9 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: Non-Trousery Work Pants and a Stinky-Clothes Soak

For this week’s “Beauty Aisle,” writer Kitty Guo spoke to cosmetologist and curly-hair expert Cataanda James about her favorite drugstore items. At the top of herlist is this hairspray, which has been her favorite for years.“I always tell my clients, this is the perfect hairspray for those who want the Victoria’s Secret touchable, movable, lived-in, sort of messy but contained hair look,” James said. It gives strands “amazing hold” you can brush through and touch, which is especially handy when you need to rework or restyle your hair (something James says is inevitable with any coif). “You won’t get the webby effect that you get from some of the other hairsprays because it has too much hold.”

Writer Tembe Denton-Hurst is sorry to admit that her workout clothes, especially jackets, have been smelling particularly rank no matter how she washes them. She’s tried tons of suggestions from Reddit and elsewhere online, including “spritzing the clothes with white vinegar and letting them sit” or soaking them in OxiClean before a wash, but the stench lingered. Senior editor Crystal Martin suggested Denton-Hurst try Lume, “an enzyme blend that helps to break down bacteria and lift any oils and waxes that might still be hanging out on your clothes.” So she did it, letting three jackets of varying synthetic compositions soak overnight, then washing and drying them as usual the next morning. To her surprise, she found them as scentless as the day she got them, and now she’s using it on all her workout clothes.

As summer’s slow crawl continues, back-to-school sales have already begun cropping up — at Target, Gap, J.Crew, and more. So every week, Guo is sifting through deals on school supplies, apparel, and more to round up the best ones. This Hydro Flask food container that’s beloved by senior writer Liza Corsillo, who named it the best thermos overall, is one of her top picks this week at 25 percent off. Not only is it stylish (and available in three other on-sale color combinations), but “it keeps food cold or hot for hours and fits easily into most tote bags or backpacks, eliminating the need for an insulated lunch bag.”

“Running is my favorite thing to do, and the more of a quote-unquote ‘runner’ I’ve become, the better I’ve cultivated my perfect wardrobe,” writes contributor Kate Snyder. “But upholding the less-is-more philosophy has proven difficult when it comes to eyewear.” Snyder didn’t want one of the pricey “reflective windscreen”–looking pair worn by every run-club member (from brands like Oakley, Bandit, and District Vision), nor did she want one that looked like something her mom would wear. She was after a middle-ground “everyman pair,” and these under-$200 Warby Parker shades are just that. Their “nostalgic, easygoing” shape reminds Snyder of gas-station sunglasses (a.k.a. very “everyman”), and they’re virtually weightless, with a no-slip rubber pad on the nose bridge that keeps them in place during sweaty runs. She’s wearing them everywhere now. “In their goes-with-everything tortoiseshell, I’ve worn them for sidewalk happy hours and for my walk to work, keeping them pulled up just behind my hairline long after I’ve sat down at my desk.”

For our new “What I Can’t Cook Without”series, senior writer Emma Wartzman spoke with recipe developer and cookbook author Hailee Catalano about her pantry favorites. She discovered this mustard four years ago while wandering through one of her favorite supermarkets in New Jersey. “This one was so brightly green, and I love tarragon, so I wanted to try it. I put it on a turkey sandwich and, oh my God, it’s so good.” While tarragon is a distinct and strong flavor on its own, this mustard has a creaminess to it that Catalano finds isn’t too intense. She loves it on ham-and-butter sandwiches and suspects it would make a bright addition to a fines herbes sauce for chicken, too.

Writer and contributor Arden Yum traded her college hoodies and low-rise jeans for more proper workwear long ago, but she’d yet to find the perfect pair of non-trousery black pants she can wear to the office. “I was less interested in a typical trouser and more so in a new guard of pants that combine the best parts of athleisure — elastic or drawstring waists, flowier silhouettes, and ease of movement — with the dressiness that comes with a black pant.” After trying nine pairs, she was won over by Leset’s, which she calls the “platonic ideal of a pair of pull-on pants — effortless, flattering, and cool.” They don’t veer into pajama-pant territory, and their double-woven Japanese crêpe gives them a sophisticated edge and fluid movement. Bonus points for the nearly invisible pockets, which means she can go to brunch with nothing on her person but her wallet and phone.

It’s taken writer and market editor Leon Hedgepeth a few years to get comfortable with the idea of letting his dogs out in some flip-flops. But after trying several pairs, he’s finally all in. Of the six flip-flops in his rotation, this Bombas pair has easily been his most worn. “I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable they are,” he says. “Because they’re made of nubuck leather, I keep them away from the water, but I wear them everywhere else, from grocery-store runs to patio dinners.” The leather has molded to his sole the more he’s worn them, and the sun’s added a beautiful patina to the sandal over time. Paired with the right bottoms, they can look slightly less casual, too.