Spectator Life

The NCAA women’s big championship game takes place on Sunday. A lot of people will tune in – a ton more, in fact, than have historically given women’s basketball the time of day. This year, the Athletic reports, “Heading into the Final Four, all games have averaged 967,000 viewers, up 47 percent from 2023.” Television networks can thank “the Caitlin Clark effect” for these remarkable viewership numbers. And girl dads and moms across the country should be thanking Caitlin Clark for putting women’s sports on the map and inspiring more youth sports participation, the benefits of which extend beyond physical health to include increased emotional, mental and social wellbeing.

Melania Trump’s one-of-a-kind wedding dress is on sale for an asking price of $45,000 on eBay. The ivory duchesse satin dress was worn at the 2005 wedding between the future president and first lady – and also featured on the cover of Vogue magazine, the sole instance of international model Melania appearing on a Vogue cover. Jill Biden, meanwhile, has two to her name. The Christian Dior gown was designed by John Galliano. It took over 500 hours to hand-sew 1,500 Swarovski diamonds onto its 13-foot train. Its reported original manufacturer’s suggested retail price was $210,000, but it will now be sold at a fraction of the price after being worn only a handful of times.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger was sitting exactly where you are,” the boot fitter said, as he handed me K2 Anthems at Aspen Collection, perhaps the world’s most sophisticated ski rental shop and café. “He was drinking Sancerre.” It’s an impossibly “Aspen” anecdote – where else would the Terminator sip French wine, but the resort famous for Champagne showers and fresh powder? Such a scene seemed perfectly fitting in Colorado, where I have come to explore Aspen and Vail – two titans of American skiing. Vail remains the more accessible of the two, its European-inspired village just 120 miles from Denver, while Aspen's extra hundred miles of mountain road maintain that coveted layer of exclusivity. Bouncing between the resorts, I’ve discovered a season of transformations.

Teachers’ unions have donated millions upon millions over the years almost exclusively to Democratic candidates and left-wing organizations. So it’s no wonder Dems, realizing their cash cow could be on the verge of drying up, are losing their minds over President Trump signing an executive order yesterday to begin eradicating the Department of Education. If Americans get a real taste of school choice (Trump still needs a Congressional vote to end the agency), the left knows there will be no going back. Senator Chuck Schumer called the order “one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken.

Editor’s note: The views stated in this article are the author’s opinion and arguably contentious. Derek Webb, a California resident mentioned in this piece, offers his alternative view here. Today tens of millions of Americans will happily place a billion bets they know they will lose. The tradition of March Madness office pools, one of the healthiest forms of camaraderie-based parlay gambling, will take place all across America, with people who have never seen a single game played by any college basketball team this season picking UC San Diego over Michigan, because they know a guy who knows ball and he has a feeling. Or, even more popular, the all-mascot bracket, which will struggle with this year’s Houston-SIU game – because they’re both the Cougars. Best to flip a coin?

Donatella Versace was never supposed to be a fashion designer. She had no formal fashion education and was happy working on the business and styling of Versace as her brother, Gianni, built his house into Milan’s most opulent. But, in 1997, a madman brutally murdered him — and someone had to keep his legacy and brand alive. And so Donatella did. Over the almost 30 years that followed — struggling through grief, business troubles and addiction — she has released more than 100 collections, grown the brand into a multi-billion-dollar giant and did so aggressively, without selling out its style or quality. Her recent Fall /Winter 2025 collection was an eccentric, fabulous celebration of those decades, pulling exuberantly from the Versace archives.

The Democrats are hellbent on handing President Trump win after win when it comes to the issue of biological men competing against women in sports.  Their desire to die on this hill is baffling especially considering Trump’s November mandate. Generous souls that they are, now progressives are ensuring their arch nemesis can make the most of his winning message during his presidency.  During his joint address to Congress last night, Trump introduced Payton McNabb, a former volleyball player who, in 2022, suffered a traumatic brain injury after a man was allowed to compete against her in a match. She received a standing ovation from Republicans as Trump vowed to protect female athletes. He didn’t stop there.

Most of the people in my feed spent their weekend talking about how ashamed they are of their country. That’s a sentiment I don’t share. But a very specific shame was still very much on my mind because of the Trump-Zelensky press conference: suit shaming.   The suit shaming of President Zelensky started as soon as he arrived at the White House looking like one of the henchmen from Anora. As Zelensky stepped from an SUV, Trump commented on his outfit: “He’s all dressed up today,” a power-player rhetorical cue to make Zelensky appear poor and small.   At the press conference, the media itself got in on the suit-shaming.

It’s been almost 100 years since Arcady Fixon, a refugee from the Russian Revolution, opened the doors of Caviar Kaspia on Place de la Madeleine in Paris, and began beguiling his fellow exiles and the crème of Paris society with the exotic flavors of his homeland: shiny black caviar, served with blinis or potatoes, and ice-cold vodka. After being passed down through family hands, Caviar Kaspia is now owned by the charismatic entrepreneur Ramon Mac-Crohon, who has ensured that the place has lost nothing of its prerevolutionary charm: Nicolas II’s seal sits alongside antique porcelain in a display cabinet, and Nicolas Swertschkoff’s Troika, depicting a Russian horse-drawn sledge moving through snow, still hangs in the dining room.

“You just missed Chris Hoy. He was here leading cycle rides over the summer,” the Peligoni Club’s receptionist informed me breezily as he lugged my suitcase down the gravel path to my villa. Lively Greek music drifted on the (non-existent) breeze, thick air seeming to press down on us despite the late hour.  I’d come to Zakynthos seeking some solo restoration — and sure, even self-improvement. I hadn’t pictured puffing up a rock-strewn hill behind a six-time Olympic gold-medal-winning medalist, in 90-degree heat. But that’s how they roll, here; this family-run, members-only beach club regularly flies in experts to add star quality to the pared-back, luxurious spaces.

Biohacking, one of the more bearable buzz words of recent times, refers to the practice of using science, technology and self-experimentation to improve the body’s function and performance. When I was recently invited to experience the Alpina Gstaad’s new three-day wellness program — designed to “biohack your ski trip for improved performance and mood” — I didn’t hesitate. Here was not only a chance to improve my disastrous skiing but also to restore my pitiful liver, which had taken a particularly heavy beating in the festive run up to 2025. What better place to kick off “Dry January” than a five-star spa tucked away in the Bernese Highlands?