8 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: Hell Hands and Just the Right Work Bag

Illustrator Edith Young spent years secretly snapping photos of any especially good work bags she saw in the wild simply as proof that they exist. Having recently swapped jobs, she’s outgrown the leather tote she once found suitable, so she began the search for her dream bag: something that was lightweight, made of weather-resilient material with long and thin straps, and in line with her style and could easily be strapped into a Citi Bike basket. Five bags later, the Mira is the closest to what she’d envisioned in her mind. “Its long straps don’t slip off my shoulders, the nylon exterior meets my water-repelling standards, and it zips shut, protecting all my precious papers and electronics — the chameleonic and deceptively simple kind of workbag I was looking for all along,” she says.

Following Michael Rider’s jazz-shoe-heavy debut collection for Celine last year, the slim lace-up style was everywhere this summer, says contributor Laura Neilson. For the fall, Neilson wanted her own non-white leather pair: “lightweight, sleek and slipperlike, with a delicately rounded toe and a low profile” that could weather cooler temperatures. These oxblood Zara ones were her favorites of the 11 she tried. “They have a neat low profile that is not too flimsy or slipperlike and a sturdy enough sole to hold up to bike-riding without contorting over the pedals, not to mention getting around all day on foot,” she says. Plus the soft leather was surprisingly high quality for the price, too.

For the latest “Celebrity Shopping,” senior writer Emma Wartzman chatted with chef, restaurateur, and author Danny Meyers about everything he can’t live without — including the $10 gadget that’s ensured he never cuts his finger removing the foil on a wine bottle again. “I used to just use the little knife blade on the end of the corkscrew, but about five years ago, I started struggling with it,” he says. “Someone introduced me to this and it works perfectly every single time. It’s a little round thing with blades on the inside. A 360-degree twist, you pull the top off, and it’s done.”

Reformation’s newest drop is all about Alexa Chung and was designed by her too. Writer Bella Druckman rounded up her favorites from the 30-piece strong collection, rife with straight-leg jeans, coy graphic tees, sparkly sequined bags and pony-hair heels. “It wouldn’t be an Alexa Chung collection without a skinny scarf,” she says of this 100 percent–wool, knit red number, bound to pair with just about any top, coat, or dress.

After an outpouring of feedback on their review of a “sex wedge pillow as an office chair,” writer Erin Schwarz looked for another options (though still stands by using the pillow). They came across the Lowdesk, which works the same way that a standing desk does, but “modified to lower all the way down to 15 inches” off the floor. A month of testing in, it’s best when lowered to the lowest setting alongside a cushion (yes, the sex wedge pillow) for height and support. Not only does it allow Schwarz to painlessly work from the ground, but they’re surprised to be spending more time in their office than usual: “Being in less pain and having greater freedom of movement has made my days smoother and a creative headspace more accessible.”

“This is such an underrated product,” trichologist Bridgette Hill says of this in-shower treatment she uses on salon clients for the latest “Beauty Aisle.” Thanks to its lamellar water technology, it’s extremely lightweight while being incredibly conditioning on frizzy curls. “This lets the hair fiber get the benefit of what true conditioning agents do, which is superficial repair, and because it’s water-based, there’s no residue,” she says. It’s silicone and sulfate free, especially curl and color-treated-hair friendly, and loaded with amino acids.

Contributor Martin Cizmar never considered grilling gloves a must in his barbecue rotation until he tried Hell Hands. “Hell Hands have more in common with the PPE firefighters wear when spraying out blazes than most mitts you’ll find on the shelf at your local hardware store,” he says. They cover your arms up to your elbows while still allowing for dexterity, and there’s extra padding on particularly heat-sensitive parts of your palms. The gloves have replaced any metal tools he previously used while smoking pork or searing steaks. Now, he reaches into the grill pit to stir charcoal and can handle scorching grill parts for cleaning — with more mobility and protection than ever before.

Senior writer Lauren Ro spent nearly all of last season in one pair of Eileen Fisher linen trousers, wearing them multiple times a week. So she was keen to see if she could find another pair from the brand in a fall-friendly fabric. After trying 16 different cuts and compositions, these were her favorites, easily the most stylish of the bunch and endlessly comfortable: “These high-waist, wide-leg pants have a pintuck detail down the legs, which, dare I say, gives them a High Sport vibe. They’re extremely flattering, and I would wear these with an oversize sweater or button-up.”