We write about hundreds of products each week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling through the vast online-shopping universe — including a powerful oven for perfect Neapolitan-style pizza, the barrel-leg jeans that earn one writer dozens of DMs, and a meat-delivery gift box for the carnivore in your life. While Black Friday has come and gone, plenty of sales at Strategist-favorite retailers are still in full swing and you can find them in our extensive list of deals — and don’t forget to check back tomorrow when Cyber Monday officially begins.
Neko Case’s archaeology pens
Neko Case can’t live without this “really finicky technical pen,” which she describes as “totally addictive” to write with. Case told us she learned about the pen when she was a kid: “My parents were archaeologists, and they would use them to write on very small fragments of bone or anything. I used to get to draw with them, and there’s no flow that’s nicer than that of a Rapidograph pen.”
Horseshoe jeans that complete one writer’s queer style
“While I am loud online about the things I would let Rachel Weisz do to my body, I still sometimes feel like I’m finding my personal style as a former heterosexual, now full-time queer femme, part-time bottom,” says writer and podcast host Peyton Dix. That is until Dix discovered the Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe jeans. While the nearly $300 price tag initially gave her pause, the pants kept popping up on her Instagram feed — and they haven’t disappointed. “For some queer women, gay signaling looks like a carabiner heavy with a haphazard collection of keys clipped to a belt loop,” she says. “For me, the Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe jeans do much of the heavy lifting.”
A worth-it gift for hard-to-shop-for dads
You might have your mom, sister, and husband covered, but dads are notoriously difficult to shop for — and finding a quality gift (that your father will actually use) often comes with a steep price tag. To help you find presents that are worth the expense, we turned to writer Erin Schwartz, who happens to be our resident gifts-for-dads expert. They suggested the Strategist-favorite Ooni pizza oven, which can provide both a high-end and beginner-friendly pie-making experience.
The striped bath mat that brightens our writer’s windowless NYC bathroom
In this week’s edition of Strategist Brain, our junior writer Bella Druckman told us about her favorite Dusen Dusen bath mat. Druckman spent months testing samples for our Best in Class bath-mat guide and admits that she’s been on a stripe kick recently, so the cotton-terry Dusen Dusen gets extra bonus points. She says it’s “pleasantly playful in my otherwise drab and windowless bathroom.”
A tool box for anyone whose signature color is red ….
Red has been everywhere this year, and if someone in your life has been especially drawn to the accent color, we have created a gift guide just for them. You’ll find every shade of crimson gifts, including this sleek tool box that’s nice-looking enough to leave out on any counter.
…. and a meat-delivery gift box for restaurant-quality cuts
Is there someone on your list who’d love to have Wagyu, dry-aged steaks, and pork chops delivered right to their doorstep? Well, contributor Tanya Edwards rounded up the best meat-delivery boxes just in time for the holiday gift-giving season. Edwards says she’s still thinking about the Porter Road dry-aged N.Y. strip that she grilled, which is included in the Butcher’s Choice box. It also features sirloin filets, pork chops, bacon, and notably flavorful ground beef.
Teeny toothpick holder
In our list of teeny-tiny gifts, contributor Caroline Weaver found over 60 options that cost less than $40. She says an obsessive toothpick user will appreciate that this personalized leather holder takes their favorite oral-hygiene task very seriously. “You can even personalize it with their initials for added effect,” Weaver adds.
On sale cashmere socks from Quince’s Black Friday event
Quince’s Black Friday sale event has been happening all weekend long, and today, these unisex trouser socks are on sale. We’re big fans of the retailer’s cashmere sweaters, and these socks are made with the same Mongolian cashmere (and a bit of polyester), so they’ll be extremely soft and not too flimsy.
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.
