Lifestyle Barometer: Your guide to what’s hot and what’s not this week from sustainable fashion to sexting

From cocktails to gaslighting and Bella Hadid, this is our guide to what’s hot and what’s not

Clothing on hanger at the modern shop boutique (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Going up ▲

Net Sustain will supply customers with ethical products (Getty/iStockphoto) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

▲ Sustainable Fashion

On Tuesday, luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter launched a one-stop shop for customers who want to buy sustainable and ethical products.

Called Net Sustain, the new platform highlights and celebrates brands which meet at least one of the business’ criteria for sustainability.

Launching with 26 brands and around 500 products, Net-a-Porter aims to include more designers to Net Sustain over time, with beauty brands scheduled to be added to the platform next year.

The section will also offer exclusive capsule collections from a number of popular sustainable brands, including Stella McCartney, Mother of Pearl and Maggie Marilyn – a favourite of the Duchess of Sussex.

The launch of Net Sustain follows the news that the UK government has rejected calls for fast fashion retailers to address their impact on the environment.

The government refused to accept any of the 18 recommendations set out by MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) regarding issues such as forced labour, environmental damage, and excessive waste in the industry.

Find The Independent’s round-up of the best brands you can buy from Net Sustain here.

Yoghurt has shown to reduce the risk of cancer (Getty/iStockphoto) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

▲ Yoghurt

A new study has suggested that men who regularly eat yoghurt could reduce their risk of developing pre-cancerous growths by a fifth.

The study, conducted by the University of Washington, found that men who eat two or more servings of yoghurt a week had a significantly lower chance of developing adenoma – polyps in the bowel which may eventually become cancerous.

After tracking more than 32,000 men for 25 years, the researchers found that those who consumed at least two portions of yoghurt a week had 19 per cent fewer adenoma growths.

Furthermore, regular eaters were also 26 per cent less likely to have tumours of the most high-risk type.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with more than 42,000 people diagnosed with the condition in the UK every year.

This equates to around 115 new cases of bowel cancer every day.

For more information on symptoms of bowel cancer, visit the NHS here and Cancer Research UK here.

Marks & Spencer has introduced four cocktail in a can flavours (Marks & Spencer) (Marks & Spencer)

▲ Cocktails in a can

On Monday, Marks & Spencer unveiled four new cocktail in a can flavours to its line-up.

Fans of the fruity beverages will now be able to get their hands on an aperitivo spritzer, cherry spritzer, peach spritzer and a vermouth and tonic.

Each 250ml can has 5.5 per cent alcohol and cost £2. The drinks are currently available to buy from M&S.

The launch comes after the supermarket reported a 24 per cent rise in sales of its own-brand canned gin and tonics after they were featured in episode two of BBC Three’s hit comedy series Fleabag.

In the episode, actor Andrew Scott’s priest character – dubbed “the hot priest” by both the series’ protagonist Fleabag and its fanbase – revealed his love of the beverage, describing it as a “proper drink”.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand launched in Harvey Nichols (Getty Images)

▲ Goop

Gwyneth Paltrow launched the first shop for her wellness brand, Goop, in Harvey Nichols on Thursday.

In keeping with the Goop brand, the shop sells products relating to beauty, fashion, wellness, and homeware, while a Goop smoothie menu devised by the brand’s food editors will also be sold in the store’s on-site cafe.

The shop has been designed by Charles & Co, a US interior consultancy, and features a blend of British and Californian design.

Speaking about the Harvey Nichols shop, Paltrow says: “We love the community we’ve created around our Notting Hill shop, and the Harvey Nichols shop-in-shop allows us to expand on that community.”

Royal Ascot is a key event for fashionistas (Getty) (Getty Images for Ascot Racecours)

▲ Royal Ascot

This week, Royal Ascot returned to the Berkshire racecourse for a week of horse racing, socialising, fine dining and fashion.

Since its launch in 1711, the event has long been regarded as one of the most important fashion events in the UK calendar, where guests are invited to keep to a strict dress code depending on which enclosure they’re granted access to: Royal, Queen Anne, Village, and Windsor.

On the first day of the sporting event, the Duchess of Cambridge made her return to Ascot wearing an Elie Saab duck egg-blue lace dress with a bow fastening at the neck.

Elsewhere, TV presenters Charlotte Hawkins and Kate Silverton both opted for red toned-dresses, while Australian model Georgia Fowler wore a draped, dusty-pink floor-length dress, accessorised with a mint-green handbag, and a nude-hued hat.

See The Independent’s roundup of the best looks from Royal Ascot 2019 here.

Going down ▼

Gaslighting was back in the headlines after Joe’s treatment of Lucie on ‘Love Island’ (ITV)

▼ Gaslighting

After Sunday night’s episode of Love Island, fans of the reality show criticised contestant Joe Garratt of gaslighting his partner, Lucie Donlan.

The term is used to describe a form of emotional abuse where one person gradually manipulates another in order to gain control.

Garratt’s treatment of Donlan came under fire after he criticised her friendship with boxer Tommy Fury, calling it “strange” and “disrespectful”, adding: “I think it’s time for you to get close with the girls.”

Following the episode, 302 viewers complained to broadcasting watchdogs Ofcom about the treatment of Donlan thus far on the series.

Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid praised viewers of the show for calling out Garratt’s “possessive behaviour”, saying: “Controlling behaviour is never acceptable, and with Love Island viewers complaining to Ofcom in record numbers about Joe’s possessive behaviour towards Lucie, more people are becoming aware of this and want to challenge it.”

“Abusive relationships often start off with subtle signs of control, so it’s important that it is recognised at an early stage.”

Following his departure from the fifth series of the programme on Tuesday evening, the sandwich maker blamed the “heightened pressure” in the villa for his behaviour towards Donlan and said he “didn’t manipulate or abuse her”.


 Sexting has shown to have a negative impact on mental health 
 (Getty/iStock)

▼ Sexting

A new study has suggested that teenagers who engage in sexting are more likely to have mental health issues and multiple sexual partners compared to those who don’t.

The analysis of 41,723 participants younger than 18-years old found “significant associations” between sexting and increased sexual activity, multiple partners, lack of contraceptive use, and anxiety and depression.

Other problematic behaviours such as drug and alcohol abuse was also highlighted as being potentially associated with sexting – the exchange of sexual messages, photographs, or videos.

The researchers said that it was difficult to determine whether sending or receiving sexually explicit messages directly led to any of the negative outcomes, or if sexting is just one of several risky acts a teenager is already more inclined to take chances might engage with.

The findings follow a 2018 study which revealed that one in seven teenagers have sent sexts – messages containing sexually explicit content – and one in four have received them.

Bella Hadid was criticised for her ‘disrespectful’ Instagram post (Getty) (Getty Images)

▼ Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid was forced to apologise to fans who were offended by an Instagram post this week.

On Sunday, the supermodel posted a photo to her Instagram Story featuring her foot up against an airport window. In the background of the image are planes from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the tarmac.

Several fans took offence to the image, explaining that the sole of the model’s foot was facing the flags printed on the side of the planes’ tails, which they argued disrespected Arabic culture.

As a result, several Twitter users called for luxury fashion brands such as Calvin Klein and Dior to stop employing the Palestinian-American model in their campaigns, using the hashtag #BellaHadidIsRacist.

In light of the backlash, Hadid apologised in English and Arabic on Twitter and in an Instagram Story, explaining that the photo she had shared had “nothing to do with politics”.

“I would never mean to disrespect these airlines, let alone these amazing countries,” she tweeted on Monday.

“I absolutely love these airlines, with the best planes and people.”

Amber Rose’s detox tea post promoted weight loss while pregnant (Getty) (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)

▼ Detox teas

On Tuesday, model Amber Rose faced criticism for promoting a detox and weight-loss tea on Instagram while pregnant.

The 35-year-old who is expecting her second child, shared a paid advertisement for Flat Tummy Co’s “organic pregnancy tea” on Instagram, while Rose said helps mothers on those “bloated, nauseous, blah feeling days”.

Rose faced backlash from numerous social media users, including outspoken actor Jameela Jamil, who wrote on Twitter: “FLAT TUMMY PRODUCTS FOR… PREGNANT WOMEN? Is this FDA approved?

“Are we… f***ing… KIDDING?”

Chrissy Teigen, with husband John Legend, has once again been mum-shamed (EPA)

▼ Mum-shaming

Model Chrissy Teigen was mum-shamed this week after she shared a video of her three-year-old daughter attending the dentist for the first time.

In the video posted to Instagram, which Teigen captioned: “So proud of my toons at her first dentist appointment!!” Luna can be seen cleaning the teeth of a stuffed alligator at the dentist’s office.

However, critics soon questioned why Teigen didn’t take Luna to the dentist sooner – with many suggesting one-year-old is when children should go for their first visit.

In response to the criticism, the model wrote: “Was waiting for this. U guys never fail me.”

The American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) defended Teigen on Instagram, commenting: “This is so great to see! Did you know that only 62 per cent of children see a dentist from age two-four? You’re helping this number grow!”