10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: Ruti Pants and $6 Fountain Pen Alternatives

Contributor Michael Hession is no stranger to the vast world of pens. Having dabbled in the “pure writing bliss” of fountain pens for years, he eventually grew tired of their messiness and maintenance. Stationary blogs led him to Uniball’s latest development, the Zento: “It’s cheap, beautiful, and writes like a dream,” he says, thanks to dark, fast-drying ink and a smooth gliding tip. The best part? “I can toss it in a bag carelessly and still be confident that when I dig it back out I will be served with excellent feel and reliability.”

Writer Amelia Jerden talked to musician Amy Grant following the deluxe release of her latest album for our “Celebrity Shopping” series. At the top of her list is this two-step liquid lipstick, of which she has been cycling through multiple shades at a time for over five years. It’s so transfer-proof that it even survived an operation: “I was coming out of one of my surgeries. And I remember one of the nurses saying, ‘Look, her lipstick is still on!’ And they were wheeling me into recovery! And I thought, Oh, I guess I put on Covergirl this morning.”

“Never has the roller coaster of prospective consumption — the magnetic pull of targeted ads, the resentment of those ads, the obsessive research — hit me so hard as it did with the Ruti On the Loose Work Pants,” says writer Carrie Battan. (So hard that she called up brand founder Ruti Zisser.) Batten resisted the slightly cropped nylon barrel leg’s siren song for over a year before finally giving in. Now they’re the only pants she’s put on this month, wearing them with just about anything and just about anywhere: “They let me stop thinking about what I was wearing, which feels like the ultimate luxury.”

Writer Brenley Goertzen has long admired “the right-from-the-stables look that’s everywhere, from Frye to Ralph Lauren to Barbour,” sans horse. So she started searching for a low-heel, knee-high, Jackie O–esque leather pair under $350. Of the eight pairs she tested, these Lands’ End boots were the easy winner, thanks to a durable rubber outsole, a full-length zipper to get them on and off, and handsome matte leather. There’s even hidden elastic that runs down the back of the boot shaft for further stretch around your calf.

For the newest “Ask the Strategist” installment, senior writer Lauren Ro rounded up the best socks to wear with everyday boots, ones that will actually stay on. Goertzen relies on these Strategist-favorite ribbed organic-cotton crews to stay put while wearing her riding boots. “I love them since they are thicker and prevent my feet from getting blisters,” she says. Pro tip: Buy them in a darker shade so your boots don’t stain them.

“I long ago resigned myself to the fact that my DD breasts would be forever confined to underwire bras that never quite fit right,” says contributor Doree Shafrir. But then she tried this bra from reality-TV star Julia Haart’s line. From the adjustable straps to the inclusive size range (XS A/B to 3X E/F), the bra fits so well that Shafrir finds herself forgetting to take it off at the end of the day. “My breasts don’t look saggy in clothes, and it feels like I’m actually wearing something that keeps them comfortably contained.”

Like clockwork, every afternoon Audrey Gelman’s 7-year-old son slinks off into his room and clicks his cassette player on. “Yes, these are audio cassettes, and they have quietly changed what independent play looks like in our house,” she says. Though it took some trial and error to find the right one, QFX’s solar-rechargeable, nearly indestructible radio and recorder is ideal for listening to Peter Pan, Mathilda,and Narnia cassettes before dinner (or even narrating stories of his own). Gelman watched him develop greater fine-motor control along the way, too, ordering his tapes and patiently figuring out the mechanics of the machine.

In this week’s “Down-to-Earth Design,” London-based designer Rita Konig told us about 16 of her favorite home items under $100. Her list includes this sharp and precise one-step strawberry huller that helps her prep for guests: “Once you use it, you’ll never go back. I love to use fresh strawberries in desserts and have them for bites on trays when I entertain.”

We’ve tested lots of Quince over the years — from duvet covers to puffer coats to forks — but Goertzen noticed we had yet to report on the brand’s activewear. She called in leggings, merino-wool layers, and sports bras, testing them out to see how they compare to their pricier Vuori, Alo, and Lululemon counterparts. To her delight, all the pieces were a hit, suited to her running, heated Pilates, and day-to-day chores. These leggings were among her top picks: soft, stretchy, and just as comfortable for workouts as for lounging, with a thick waistband and a suedelike finish.

Ahead of a new season, senior writer Michael Zhao revisited his Menswear Hall of Fame, “a wide-angle snapshot of the clothes that men from all walks of life like enough to recommend to everyone they know.” Among the picks he’s culled from reporting, this classic coat is a standout, the “once and forever New Yorker’s puffer,” he says.