An all-over-the-place assortment of stood-behind products culled from this very website that appears in the most recent November issue of New York Magazine.
Best in Class
Having a roomy bag makes it significantly easier to embark on those quick trips out of the city that help us cope with living here. True to its name, the unassuming Patagonia Black Hole fits a lot of stuff. In fact, Lexy Copithorne, co-founder of running-gear brand Pruzan, says she can pack all the essentials for a two-week trip into the 40-liter size, which we’ve deemed ideal for two-to-three-day jaunts (plus there’s extra room for an inevitable shopping excur- sion). “That includes two sweaters, several fitted tanks and running sets, two pairs of sneakers, boots, a few swimsuits, and my toiletry bag,” Copithorne explains. The bag has proved indispensable to Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie, who appreciates its durability, its two zippered pockets, and how it can be worn as a backpack or carried like a duffel. It also stays dry in a deluge. Gillespie toted hers around for three months and watched water bead right off the polyester surface.
Celebrity Shopping
“I love tights, and I’ve tried them all, and Ballet Beautiful—which is a workout company—puts out the best ones. They don’t run, and they’re nice and opaque. I’ve had one or two pairs for years, and they’re still good.”
“Mechanical pencils are really clean, and I prefer writing with them. I source mine from Choosing Keeping, which has amazing German pencils that almost feel like artifacts. I admit that I sometimes buy other brands in big multipacks, but I go through those quickly. I refill my fancier ones every few months.”
“This water bottle comes with a strap that you can attach onto it. I take it with me; it’s just like a little backpack. It also has a thingy that works with MagSafe, so you can attach your phone onto it. Often, when I have to do a video, I’ll just use my water bottle as a stand to hold my phone. It’s been really handy.”
Our Shopping Cart
I was looking for a pair of comfortable, low, affordable heels to wear to a couple of cold-weather weddings when I saw these slingbacks made of a soft, grosgrainlike material. I broke them in with a night at the opera, then wore them nine hours straight for a friend’s nuptials. My toes barely felt pinched by the end of it. I think that’s at least partially because the fabric has a lot of give. –Hilary Reid
Ask a Cool Person
Stylish New Yorkers who live in tight quarters and professionals who advise on small-space design gave their recommendations. –Laura Fenton
Interior designer Rebecca Frye Jones likes this candy-colored plug-in wall sconce because it frees up valuable floor and surface space and is easy to install— no hardwiring required.
Think of these as shelves for your shelves. Modeled after commercial steel racks and made from heavy-duty paper, this rack is ideal for organizing within a pantry or closet, says Christene Barberich, who writes the newsletter A Tiny Apt.
“The Componibili storage units are the holy grail for entryway organization,” says Merie Subryan, a home stylist living in a one-bedroom with her family of four in Brooklyn. “It’s stackable, has a small footprint, and holds items from all of our multifarious activities.”
Painless Shopping
These inexpensive presents hit just the right note: They are wacky and surprising but also well made, somewhat useful, and appealing to a wide range of people. –Amelia Jerden
Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone says she’d scramble for this corduroy pouch at a white- elephant exchange. The checked design is neutral enough to work for a variety of ages and genders without being boring.
This is an amusingly named blend of garlic, Calabrian chile, parsley, and sea salt that food and dining writer Emma Wartzman discovered in Maine, and it’s excellent for pasta-heads.
(Surely, there will be plenty at your holiday gathering.)
For a solid self-care gift, bring this eye mask that’s lightly weighted with clay beads and that your recipient can heat in the microwave or pop in the freezer for some added hot or cold therapy.
Wartzman received one of these cameras in a gift exchange last year. She likes that it’s as easy to operate as a disposable camera without the disposable part. Plus you get the nostalgia and the unpredictability of photos you have to wait to see.
Strategist Hunt
When my husband and I bought a house in L.A., it came with a tiny cabin that could be an office for me and an occasional guest accommodation. After six months of searching, I finally found a suitable couch for the space. The idea came from my friend, the photographer Sam Contis, who told me the only sleeper sofa she had ever coveted was the Guest Bed from Bautier, a Belgian company with a lovely shop in Brussels and a modest online storefront. It makes pared-down, functional, and durable pieces intended to be used for a lifetime. The Guest Bed can expand from a single to a double bed, is made of solid oak, and its cushioned- cover options include a natural-fiber blend of wool and viscose. The bed arrived in a Raiders of the Lost Ark crate (I had to buy a crowbar just to open it), and it is perfect—easy to assemble and exceedingly chic. Is it the most deluxe sleeping surface for guests that ever was? No. But I add a topper when company comes, and so far I’ve had nary a complaint. –Fanny Singer
This Thing’s Incredible
“I wasn’t good at making quinoa or beans until I got this sleek appliance.
It weighs grains or legumes and then dispenses exactly the right amount of water to cook them with. When the cooking is done, it beeps happily and automatically sets itself on a keep warm function until I retrieve my food. So far, I’ve made perfect long-grain jasmine brown rice, five pots of fluffy quinoa, and countless batches of ideally done beans. And I expect to find many more ways to use it. In fact, I recently cooked up delicious diced potatoes on the kidney-bean setting.” –Kiki Aranita
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
