This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the August 17, 2023, edition of the Secret Strategist newsletter, a weekly email where we share the stuff our staff — plus a rotating cast of writers, design-world people, and various others with very good taste — would otherwise keep to themselves. If you want to get our picks straight to your inbox each week, sign up here.
It’s the end of August, the strangest time of year for shopping, so we figured it would be a good time to deposit all the shopping miscellanea that’s been gathering in our brains. Like the fact that a cupboard skirt is probably a good idea. Or the fact that the Tangerine owners sell their own clothes on Instagram.
This Week’s List
* Our editor Winnie Yang has noticed that more clothing brands seem to be doing their sample sales one piece at a time on Instagram. Like Caron Callahan, which has been doing this for at least a couple of years now. “I’ve bought a number of items through it that I missed out on from her regular retail shop.” Also, some shop owners have Instagram accounts where they sell their own clothes — like the Tangerine people (with their never-worn Martinianos for $310, a worn-once MNZ top for $250, and a pair of white Repettos for $100) and the woman behind Rennes in Philly (with her Elsa Esturgie padded coat for $250, Apuntob cashmere sweater for $150, and Apiece Apart slip dress for $50).
* Nice to have a little skirt on your cupboard or island so you can make a mess under there and no one will see it. A little European touch! Instead of very dainty little flowers or whatever, you could order this nice circus-stripe fabric by the meter and take it to your tailor with measurements and this picture: Also, these people make really nice pillows and lampshades.
* Extreme Cashmere has been popping up everywhere lately —its stuff (especially its cashmere tanks and tube tops) is really nice but so expensive. Instead, might we recommend a vintage Ralph Lauren cashmere tank — transitional, and readily available on eBay.
* In other eBay searches we’re enjoying right now: Marimekko striped tees. (Marimekko striped sheets are also looking good.)
* Ceramicist Rachel Saunders posted a picture from the car the other day, and her wooden, beaded seat cover caught our eye — you don’t often see these things in a young person’s car. “I love them because they remind me of being a kid in the back of my grandma’s old Benz,” she told us. “She had the beaded seat covers and a sheepskin cover too. I think on the label they claim to have some sort of an acupressure benefit, but it’s purely about the nostalgia and aesthetic for me.”
* Good Lisa Corti sale on Cutter Brooks (though shipping is going to be like $30. But you’ll still be under normal Lisa Corti prices.) Also good $10-each basics on sale, like these short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees, from one of our favorite kid brands, Roux.
* We did not attend the Printed Matter art book fair in L.A. last week, but Garrett Colton told us the best thing there might have been these limited-edition Peter Shire books that double as a cork coaster. As of last night, there were 43 left.
* These RBW dimple lights are pretty great for dim areas in the house — and in fact, RBW is a great resource for lighting in general. Pretty!
* This restaurant-slash-store, Dae New York, just opened last week on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. So rarely are there such special things in a store! Many beautiful, beautiful brands that aren’t stocked anywhere else in this country. (And some beautiful things that are stocked elsewhere but look great next to the things that aren’t stocked elsewhere.) One of our editors stopped by over the weekend and drank a charcoal yuzu lemonade and admired all of the very appealing metalware (all the food is served on simple metal plates, there are metal vases of flowers), and made a list of the brands she saw:
• Glassware from ClearMood
• BEAUTIFUL metal vases and candle holders from
• FE26Bowls from Kang Sukkeun
• Wooden trays from Dozamm
• Candles from Lucky Star Candle
• Cups from Carron
• BEST BEST BEST of all, the beautiful metal forks, wine buckets, and various other extraordinary things from Studio Yeodongyun
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.
