12 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Baggy Shorts to Baby Tees

It wasn’t until Strategist contributor Katie Stone stumbled upon a bright-green pair of swim trunks at a Rowing Blazers sample sale that she realized swim trunks and regular shorts don’t need to exist in separate categories: “After a few wears in the heat of a New York City summer, I came to the conclusion that swim trunks are actually the ideal summer shorts.” Now, as a regular trunks-as-shorts wearer, Stone has amassed an extensive collection of colorful sweat-friendly swim trunks, including these stretchy ones from J.Crew. “I’d recommend my fellow female-identifying trunk wearers cut out the mesh lining for a significantly more comfortable wear,” she says.

While some New Yorkers brave heat wave after heat wave with “the tiniest of shorts with tops that look like bikinis and flimsy sundresses with no straps,” Strategist contributor Diksha Basu has been wearing (and rewearing) these baggy shorts, which she ordered a size up for an even roomier fit. Paired with sneakers, Birkenstocks, or Sorels, the shorts are exactly what she’s looking for in a summer outfit: “I want to be comfortable and at ease as I run from working at home, to lunch with friends, to camp pickup, to the playground, to a local bar for a spritz.”

Though Jennifer Meyer wouldn’t describe herself as a big makeup person, she told us, “I’m at a time of my life and an age where I need a little something on my face.” Right now, that means dabbing a bit of Jones Road’s Miracle Balm on her cheeks and nose. “You feel like you were just in the sun and got a little tan, and I love all the colors,” she says.

When a newly married Charli XCX was papped at Heathrow Airport last weekend, our travel writer, Katherine Gillespie, couldn’t help but notice that “the two scratched-up aluminum suitcases that have definitely seen some things over the course of the Brat album cycle” were also our pick for best aluminum suitcase overall. “You’d be forgiven for assuming that Charli’s metal luggage comes from celebrity-beloved luxury travel brand Rimowa, but a visible logo reveals that her suitcases are actually made by Away,” she writes. “It has the same features as a $1,500 Rimowa for less than half the price.”

While the Japanese hori-hori knife has been delighting gardeners for centuries, Strategist contributor Alison Freer was introduced to it as a “Multi-Function Garden Knife” at Home Depot. Since adding it to her tool bucket, Freer says, “Instead of separately using my scissors, hand shovel, trowel, utility knife, and handsaw, I simply use my hori-hori knife for scooping, digging, cutting, seeding, sawing, and even measuring.”

Sure, Rita Pinto, the founder of nail salon Vanity Projects, knows a thing or two about professional manicures, but it’s a drugstore nail glue — specifically this one from Kiss — that she recommends to all her clients. “I’m sure everyone has been there before — you’re on a honeymoon, at a wedding, or just on vacation, and your luggage breaks a nail or the gel peels off the nail bed,” she told us. “This will fix it on the spot, so I recommend everyone have it in their bag.”

During the two years that Strategist writer Erin Schwartz has been a Z-Coils wearer, they’ve worn their sandals constantly on warm days. “Although I stand by their comfiness, by this June, they had a distinct old-running-shoe feeling underfoot,” Schwartz writes. Accordingly, their July purchases included a brand-new pair. “It feels like hopping into a brand-new car after your 1998 Honda Accord goes off to the junkyard,” they say. “I am glad to be back to saying that they’re the comfiest shoes ever.”

Strategist writer Kitty Guo has been on the hunt for a white baby tee — specifically one that is non-boxy yet not body-con tight; 100 percent cotton; fairly heavyweight; not see-through; and preferably from a small, independent brand. After trying tees from Nu Swim, Plain Jane, Flore Flore, and more, she finally found one from Ella Mae that checked every box: “It had a just-right fit — not too tight but not boxy either, just loosely skimming the body. The hem hit a couple of inches below my belly button, with cute side vents that accentuate the curve of my hips.”

To say that Quince’s dress section — which includes more than 200 styles — is immense would be an understatement. That said, Strategist writer Brenley Geortzen set out to survey the landscape by trying 15 of the DTC-behemoth’s best-selling dresses. The verdict? This 100 percent linen A-line dress, which is lightweight enough for Canada’s extra-hot and humid summer temperatures, is her very favorite. Plus, she says, “it has a classic-enough silhouette that I can throw it on while putzing around the backyard in my Birkenstocks or dress it up with heels for a rooftop happy hour.”

“While there’s a lot of energy and money spent on a wedding dress — there are appointments and hours spent browsing Pinterest — wedding shoes are often a second thought,” says Strategist writer (and 2024 bride) Tembe Denton-Hurst. To keep things simple, she recommends going for a white satin slingback, which will be comfortable, timeless, and compatible with non-wedding outfits. Sure, you can go for some Manolos if you have the budget, but she recommends these simple ASOS slingbacks that she wore for her own wedding instead. “They were comfortable and looked great in photos — no one would guess I didn’t spend hundreds more,” she reports.

“In a summer defined by Beyoncé’s (and, let’s be honest, Blue Ivy’s) Cowboy Carter tour, I’ve found myself drawn to the once-disparaged Canadian tuxedo,” writes Strategist contributor Emma Urdangen. And so she began a search for a not-too-tight, not-too-large, perfectly lightweight, casual classic denim shirt. After trying on tops that were either too heavy, too boxy, or too dressy, she landed on this one from the Gap that makes her feel “as if I’d just spent the day in the sun, finished my post-lake shower, applied my cream blush, and pulled out my favorite outfit in preparation for girls’ night.”

For its latest buzzy collaboration, the Gap teamed up with Béis — which we crowned the best luggage for overpackers, thanks to its expandable shell and built-in weight-limit indicator — to release a lineup of travel-friendly basics and denim-themed luggage. We’re partial to the latter, which includes Béis’s signature check-in roller, carry-on, smaller carry-on in light blue, and the brand’s weekender and backpack redesigned in denim.