What Secret Strategist Readers Loved Most This Year
In the six months that the Secret Strategist newsletter has been on Substack, we’ve surfaced tons of recommendations from fashion designers, brewmasters, artists, florists, and historic-home brokers with impeccable taste. Our readers also have impeccable taste, so we’ve rounded up all of their most-clicked items from every issue since June (except for eBay links that are now sold out; to be among the first to get those, you’ve gotta subscribe).
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Most weeks, we interview someone with great taste and extremely specific expertise on topics from the best shade of pink to historic-home clout hardware. Below, five reader favorites.
“The garden at this time is really attractive due to the number of flowering plants and all the insects flying around to serve themself with nectar. A good garden changes every day. A garden is not only about flowers and wildlife; the weather plays a big role, too. Rain or sun or damp in the morning or evening brings a total other perspective.” —Piet Oudolf
“I like Margiela Tabi sneakers because the toe box is liberated. Stuart Weitzman pointed-toe flats, which I have in black patent. I also am a big fan of Camper, but they’re tricky because they use Spanish sizing and run small, but they’ve been doing so much better in the past five or six years with unisex sizing. My favorite sneakers are the Tossu. I discovered a few years ago that Bode has really good men’s shoes since they’re for a dandier man. I’m not even familiar with their women’s shoes. They have ballet flats that go up to 44. A large-shoe dressy-lady solution I’m interested in is babouches — Moroccan slippers.” —Angela Flournoy
“My husband discovered Decka Organic Striped Float Knitting Socks when we were in Japan, and since then we both have ordered a bunch and wear matching socks like dorks. The stripes on the outside are raised, which makes them texturally interesting. Not too loose, not too tight. They come up to a perfect height. Another pair of socks that are more easily procurable in the States are these Nishiguchi Kutsushita Egyptian-cotton ones. I get them from Ūmei, a great little shop based in Minneapolis.” —Natalie So
“I just found this tiny, very bespoke company in L.A. called Earthling VIP. I was in a store and this woman was wearing a pair of shorts that I was obsessed with. Lo and behold, they turned out to be this company that mostly does stage clothes for rock stars and stuff. Overall, this stuff is very stage-friendly. It’s fairly extreme, but they get these vintage jeans and then cover them with vintage embroidery, and they’re the coolest. If my house were burning, I’d probably grab these shorts because they’re so cool.” —Susan Orlean
“There’s this brand of sink, Shaws, that was founded in the 19th century in England. It’s the gold standard for fireclay farmhouse apron sinks. They are very widely available and maybe around $1,000 to $1,500. We’re not planning a kitchen renovation yet, but maybe two years ago, I was on Facebook Marketplace and I found somebody in New Jersey that was getting rid of their Shaws sink for $100, and I just impulse-bought it and drove an hour and a half to get it because I was like, I need the sink. It’s in our basement waiting for the future to come.” —Robert Khederian
More From The Strategist
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
- The Strategist Fall 100
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.
