11 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: Cotton Underwear and Jeff Koons’s Pistachios

This book of color schemes by Sanzo Wada, an artist, teacher, and kimono designer, has long been one of our favorite gifts for any design-minded giftee, and it’s already one of our most-clicked Mother’s Day gifts this year. Fashion Substacker Viv Chen swears by it to figure out “how to wear specific shades of red and green together so I don’t end up looking like a Christmas tree. Never wonder what to wear with chartreuse or violet ever again — this book has all the answers.” Senior writer Ambar Pardilla, who helms our mom gift guides year-round, suggests it for the mom trying to figure out her color analysis (or who just wants a little help getting dressed).

But for even more Mother’s Day ideas, we went straight to the source: the moms on the Strategist staff. While all of them would most like a bit of time alone (“I’d like everyone to leave the house for a full day while I clean and throw things away without them,” says senior editor Jen Trolio), they shared some tangible wish-list items, too. One of Trolio’s is Happy Happy Houseplant’s Hydration Renew, which she’s been seeing ads for on Instagram lately. She’s been putting off repotting her houseplants, and while she’d love for someone to do that for her, she’s “extremely intrigued by the promise that [the] Hydration Renew product is a ‘repot in a bottle.’ Ditto for the Soil Refresh; can I possibly get away with not repotting after all?”

In his latest installment of his column, in-house picky guy Michael Zhao helped a reader find attractive, walking-friendly shoes he can wear all day (and night) on an upcoming summer beach vacation. Zhao suggested these leather Camper sandals, which he’s tried himself. They’re easy and blister-free to walk in fresh out of the box thanks to a flexible rubber EVA sole, elegant leather straps, and a protective suede-lined heel cup. “There’s not a ton of arch support, but it’s enough for walking around a city,” Zhao says.

Ahead of outdoor lounging season, senior writer Lauren Ro’s updated our guide to the best patio chairs, and among her 30 picks is this under-$100 old-school folding chair. Interior designer Robin Heller of Surrounded by Color recommends them for their look (“They’re honestly perfect in every colorway”) and portability. “You can take it to the beach, kids’ soccer games, or the park, or place it permanently on your patio,” she says.

New York has gone orange, Curbed writer Adriane Quinlan wrote this week. Last year, she noticed the windows on her Crown Heights block “burned in the apricot tones of the old sodium-vapor lamps,” and soon everywhere she looked in the city she saw glowing shades of poppy and cantaloupe. Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst has noticed the shift, too, and for those who want to turn their homes into a mood-setting, “orange-toned oasis,” she found some warm-toned lamps and bulbs that make it easy. One easy and versatile solution is Ikea’s Varmblixt lamp, which Denton-Hurst describes as “Creamsicle orange.” It can be used as a table lamp or mounted as a sconce, and it’s fairly affordable at just $100.

Resident underwear expert Pardilla, alongside writers Liza Corsillo and Denton-Hurst, recently embarked on a near-impossible task: finding “cotton underwear that looks good (sexy even), feels good without causing wedgies or rolling down, and doesn’t ruin an outfit with unsightly VPL.” For Pardilla, that meant a high-waisted bikini or hipster with some stretch. She tested several styles from seven brands, but Subset’s high-rise briefs came out on top. “I forgot I had them on much of the time, which is the ultimate underwear test,” she says, and they had the most minimal panty lines of any cotton pair she’s ever tried. Plus, they’re “pretty sexy!”

Pardilla’s also spent the past few weeks talking to tasteful people about their favorite flats, and the result is her Flats Report, with 27 of this season’s best styles. There are several Margaux pairs in the mix, including senior editor Hilary Reid’s longtime favorite Phoebes and updates coordinator Najwa Jamal’s newer Pascale pair. The Pascale’s most notable feature, beyond buttery cream-toned leather and a slipperlike fit, is the micro-wedge that’s “built into the back of the flat in a way that tapers into the rest of the sole without jutting out like a heel,” making these truly flats.

Corsillo spoke to Jeff Koons about his favorite things this week, and he revealed that he’s eaten exactly 24 Wonderful Pistachios a day for over a decade. “I started doing this maybe about 15 years ago because I love pistachios and I want to be sure that there’s a certain fixed amount of fat that I get from nuts every day.” He’s recently become a fan of the Dubai Chocolate flavor, too.

Amazon’s Summer Beauty Event, which runs through May 10, is rife with discounts on summer beauty items, from makeup and moisturizers to leave-in conditioners and satin scrunchies. One especially good (and rare) deal from the sale is on this set of three Boy Smells candles from its latest Spa Smells collection. It includes “citrus-y Yuzu Zesty, herbal aquatic Spa Water, and smoky woody Sauna Wood.”