Simon Rex’s Hip Hook, the Bicoastal Baggu, and Other Recent Strategist Finds

A dog technically has a built-in jacket (fur), but sometimes it’s not enough. In cold winter weather and on wet rainy days, dogs, like humans, need a coat. And Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen kept hearing about Finnish company Hurtta from stylish pet owners.
Coats for dogs should be lined and water repellent, but most crucially, they must fit well. “Hurtta has the most inclusive sizing, plus everything is adjustable,” says Nicole Sciria, owner of a rescue named Benny. Ally Steeves owns a Boston terrier, a beagle mix, and a Jack Russell–Chihuahua mix, and she swears by the Hurtta Expedition Parka for all three. Meanwhile, Goertzen tested it on her 50-pound Australian shepherd, Shea, and confirms it fits like a glove. She says the handy hind-leg straps hold the backside of Shea’s parka in place and it is the only coat that makes her shiver less. The water-resistant exterior also keeps Shea’s core dry and incidentally entirely prevents wet-dog smell.

“I started using this many, many—I can’t tell you how many—years ago because it didn’t come off on the microphone by the time I’d finished singing. I do a couple of different shades. I used to be a little bolder onstage, a little redder, but I softened it to the soft rose for daily wear.”

“I’m constantly sitting in a car, on a plane, or on set, so I need anything that opens up my lower back. Funny enough, this little hook that you put in the front of your hip relieves all the pressure on your lower back. I throw this in my bag everywhere I go and lie on it for a few minutes at night. It hurts at first, but then you release into the pain.”

“I came across this brand in the most New York way: I had a meeting at the 1 Hotel, and there was a sample sale in the lobby. I walked past this black cross-body, and it was love at first sight. It holds the perfect amount of stuff without putting my body through it. I use it to carry a novel, my journal, a pen, my phone, and my wallet.”

While packing for my last international trip, I stumbled upon this Nodpod my mom had given me years ago and decided to give it a whirl. It’s a cute caterpillar of a thing: plush with four little segments filled with beads. One side is cotton, the other a cozier microfleece. It weighs nine ounces, apparently just the right amount for a mini weighted blanket for your eyes. Every night on my trip—and on many planes and trains in between—it worked its soft magic. Usually, it takes me a solid 30 to drift off, but this time, within just a couple of minutes, I was out. –Dana Covit

The Owala FreeSip was launched in March 2020 but didn’t come across my radar until earlier this year. I first clocked it when writer Samantha Irby recommended it to us in May. She told Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, who conducted the interview, that redditors and Instagrammers were dedicated to getting limited-edition “color drops” (and complaining when they didn’t). Days after we ran that article, Haley Nahman called it a “top-tier vessel” in her newsletter. In October, I found out our junior writer Brenley Goertzen and two senior editors, Jen Trolio and Winnie Yang, all own one (in the latter two cases, several). The main appeal, they each told me, is the two separate options for sipping. One opening lets you suck water through a straw, while the other reveals a wide-mouth hole with a protruding angled border that neatly guides a stream of water for gulping. If all this weren’t enough to declare it the dominant water bottle of 2023, I took a poll of everyone on our editorial staff and it turns out 11 others are enthusiastic owners, too (with editor Maxine Builder noting she bought one just that past weekend because she “didn’t want to miss out”). –Emma Wartzman

Rear-loading, dual-battery system.

Rear-loading, single-battery system.

Front-loading, dual-battery system.

Front-loading, single-battery system.

If you work in film and fly between L.A. and New York every other week, you carry your laptop in this bag.
It’s basically the bicoastal Baggu. The brand, founded by Sofia Coppola’s brother Roman, has been seen on Alexa Chung, Martha Stewart, and stylist Karolyn Pho, but the original industry insider to wear one of these bags is film producer Chris Chang, who works closely with Roman Coppola. He tells me he owns “not ten but more than five” Pacific Totes and likes that this one “feels like a real bag” instead of a “flimsy canvas thing.” And, yes, he says, there’s a certain pleasure knowing you’re carrying your stuff in the same tote bag that the guy who directed The Godfather uses: “Because I can’t imagine Roman hasn’t given his dad one, you know?” –Katherine Gillespie

If you prefer light layers of moisture, this one is a really great pick. Mugwort is an ingredient often used in Korean cosmetics because it calms inflamed and flaky skin; it’s excellent for anyone with supersensitive or rosacea-prone skin.

Dermatologist Dr. Deanne Robinson recommended this moisturizer to me. It’s super-hydrating but also oil free, so it doesn’t clog pores. It contains moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides and glycerin as well as niacinamide, which actively combats acne.

This moisturizer uses propolis and royal jelly, both of which have antibacterial properties that work to soothe inflammation, help with wound healing, and prevent future acne.
I’ve bought this countless times and can’t stop recommending it.

This one is slightly thicker than the CosRx, so it’s a great choice for those who are really concerned about dry, flaky skin this winter. This formula uses centella, which helps calm inflammation, redness, and swelling.