This TikToker Sent Julie Andrews A Grad Announcement, And She Responded Like The Queen She Is​

In The Princess Diaries, which premiered in August 2001, Anne Hathaway's Mia accompanies her crush Josh to Grove High School's beach party. Unbeknownst to her, he's only interested because of her royal status, while she's daydreaming about a kiss that's so life-changing the only option is to pop her foot in the air.

The beach party is full of sailing, a buffet, and music from Lana (Mandy Moore), but things take a turn for the romantic later in the evening when the students begin a slow dance. Any Princess Diaries fan will remember the dance is interrupted by paparazzi, but before Mia runs away from the party, you can actually see a Gilmore Girls actor in the background!

Todd Lowe, who played Zack on Gilmore Girls from 2002-2007, makes an appearance as another student dancing with Lana. Lowe's only in the movie for a few moments (and is credited as Eric), but I've already planned a whole backstory for Zack based on this one scene.

Now I'm imagining that Zack lived out in California for a while, exploring the music scene and surfing. Who knows — maybe the chaos surrounding Mia made him think about living the small town life. This could mean that, when Dave left Stars Hollow for college in The Golden State (after Adam Brody left the series to film The OC), Zack could have helped prepare him with a list of coffee shops, restaurants, and the best beach spots. Even though this is something from my own imagination, it's still so fun to think about!

What is the Demure trend?

The Demure Fall trend began when Jools Lebron posted a TikTok video on August 2, talking about how she gets ready for work. "I do my makeup, I lay my wig, I do a little braid," she says in the viral video, which now has 3.9 million views. "Very demure, very mindful. Don't forget to be demure divas!"

TikTok users immediately embraced the new characteristic, turning it into 2024's next big trend. And women have applied it to everything from eating subs to sorority rushing. And they're not the only ones! Even Netflix hopped on the trend, posting a clip from Gilmore Girls season 5 episode 20.

In the episode, Rory tells Emily she wants a club soda, to which Emily responds, "So demure, isn't she demure?" "The demurest," Richard answers. This is just another reason to join the trend if you ask me. If it's Emily and Richard-approved, I'm there!

What does Demure mean?

According to Merriam Webster, demure means "affectedly modest, reserved, or serious : coy." This new trend might feel like it's in opposition to the loud edge of Brat Summer, but I think Demure Fall is more about being coy (or playful) than it is about actually being reserved.

In a society that constantly tells women we should be quieter or take up less space, Demure Fall turns being quiet or reserved on its head by taking up even more space. It's a bold, albeit sly, declaration that there is value, fun, and freedom in womanhood.

Lebron takes a more feminine approach to the trend, but Demure is really more of a mindset than a fashion aesthetic. Anyone can be Demure!

That being said, I feel like my most powerful self when I get in touch with my femininity (thank you glazed donut nails and dresses!!), so a dainty Demure Fall will definitely be a part of my 2024!

Is Demure Fall connected to the viral Trad Wife movement?

Demure Fall and the Trad Wife movement do have a lot of similarities at first glance. They both provide an aesthetic of femininity and womanhood, but the major difference between the two is that the Trad Wife movement is sincere in their approach to traditional femininity, while Demure Fall appears to take a more humorous, satirical approach.

“Gilmore Girls fall—it’s a thing,” Owala’s site reads. “If you’re the kind of person who needs coffee in an IV, we’ve got the mugs for you. Choose from Luke’s Diner or The Dragonfly Inn… or get both. We know Lorelai would.” This collab is already perfection!

The Gilmore Girls Owala drop honors both The Dragonfly Inn and Luke’s Diner with two super cute cup designs.

The first is a cream white 20-ounce SmoothSip Slider dotted with purple dragonflies. The lid is a bold yellow color fitted with a lavender slider that’s used to conveniently open and close the cup.

The second 20-ounce SmoothSip Slider flaunts a brown and yellow logo for Luke’s Diner with a color-coordinated lid and slider. We truly can’t pick a favorite!

Both SmoothSip Slider cups feature an insulated stainless steel lining that keeps contents hot up to 6 hours or cold up to 24 hours. The cups are certifiably BPA-free, lead-free, and phthalate-free. The lid on each cup is dishwasher-safe, while the cups themselves should be hand-washed only.

This upcoming Gilmore Girls collab is part of Owala’s Color Drop program, which means it’s bound to sell out. However, if the drop sells out in an hour or less, it’ll automatically open for backorders, which ship 10-12 weeks after purchase. Previous drops have featured limited-edition water bottle colorways and even a fun Valentine's Day vault.

The Gilmore Girls x Owala collab will be available to shop on February 11 at 10am MT. You can shop each SmoothSip Slider for $32.99 a pop, or bundle the duo for $65.98. According to reviews from shoppers, this style of Owala is the “perfect to go coffee cup” and is “truly leak-proof.”