Strategist Circular: 12 Things That Delighted Us Last Week

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

We write about hundreds of products each week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling through the vast online-shopping universe — including cabbage-themed serving platters, denim shirtdresses, and a tried-and-true Sambas alternative.

This week was Tabletop Week on the Strategist, where we heard from over 50 especially tasteful (and particular) people about the plates, place mats, napkins, and more that they use day in and day out. One of those tasteful people was fashion designer Peter Som, who liked setting his table to assembling a Broadway cast: “The tablecloth is the star; it’s the boldest,” he says. With this in mind, he lets La DoubleJ’s floral tablecloth play the lead. The Italian-made linen tablecloth is accompanied by a cast of similarly bold napkins, rustic bamboo flatware, and emerald goblets.

(Editor’s note: La DoubleJ lists all prices in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion in US dollars.)

“I didn’t know how much I needed twine until I needed it,” says musician the Dare. “I don’t know, sometimes you just have to tie a bunch of stuff together.” It turns out the twine has become integral to his decorating process: “I just moved and am in the process of decorating, so I use this and my tape measure every day for random projects,” he says.

Fabiana Faria and Helena Barquet, the owners of Coming Soon, have a lot of place mats. Shoe these are the place mats that they have on their table right now. Along with being a playful alternative to your average place mat, these are exceptionally durable because they’re made of resin. “You can’t stain them because they’re not fabric,” Faria says. “And they’re such a fun pop of color.” Though you can leave them on your table when you’re not eating, Barquet says, “You can also stick them on your window and it looks like stained glass.”

When the John Derian Target collection went live, it had the Strategist Slack channel abuzz — even on a Sunday morning. Though some of the more coveted items in the collection are no longer available (RIP, skeleton pillow), there are a number of items that are still for sale, including this black-cat cushion. But like all things included in our weekly roundup of newly released products, you really shouldn’t dillydally.

Among the 26 dinner plates that Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman heard about while interviewing cooks, designers, and more people with impeccable taste for Tabletop Week, these are some of the most delightful. They come recommended by Kate Berry, chief creative officer of Domino magazine and contributing editor at Saveur magazine, who says, “They’re very playful and brighten any table and go with every color of table linen.” To set a table like Berry’s, mix the plates with patterned table linens and colored glasses.

If you prefer more understated dinnerware, consider the bowl that garnered the most recommendations in our guide to the vessel. “The main appeal is the versatile size,” writes Wartzman, calling out just of a few of its many uses: “(Alexis) DeBoschnek uses them for soup, stew, and pasta and as a bigger bowl for dip or marinated olives and feta when hosting, while (Helen) Rosner likes them for lunch and (Winnie) Yang notes that they are ideal in terms of aperture and how they sit in your hand.”

Photo: Mya Gelber

Seeking a departure from the “at-this-point-ubiquitous” Adidas Sambas, Strategist contributor Mya Gelber set out on a new mission: to find sneakers that are stylish, easy to pair with any outfit, comfortable, and well priced. Gelber crowned two winners: the hard-to-come-by Asics Gel-1130s and the dependable Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66s, which, she says, “are just the epitome of what a sneaker should be: sleek leather construction, cushioned insoles, and “excellent grip.” Best of all, she adds, “They passed the ‘rushing down subway steps’ test with flying colors.”

Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla makes a case for the napkin ring in her roundup to the often overlooked tablescape item. “It might not be as foundational to a table as a tablecloth or practical like a place mat,” she writes, but “a napkin ring can be an especially nice addition to a setting of plates, bowls, and glasses.” Of the spirited options that she found in the wide expansion of the internet, this parrot one stood out. “You can’t get much campier than a feathered parrot named Rio,” says Pardilla.

“Hands down, I’m in love with the all-denim, retro, ’70s-inspired silhouette of this dress,” says Joy Asibey-Gabriel, founder of the styling company Black Lady of Leisure. The 100 percent cotton number that’s heavy enough to wear into the fall is one of the many shirtdresses that Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen uncovered while interviewing particularly stylish women about shirtdresses. As one of those stylish women, Asibey-Gabriel says, “I would style this dress with chocolate-toned suede knee-high boots, stacks of gold chains, and sleeves rolled up to reveal more stacks of gold bracelets and rings.”

When it came to building her own wedding registry, Strategist contributor Rachel Karten carefully deliberated which kitchen and dining items she would include. “While I thought I knew what would be my favorite gift,” she writes, “I am shocked to tell you, almost a year post-wedding, that my favorite item was the one I least expected: a humble (but beautiful!) Serving Bundle from Jono Pandolfi.” She came across the serveware after repeatedly flipping over a plate at a restaurant to see it was made by the New Jersey–based ceramic studio. Now that it’s part of her collection, she says, “The bundle allows me to have a consistent theme with my serveware, popping in my eclectic pieces more thoughtfully throughout.”

Our final Tabletop Week pick is a delightful cabbage-shaped serving platter that has been recommended to us many times over. Of the food-themed ceramics that have appeared on the Strategist, this one is one of the “healthier” options and a central piece of serveware in prop stylist Bea Chastka’s home. “They’re playful and formal at the same time,” she says, “and kind of seasonless, too. They work well with an indoor setup and casual, summer, out-on-the-patio settings.”

In his eight years on the tech beat, Strategist writer Jordan McMahon has been faithful to his trusty iPhone and iPad. That is, until Google sent him its new foldable smartphone, which can seamlessly split its screen between two apps. His transition hasn’t been without difficulties — most notably three friends asking if he had blocked them when their texts turned green. But the transition has also come with many perks, most notably multitasking with ease: “During a long commute on the subway recently, I used the 9 Pro Fold to read some articles while keeping an eye on how many stops I had left in Google Maps “he says.

The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.