The Sunday Times Style – August 16, 2026

Summary

Gillian Anderson, 57, reveals she was "getting into gay bars and dancing at 12 with a fake ID" in The Sunday Times Style (16 August 2026) cover story, where she discusses the X Files reboot with Ryan Coogler, her forthcoming More book of female fantasies (Bloomsbury, £22) and closing the Miu Miu autumn/winter show in Paris. Inside, Rachel Richardson maps London's "Tween Row" — interviewing five 12-year-olds on where they actually shop — and Karen Dacre declares the age of no-nonsense knickers has arrived.

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The 16 August Style leads with a 10-page Anderson interview by Melissa Denes, covering her Camp Miasma premiere at Cannes, the Salt Path scandal fallout, her West End return as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opposite Billy Crudup, and her on-off relationship with The Crown creator Peter Morgan. The fashion desk delivers a "Captain Kirk" Star Trek-inspired trend feature, exposed-bra styling and an electric blue "She's Electric" shoot. Phoebe McDowell's Shop With Style flags the M&S x Aries 26-piece St Michael collaboration (£25, from August 20). Sarah Jossel reviews Wonderskin All-Day Lip Stain (£36) and recommends L'Oreal Revitalift Hyaluronic & PDRN+ serum (£32). Going Up / Going Down covers electrolyte facials, micro-working and surprise cameos.

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The issue's versatility comes from its columns. Karen Dacre's Brief Encounter argues for cotton, non-dental-floss knickers from Underdays and Stripe & Stare. Claire Cohen's Trace piece follows beauty enthusiasts who hunt down discontinued products. The Barometer, edited by Anna Silverman, flags Star Trek's influence on fashion. A salt-focused food trend piece cites Professor Barry Smith of the University of London's Centre for the Study of the Senses: "It turns out it's not sugar but salt that helps the medicine go down." One More Thing closes the magazine with a personal essay on holiday sex in a Paris Airbnb. The back pages carry a Rolex gatefold and Boots Hearingcare ad.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p. — · THIS WORK: Gillian Anderson
Melissa Denes interviews Anderson across coffee, tea and a scone in a north London cafe. Anderson talks through her role in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Cannes premiere), the Ryan Coogler X Files pilot (she won't confirm involvement but grins), the Salt Path film scandal that cost Sony distribution, editing More (the follow-up to Want) with fewer restrictions on content, and her upcoming West End run as Martha in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Her key line on long stage roles: "You've got to hold it like a racehorse." Quote her directly: "Be kind."

▸ Style & Trends

p. — · Fashion's final frontier? Captain Kirk
The Barometer leads with a Star Trek-inspired trend piece, tracking the "Captain Kirk" look seen at Monaco Grand Prix and Cannes. Colman Domingo in all-mustard gets a mention. The trend signals a shift toward structured, Seventies-referencing tailoring after seasons of soft minimalism.

p. — · Strap in for exposed bras
A styling feature pushing lingerie-as-outerwear for autumn. The look requires clean lines and a single visible strap — multiple straps cancel the effect. Key brands mentioned include Skims and Cou Cou Intimates.

p. — · She's Electric
A full fashion spread shot in true-blue hues. Priced items include Arket linen shorts at £65, Theory midiskirt at £380, H&M vest at £7, Polo Ralph Lauren trousers at £187, Stories sunglasses at £42. The formula: one saturated colour head-to-toe, broken by a neutral accessory.

▸ Features

p. — · Girls' world: Forget Topshop — where the kids are shopping now
Rachel Richardson visits London's "Tween Row" (Oxford Circus area) and interviews five 12-year-olds — Mia, Honey, Celia, Molly and Heidi — about their style. Mia wears black, shops men's sections, refuses pink. Honey uses Vinted and charity shops, prefers Carhartt over Brandy Melville. Heidi likes Japanese street style and Tamagotchi rings. A direct window into the Gen Alpha消费 mindset: they care about second-hand, brand ethics and baggy silhouettes.

p. — · Brief Encounter: no-nonsense knickers
Karen Dacre argues for the end of complicated underwear. She names Underdays cheeky knickers at £17 and Stripe & Stare high-rise at £18 as the comfort-first winners. Her rule: "No woman needs a pair of pants more complicated than her life."

p. — · Trace: the hunt for discontinued beauty
Claire Cohen profiles beauty enthusiasts who track down discontinued products — driving distances, paying premiums, joining online forums. The piece cites Millie Kendall of the British Beauty Council on why discontinued products generate so much buzz: nostalgia during geopolitical unrest, plus formulations that fans consider irreplaceable.

▸ Beauty

p. — · Sarah Jossel Beauty
This week's column covers Wonderskin All-Day Lip Stain (£36) — a peely two-step lip product Jossel initially dismissed as TikTok hype but now endorses for real-life wear. She also recommends L'Oreal Revitalift Hyaluronic & PDRN+ Anti-Wrinkle Plumping Serum (£32, from September, Boots), noting PDRN (DNA fragments) is the same ingredient injected in professional tweakments. Her foot-care advice includes Nuvé Silk Pro 3 electric file (£58), recommended by Ashley Graham's pedicurist.

▸ Regulars

p. — · Shop With Style by Phoebe McDowell
Five picks including the M&S x Aries 26-piece St Michael collection (£25, from August 20), Jude sandals at £450 for wedding season, and TWP Clothing's leather dress (£2,240). The St Michael revival is the standout — streetwear brand Aries reworks the heritage M&S label.

p. — · Going Up / Going Down
Up: Patti Plaits, Coats, Pavements, Electrolyte Facials. Down: Micro-working, Sarti Spritz, Surprise Cameos, Belts over Blazers. The weekly culture barometer runs eight items — scan it in 30 seconds for the week's conversation starters.

p. — · A salt on the senses
A food-culture piece on the savoury trend. Features Professor Barry Smith's quote that salt, not sugar, helps "the medicine go down." Tracks the rise of salted caramel, salted chocolate and umami-focused restaurant menus.

p. — · One More Thing
A personal essay on holiday sex in a Paris Airbnb — interrupted by an elderly neighbour yelling "Mon dieu, arrête-la!" from the courtyard below. The writer ends with a note on carrying the memory of holiday intimacy. Light, relatable, closes the issue on a warm note.

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Editor's Take

This is the strongest Style issue in August. The Gillian Anderson interview is genuinely revealing — she discusses her sexuality, her parenting regrets, her therapy with her mother and the Salt Path scandal in ways that didn't make the morning-show rounds. The fashion pages are better than average: the tween shopping feature is original reporting, the exposed-bra trend piece has a clear styling rule, and Shop With Style's M&S x Aries collab is a genuinely useful heads-up. Weaknesses: the Captain Kirk trend piece is too thin to justify its spread, the "One More Thing" essay is pleasant but disposable, and the back half carries a full-page Rolex gatefold plus Boots Hearingcare that break the editorial flow. The salt trend piece reads like a press release for a book that may not exist. But the front half — from the Anderson cover through Girls' world to Brief Encounter — holds together as a proper magazine, not just a shoppable catalogue. Best for readers who come to Style for the celebrity interview first and the clothes second.

Strengths
• Gillian Anderson interview with real personal disclosure and news lines
• "Girls' world" tween shopping feature is original, category-specific reporting
• Sarah Jossel's beauty column names specific products with prices and stockists

Weaknesses
• Captain Kirk trend piece lacks substance for its page count
• Back half carries heavy full-page ads disrupting editorial continuity
• Salt trend feature reads as thinly disguised book promotion

Verdict: Recommended — the Anderson interview and tween shopping piece justify the cover price, though the back third drops off noticeably into advertorial territory.