On My Mind: Puma Speedcats and Georgian Mourning Rings

By,a senior writer at the Strategist covering fashion.She joined the Strategist as a writer in 2021 and before that worked at NBC and HuffPost.
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Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers, Joe McKendry

Strategist Brain” is a series where staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.

Have you ever looked at the hangers in your closet and thought,Something’s missing? That happened to me not too long ago. After a big closet clean-out, I realized I was a little too ruthless with thepants— so for a few weeks, I went on a pants-buying spree. It wasn’t an exhaustivehunt, admittedly. Still, I probably tried on more pants than I have in months. Most of what I ordered I returned: Anthropolgie’sIzziewas too long in the crotch, while the inseam on the regular-lengthColettewas short enough that I wouldn’t need to get them hemmed (meaning thepetiteversion that I also ordered would go back). By far, the best pants came from Banana Republic. Specifically, the All Day pant. They fit perfectly everywhere. They paid for themselves five times over with how much I wear them.

Banana Republic All Day Pant
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Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently …

2025 Catbird x Astier de Villatte Agenda
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This is the year I’ll get aplanner. (I say this to myself every year.) I might mean it this time. I’m out ofJohn Derian notebooksand thinking about getting the Astier de Villatte x Catbird agenda. I like that it’s not lined or gridded or dotted. There’s just a column for every day. Plus, each week includes a made-up day, like Pudding Day.

Old Navy High-Waisted Dynamic Fleece Barrel-Leg Pants
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I can’t say there are manysweatpantsthat don’t look like sweatpants on the market. These are an exception. They’ve even been mistaken for pants-pants.

Puma Speedcat OG Women’s Sneaker
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Le Bon Shoppe Her Socks
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The bestshowsocks(as in, the opposite to no-show socks) are Le Bon Shoppe’sHer Socks. They come in a rainbow of colors. My favorite is thefuchsia. I want them inturquoise,tangerine,buttercup,eggplant, andavocadonext.

Beklina Fur Scrunchie
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I could forget I am having a bad hair day if I had this “fur” scrunchie (that’s actually knitted baby alpaca wool). It reminds me of a pom-pom. It would be cheery at the end of a sleeve in lieu of ahair tie.

La Veste Miranda Striped Coat
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I don’t need another coat. That doesn’t mean I can’t look at other coats. This one’s an open tab — for now.

Editor’s note: The company lists prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.

Vintage ’90s Marlboro Backpack
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Until he quit cold turkey around 30 years ago, my dad was a chain-smoker. I learned aboutMarlboro Milesfrom him. You collected “miles” on cartons of Marlboros for “Adventure Team”–branded merchandise: Swiss army knives, all-weather lighters. (Apparently, he knew a guy who got apool table.) He let me take an old backpack that was in the basement. It’s better than a Jansport. There are a lot of them going for less than $50 oneBay.

Gucci Silk Scarf
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A handful of silk scarves fromDior,Ferragamo,Cartier,Celine, andGuccilanded at Front General Store. Some sold out quickly. Surprisingly, not this one. It looks inspired by the chairs in aMedici villa. Asimilar scarfis on sale for $294, so $148 feels like a steal.

Prada Refine Blurring Extending Makeup Primer
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Are there cheaper primers? Absolutely. But there’s a lot going for this one. It’s oil controlling. It’s formulated withAHAs and BHAsfor your pores. (Plus, it says Prada on the tube.) In less than a week, Strategist senior editorAilbhe Malonecomplimented my skin twice over Google Meet.

Officine Universelle Buly Baume de Muses
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It was mybest friend’s birthday last month and I wondered what I should get her for weeks. (January is the worst month for a birthday, between everyone either doing a “no-buy” or going “dry” and the holidays being over.) I went for a few little luxuries, like thislip balmfrom Officine Universelle Buly. It’s the fanciest ChapStick. Her chapped lips thanked me, so she said.

Editor’s note: The company lists prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.

Prounis Moonlit Mango Moonstone Earrings
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Next year is a milestone birthday for me (I should start using aneye cream), and if money were no object, I’d get myself something fromProunis. Every piece Jean Prounis makes seems like an ancient relic (see thistrium of turquoiseortourmaline tear). These earrings are made from 22-karat gold, mango moonstones, and black-knot diamonds.

Georgian Mourning Urn Miniature Ring
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After getting aGeorgian mourning ring, I fell down a rabbit hole looking at others. Some of the more haunting: one that says “Be ye also ready” and another with a miniature of an urn surrounded by a weeping willow. They’re creepy!

Tory Burch Pierced Slide
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I wasn’t entirely convinced byTory Burch’s Pierced mules. They look a bit uncomfortable. But I could be convinced about the new Pierced slides. I think the toe ring makes more sense on asandal.

The Strategistis 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 abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

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