Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Latest ‘Low-Tech’ Workout Demonstrates Fitness Truth We Shouldn’t Forget

For almost 60 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been one of the world's most prominent fitness figures. The bodybuilder, actor and politician has had one of the most unlikely career trajectories in modern history – transcending humble beginnings as the son of a policeman in rural Austria to becoming a fitness icon, film star and eventually the Governor of California. There's no-one else quite like him.

The 73-year-old doesn't show any sign of slowing down, either. Schwarzenegger, who's highly active on social media, regularly shares footage of his workouts and fitness advice with his millions of fans (as of September 2020, 'the Governator' has over 21 million Instagram followers).

His latest post is par for the course – showing off a workout from the comfort of what appears to be his home office. Keeping things casual in a t-shirt, shorts and a pair of old Vans, Arnie works up a sweat with some t-bar rows while listening to some Taylor Swift (a little unexpected but we back it).

 

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Old, but not obsolete. T-bar rows are one of my favorite exercises. Here’s some Monday motivation!

A post shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger) on Aug 31, 2020 at 2:54pm PDT

It's entertaining that Arnie's home office has more exercise equipment than most people's home gyms. Indeed, his own home gym is a virtual fitness paradise, with more machines than a Terminator movie. Still, when you're worth over $400 million and virtually your entire life revolves around being totally jacked, perhaps having weights in every room in your house makes sense.

What's notable about this exercise is how low-tech it is. A t-bar row machine is at its core just a few pieces of piping – nothing like the expensive, bespoke exercise machines other millionaires buy for their superyacht gyms or Mark Walhberg's 'recovery stimulating' $18,000 Power Plate for example. You could make one of these t-bar machines at home with only some basic welding knowledge (or buy one for cheap).

More to the point, Schwarzenegger proves that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy workout clothes in order to get the job done. If worn old slip-ons and regular skivvies are good enough for Arnie, maybe you don't need to spend a small fortune on Lululemon.

The other 'low-tech' form of exercise that Arnie's a big fan of is cycling. During COVID-19, the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner has been spotted numerous times wheeling around Los Angeles on his custom fat-tire pushbike by paparazzi and fans alike. Indeed Arnie's posted some of his on-bike antics himself on numerous occasions, extolling the virtues of cycling (and wearing a mask when you go outside during this pandemic). It's definitely a better health move than tooling around in a 'Schwarzenegger-spec' Humvee, that's for sure.

[caption id="attachment_269063" align="alignnone" width="690"] Schwarzenegger spotted with his beloved bike on June 24 earlier this year. The eagle-eyed might notice he's wearing the same Vans here as he was in his t-bar exercise video. Credit: Getty Images[/caption]

Clearly keeping things low-tech and old-school is working out well for Schwarzenegger: he's still in impeccable shape and arguably looks better than he has for years. The salt-and-pepper beard suits him, too.

Aside from his advocacy for PPE during the pandemic, Arnie's charity After-School All-Stars recently partnered with social media giant TikTok to provide food to struggling families during COVID-19. Clearly, good karma is also essential to a tip top rig.

Read Next

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• Rising Australian Boxing Star Breaks Down How To Train Like A Fighter

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Australian Business Class Stampede To Continue For ‘Foreseeable Future’

Since the Australian government slashed the international arrival cap from 6,500 per week to 4,000 per week in July, 'passenger culling' has become the airline trend du jour.

On the one hand: carriers have a vested interest in keeping customers happy. On the other: they are trying to keep afloat during the most difficult period in commercial flying's history, amid strict government regulations.

This has led to the prioritisation of business class ticket holders, and a whole lot of bumping and shuffling.

Cue: chaos among returning Australian travellers and expats.

Australians like Jaynee Wehbe, global sales director at TRIANGL, who earlier this year was granted an exemption to leave the country to go to Ibiza and Italy on business, have been forced to book and rebook new tickets – at the pointy end – to ensure a flight home.

Jaynee told DMARGE in August: “I think 90% of the flight on the way home was business. It was easier for me to use the economy toilets rather than business that’s how empty economy was."

“I only saw a handful of people in economy, mainly business and first class only.”

Jaynee is far from alone. Australians like Jim Collins and his family, who in July had been trying to get home (to Australia) from the UK since March, told the ABC in July, “We’ve repeatedly tried to get flights … And every time we’ve been able to do that, the flights have been cancelled.”

“We were told that the flight had been cancelled… But the flight actually went ahead.”

“Now it appears that it’s only if you can afford a first class ticket or a business class upgrade that you’re being allowed in.”

Last month, DMARGE reached out to Qatar Airways to seek comment on this phenomenon, after noticing a number of complaints (levelled at almost every airline still operating) on Twitter.

Just heard from a friend en route to Australia from U.S. that with flights limited to Sydney, Qatar Airways is only placing those who upgraded/paid for business class on those flights. Must be nice to be rich! Can you confirm this is your policy @qatarairways?

— Mike Kalenderian (@ItsMikeKay) July 8, 2020

Qatar Airways told DMARGE: “Due to the limitations on passengers travelling to Australian destinations, Qatar Airways analyses each flight on a case by case basis to ensure we facilitate onward travel to the final destination for as many passengers as possible.”

“The passenger list is continually assessed and based on a range of criteria, including compassionate and medical requests, connecting flights, booking class, party size etc. We continue to work closely with our passengers to find alternative flights if they are unable to travel on their original intended flight.”

Qatar Airways last week added to this, with a public statement highlighting the challenges passenger caps bring, and explaining how the airline is tackling them.

"Qatar Airways has been in regular communication with the Australian Government since the onset of the pandemic to provide, in addition to nine repatriation charters operated to/from Australia, extra capacity to help bring Australians home," Qatar Airways announced.

"Due to the cap on international passengers, travelling to Australian destinations, based on limitations of quarantine facilities, Qatar Airways can only carry a limited number of passengers per day to all of its Australia destinations, resulting in thousands of Australian citizens and residents being unable to be accommodated on flights in the coming months."

"Despite the challenges, Qatar Airways is operating a robust Australian network to five cities, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne (currently no inbound passengers permitted), Perth and Sydney to facilitate ongoing repatriation and is currently operating more flights than any other international airline."

 

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A post shared by Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) on Aug 30, 2020 at 9:04am PDT

"Due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic, airlines operating flights to Australia have faced ever-changing restrictions, often imposed on short notice. Because of the continuous changes in restrictions as announced in Australia from time to time, passengers have experienced a cascading effect of restrictions affecting both previous existing bookings for flights scheduled during the first announced period of restrictions and new bookings that were made for flights scheduled for dates beyond the first announced restricted period, but are now included in the current extended restriction period," Qatar Airways added.

"These combined restrictions have resulted in many passengers having their tickets rebooked onto later flights several times as demand exceeds the new caps announced."

"With the recent extension of restrictions until late-October, Qatar Airways can only transport a maximum of approximately 4,500 passengers during this time. As a result, every day hundreds of people are advised that they cannot be accommodated on their booked flight and need to be rebooked for a later date where there may be availability. To further limit the impact of the restrictions, the airline has already stopped accepting any new bookings for flights to Australia until the current passenger cap is relaxed."

"Qatar Airways remains disadvantaged in frequency and capacity in comparison to some airlines who have unrestricted or a large number of frequency and capacity and do not utilise in the time of need of the consumer causing further congestion and thus increasing the number of stranded consumers."

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Ensuring the continued repatriation of passengers to Australia is becoming increasingly challenging... Given the restrictions, we cannot accommodate these passengers on an alternative flight the following day where we face the exact same issue so the problem continues to grow on a daily basis. We are working to prioritise cases that are emergencies or require urgent travel, but many cannot be immediately expedited."

"While the airline realises the need for restrictions to limit the impact of any possible second wave of infections, many passengers will be unable to travel back to Australia for the foreseeable future."

“Since April, we have been the leading airline carrying international traffic to and from Australia. While other airlines grounded operations, we kept flying, carrying almost 45% of international passengers in April and 34% in May, helping carry over 180,000 Australians and international travellers home. These flights have also helped maintain vital supply chains for Australian businesses with our airline carrying just over 15,000 tonnes of Australian goods since 1 March 2020. The continued operation of these flights is vital to the Australian economy as they maintain a much-needed link to the world and facilitate international exports," Mr. Akbar Al Baker added.

To conclude, here are the key facts.

• Qatar Airways is allowed to carry a maximum of 30-50 passengers to Sydney, 40-45 to Perth, 25 to Brisbane and 60 to Adelaide each day while Melbourne remains closed to all inbound passengers.
• While emergency cases are prioritised, thousands of passengers cannot be accommodated in the coming months due to the restrictions.
• Despite other airlines suspending flights to Australia, Qatar Airways launched new services to Brisbane along with adding an extra 48,000 seats in April and May to help stranded passengers get home.

Read Next

• Why Returning Australians May Be Forced To Fly Home In Luxury
• Business Class Passengers Shocked By 'Intense' Treatment On Arrival In Australia

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Rolex Drops Its Largest Submariner To Date, Complete With New Movement

After months of speculation, Rolex – the titan of the watch world – just announced their new timepieces for 2020.

The big-ticket item this year is the new Oyster Perpetual Submariner and Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date. The 'Sub' has long been one of the Swiss brand's most popular offerings: a hardy diving watch with a clean, much-emulated design. Indeed, if you're thinking of a watch, there's a good chance you're thinking of a Sub, or one of the hundreds of watches it has inspired.

In line with current tastes, the new Sub features a larger 41mm case. It's the first time the iconic timepiece has been offered in this size, yet the subtle redesign actually makes the 2020 Sub look slimmer than previous models, thanks to slightly narrower lugs. The steel bracelet of 'the diver's friend' has also been tweaked with slightly larger, yet thinner links.

From a technical perspective, the new Sub is equipped with Rolex's new in 2020 Calibre 3230. According to Rolex, this new automatic movement delivers "fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, convenience and reliability," and has a power reserve extends of around 70 hours (almost three days). The new Submariner Date will be fitted with the still-fresh Calibre 3235, the first time this movement's been used in the Submariner range as well.

[caption id="attachment_269040" align="alignnone" width="920"] The new Submariner and Submariner Dates.[/caption]

While the classic black on black makes a return, the two new colourways that most fans will be after are the black dial, green bezel (sometimes called the 'Kermit') and black dial, blue bezel offerings, although the blue on blue two-tone Sub has also got tongues wagging. More to the point, two-tone watches don't tend to shift as quickly as straight steel or gold models, so you might have a better chance of picking that one up.

Rolex is a heritage brand that's more about iteration than revolution, so that these Submariner releases feel somewhat tame is to be expected. Rolex was not particularly subtle in hinting at a new Sub this year, and watch insiders predicted that the 'Kermit' and blue bezels would drop well in advance of this morning's announcements.

Other Releases

Let's not let the Submariner / Submariner Date distract from Rolex's other announcements, however.

Rolex released another four new 18ct white gold versions of their classic Datejust 31. The headliner features a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds aand an aubergine, sunray-finish dial, adorned with a diamond-set Roman VI. The three other models with a mint-green sunray-finish dial, white lacquer dial, and dark grey sunray-finish dial respectively all feature a classic Rolex fluted bezel – in 18ct white gold, naturally.

The Sub's not the only Rolex classic that's seen a size upgrade. New in 2020 is a 41mm version of the entry-level Oyster Perpetual, available with either a silver or black sunray-finish dial. In addition, the smaller Oyster Perpetual 36 has been blessed with a new range of colourful and playful lacquer dials: candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green. The yellow in particular looks very 90s and is our pick of the bunch.

[caption id="attachment_269045" align="alignnone" width="920"] L-R: the bedazzled aubergine-dial Datejust 31, the yellow-dial Oyster Perpetual 36, and the Sky-Dweller replete with Oysterflex bracelet.[/caption]

The haughty Sky-Dweller has also been refreshed with an Oysterflex bracelet – an innovative design constructed from flexible titanium-nickel alloy blades over-moulded with a high-performance black elastomer. It combines the weatherproof, flexible advantages of a traditional rubber strap with the durability of a metal bracelet.

Perhaps what's more surprising about this year's releases is what hasn't been announced. There's been speculation that Rolex was going to discontinue their Air-King model line, but that seems not to have eventuated. The other rumour was that Rolex was going to re-release the 36mm Explorer this year – the focus of a 'Rolex conspiracy' that's seen 36mm Explorers from the 90s been bought up en masse in the UK and elsewhere. That too seems to have been rubbish, or maybe there's something else at play...

With Rolex (alongside other big names like Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel) having pulled out of Baselworld, this might be all we hear from the 'Golden Crown' this year. We'll be sure to keep you updated with any new Rolex news.

Read Next

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The Secret To France’s World Beating Café Culture Finally Revealed

Les francais love their cafés. And we're not just talking crema: we're talking tables, chairs, the whole croissant and kaboodle. But they're not the only ones with a bean scene. Countries like Australia, driven by a rapidly growing foodie culture, now look upon what used to be a revered institution – the café au lait – with disdain, believing their coffee to be the best in the world.

That said, tourists worldwide – Australians included – still look to the French (especially the Parisian) cafe experience with reverence, despite most Antipodes agreeing French coffee tastes like burnt dishwater rarely lives up to our lofty expectations. Likewise, across the pond, many Americans still see France as a rite of passage, not just because of the museums and art galleries, but due to the unique culture and gastronomy, best experienced with a croissant in one hand and a noisette in the other.

RELATED: Secrets To Dressing Like A Parisian When You’re Not One

But other than our imagined historical and cultural projections, what makes the French cafe experience so popular? One Paris-based photographer Patrick Colpron recently took to Instagram with an image we believe sheds light on this question.

 

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Lorette & Les Garçons, Café life is when you just take the time to love a little instead of rushing from place to place. It is when you can afford to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order taken for a simple coffee and another 15-20 minutes to have it brought to you. The time it takes to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of another person’s company, a fresh newspaper or a good book. Made with a Canon EOS R and a Canon RF 15-35/2.8 #thisisparis always something new to discover, taste and experience #paris #topparisphoto #topfrancephoto #topeuropephoto #hello_france #super_france #igersfrance #visitfrance #merveillesdefrance #parisjetaime #parismonamour #parigi #igersparis #tlpicks #passionpassport #iamatraveler #mylittleparis #culturetrip #beautifuldestinations #parisobviously #canon #canoneosr #canonrf1535lism #canonfrance

A post shared by Patrick Colpron (@patrickcolpron) on Jul 22, 2020 at 10:07pm PDT

"Lorette & Les Garçons, Café life is when you just take the time to love a little instead of rushing from place to place. It is when you can afford to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order taken for a simple coffee and another 15-20 minutes to have it brought to you. The time it takes to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of another person’s company, a fresh newspaper or a good book."

"Always something new to discover, taste and experience."

Sounds simple but it's a world away from the takeaway piccolos of Sydney or the laptop filled Starbucks' of Los Angeles.

Maybe as life gets ever more complicated, and global events threaten to raise the blood pressure of even the most well-adjusted individuals, we could all benefit from getting back to basics.

Your coffee and newspaper await.

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• The Truth About Why Parisians Are Rude To Tourists 
• The Embarrassing Mistake Every Tourist Makes In Paris

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Research Busts Common Myth Australians Believe About China’s Luxury Goods Market

The economic (and literal) Grim Reaper of 2020 has swung its scythe deep into the heart of luxury brands.

While virtually every industry in today's globally interconnected economy has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, luxury brands have been hit particularly hard. It's understandable, really: right now people are much more concerned with buying face masks and alcohol during lockdown than fancy bags or jewellery.

On top of that, retail is a total a no-go thanks to The Bat Kiss – an essential part of the whole luxury experience – and while online retail is doing well, many would question the 'point' of buying luxury goods right now... People are staying inside so there's less of an audience for your new Louis Vuitton flex, so why invest your hard-earned coin?

Indeed, luxury goods sales (or the lack thereof) are perhaps one of the best indicators for the global economic outlook. The stock markets might be defying logic but the quarterly reports from the world's biggest luxury retailers aren't: things are looking grim for the luxury sector right now, as things are for many businesses.

RELATED: Why Luxury Goods May Be A Better Economic Indicator Than The Stock Market

Many observers have commented on the rise of 'revenge buying', particularly in China. The idea goes that because luxury consumers were 'shopping-starved' during the first stages of quarantine, they're now overcompensating by splurging more than usual, CNBC reported in May. It's a narrative that has some factual basis, inasmuch as Chinese retail did see a spike once restrictions eased in the world's most populous country.

However, it's also a narrative that casts doubt at some of the Western preconceptions about the Chinese nouveau riche – tropes which as The Pandemic drags on, have revealed themselves to be less and less accurate.

 

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A post shared by Chopard Official (@chopard) on Jul 7, 2020 at 1:09am PDT

Chinese luxury buyers, particularly younger buyers (Gen X, Millennials & Gen Z) exhibit a far more mature approach to purchasing luxury goods than popular culture would suggest, Vogue Business relates. This is reflected in luxury sales figures out of China, which reflect a far more conservative (and realistic) approach to retail among Chinese consumers than the wild sprees of 'revenge buying' many predicted.

While brand recognition is still a huge driving factor for buyers, Chinese luxury consumers are increasingly choosing luxury brands because they generally weather fashion trends as opposed to riding them. Of course, collections change every season, bringing with them new modes and ideas, but the core collections of any luxury brand – whether we're talking about Gucci belts or Rolls-Royce Phantoms – stay timeless (and desirable).

Moreover, luxury staples like Hermes bags, Bally shoes, fine cognac or a 'grail' Rolex not only withstand changing tastes but can be genuinely valuable investments – if maintained properly. Indeed, Hermes' famous Birkin is demonstrably a safer and more profitable investment than gold, according to Baghunter. It's how the rich get richer, and might just be one way Australians can make their money work harder for themselves: by pursuing more unconventional investment opportunities, such as luxury goods.

The other big takeaway from Vogue's research is that Chinese luxury consumers perhaps aren't all the cash cows that reactionary elements in the Australian media would lead us to believe. Vogue reveals that a shockingly large number of Chinese consumers they surveyed are going into debt to afford their luxury preferences, many taking loans and falling into unhealthy patterns of overconsumption.

Many Australians picture middle or upper-class Chinese as having nearly endless reserves of cash to spend on luxury labels, but the truth is far more mundane – and worrying. It's a lesson that Australians should be quick to take heed of, especially in 2020: don't live beyond your means, and don't chase luxury goods if you can't afford them.

In essence: Chinese tastes are becoming more mature, but a minority are obsessed with just chasing a luxury lifestyle, to the point of financial ruin... Which is true of basically every luxury market. More to the point, while China is unlikely to be the golden goose luxury brands were hoping for in 2020, luxury brands still need to invest in understanding the Chinese market. You can't ignore 1.4 billion people.

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Photographers Expose Sneaky Trick The Media Is Using To Scare Australians

2020 has reminded us we're all cogs nature can crunch. No longer is 'epidemiology' a Black Death buzz word; we're living through a real-life pandemic. Besides the health implications, this comes with more social and political turmoil than you can throw a prosecco protest at (don't believe us? Check out these extraordinary Manhattan scenes or how Bondi became Sydney media's perennial punching bag).

Speaking of pitting Australians against one another, one Melbourne based writer, artist and Twitter user – @sarahtakesfotos – appears to have sprung The Herald Sun for making beachgoers look closer together than they really are.

Ms. Walker says she was at Ocean Grove, a beachside town outside of Melbourne's metropolitan area (and thus subject to stage 3, not 4, restrictions), on Saturday, where she saw a photographer carrying "a monopod and a lens the side of a toddler" towards the beach.

So @theheraldsun is running this image of the beach at Ocean Grove yesterday. Looks insanely packed, right? Terrifying. Well, time for a lesson in the impact of lenses on a photo. [Thread]. pic.twitter.com/3ZrIKwNwuZ

— Sarah Walker (@sarahtakesfotos) August 30, 2020

Suspecting what might happen next, she snapped a few photos of her own of the scene.

When The Herald Sun ran their pictures of Ocean Beach, Ms. Walker was able to compare and contrast.

"This is what the beach actually looked like at the exact time that press photographer was taking those images," Ms. Walker captioned her photos. "Busy, but not nearly so frightening."

"Ocean Grove was packed yesterday. But for the most part, people were doing a very impressive job of keeping socially distanced. The police were there keeping an eye on things."

"The lens natively compresses the distance between objects. By shooting down the beach, it makes the people look very, very close together," Ms. Walker added.

Shots like the one in the Herald Sun don’t happen by accident. Nobody goes out shooting with a lens that big unless their photo editor has specifically asked for a shot designed to rile people up. People say that the camera doesn’t lie. It’s not true.

— Sarah Walker (@sarahtakesfotos) August 30, 2020

This isn't the first time this year a photographer has taken issue with the mainstream media's squishy shots.

 

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I’d say it was pretty mellow at Manly yesterday, I guess it depends where you look. Find some space to yourself out there to stretch swim, surf, etc, there’s plenty of it. Just make sure your space is not too close to mine ok?). NOTE: No incriminating zoom lenses were used in these photographs @newscomauhq | #lifeatdawn

A post shared by Sprout Daily (@sproutdaily) on Apr 3, 2020 at 9:18pm PDT

Manly-based photographer @sproutdaily threw shade in April, writing the following of an easy-going Sunday: “I’d say it was pretty mellow at Manly yesterday. I guess it depends where you look.”

“NOTE: No incriminating zoom lenses were used in these photographs.”

The post split opinion, with one commenter writing: “Still too many people out in Manly. Stay home to save lives. The more people go out the longer this will linger.”

Most agreed with @sproutdaily though:

“Too many sensationalised articles making non beach communities jealous and upset."

“That beat up yesterday! Those photos looked remarkably similar to some from a few weeks ago.”

“Fake news yesterday at Manly.”

“It’s the media, and people who drive over on the weekend who are the problem.”

“The Telegraph had a telephoto lens squashing everyone close together yesterday.”

This plays into a broader debate around social accountability (vs. whether the media should be shaming communities at such a precipitous time).

Danish news site reminds people of being skeptical of how news photographers take pictures. Here is the same place, one picture taken with a zoom lense, and the other with a wide-angle lense: https://t.co/lPMJDHXOfD pic.twitter.com/mOSpiFEsDx

— Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) April 26, 2020

Though this is a phenomenon seen around the world (as seen above, media analyst Thomas Baekdal pointed the same thing out in Copenhagen in April), it is particularly pronounced in Australia – particularly Sydney – where the media loves to play off the so called 'latte line.'

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• Controversial Bondi Beach Photo Depicts Scene That Could Never Happen In America
• Why The Mainstream Media Needs To Stop Shaming Australia's Coastal Communities

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‘Wretched’ Photo Sells Bulgaria Better Than Any Tourism Campaign Ever Could

Tourists are returning to Bulgaria for the top tourist months of July and August.

This year though, it's a trickle not a waterfall. The demographic has also shifted, with hotel bookings down by some 90% at the start of August, and most visitors being Bulgarian, Czech, Polish or Romanian.

"The British tourists who would normally be thronging the fine golden sands are nowhere to be seen, while the occasional Czech, Polish or Romanian family scurries to the beach through the deserted alleys or enjoy having a hotel pool to themselves," Euractiv reports.

CNN Travel reports that "for more than a century, Bulgaria has had little trouble enticing people to its beach resorts scattered along the Black Sea coast."

For the first time in a long time that is no longer the case with (from a revenue point of view) dismally few city-breakers currently enjoying Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, and Plovdiv, the 2019 European Capital of Culture (not to mention the beachy getaways littered along the black sea).

The situation is so dire the managing boards of tourist organizations and universities have signed a Charter of Bulgarian Tourism, the gist of which is "a restart of Bulgarian tourism is needed."

Like Amsterdam, Bulgaria is taking this chance to reconsider the bigger picture of how it wants its tourism industry to look.

As we come out of this challenging time, there will be various factors that restimulate Bulgarian tourism. One of them may end up coming from an unlikely place. That source? Twitter user @BasedBulgaria, which describes itself as Bulgarian conservative (and supporter of Eurosceptic political group Europe of Nations).

Despite the user's cynical political views, @BasedBulgaria may have just done The Bulgarian Wanderlust Machine an unintended favour.

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. pic.twitter.com/qUhQkgYWso

— Based Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (@BasedBulgaria) August 28, 2020

Based Bulgaria on Saturday took to Twitter, it appears, to complain about mass tourism in Bulgaria (specifically on Sunny Beach), calling it a "wretched hive of scum and villainy."

However, other Twitter users' responses to his post suggest he may have just sold the Bulgarian beachside experience better than any tourism campaign...

Ukrainian dancers in Sunny Beach. pic.twitter.com/0NIf9JVPQf

— Based Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (@BasedBulgaria) August 28, 2020

"Damn. You do know that millions are going to have to visit now, don't you. You've sold it better than any tourist board could ever do," one wrote.

 

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A post shared by Sunny Beach Bulgaria (@sunnybeachofficial) on Jan 12, 2016 at 12:42am PST

Other cast aspersions about the Russian mafia, beachfront development controversy and bemoaned the days this wasn't such a 'worst kept secret' as 'hidden gem.'

Went there a few years ago. Felt like I was in an episode of Land of the Giants, Russian and Bulgarian mafia everywhere, sure they even have their own hotel on the beach that nobody else can go near! Never again..

— Justin (@justinstewart74) August 28, 2020

Another comment suggests Sunny Beach has been an interesting place to visit since the 70s:

"Lol. Went there on family summer hols when it first opened up to tourism. Late 70s? Had a policeman point a gun at me after buying peaches off a street seller and also went to a fish restaurant only to find that when we ordered, fish was 'off'."

For those looking for a more relaxed place to toodle around (i.e. you'd rather check out a UNESCO attraction than a beachfront bar), Sunny Beach is located next to Nessebar, the crown jewel of Bulgarian coastal escapes.

 

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A post shared by Elena Sholokhova (@uvidim_mir) on Aug 12, 2020 at 10:54am PDT

This tiny ancient treasure trove is located at the end of a narrow strip of land and offers tourists the chance to explore "cobbled streets, centuries of history and... the fascinating legacies from ancient Greece and the Byzantine and Ottoman empires," (CNN Travel).

"Seemingly wherever one walks in this UNESCO-listed town there's a Byzantine church in picturesque states of ruin. One, the 14th-century Church of Christ Pantocrator, now houses a museum of antique maps. Meanwhile, the Church of St Stephen contains dazzling 16th-century frescoes and icons."

"To delve further into Nessebar's story, there's the Archaeological Museum, which, despite being built in the 1990s, has been designed sympathetically in honey-colored stone," CNN Travel adds.

As for who can currently visit: citizens of the European Union at the time of writing are allowed entry, as well as other approved countries (see the full list here). Visitors from the United States have been banned until the 31st of August 2020 and it remains to be seen whether the ban will be lifted or extended (for more information consult the US embassy website).

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The Boldest Predictions & Premonitions For Rolex’s Upcoming Product Launch

It's been an exciting few weeks for watch fans. Last week, the innovative new Geneva Watch Days dominated headlines, with new releases from the likes of Ferdinand Berthoud, H. Moser & Cie, Carl F. Bucherer and Girard-Perregaux. This week however has got aficionados champing at the bit for a new Rolex release.

Rolex is the world's most successful and famous luxury watch brand, and every September the watch community whips itself into a frenzy in anticipation of a new Rolex announcement. 2020 is no different, with Rolex dropping less than subtle hints about releasing a new Submariner model. A slick teaser campaign named 'Out Of The Blue' has built hype to fever pitch, with speculation about the new Submariner rife on the Internet.

 

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Out of the blue 1 September #Rolex #NewWatches2020

A post shared by ROLEX (@rolex) on Aug 28, 2020 at 1:10am PDT

Rolex normally do a good job of staying tight-lipped about new releases – however, 2020 has seen a slight lapse in standards. The highly-anticipated Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight 'Navy' was leaked well in advance by sales-hungry authorised distributors (ADs), and it seems as if watch insiders might have figured out what Rolex's big 2020 release has in store for us.

The word on the street is that the Sub will be released with two new colours: both with black dials, one with a deep blue bezel and one with a green bezel similar to the highly popular green dial / green bezel Submariner 'Hulk' – the most requested Rolex in recent memory.

The blue bezel prediction makes sense, as Rolex showed a glimpse of a blue lume 12 o'clock triangle in their first 'Out Of The Blue' teaser. A blue bezel Sub would be a fairly safe colour that would sell well, so maybe this is just a low-risk prediction considering what Rolex has already shared and market trends in 2020.

RELATED: Rolex Watch Prices You Can Expect To Pay In America & Australia In 2020

The green bezel seems to be a somewhat stranger prediction. While undoubtedly a green bezel paired with a black dial would be a tasty look, we feel as if it would just undermine sales of the Hulk. Why would Rolex jeopardise one of their cash cows?

This also all assumes that Rolex is only releasing one model this September. Market movements in the UK would suggest that Rolex is gearing up to release a new Explorer model, so maybe the Submariner hype is only a distraction.

In 24 hours we'll find out anyway, so let's just hold tight.

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‘Future Of Inflight Snack Service’ Leaves Travellers With Sour Taste

Feeding time in economy is infamously bad. Yes: it's a momentary reprieve, especially on long haul flights, of being stuck with your thoughts (or a dodgy telenovela), but it's also a time where you feel claustrophobic and cramped as your designated attendant schlepps out whatever microwave meal was cheapest to prepare this week.

You might want to rejoice, then, when finding out some airlines may be taking steps to reduce the number of times you have to put your seat up and whack a tray down onto your lap.

In recent months various airlines (see: Qantas and Virgin Australia) have suspended their in-flight domestic food services to reduce crew to passenger contact during flights.

 

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A post shared by Zach Griff (@_zachgriff) on Jul 27, 2020 at 2:02pm PDT

One possible solution to this could be having an inflight self-service snack bar, aviation blogger Zach Griffin recently suggested. Posting an image of a United Airlines snack bar (an amenity which predates the pandemic) Mr Griffin wrote the following:

"Could this be the future of inflight snack service? With a walk-up, self-service bar, carriers could keep crew safe, while keeping passengers satiated. Some airlines like @jetblue and @united already do this (on some planes, pre-COVID), and time will tell if it becomes the new normal. Personally, I’m a fan of a walk-up pantry!"

Though it would appear to be a good way to keep distance between passengers and crew – and though some ("sounds good too me") were on board with the idea – many Instagram users in the comments pointed out this feature could increase the risk of passenger to passenger contamination.

"Seems like having a central snack location would hasten the spread of germs with that many people up and about. Easier to regulate the flight attendants."

"How do you handle the line in the aisle? Or the guy who takes half the snacks?"

Others took issue with how a snack bar changes the feel of the flight.

"Yeah. Not a fan of prepackaged snacks though. Not my idea of business class. Ah. Sorry. (Domestic) First Class!"

"I’d rather be served."

Only time, the rustling of dried nut packets (and the progress of scientists in developing a coronavirus vaccine) will tell.

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Menswear Experts Explain What Will Happen Australia’s Suit Culture If We Don’t Go Back To Work

One of the biggest casualties of The Bat Kiss has been men's fashion.

Research from Roy Morgan suggests that almost a third of all working Australians have been working from home since the start of the pandemic. With no need to scrub up for the office, many men have taken advantage of the situation to dress down in a big way: more baggy jeans and less snappy blazers.

Indeed, with so many fashion brands going under and no vaccine in sight (just yet), we're worried that the humble suit will be yet another victim of 2020. What's going to happen to Australian suit culture if work from home continues indefinitely?

DMARGE had the chance to speak exclusively with some top Australian tailors and pick their brains about where the future of suiting lies.

"There has been a lot of talk over the years of the 'suit being dead' and heralding the smart casual or casual office look," Miles Wharton, Aussie style authority and founder of The Bespoke Corner told DMARGE.

"Nonetheless, if you consider the various menswear categories outside of activewear, the sartorial or tailored wear category is one of the only categories growing year on year. Why is that? Do the media have it wrong? The answer is YES – completely and utterly wrong."

"Suiting is evolving and has always evolved... what is the essence of 'going back to work'? We are at work, regardless of the location. The COVID effect is not going to create a new fashion trend of wearing pyjamas to meetings.  In fact, quite the opposite... Men have had time to review their wardrobe and now look to bolster their assortment to 'break-out' of active/loungewear and have a feel-good and look-good array of quality garments... Call it revenge spending or simply getting back to the business of doing business."

 

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A post shared by The Bespoke Corner (@thebespokecorner) on Aug 7, 2020 at 3:52pm PDT

So suits will exist in one form or another, but what might that form look like?

"Suits will become more relaxed and more casual," Joe Farage, founder and director of Farage predicts.

"Soft shoulders, more contemporary fabrics and styling that can be worn either as a suit or mixed back as separates. The casualisation of suiting was happening prior to COVID-19... [but] fast-tracked significantly due to most people working from home. Whilst I believe the traditional suit will not be dead for good, it will be more of an event-driven business rather than for work."

Patrick Johnson, the world-famous Australian tailor, thinks Australian couturiers will quickly adapt to the growing casualisation in men's businesswear that 2020 has accelerated.

"We have seen a move to more casual clothing for sure. Also [brands] beefing up their web presence so clients can safely access their wares, and more focus on other technologies they can use to keep in touch with their clients and suppliers. For example, we usually would be running trunk shows all over Asia and the US but are now using technology to communicate with these clients. The great news is there are some fantastic solutions available... I see these as a good stop-gap until we can travel again."

Compared to many other countries, Australia already has quite a laid-back, egalitarian work environment. We're not longer strictly confined to the 'business burqa': more casual looks are far more common in the 21st-century Australian workplace. We also benefit from being a season out from the Northern Hemisphere – we can take note of the latest businesswear trends in Europe and try them on ourselves six months later, adapting them to our environment as need be.

 

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A post shared by The Bespoke Corner (@thebespokecorner) on Aug 7, 2020 at 3:52pm PDT

"Australia has always had the luxury of letting the Northern Hemisphere test colours and styles... making the mistakes and highlighting the winners," Miles Wharton explains.

"[Our] milder temperatures... also offer a more substantial depth in one’s wardrobe. [We don't] have to worry about 4 seasons and can focus on mainly two or one and a half!"

The flexibility of the Australian wardrobe and our unique climate means the way Australian tailors design and create clothes are very different from those in other parts of the world. It's a unique skill set and aesthetic: one that will place Australian designers ahead of the curve when it comes to bouncing back from the trials and tribulations of 2020.

"Australian couturiers have a fresh, adaptive and unique approach to everything we do," Joe Farage proudly relates.

"The world has now woken up to the importance of supporting artisans. With Australia having two significant events this year, first the bush fires, then The Pandemic, I truly believe there has been a very strong shift to supporting our own and shopping for products that are Australian owned or even better, products that are made in Australia."

"These times have put the focus on where your money is spent and the importance of supporting local," Wharton concurs.

It's a no brainer – the best way to keep suit culture alive in this country and to keep on top of trends as a consumer is to purchase suits from local tailors where possible.

The consensus is that while business attire is certainly getting more casual and working from home does threaten the suit somewhat, there will always be a need for a quality suit (or two) in the Australian man's wardrobe.

"As much as some of us are enjoying working from home, people need the energy of other people, we are social animals and a video call is a poor substitute for a chat at the water cooler. The suit will always have a place," Patrick Johnson concludes.

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