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MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Alison Freer

Freelance writer

Alison Freer has been a contributor at the Strategist since 2017. She is also a costume designer and New York Times best-selling author of How to Get Dressed and The Accessory Handbook.

  1. women’s apparel
    Have You Heard of a Snow Skirt?If your butt and legs are warm, the rest of you is warm too.
  2. women’s fashion
    I Wore This $40 Target Robe to Work — Then Half the Office Ordered One TooIt felt like I was wearing my beloved bed to work: I was soft, warm, and comfortable all day long.
  3. packing and gear
    This Travel Junk Tray Keeps My Jewelry, AirPods, and Hair Ties All in One PlaceIt takes up zero space in your suitcase but keeps your personal items contained when staying in an unfamiliar space.
  4. sleep gear
    Hotel Sheets Skeeve Me Out, So I Travel With This (Always Clean) Sleep SackDid you know there’s no law saying that hotels or Airbnb hosts have to wash the bed linens?
  5. health
    This Neck Fan Kept Me Cool in a 112-Degree Desert HeatwaveAnd it’s less than 20 bucks.
  6. hair
    This Self-Timed Outlet Keeps My Flat Iron From Burning the House DownPush the button and it shuts power off after 30 minutes.
  7. pillows
    This Strange, Divoted Pillow Completely Cured My Neck PainIt’s even turned me from a side sleeper to a back sleeper.
  8. organization
    The Plastic Mushroom That’s Saved Me Thousands in Plumbing FeesPop the hair catcher in your bathtub drain, and it’ll trap virtually everything.
  9. packing and gear
    This Little Piece of Silicone Lets Me Pee Pretty Much AnywhereI’ve taken it on hikes, to the grocery, and even on a plane.
  10. skin-care tools
    The Mini-Fridge That Keeps My Beauty Products at an Optimal 46 DegreesThe Cooluli mini-fridge keeps my serums and creams cold — but not icy.
  11. this thing’s incredible
    With This Retro Eyeglass Chain, I Keep My Mask Within Reach at All TimesNo more fumbling for a face covering.
  12. this thing’s incredible
    This Plastic Shield Keeps Me From Touching My Face (and Keeps People Away)It also helps with rosacea.
  13. massagers and recovery
    This $13 Hunk of Plastic Works Better Than My Theragun for Muscle ReliefThis low-tech gadget feels like a professional massage.
  14. compulsive shopping
    I Can’t Stop Buying Sheer PantyhoseThey keep your legs warm, hide imperfections, and act as a slippery layer so skirts don’t bunch up as you walk.
  15. compulsive shopping
    I Can’t Stop Buying Reusable Food Storage BagsNever will I toss out plastic zipper sandwich bags again.
  16. this thing’s incredible
    This $40 Pocket-Size Lamp Solved My Quarantine-Induced InsomniaThe Luxy Light packs the power of an old-school 10,000-lux light box in a tiny, attractive, efficient package.
  17. this thing’s incredible
    This Easy-to-Use Fermentation Pump Is My Secret to Keeping Leftovers FreshThis helps me eat every last morsel of food.
  18. organization
    The Massive Wheely Bag That Allows Me to Forgo Germy Shopping CartsThis extra-large bag can technically schlep up to 66 pounds, but I’ve loaded mine with close to 100 and it’s rolled along just fine.
  19. organization
    I Quit the Dry Cleaner (and My Monthly $150 Bill) With This Shirt PressIt’s one of the better purchases I’ve made in quite some time.
  20. hair tools
    The Dandruff-Destroying Rubber Brush That’s Like Getting a Scalp MassageAnd it only costs $6.
  21. beauty
    This Pistachio Body Butter Is Identical to My Dearly Departed Laura MercierIt’s made with real pistachio oil.
  22. organization
    The Surprisingly Nice-Looking ‘Granny Cart’ That Saved My ShouldersIt’s made shopping so much easier.
  23. weird things we love
    The Drain Doodad That Lets Me (Finally) Submerge My Whole Body in the TubYou just stick it on the side of your bathtub and go.
  24. footcare
    The Actually Stylish Compression Socks That Made My Mother CryNo more black or tan or white compression socks.
  25. this thing’s incredible
    I Can Fit Twice As Many Shoes in My Closet Thanks to These Shoe Slots“They let me essentially halve the amount of space each pair takes up on shoe racks.”
  26. kitchen
    These $3 Plastic Pot Scrapers Destroy Stuck-on Food (and They Last Forever)Try saying that about the Scrub Daddy.
  27. weird things we love
    I Am the Serena Williams of Bug-Zapping With This Electric RacketI learned about it from my horse-owning friend.
  28. compulsive shopping
    I Use Heat-Blocking Curtains From Target in Every Room of the HouseThey keep the house cool and even reduced my energy costs by 25 percent.
  29. cleaning
    This Grapefruit-Scented Spray Is Like Fancy FebrezeIt works as a stain remover, pre-laundry treatment, or simple fabric freshener.
  30. sunday circular
    The Vamp Stamp Is Pretty Much Cat-Eyes for DummiesPerfect results every single time.
  31. hair tools
    2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris - Backstage
    No Curling Iron Ever Worked Until a Backstage Hairstylist Gave Me HersIt’s the one they use at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
  32. women’s apparel
    These $5 Invisible Briefs Are Nearly As Perfect As the $28 Pair I LoveIt’s 80 percent cheaper, but 95 percent as good.
  33. compulsive shopping
    I Can’t Stop Buying Products Meant for Babies“Not only are they more stringently tested for sensitive skin, but they make me feel like I’m as unjaded as the infants they’re meant for.”
  34. compulsive shopping
    I Pretty Much Live Under One of My Dozens of Parasols All Summer“I pack an extra in my tote when heading to the Rose Bowl Swap Meet and always wind up gifting it to a sun-baked pal or stranger.”
  35. skin-care treatments
    So Apparently, Baby Foot Makes a Cream (and It’s Amazing)“It was better than I could have dreamed.”
  36. women’s shoes
    These Shockingly Comfortable Mocs Are My Favorite Summer ShoesThey’re also attractive against almost all odds.
  37. this thing’s incredible
    This Bamboo Bag (Which Is Not That Bamboo Bag) Costs $41A well-priced, well-made iteration of a long-standing design.
  38. skin-care
    Everything I Use to Keep My Glasses Spick-and-SpanBecause those silky squares that come with your glasses are a joke.
  39. this thing’s incredible
    This German Light-Up Pebble Helps Me Find Everything in My PurseIt turns on only when I reach inside.
  40. as good as or better than
    The $6 Silicone Brush That’s More Effective (and Gentler) Than My ClarisonicIt never needs charging, doesn’t irritate my skin, and costs nearly nothing.
  41. bath and body
    These Korean Spa Mitts Scrub Me to Baby SoftnessI can see the tiny rolls of dead skin when I’m done.
  42. i use this for that
    The Best Makeup Removers Are These Reusable Bamboo Nursing PadsA new mom told me about these reusable pads that work so much better than disposable cotton ones.
  43. beauty
    Everything I Use to Keep My Triple-Digit Leather Collection Looking Brand-newCleaning, conditioning, and protecting keeps my decades-old leather goods looking pristine.
  44. kitchen
    I Am the Person Who Brings This $16 Bag Clip with Me to RestaurantsIt’s completely discreet, weighs nothing, and keeps my far too expensive bags off the floor.
  45. holiday gifts 2017
    The Grandma-Style Housecoat Is the Best Gift (for Yourself and Others)And right now, it’s just $30.
  46. shopping hack
    Costume Designers Use This Toupee Tape to Hem Pants and Prevent Nip SlipsIt’s what kept Jennifer Lopez from going R-rated at the 2000 Grammys.
  47. this thing’s incredible
    These Squishy Gel Pads Saved Me From ‘Computer Elbow’They’re called “Jelbows.”
  48. compulsive shopping
    A Black-Tights Obsessive on Her 6 Favorite Pairs (Plus Plus-Size Options)They’re super comfortable, crazily opaque, and the only tights you’ll ever need.
  49. this thing’s incredible
    My Grandma Introduced Me to This Fuzzy Nest for GlassesI no longer half-blindly paw for my spectacles.
  50. this thing’s incredible
    This Comically Long Phone Charger Is Virtually IndestructibleI’ve had it for two years and it hasn’t frayed at all.
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