bulbs. In typical NC fashion, it’s also decided to snow. The timely Robert Malone blog covers his favorite gardening tools and the $50-150 indoor starter gardens on Amazon this week is worth a read. We have a greenhouse and cold-frame thanks to a neighbor for now, but growing salads and herbs is great.
Talking about indoor gardening, locals seem more interested in new indy musicians, $1 Tuesday Tacos foodtrucks, and tea/lunch houses than Fashion Week. Street fashion seems to be an 80s retro vibe complete with high-waisted mom jeans and guys sporting Tom Cruise Risky business haircuts, not what the runways are showing. Except Ralph Lauren. Is the lack of wow accessories trend driving the public snooze fest? Who knows?
Tea shops are packed around NC State at almost any time of day compared to the classic meal restaurants. Several new ones just opened and are doing brisk business. We might be going through a recession on paper, but as anyone who's had friends who’ve had a baby knows, they often institute “zero waste” cost saving measures when the kid is little as their money goes to baby kitsch. Same deal with pet owners. Expect people to cut back on pricey dinners for lunches and coffee or tea meet-ups to offset the perceived financial cuts right now too. Which is why hydroponic gardens and salad lunches may make a Sex in the City comeback. Only, it will include some AI growing app that looks at your lettuce or herbs and adjusts them for perfect sci-fi tv shows nutritional content like the Expanse. Letting people save money and look futuristically cool to their friends solves two problems at once. Kind of like that whole trend toward people posting food on Instagram a decade ago.
For people in the fashion and theater industry, following this organic tea trend as expect money to be made here. Maybe someone will pair classic Scottish teas with Indian curry pastry snacks as an affordable alternative to large sit-down deals to cash in? Have seen more young people wearing hats, pins, and fitted separates in 2025, than any other point in my life. Also, lots of dogs. Well, at least street fashion is interesting to watch even if runways aren’t currently. What are you looking into for spring tea trends?