A Black-Shoe Collector’s Favorite Black Shoes
This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the January 23, 2025 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.
Got a text asking for clingy cashmere turtleneck recs to wear to Sundance. Here’s what we came up with: this roll-neck from Extreme Cashmere; this mockneck from Quince; this $$$ Tencel blend from Rachel Comey. Initimissi makes $59 gauzy thin ones. Akris does, too, but its are priced over $1,000; so here’s a $64 one on eBay. —Katy Schneider and Simone Kitchens
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This Week’s List
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* According to Paloma Elsesser’s AD tour, she loves Alessi, specifically the tea kettle, kitchen timer, salt shaker, and pepper mill in the light blue color.
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* Strat editor Winnie Yang and Simone have a shared irritation with down that “rustles.” So happy to learn that Patagonia makes “quiet” cotton down. Kids and adults. On sale.
* Nice January surprise: No. 6 is throwing an online sample sale, starting 10 a.m. today till 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night.
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* Red/chrome dining chairs and teak wastebaskets.
* Kathleen Sorbara, founder of vintage store Sorbara’s, mostly wears black shoes. She has 20-something pairs of black shoes — from Calzuro to The Row — in regular rotation. “Black goes with everything. It’s the lowest-maintenance color, especially for life in New York City.” Here are her 11 most-reached-for black shoes, a mix of vintage and new: Manolo Blahnik ruched mules, Prada loafers, The Row Almond pumps, The Row Awar flats, Lemaire ankle boots, The Row Bette boots, Calzuro clogs, Paraboot Michael oxfords, Gucci mules, The Row satin ballet pumps, and “absolute favorite” Phoebe Philo club slippers.
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* Antique-y but not too antique-y table-lamp base — perfect for our editor’s Josef Frank lampshade.
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.
