On My Mind: Pleats Please Dupes and Snoopy Watches
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“Strategist Brain” is a series in which staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, the stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.
I’m moving at the end of the month and have been downsizing my wardrobe in preparation. So far, I’ve gotten rid of almost a quarter of my clothes, starting with anything that doesn’t fit or that I haven’t worn in over a year. I’ve been taking huge bags of clothing to sell and donate at the Beacon’s Closet inPark Slope(the best Beacon’s Closet) and picking up one or two items from other people’s closet purges each time as an incentive. As I write this, I’m wearing a recent purchase: a pair of Issey Miyake Pleats Please dupes by Anne Klein in a deep midnight blue. They look great with myBuck Mason white button-down shirt, one of two white shirts that have survived my cleanout, and a pair of beige suedeCamper fisherman sandals.
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I have never worn real Pleats Please pants, but I know lots of stylish people who hail them as the ultimate pair of comfortable work pants. Multiple moms have also told me that instead of maternity pants, they wore their Pleats Please through most of their pregnancies. The Anne Klein ones I bought are not as status-y, but they are very comfy and on their way to becoming my favorite fall work pants. And clearly I am onto something; when I got to the office today I noticed that Strategist lead editor Lauren Levy and Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid were both wearing the same outfit, but their pants were the real deal. Reid paired hers with black leather Margaux Ada heels and Levy had on black mesh Camper mary janes.
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Meanwhile, as I get closer to moving day, my search for a couch has evolved from fun to stressful. I don’t want a couch that’s too deep or one that sits flush with the ground. Our new apartment will still be small, so I’m looking for something that won’t overwhelm the space. But I have realized that many couches with feet are visually and literally top heavy, which gives me the ick. So my ideal couch has wood feetanda wooden crossbar or base that is visible across the front. For upholstery, I’m leaning toward fabric that isn’t boring but won’t stain or show dirt easily, like navy, olive green, or blueish gray. And I’m looking at smaller sofas, between 80 and 85 inches wide. It’s surprisingly hard to find this exact combination of factors, despite the wealth of information provided by the Strategist’s recentCouch Week, but this West Elm couch is the best version I have found so far. I just have to go sit on it in a store to make sure it’s comfortable.
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I also like this 84-inch bench-seat sofa from Interior Define, though it’s hard to tell whether it will be comfortable from looking at the photo. Plus bench seats are often less versatile since you can’t always flip or fluff the cushions.
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I have also been drooling over Sabai’s hemp-blend green-and-white-striped fabric Evergreen armchair and the slipcovered version of thecorresponding ottoman. I discovered both of them on a trip to the brand showroom with fellow Strategist writer Erin Schwartz, so I know they are both really comfortable and nice-looking in person.
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I’m also thinking about more budget-friendly options that have a similar stripey, circus-y vibe, and I’m thinking this kids’ ottoman from House of Noa could work for our living room. It comes in two sizes, and I like the idea of buying a large and a small in different colors to use as makeshift side tables or stacking two of the large ones in different colors for a higher table.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently
My parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month — a huge milestone! I’m planning to gift them a guestbook or a scrapbook that they can get friends and family to sign and fill with photos and memories. Of course I’m doing this at the last minute, so I’m crossing my fingers that one of these two options will arrive in time to add a few entries to get the process started.
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I have ordered several photo books from Papier and the quality is always amazing. I like that this one lets you print a big photo on the cover.
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I don’t love the name of this one, but I appreciate that you can fully customize the layout of your pages, adding photos to some and leaving others blank for notes of scrapbooking.
I have also been paring down my vast collection of random novelty items, and in the process I unearthed a vintage Snoopy watch with spinning Snoopy arms that tell the time. But the strap had gotten sticky the way old plastic does, so I cut it off and replaced it with a sterling-silver watch bracelet that I bought in Arizona and had been holding onto for over a decade.
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This is a similar sterling-silver watch bracelet that, like mine, is easy to attach to any small watch face (the Snoopy watch face is 34mm) by threading the pins through a tube on each side of the bracelet. Many of the sterling watch bracelets I’ve found have stones like turquoise andcoral, but I prefer a cleaner all-metal look.
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About a week after I revived my old watch, I found out that Timex was reissuing that same exact one with a leather strap in the same blue color. I love Timex reissues in general, and this one is so good. It would make a great gift for anyone with a soft spot for Snoops.
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While I’m on the subject of time, one thing about toddlers (like my 2.5-year-old son) is that they don’t understand time very well unless they have a good visual representation of it. And since they can’t read clocks or watches, a lot of toddler parents swear by visual timers to help avoid tantrums. We have a visual timer that has saved us many times. But telling time aside, my husband and I have also realized recently that our son loves just staring at a sand timer. It’s pretty incredible how quickly this simple object calms him down. But the one we have at home is glass, so I have been looking for one to buy for him that’s not a safety hazard.
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In searching for a kid-friendly sand timer, I also came across this watch for toddlers called the Buddy Timer. It has two buttons to set timers for two and five minutes, respectively. As time runs out, lights appear around the edge of the buttons so kids can see how much time is left. It’s also water resistant, very cute, and seems like fun for kids who are seeking more independence.
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