The Daily Valet. - 7/25/22, Monday

✔️ Put In That PTO Request

Monday, July 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I, for one, am definitely ready for a vacation.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

We’re Finally Taking Vacations

It looks like American workers have finally realized they don’t need to leave vacation time unused

First some stats that will sound familiar: The average unused paid time off in 2021 was 4.6 days. In 2020, American workers left an average of 33%, or 5.6 days, of paid time off on the table, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

But here’s some promising news: 57% of Americans have taken a vacation of at least a week, to a destination 100 miles or more away from home, in the last year—an increase of 44% from the previous year.

According to Allianz Partners USA’s 14th Annual Vacation Confidence Index, it marks the highest percentage of participants who have reported traveling since 2009. Further, per the survey, 74% say they now consider an annual vacation important, a 1% increase from last year but a 14% increase from 2019.

After “Hot Vax Summer” was interrupted by the dawn of the delta variant, and the winter holidays were overshadowed by omicron, this summer is expected to lead to the “Great Vacation.” According to Fast Company, employees are finally cashing in their saved-up PTO days—all at once—and some workplaces are struggling to keep up.

But who can blame anyone for wanting to escape our little Zoom boxes, if only for a bit. We know now that it’s not a real vacation unless you can really disconnect. And that’s been something Americans have struggled with for a while. (“I’ll be on vacation with limited access to email” sound familiar?)

Sure, travel seems to be somewhat hellish at the moment. And you might have work waiting for you when you get back, but even if you don’t go anywhere exotic. Take the time you’ve earned and vacate your everyday drudgery. Nobody looks back and wishes they’d taken less time off, right?

↦ Dig Deeper: Fortune examines why taking a vacation actually makes you better at work.

Understanding Monkeypox

The World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency

For the second time in two years, the World Health Organization has taken the extraordinary step of declaring a global emergency. This time the cause is monkeypox, which has spread in just a few weeks to dozens of countries and infected tens of thousands of people.

Since the monkeypox outbreak began in May, most of the cases have happened among men who have sex with men. However, anyone can catch the virus through close skin-to-skin contact. The CDC just reported the first two cases in children in the U.S. over the weekend.

Monkeypox is a misnomer, according to the Washington Post. The name came from the fact that it was discovered at a Danish lab in 1958, when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. While monkeys are susceptible to it, just like humans are, they aren't the source. It belongs to the same family as smallpox but monkeypox is less contagious and the symptoms are generally milder.

Experts have recently been debating whether monkeypox is now a sexually transmitted disease. The Conversation points out that even though monkeypox is undoubtedly spread during sex, labeling it a STD would be counterproductive, as the infection could spread through any intimate contact, even just sharing clothing.

↦ FYI: NPR has a helpful monkeypox explainer on how to protect yourself and what to watch out for.

Online Returns Are Rising

And it’s becoming a real problem for retailers

We're all buying more online. So maybe it makes sense that we're all returning more of those online purchases too.

Retail returns have risen to 16% this year, up from 10% in 2021. With the general uncertainty surrounding the economy, everyone's a little more conscious of what they're spending, so analysts warn that more returns are expected. And every return processed is money lost for a brand. What's more, Glossy reports that 48% of items we take back to stores or send back to a retailer can't (or won't) be resold.

Which is why a handful of brands like Zara have begun billing for online sendbacks. Others, like Goodlife, have started delivering the products first, then only charge for the clothes customers keep.

Meanwhile, some of the big boys like Amazon and Target might actually pay you to keep your returns. Most big box stores are overstocked thanks to people pulling back summer spending due to inflation. So instead of piling returned merchandise onto this growing inventory heap, stores are considering just handing customers their money back and letting them hang onto the stuff they don't want. Of course, how long does that go on until too many people get hip to the fact that you can return your cake and eat it too?

↦ FYI: Here’s a list of the retailers with the best and most generous return policies.

Boom’s New Supersonic Jet

The highly anticipated aircraft will be completed by 2025 and enter service in 2029

I've read no less than three books on the Concorde, so I think I'm officially an aviation nerd, but I'm excited about this. After seven years in development, Boom's supersonic jet—which will go from Los Angeles to Tokyo in less than 5 hours—is one step closer to reality.

The company just unveiled a major new redesign for its much anticipated Overture airliner—what's being called an impressive evolution from its prototype supersonic demonstrator, the XB1. Not only does the updated design feature an extra engine, it also has a contoured fuselage and gull wings.

The new design will allow the plane to soar at speeds of Mach 1.7 (1,304 mph). For comparison's sake: that's roughly double the speed of many commercial airliners. Boom claims the Overture will also be the first of its kind with an automated noise reduction system for a smooth take-off without the use of afterburners.

According to Fast Company, Boom continues to tout the jet's ability to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel, which can be made from such sources as spent cooking oil or carbon dioxide pulled from the air with direct-air-capture machines.

↦ Dig Deeper: Ever wondered what route your plane takes to fly across the Atlantic or Pacific, or how the pilots have the route chosen for them? The Points Guy will explain.

In Other News

↦ Hundreds of Temperature Records Broken As Heat Wave Scorches the U.S.

↦ One Thing Voters Agree on: Fresh Voices Needed in Politics

↦ The Rock Made Quite the Entrance to Comic-Con in His Black Adam Outfit

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The U.S. government’s beagle brigade

Swift kicks

Velveeta martinis

3 Ways to Wear a Lightweight Blazer

With menswear master Sid Mashburn

There are a handful of menswear essentials that guys need to build their “never go out of style” wardrobe foundation. A great navy blazer is definitely one of them. Sure, they come a dime a dozen these days, but it's the finite details that really make a difference. Not to mention the way you wear it. The benefit of a lightweight version is that it's an all-season layer that'll breathe a bit better and follow your natural shape—besides looking great, it will feel less restricting.

Sid Mashburn is a master of classic menswear and has made a well-fitting navy blazer part of his signature look. His recent reinterpretation is dubbed 'The Ghost Blazer'. It features a two-ply high-twist wool from England that's completely unstructured and finished with buttons crafted from unlacquered brass.

The fit of the blazer is slim but not too tight, and it's so light and unrestricted, you'll feel like you're not wearing a jacket—hence the 'ghost' moniker. Sid says of the versatile jacket, “The most elegant man in the world could wear it and a guy in a t-shirt could wear it.”

Who better to pull together three ways to wear a lightweight blazer than the man who made the perfect one? We asked Sid for some styling advice and he didn't disappoint.

↦ Read: Three ways to wear a navy blazer, especially in the dead of summer.

What We’re Eyeing

You want good coffee, but you don't have much time. Before we get to it, let's just say this right now: This is not instant coffee. “Instant coffee” is bland and kind of sad. This is real coffee—flavorful and rich—that is made almost instantly. How? Cometeer flash freezes third-wave coffee concentrated to retain all the complex flavors and delivers it via recyclable aluminum pods. Pop the pod open and add it to hot water for a quick cup of satisfying coffee. Prefer cold brew? Let the pods thaw in the fridge, and pour over ice water or the milk of your choice to rival any artisanal cold brew. It's not cheap ($44 for 32 pods), but it's about the same or less if you're used to buying the good stuff. And this comes with a heap of convenience.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week