There are a lot of stereotypes about young travellers. As the trope goes… your first trip will be a Europe jaunt, probably with Contiki, spending most of your time meeting people, staying in hostels, and shuffling around sticky pub floors. The joys of being 19.

Your second trip you take your time, do it yourself, go where the wind takes you. You trade Paris and Barcelona for Scottish highlands and obscure Romania, and your suitcase for a backpack. Rather than being ferried around by tour operators you make new friends in new cities and make last-minute decisions to follow them around. You chuck in the Camino de Santiago and a Workaway stint in a Moroccan hostel just for good measure. The joys of being 23.

Your third trip you decide to escape the rat race and motorbike around South America. You hike up all sorts of mountains, fuelled by Ayahuasca and ego, returning only to tell all your friends and family they’ve wasted their lives. You promptly purchase a van and decide to travel Australia permanently. After a year you get sick of the van. By this point you are either a well-established digital nomad who graduates to splitting their time between Byron Bay and Bali, or you have no other option but to go back to the 9-5 grind in Melbourne or Sydney. The joys of being 30.

By the looks of it, trip three (or at least the van life aspect of it) is going to survive COVID-19, with constraints on international travel in fact leading to a van life boom. On the other hand, trips one and two are feeling the heat, with travellers opting for more self-contained holidays right now, in Airbnbs and “air scrubbing” hotels where they can better control how many other people they interact with.

Worse still (for the backpacking industry), even intrepid student backpackers who aren’t that worried about The Spicy Cough and want to travel anyway are now facing higher bureaucratic and financial constraints. To enter somewhere like Australia, for instance, you now need, as well as all the visa requirements, to have the cash to fund your own 14 days in quarantine.

 

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In June last year the ABC reported the COVID-19 pandemic had led to 50,000 fewer backpackers in Australia, prompting a parliamentary enquiry.

Australians are not permitted to travel overseas right now, as their travel ban remains in place, and those wishing to go overseas being required to request exemptions for “essential” reasons.

In this way, though there’s still huge demand (and nostalgia) for it, much of the laissez-faire appeal of backpacking is currently lacking. As the BBC reports, this is a crucial issue the industry will need to solve.

 

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Last year the BBC interviewed Tara Bashford, a 23-year-old climbing instructor from Liverpool who said “I love the spontaneity of backpacking,” and “I don’t make that much of a plan and just go with the flow.”

“But COVID-19 changed things,” the BBC shared. “Tara was supposed to fly to New Zealand in April but, after closing its borders, New Zealand’s prime minister has said it won’t open up to global travellers for “a long time to come.”

Fast forward to today and that remains the case, with New Zealand’s border still closed to almost all travellers to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

This is decimating certain towns’ economies. As the BBC reports, “more than half of Queenstown’s 28,000 population are employed in the tourism sector, [with] around two million international visitors each year contributing NZD$2.4bn (£1.2bn) to the local economy” in usual times.

Brett Duncan – who owns the two Adventure hostels in the town – told the BBC “it’s expensive to run a business here. Our break-even point at full rates is 71% occupancy and I’ve now closed one hostel and the other I have at 40% occupancy with discounted rates.”

“We’ve now got a disproportionate amount of bars and restaurants to the people who live here… We’re going to see a lot of casualties here and a lot of businesses will close.”

The question then, from the point of a backpacker, is whether these backpacking facilitating businesses (or new ones) will crop up again as soon as travel is allowed to safely resume.

Jenni Powell, chair of the Backpacker Youth and Adventure Tourism Association, argues they will, predicting budget travel will be the first to recover once international travel resumes, as “millennial travelers are crisis resilient” (CNN Travel).

 

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However, there is another side to this. CNN Travel also encourages readers to ask themselves: will destinations that were largely overrun with travelers before the pandemic actually want backpackers back?

“Low budget travelers have – perhaps unfairly – become synonymous with bad behavior over the years, and the likes of Australia, another top backpacking spot, have seemingly taken steps to discourage them from visiting,” they elaborate.

“In 2017, a controversial ‘backpacker tax’ was introduced, meaning people on working holidays could be taxed 15% – Australian workers have a tax-free threshold of A$18,200 (US $12,500).”

On that note: “Most destinations are focusing on high-yield market segments now,” Denis Tolkach, assistant professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University told CNN last year.

“Backpackers are traditionally known for exploring destinations off the beaten track, purchasing local products and interacting with local residents, but in large numbers they can inflict damage to the local environment, culture and community through partying and misbehaving.”

DMARGE’s take? Certain places might take certain specific measures to appeal to more dollar dropping travellers (a process which, as we reported last year, is already happening), but on the whole, there will be no global conspiracy to end backpacking. The worst change is that the ultra-low flight fares and ease of booking trips on a whim won’t come back so quickly.

 

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As CNN Travel reports, “with airlines set to see combined losses of $157 billion in 2020 and 2021… the cheap flights that many backpackers rely on could soon become a thing of the past.”

Also, “while the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in a number of countries, including the US and the UK, is no doubt a positive step, more and more destinations now require proof of a negative PCR test on departure or arrival.”

“Such requirements will likely end up being rather costly for those planning to visit multiple destinations where tests aren’t provided free of charge.”

Maybe that impulsive van purchase and exploring your home country isn’t such a silly idea after all?

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The post Will COVID Spell The Death Of Contiki Tours? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

So you’ve made it. You’ve graduated from sweatpants and gotten yourself a job that doesn’t involve selling video game characters online. And you need a suit. Not just any suit, your very first suit. Something that will look the part without sending you to the streets.

Welcome to the big bad world, champ. Now there’s a lot that can go wrong (and right) when buying your first suit. The most common offence you could ever make is getting a suit that’s too big for you. Beyond that there’s also a plethora of details that could turn your first suit experience into a minor nightmare.

Fear not, young dapper Jedi. We’ve compiled some simple rules to help you ditch Dad’s suits in order to become your own sartorial king. Button up, son.

Picking Suit Colour & Materials

Don’t splurge on that Prince of Wales check or chalkstripe that you’ve seen at Pitti. You’re no baller just yet so instead, opt for a colour with a certain air of versatility to it – a French navy or mid-grey will both suffice, looking austere enough for formal occasions while being something you can dress down when necessary – i.e. from the office to the bar.

Depending on your needs, wool is the best fabric and will serve you well in most conditions. Cotton is more casual and creases more easily, which does not suit all workplaces. Linen is best suited to warmer climates.

Keep in mind that your suit colour also needs to be matched with your dress shoes whether they be existing or brand new. The general rule is that brown leather shoes are slightly more casual and black are for more corporate affairs. In today’s day and age though, brown leather shoes are pretty much acceptable anywhere and a good choice for a bit more personality in your look.

If you need more details about the right fabric cloth for you, check out our expert tips on suit cloths.

Suit Fit Types: The Right One For You

This is the golden rule. A fully-canvassed construction or a luxurious spalla camicia (Neapolitan tailoring speak for “shirt shoulder”) will make up for an ill-fitting suit. If you’re buying off the rack, you need to be aware of a few key areas where the garment must fit correctly.

Sleeve and trouser length, in most instances, can be easily adjusted. Shoulders, while not impossible to alter, are one area you really do not want to fret with. If they don’t fit, move along and try on something else. What you are looking for is a jacket that follows the contours of your frame across your shoulders, chest and waist.

An oversized jacket is never a good look, but neither is the aggressively tight magazine look – look for something that drapes with elegance. As for sleeve length, a useful test is to place your arms by your sides and have the sleeves finish at your wrist bone.

Don’t Go Too Small For Your Suit

A fitted suit is trendy these days but a common mistake is to buy a suit that’s way too small. A suit that’s fractionally big can be adjusted, but most ready-to-wear suits don’t have enough fabric to let out, and it doesn’t always look right when they are. Either hit the treadmill to lose some girth, or buy a jacket that buttons easily leaving at least an inch or so for your phone in your breast pocket.

Know Your Suit Shoulder Width

We all love to think we have the shoulders of an Adonis, but that’s not always the case. Whether the shoulders are heavily constructed (with padding for more formal look) or completely deconstructed (without padding for casual look), the shoulder seam should sit neatly on the corner of where your shoulders end and your arms begin. Fabric shouldn’t be bulging out. If it doesn’t fit here, move along.

Choose Pants That Fit

With so much focus on the jacket, it’s easy to neglect the trousers. Don’t do it, man. It can equally ruin your suit if you get this part wrong. Trousers should fit well around the seat, crotch and thighs.

When you’re trying the trousers on, always sit down to test how comfortable they are. If they’re uncomfortable in the store or tight around the waist, this isn’t going to change. Don’t rely on “stretch” or fall into the trap set by an eager salesperson by being something that’s not the right size.

The waist can be adjusted, either by being taken in or let out, but both within reason. Even better, find a pair of trousers with adjustable side tabs and your job is half done.

Get a feel for these basics and your next suit purchase will be as easy as wearing it.

Know Your First Suit Budget

Ah, we’ve left the best till last. Budget is a big deal when buying your first suit. It’s a given that you won’t have thousands to spend so making your hard-earned cash go the distance is paramount.

We’ve got you covered with our guide to the best cheap suit brands or if you prefer to shop locally, the best cheap suit shops of Sydney.

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The post Buying The Perfect First Suit Isn't Impossible; Here Are The Foolproof Ways To Do It appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

What’s the one thing commonly associated with thirst-trap Instagram-worthy images of men? Washboard abs. So often the defining feature of a man’s attractiveness – although often coupled with a chiselled jawline, perfect curly hair and a dazzling smile – men bust blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of amazing abdominals.

But are we wasting our time? Do women actually care whether you have a six-pack or not, or are they genuinely more interested in who you are as a person? Would they settle for a not-so shredded physique? These are questions the second-coming of Schwarzenegger, Jo Lindner, has aimed to answer with his latest YouTube video. Fresh from asking women of the gym what they believe to be the most important muscle for men to train (TL;DR, it’s legs) the German muscle mountain proceeded to ask women if they want their partner to have a six-pack, or no six-pack.

Approaching the weightlifting women with caution (“do not interrupt women when they’re training”) Jo’s questioning soon turned up surprising (if not somewhat relieving) results.

“He doesn’t have to have a six-pack, I think he should just be fit,” says the first responder. And as for whether the ideal man should be “bulky or just aesthetic” – i.e. someone with huge muscles or someone who just has good definition – the same woman said aesthetic was the way to go.

His second victim went down the opposite path, “Of course, six-pack”. However, she also agreed that an aesthetic appearance was more attractive than someone with “120kg of muscle”.

“What matters is inside”, claimed another woman, although, given she looked directly down the camera lens when answering, we’re not sure how sincere she was being. She also “looks for personality” but also said “if I had to choose [bulky or aesthetic] then you know, something a bit trained, whatever.”

“Not too big, not like him [the host, Jo]”.

Other responses included:

“Just ok, it doesn’t matter”

“I don’t care about six-packs, he just has to have legs.”

“I don’t give a sh*t about that [bulky or aesthetic], he just has to be nice. Inside is more important than outside, actually, except if legs count.”

“Six-pack isn’t important, but I like big guys, not the fitness guys with the abs and everything.”

“[Six-pack] isn’t necessary. For me, what is important is a balance between upper body and lower body.”

We hope this resounding news brings with it a huge sigh of relief (we can practically hear it now). While women may indeed prefer a guy who trains and looks aesthetically pleasing, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have a six-pack in order to muscle out the competition.

Just be nice (and not a wanker), dress well, look after your body (and work on those confidence levels) and you’ll soon be racking up dates left, right and centre.

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• Man’s Incredible Transformation Proves What 12 Months Of Hard Work Can Achieve
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The post What People Really Think About Six Packs & Abs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 was a crap year, not only for society but also for pop culture.

You’d think that in a year where we were all desperate for a bit of distraction that we’d have seen a proliferation; a flourishing of culture. Not so: we were cursed with terrible films like Dolittle and The Very Excellent Mr Dundee; awful songs like Justin Bieber’s nauseating Yummy and the hilarious yet repetitive WAP; and were completely bereft of anything interesting when it came the world of fashion.

To be fair, 2020 was a tough year for the fashion industry, but it’s a shame that the most exciting thing a designer put out was Virgil Abloh with his hideous ‘Project Geländewagen’. And that was a car, not a cool summer collection.

So what’s the next frontier in style as we collectively shuffle, like a horde of breathless zombies, into 2021? If some jokers on the Internet would lead you to believe, the next big style trend will see us strip down to leather undies and ditch our Fiat 500s for blood-soaked technicals, à la Mad Max. It’d be a change of pace, at least.

 

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While we’re not so keen to go full ‘Lord Humungous’, you have to admit that Mel Gibson looked pretty f*cking killer in those films. We wouldn’t mind rolling around in a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Hardtop ‘Pursuit Special’, either.

RELATED: Australia’s Most Iconic Engine Is An Endangered Species

But maybe there’s some truth to the joke. On the one hand, we’ve got a plague ravaging the globe, a world in economic crisis, and conspiracy theorists swarming the United States Capitol. The dystopia’s basically here anyway.

One of those charming insurrectionists is already on that Mad Max wave, it seems.

On the other hand, you had brands like Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela and Marine Serre parading styles that were little more than mil-spec leather underwear down Paris and Shanghai’s catwalks in 2020. Male models are already emaciated: just give them some shotguns or chain them to the bonnet of an SUV and we’re pretty close to making the Internet’s Mad Max fashion fantasies become reality.

We just hope we get a vaccine soon, so we don’t have to start wearing desert marauder chic in order to be cool.

It’s not the only funny filmic coincidence that’s got the Internet atwitter. Landmark 1998 anime Akira depicted a post-apocalyptic ‘Neo Tokyo’ holding an Olympic Games in 2020. Of course, the real-life Tokyo 2020 Olympics were cancelled… A shame, really. It would have been cool to have red leather jackets (and psychic powers) become de rigueur.

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The post Wild 'Mad Max' 2021 Fashion Prediction Is Agonisingly Close To Becoming Reality appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When it comes to footwear, formalwear or The Queen’s English, Australians are endearingly relaxed. But lord help any airline that aggrieves Aussie business class flyers.As we discovered last year, Australian pointy end flyers despise disappointment. While you could write this off as snobbishness (maybe fliers should give airlines more leeway because of the pandemic?), you could also look at it another way.You could see it as an admirable refusal to ever have the wool pulled over one’s eyes. A smart way to keep airlines in check. Common sense, even. Now, before you throw your United MileagePlus card at us, or soil your linen pants with rage; a disclaimer.We’re well aware holding business class to a high standard can come across as irritatingly pedantic, or involve brewing a storm in a two-minute noodle cup.RELATED: Entitled Business Class Passenger Reports ‘Invasion’ Of Their Toilet By Economy PeasantsWe’re also well aware Australia has a much smaller domestic aviation market than America, with just two main competitors (one being now far more dominant), and the vast majority of the remainder of flight options comprising of these two competitors’ (Qantas and Virgin Australia’s) subsidiaries.America has a more cutthroat scene, which lends itself less to luxurious domestic seats, and more to commercial competition (not to mention crushed kneecaps; passenger altercations). Indeed, there’s no such thing as business class domestically in the US, with plane sections being broken into economy and first (first being the rough equivalent of Australian business class).Australian business class passengers’ fear of this dynamic making its way across the pond was demonstrated various times last year.Virgin Australia’s transition to a leaner, meaner airline (post voluntary administration) had Australian business class passengers nervous, furious and teary all at once, with tributes to its domestic business class – a favourite in everyone’s book – rolling in (when news broke it could be on the chopping block).Then there were Qantas’ repatriation flights. Though many whinged there weren’t enough of them, others argued they prove why it’s so important to have accountable airlines which, cheesy as some of the advertising campaigns are, use being “quintessentially Aussie” as a marketing tool (and then feel the heat to help out in moments like pandemics).Finally; ‘Noodlegate‘. How could we forget? Arguably the turning point when people really started talking about “the Americanisation of business class” in Australia.Frequent flyer and Flight Hacks founder Immanuel Debeer told DMARGE ‘Noodlegate‘ was part of an “appalling” cost-cutting trend.

“I think Bain is on a cost cutting spree and these days you can get away with almost anything in the name of Covid.”

“Virgin used to have (in my opinion) the world’s best domestic business class product in terms of food, service and seats. Now we’re seeing the ‘Americanisation’ of business class.”

“Aussies are used to getting better so it’s no wonder the Bain ‘budget carrier’ approach won’t go down well unless the prices of the tickets reflect the actual service.”

Virgin Australia quickly rectified the situation (they claimed to have run out of food the day this happened) and are now serving snack boxes including baked Lavosh crackers (with a new and improved “challenger” menu to Qantas still to be revealed).Need further evidence Americans should consider adopting a bit of the Australian business class culture?Check out the clamouring for memorabilia – and the outpouring of grief and nostalgia  – we saw when Qantas retired the Queen of the Skies last year. We rarely see an American airline go to such elaborate lengths to appeal to customer’s historical sensibilities either (see: ‘Secret Message Behind Qantas’ Last Ever 747 Flight’), and – as far as we’ve seen – there is rarely such a response from customers in return.Then there are articles like the following (which describes one passenger’s disgruntled experience of “15 hours in the worst seat in A380 business class“), which show Australians maintain their high standards even when soaring internationally on non-Aussie airlines.Looking to the future of Australian aviation, Rico Merkert, USYD Professor of Transport and Supply Chain Management, told DMARGE late last year he believes Virgin Australia will continue to transition to a middle-market carrier, while Qantas will mostly stay business as usual (though not necessarily immune to cutbacks).“The new CEO of Virgin will position to airline closer to the LCC business model and passengers (say business) will be able to add extra services to their seat a la carte and will be expected to pay for those add-ons.”

“As such, you could argue that Qantas has won the business traveller market in the domestic Australian market. There may be a little bit of competition with Rex and Alliance though and to some extent even with Virgin as some corporate travellers may now at least initially be price sensitive.”

“International[ly],” however, Merkert told us, “it is a totally different picture as Qatar, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and a few others pose strong competition to Qantas, in particular as they are currently flying in and out of Australia while Qantas is not.”What’s next? Watch this (air) space.

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The post What America Can Learn From Australia's 'Fussy' Business Class Culture appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Men’s fashion, in comparison to women’s, is relatively standard and simple.

In reality, we have less to play around with. So how do we work with what we’ve been given – a pant, a jacket, a dress shirt and shoes – and not feel ‘same-old’? The answer may already exist in your wardrobe. Looking for ways to tweak and adjust the mundane, and a touch of simple change to your wardrobe can easily turn you into one stylish cool cat. It’s time for edition of how to appear more stylish than you really are – at no extra cost.

Wearing A Leather Jacket

Before thoughts of gladiator sandals or leather stud pants (cool if you’re Lenny Kravitz) enter your mind, the animal-skin fashion item I’m referring to is the leather jacket. No longer reserved for rockstars, bikies or retro pilots, the jacket provides an instant style kick to any boring casual outfit.

Play around with the type of leather first: bomber, racer or biker jackets are the main styles for men. Then, nail the fit. The jacket should cling to the contours of the body, with shoulders cutting sharp and square – like a blazer. In other words you might need to give granddad’s baggy leather jacket a miss.

The final decision is colour, which isn’t really a choice. You can’t go past black or brown for a classic, masculine look over a plain or Breton tee, slim fit jeans and then Chelsea boots or plimsolls. Neutral chinos and a pair of brogues – sans socks, feel just as stylish.

Fitted T-Shirts With Suits

In the vein of street chic, chucking away the button-shirt and replacing it with a tee, is the ultimate style switch when paired with a suit. This combination is reserved for lightweight summer tailoring (we don’t really advise rupturing the formalities of a corporate woollen here), and ranges from the more sophisticated single-breasted peak lapel checked suit to a white linen summer edition.

Now, choose your look. Charcoal-hued top and black Chelsea boots in sheeny leather vamp up the casualness of the tee, while summer loafers in chocolate suede (no socks, obviously) and slim fit navy shirt are a bello trio when teamed with a polka dot pocket square. And then, lose the belt (see below).

Wearing No Belt With Your Suit

Go belt-less: the well-versed sartorialists shudder at such utterances. Yes, a formal suit/occasion requires a leather belt, but a weekend tailored outfit meshed with say, a sporty parka, looks super stylish without a belt. While most gents feel naked without the buckled, leather strap, it’s not an essential piece when going for a less-is-more approach to style.

The key here is to create an overall pared-back aesthetic. I’m talking about leaving a few principle accessories at home and walking straight out the door. A relaxed no-belt look offers ease with nothing but your shirt and a jacket, over a slim pair of cropped trousers, tapered at the ankle. Sockless feet with your shoes –  be it sneakers or lace-ups, match the clean finish – elevating you from a sufferer of stuffiness to a maestro of minimalism.

Grow Some Stubble For A Fresh Look

Because hipster beards are in their last days and the oh so smooth baby face doesn’t leave much to play around with, I give you the stubble look. Made famous by Daniel Craig, Chris Hemsworth, David Beckham and Bradley Cooper, the styled stubble turns safe facial features into something truly sexy and masculine.

Stubble works for well, work – not too scruffy for the corporate gents in suits, and is hands down a chic weekend look, from Friday night drinks to Sunday late morning brunch. If you’re lucky enough to be able to grow it, the tasteful 5 o’clock shadow adds that much needed pepper sprinkle to highlight a jawline too, and accentuate the lines of a man’s face. It gives you an actual chin, if you don’t have one to call your own.

Rolled Sleeves With A Suit

Even the sartorial maestro knows the joys of free-forearms in the warmer, humid months, despite the fact he’s wearing a long sleeve blazer. How does he do it, you ask? The sleeve shift. First, play around with either rolling the sleeves back or just pushing the sleeves up.

A slippery jacket lining may prevent them from staying up, so if the sleeves slip, keep them in place with a rubber band, hiding the band under the gathered fabric – at all costs. Then, the position: below, on or above the elbow. Personally, the latter is best as it looks more sprezzatura in its effortless placement, and is less restricting for movement.

Shifting the sleeves makes the jacket less stuffy but is a bit more dapper than a cardigan or bomber. Pair it with jeans and leather loafers for a weekend drive or chinos and your favourite pair of leather lace-ups (preferably in an earthy tone like brown, tan or burgundy) for summer nights.

Read Next

• The Ultimate Casual Dress Code Guide For Men

The post Easiest Ways To Look Incredibly Stylish With Near-Zero Effort appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australians don’t tend to be too fussy about what we drink our alcohol out of.A yard of ale? Sounds like good fun. A mojito in a mason jar? That’ll go down well in Brunswick or Newtown. Let’s not forget Australia’s grandest contribution to the food and drink world: the humble goon sack. Hell, you ever heard of a ‘shoey’?Yet it seems that drinking wine out of a can – when that’s a perfectly respectable receptacle for beer, cocktails or hard seltzers – seems to be a step too far for most Aussies.Despite being an Australian invention, canned wine has yet to really catch on Down Under. While the market segment is experiencing record growth, there’s still a degree of hesitation from most consumers, as this 2020 community survey conducted by ABC Riverland reveals.Some choice comments included “it would be a mood killer if you brought out the tinnies while having a nice dinner at home,” the backhanded compliment that “they’re handy for cooking” as well as this revelatory one-liner: “It’s not for me! No glass, no class.”Yet this outdated attitude isn’t only hurting the wine industry (and arguably the planet), but it’s also dead wrong. Indeed, we’d argue that choosing canned wine is actually the classier option compared to your traditional glass bottle.

Firstly, canned wine attracts a more diverse crowd than bottled wine. While women lead wine consumption in Australia and elsewhere, canned wine is over-indexing more with men, according to Brown Family Wine Group. Canned wine also tends to attract younger consumers, who are inarguably the most important market to target. So Australian wineries that aren’t offering a canned wine option might be alienating potential customers.Secondly, cans are better for the environment. Last year, DMARGE spoke with Richard Adamson, co-founder and director of Sydney-based craft brewery Young Henrys, who explained that while only around 23% of a glass bottle is able to be recycled, aluminium can be recycled indefinitely. Moreover, it takes less energy to make a can than it does to make a bottle, and because aluminium cans weigh less than glass bottles, shipping and logistics is not only an easier endeavour but a less energy-intensive one.RELATED: ‘Strange’ Newtown Photo May Explain Australia’s Craft Beer ObsessionThirdly, cans are a functionally superior choice. Aluminium is more drop or damage resistant than glass, so there’s less chance of wastage. Aluminium keeps things colder for longer compared to glass, and unlike glass bottles, aluminium cans protect wine against UV exposure as well as premature oxygen ingress or egress, all of which can affect a wine’s taste. If you’re a real oenophile and want to make sure your wine is as fresh as possible, a can can’t be beaten.Finally, canned wine is better for portion control. Australians are becoming more and more health conscious, particularly when it comes to what they drink. It’s why products like half-strength wine are steadily becoming more popular.

The behaviour change that needs to occur is for customers to stop fixating on the can itself. In the same way that we don’t drink out of wine bottles directly (unless you’re a real lush – no judgements here though), you don’t have to drink straight out of a can. If you decant (we love a pun) your canned wine into a glass or other serving vessel, you need not worry about the perceived ‘classlessness’ of drinking wine from a can.Wine has long been top dog in the Australian alcohol stakes. According to the latest ABS statistics, more people drink wine than any other type of alcohol in Australia, with beer following up close behind as our #2 favourite drink.A weird quirk of those figures, however, is that while more of the population drinks wine, we consume more beer in terms of quantity than wine – so wine’s more popular, but we go harder on the beer (probably because beer’s not as strong as wine, so we have to drink more to get tipsy. Makes sense.)But what’s more interesting is that both beer and wine have dipped both in terms of overall quantity consumed as well as in popularity compared to spirits. Australians are drinking more spirits than ever, and if Australian wine producers want to stay competitive, they need to explore new avenues of production. Like canned wine to compete with canned cocktails.Our take? We don’t care if it comes in a can, as long as it’s got bubbles in it: prosecco, pink gin and soda, sparkling ale… They’re all good in our book.

Read Next

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The post Outdated ‘No Glass, No Class’ Attitude Hurting Australia’s Wine Industry appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s been well-established that Conor McGregor doesn’t care what anyone thinks.The 32-year-old Irish MMA legend and self-proclaimed ‘face of the fight game’ is just as famous for his outrageous personality as he is for his killer left-hand counter. This is a man who once wore a bespoke suit pinstriped with the phrase ‘f*ck you’ and claimed that if Jesus came back from the dead, he’d beat him in a fight.His personal style reflects his outlandish personality: over-the-top, distracting and overtly masculine. From wearing a $1,500 Versace bathrobe as a training uniform to literally flexing Gucci polos down at the pub in order to show off his muscles (and bank balance), subtlety isn’t really his shtick.…Or at least, not when it comes to fighting or fashion. When it comes to watches, however, it’s a very different story. McGregor is a noted watch fan, and boasts a number of expensive pieces in his collection. Most of them are, perhaps predictably, quite flashy. Take his $200,000 Rolex Daytona ‘Eye Of The Tiger’. Sporty, chunky, and covered in diamonds: it’s what you’d expect from ‘The Notorious’.But his favourite watch is quite a different beast altogether. The watch in question? His Patek Philippe Calatrava Skeleton (ref. 5180/1R-001) – which he showed off on Instagram once again yesterday while posing with his two young kids, son Conor Jr. and daughter Croía. The luxury didn’t stop there, with Conor Sr. in Fendi and Dolce & Gabanna; Conor Jr. in Balenciaga and Croía in Gucci. Must be nice…Anyway, back to the Patek. Don’t get us wrong, it’s by no means an understated watch. But it is quite a dainty watch for such a buff, rough-and-tumble guy. The fact that even a brusque brawler like McGregor is comfortable wearing such a comparatively refined watch speaks volumes to his ‘IDGAF’ character – as well as reveals a growing trend in the world of luxury watches.

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The watch industry, like the auto industry or the computer industry, is one that revolves around constant technological innovation; an ever-escalating arms race. Since Breguet made the first modern wristwatch in 1810, watch brands have competed amongst themselves to make the most ‘novel’ watches possible.Certain key innovations have characterised the evolution of modern watchmaking over the last century or so. For example, in 1926, Rolex produced the first truly waterproof watch, kickstarting the trend towards dive watches, and in 1969, Seiko produced the first quartz watch, completely revolutionising the watch industry. These were real milestones in watchmaking and set the course for the rest of the industry.RELATED: This One Of A Kind Watch Might Be The Most Unique Rolex EverThe next frontier in watchmaking? Ultra-thin mechanical watches. While it’s relatively straightforward to make a very thin quartz movement, ultra-thin mechanical watch movements are incredibly difficult to make. It’s a challenge that manufacturers such as Bvlgari, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin have been preoccupied with for years.Piaget currently holds the distinction of making the world’s thinnest mechanical watch: the Altiplano Ultimate Concept (ref. G0A45502), which is astonishingly only 2mm thick, and another milestone watch. Piaget is undoubtedly the industry’s great leader in ultra-thin timepieces, also manufacturing the world’s thinnest automatic watch, the Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P (ref. G0A43121), which is still impressively slim at 3.65mm.

The race for thin-ness is all about comfort. The thinner the watch, the less bulky it is on the wrist. However, another element of comfort is weight, which is what McGregor’s Patek is trying to chase. It’s still a pretty thin watch, with a height of 6.7mm – comparing favourably to the recently released Calatrava Pilot Travel Time (ref. 7234G-001) which has a height of almost 11mm – but it’s not in the same league as Piaget’s Altiplanos.Instead, it focuses on weight loss instead of height loss. Its skeletonisation and elaborate engraving not only make the watch lighter but also make it visually stunning. At the end of the day, that’s really what the Patek’s going for: if it really wanted to be the lightest watch ever, it wouldn’t be made out of gold.So it might not be wafer-thin, but it’s certainly still a delicate piece of machinery. But that doesn’t bother the very macho McGregor, who wears the expensive watch almost everywhere: on his summer holidays, to the Super Bowl, and now apparently for impromptu toilet photoshoots…The reality is that while big chunky watches look masculine, they’re not always the most comfortable things to wear. It’s one thing if you’ve got wrists like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but for the average man – hell, for even the above-average man like Conor McGregor – a really big watch might just be too much.In that sense, we applaud McGregor for not only his exquisite taste in timepieces but also for his quiet confidence in wearing something that seems so out of character. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a comfortable watch.Comfortable shoes, however? That’s a different story…

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The post Conor McGregor’s Patek Philippe Is A Unique Choice appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Many people believe their social skills have atrophied thanks to the lockdowns of 2020 – and now 2021. But you could be forgiven for hoping our social media skills would have improved during this time. Au contraire.Paige Woolen’s ‘Dudes in the DM’ Instagram account suggests – when it comes to DM sliding– many people have only got worse. Woolen started ‘Dudes in the DM’ at the beginning of quarantine, “when I was reflecting on my social media presence,” she told DMARGE.“I was looking at my [personal] account and I thought ‘what am I really offering here?’ I was looking through my DMs and I was laughing at the exchanges I had between me and these strangers. I always found peace in responding to bullies or harassment with humor.”

“I thought that maybe if I shared some of these conversations publicly, I could show some of these people how silly it looks to talk to someone the way they do. I also thought that maybe I could build a community of people to support and talk about the kinds of things that are being said online.”

Woolen added that, with regards to men’s DM sliding skills, although on the whole she still gets inundated with wack comments each week, some individuals have improved as a consequence of being shamed.“I’ve had all kinds of interesting responses since starting the account. I recently did a podcast where I shared ‘dos and dont’s’ of DM sliding. Many people (mostly men) found this helpful.”

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Woolen also sympathised with the task: “I think it’s hard to strike up a conversation out of nowhere with a stranger online and NOT seem creepy. Making small adjustments to how to approach someone online can really go a long way. I’ve also had many responses from people that they didn’t realize how creepy they sounded UNTIL they read their message on Dudes in the DM and saw the comments.”

“I think there are some people that now want to get posted on the account so they’ll say something absolutely insane but I can usually tell right away.”

“Honestly, the best ones are the ones that are ‘normal’ or make me laugh. Recently a guy sent me a joke that read: What do you call blueberries that play the guitar? The answer was: a JAM session. I giggled and responded. I also like when someone says something normal like, ‘hello I’m xx. Love your account! Keep up the good work. Cute dog, too.’ Normalcy goes a long way.”Woolen also shared some of the worst DM slides she has ever seen.“The worst ones are the extremely sexually explicit ones. Someone wanted to put a wine bottle up my butt and that hurt to read.”

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“I think about this a lot actually… You can say whatever you want and you have the emotional and physical security of hiding behind a keyboard,” Woolen told DMARGE, when asked why she thought random strangers were emboldened enough to say horrific shit.Katie Wilson, Director of Communications at HUD, a “sex positive app,” told DMARGE, “When we see someone online – whether it’s a tennis professional [like Eugenie Bouchard] or a Kardashian – we don’t think of them as being real people, with real lives and feelings and emotions beyond what’s projected on social media.”

“Combine that with the ‘anonymous factor’ of being physically far removed from them, behind a screen and keyboard, and convinced that you’re in the Wild West of the internet where there are few rules and minimal risk of getting caught for being a creep – well, this does open up the opportunity for anyone to say anything, particularly things they would never say in person.”

“People feel more comfortable to speak up when the consequences are either minimal or so far removed as to feel nonexistent. This is a double-edged sword – on one hand, feeling safe can encourage people to speak up against injustice and stand up to bad behaviour, but on the other hand, it can also encourage inappropriateness.”

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On how to approach someone on Instagram in a positive manner, Wilson told DMARGE, “You know, we women don’t have a handbook on how to approach men without making them feel harassed or sexualized, so it’s an infuriating double standard that women – who by and large face the biggest proportion of sexual harassment and violence – are being expected to do the work to educate men on how to approach them without coming across as a creep.”

“Men need to do the work to figure this stuff out, and listen to women instead of expecting to be coddled through the process of learning how to act authentic and genuine. Just use your common sense, don’t be pushy, don’t harass her, and accept no without being a jerk about it.”

“Men who approach women thinking they’re owed attention, a date, or sex, or that women wouldn’t post pictures of themselves in bikinis unless they were ‘asking for it’ do need to learn real human interaction skills, but it’s not women’s jobs to teach them. Men caused this problem, and men need to recognise this about themselves, unpack this, and rehabilitate their own behavior.”“I think guys hold back on approaching women [in real life] because they are uncomfortable about being themselves, and they feel like they need to put on a show or act impressive in order to get a woman’s attention. But I think women are more impressed by authenticity and kindness and openness.”

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“The guys who treat picking up women like a game are going to get caught out pretty quickly, because women are smart, and we warn each other about who’s a player to avoid! I do think the stigma of being thought of as a pick-up artist has filtered out the self-aware ‘good guys’ who do hold back on approaching women, but what I think is a bigger problem is men’s inability to hear ‘no’ without looking at it as a challenge.”

“When you’ve been told for your whole life that you can do and have anything you want, and when your male role models are males in positions of power who say things like ‘Grab ’em by the pussy’, it doesn’t exactly incite confidence in women or encourage men to believe that no means no.”

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