Last Call: Today's Dieting Conundrums Could Be Traced To The 1920s' Flapper

I'm a lifelong F. Scott Fitzgerald fan (well, at least since college), easily as fascinated with the Great Gatsby era as the guy in Midnight In Paris is. But I never really thought about how much the fashion of the 1920s changed cultural ideals for the female body—and not for the better. This fascinating read on Gastro Obscura points out that in the Victorian era, the heavily corseted hourglass female form was considered ideal. But once flapperdom hit, girls not only cut their hair and wore rouge and mascara, they dieted down to an extremely lean, almost boyish state, tossing their corsets and wearing looser, shorter dresses. They also started smoking, inspired by a 1920s Lucky Strike ad campaign that urged them to "reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." I've been reading about flappers for years, never considering their effect on the still-thriving diet industry, but clearly, that impact can still be felt today, as the weight-loss book best-sellers of the earlier era have given way to a veritable industry. Find out more about the flappers' celery-and-cigarette diet over at Gastro Obscura. [Gwen Ihnat]

I'd recommend this IPA for Beer Of The Week, except that it has a relatively small distribution. If you're in Chicago and are a fan of Galaxy, Mosaic, and Citra hops, get your hands on this new release from Corridor. I haven't encountered a beer that smelled and tasted this much like straight-up nectarines and peaches in a while—and all thanks to hops. Mmm, mmm, spring. [Kate Bernot]