“I hope your day is full of tadpoles, and showers, and rainbows and rain. And pollywogs, and puddles, and, uh, sunshine and umbrellas, and warming weather, and lambs… Is ‘lambs’ the plural of ‘lamb?’ Yeah. And daffodils and chicks, and wildflowers and butterflies, and… births? And baby animals, and blossoms, and bulbs, and bunnies and breezes and – guys! The spring theme! You get it.”
The intro of Sara Weinshenk‘s semi-eponymous podcast, Shenk, begins with a series of guest-inspired wishes and affirmations for your day. Some days, the well-wishes include trapeze artists, cotton candy, and crystal balls and others are filled with sandcastles, soft serve, and bikinis. Either way, Sara wants you to have a good, highly-themed day, and an episode of her podcast is a great way to start it off.
Shenk is a fashion podcast that is also kind of about everything. Sara is an awesome interviewer who uses her deep California comedy roots to bring hilarious and talented colleagues to her podcast. While her guests are typically successful and interesting, Sara, herself, is a complex and charming creature. As a born and bred Valley Girl (a title she wears with pride), her demeanor is unique to the west coast, and what would a west coast lifestyle be without a healthy dose of cannabis?
She’s a rising podcast star and a tried-and-true influencer for all things ganja (shout outs to Kush Queen and Smoked Honey). In the pageantry of our modern, weed-loving world, Sara Weinshenk is the unanimous queen. Best of all, her Valley Girl coolness keeps her passion for cannabis from being obnoxious, or even stereotypical. As far as California girls go, she’s as good as they get: ambitious, stoned, and clever as hell.
No matter what day it is, Sara and her Shenk guest promise a ton of laughs. Sara is a killer in the comedy scene, and a style icon in the world of weed (and probably everywhere else). When she’s not recognized for being a talented, young, stand-up comic whose career has spanned almost a full decade, she’s being recognized for her entirely original and disgustingly good sense of style. Like if Wednesday Addams became a technicolor dandy.
Top photo by George Edwards Deacon III, middle photos by Jon Premosch, bottom photo by Brian Berkowitz
You can often find her donning some sort of neck tie – be it a high’n’tight bowtie, or a 70s style pussy bow. Her eye for vintage is incredibly keen, and her closet is clearly full of once-in-a-lifetime second-hand fashion finds. In a twisted, stylishly dystopian future where the only currency is western-style blouses and loud prints, Sara Weinshenk will become our unequivocal leader.
During each episode of Shenk, Sara encourages listeners to send her their most puzzling fashion quandaries – complete with photos, please! If you want to know if you can wear certain colors together, pair checkers with houndstooth, or just figure out if a vintage find is worth it or not, she’s your girl.
After the necessary introductions, podcast formalities, and thematic well-wishes, Shenk‘s guests are inevitably polled about their own fashion history. All of the best embarrassing fashion phases rear their dated and ugly heads, and it’s great. Sara doesn’t excuse herself from the table when it’s her turn, either. She’s proudly relived her Very Californian style trials in the early 2000s, all of which are as endearing as they are cringe-worthy. After all, if you can’t bond over horrific fashion choices, then what is there?
Some of our favorite Shenk episodes include:
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- Baggy Clothes, Art & Antler Horns with Jessimae Peluso
- Ebikes, A Leather Hat & Anxiety with Joe De Rosa
- Flipping Vintage, Baby-G Watches & Button Ups/Downs with Bree Essrig
- 818, Apple Cider Vinegar & Sperry Topsiders with Brody Stevens
The reasons we love Sara and Shenk are numerous, but at the forefront is the constant reminder that style is an eternally evolving, incredibly fun, and not-too-serious way to infuse your outsides with your insides, so to speak. A lot of the guests Sara interviews are her friends, but many of them aren’t necessarily the types to delve into the deep meanings behind their Hot Topic jewelry fascination, or the symbolism of a visible thong. Hearing people revisit their most potentially humiliating style choices can be as hilarious as it is insightful, and walking that road alongside someone who is funny for a living usually results in and excellent time for us listeners.
As far as podcasts go, Shenk is providing an excellent mix of fashion nostalgia, cannabis culture, thoughtful interview, and hilarious small talk. It’s an excellent choice for a sunny day when you’re stuck in traffic, something to listen to while you chip off and then repaint your nails, and of course, the perfect accompaniment for a soak in a CBD-infused bath.
Check out Sara Weinshenk’s podcast, Shenk, on iTunes
Follow Sara Weinshenk on Instagram: @PrincessShenk
If you’re a Shenk listener already, leave a comment with your favorite epsiode. If you’re not yet a Shenk listener, you’re officially obligated to share your most hilarious fashion phase with us! Shoot us a tweet or admit your shame in our own personal Discord.
Header photo b Jon Premosch, beauty by Angela Alessi, styling by Princess Sara Weinshenk.
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