In her essay 'Mal gusto', Natalie Olah reflects on her personal experience of gifting retro home goods to her family, such as wooden brooms and vintage jars. These items, presented as chic and stylish, reveal a deeper societal trend toward valuing aesthetics that appear simple and authentic, yet often mask a superficiality in taste. Olah's narrative situates this trend within a broader critique of what society has come to recognize as 'good taste'.

Olah uses her experience to discuss a growing inclination among the new bourgeoisie to embrace retro and rustic items that invoke nostalgia for simpler times. Yet, this trend raises questions about authenticity and the underlying motivations behind such choices. The allure of these 'natural' and rustic items often obscures their manufactured nature – a contradiction that Olah skillfully unpacks throughout her book.

The book ultimately challenges readers to reconsider their own tastes in home decor and lifestyle choices. By exposing the absurdities of returning to 'the basics' while indulging in expensive interpretations of these basics, Olah provokes critical thought about consumer culture and the modern definitions of style and aesthetic appeal.