9 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: 10 Years of Toe Separators

“The Agnès B. snap cardigan has always been a workhorse of my wardrobe,” says contributor Leah Finnegan. Then she found out she was pregnant, and shortly after the cardigan shrunk in a laundry fiasco. In search of a dupe, she tried out six of the most similar cotton-fleece snap-button cardigans she could find, and this $88 one by Skims came out on top. Its “classic cardigan shape with a tucked waist is both flattering and comfortable,” especially on Finnegan’s growing belly, and it won’t be a big deal if her baby throws up on it.

This week, the Strategist site celebrated its tenth birthday. Senior writer Dominique Pariso took us on a walk down memory lane by rounding up the top-ten products that define the Strategist. Among them are the “squishy, ladderlike toe separators” lead editor Lauren Levy ends her days with for fear of “bunions, hammertoes, and any and all podiatric-related issues,” she says. She’s not the only one who keeps the “jellyish, aqua-blue toe-stretchers” in her nightstand; Kelly Rowland and Simon Rex do too.

Senior writer Emma Wartzman has used wine bottles, rolling pins — anything but a mallet — to flatten her cutlets. That changed after visiting her family this summer, where she first tried this mallet. She loved it so much, her mom sent her one soon after. The rounded stainless-steel handle makes for a balanced hold, and the head’s flat side is Wartzman’s favorite, as it gives her the most control over where she’s hitting. Though she uses it largely for meats, it’s also great for “smashing aromatics like garlic and ginger,” breaking down nuts and chocolate for baking, and crushing ice for drinks.

Over the past two years, senior writer Liza Corsillo has noticed a shift in training–potty releases. More and more of them now resemble a “mega potty,” a cross between a traditional mini-toilet and an attachment you can place on your regular toilet seat that’s meant to grow with your child. With the help of her son, she tested seven. Jool Baby’s was a standout — it’s an affordable floor potty, step stool, potty-training seat, and urinal in one. “What I love about it most of all is that it can be used as a urinal,” she says, “which has helped my son understand the logistics of peeing while standing up without getting pee all over the place.”

We first spoke with musician Rob Thomas in 2022 for our “Celebrity Shopping” series. Writer Amelia Jerden recently caught up with him about all the new things he can’t live without, including the women’s sweatpants he first saw on his son. Now he can’t get enough of them: “I walk around the house, and they feel luxurious. First they became, like, These are my favorite going-to-the-grocery-store pants. And then they became, like, Well, these are my favorite going-to-the-airport pants. How far of a radius I would leave my home in sweatpants just got bigger and bigger and bigger when I started buying these.”

“Maybe it’s an Asian Mom thing, but I believe most shoes should always be worn with socks,” says senior writer Lauren Ro. Hue’s sock liners are her favorites, so she decided to test the brand’s “do-they-even-qualify-as-socks” toe toppers and covers. These liners were the perfect invisible counterpart to her go-to cotton ones, “keeping dainty shoes dainty and my bunioned feet happy” in the stiff opera shoes and ballet flats she normally wears sockless. They’re thin and slippery like tights but stay put all night thanks to a silicone grip on the heel that has the added bonus of preventing blisters.

Senior writer Michael Zhao was reminded of J.Crew’s reliably designed and constructed knits after stopping by the Men’s Shop in Noho to try on all 15 sweaters in the store. In a sea of cashmere and wools, this cotton sweater made his list of absolute favorites. “The heavyweight cotton knit drapes so luxuriously,” he says. This year’s version forgoes the style’s previous raglan sleeve for more elevated-looking standard shoulder seams (Zhao’s preference). Available in 11 often-on-sale colorways, “why not get a bit more for your money?”

In search of this year’s birthday present to herself, a new fall bag, contributor Sari Botton tried out 16 cross-body bags, hoping to find one that’s gentle on her arthritic joints. Madewell’s richly colored, lightweight leather bag scratches Botton’s Bottega Veneta itch at a fraction of the cost. “It’s a good size — a bit bigger than the average going-out-at-night bag and a bit more compact than your average everyday bag, meaning I won’t be tempted to pack it to the gills,” she says.

Synthetic fleeces were introduced as more durable, economical, and easy-to-care-for alternatives to wool, but the research has shaped a different story, according to writer Katherine Gillespie. “Synthetic fleece sheds higher amounts of nonbiodegradable microplastic fibers into waterways than other synthetic materials when laundered,” she says. In response to this and other fears surrounding wearing polyester, brands have designed plastic-free fleeces like this L.L.Bean one, which is made of a majority-wool blend that’s soft and machine-washable.