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Racked NY editor Tiffany Yannetta: I was hell bent on buying something at the new Clare Vivier store in Nolita when it opened in October, and ultimately decided to trade in my old janky laptop bag for something way better: the Simple Tote. (I even threw down to have it monogrammed.)
The bag set me back $368, but it's really changed my commuter game — now, when I hit up happy hour after work or head to a dinner meeting, I don't feel like a total bag lady. I feel like an It bag lady.
Racked SF editor Kristen Philipkoski: Would you ever buy perfume at the drug store? If the prospect makes you feel weird, let me just say that before Demeter fragrances were available at Walgreen's, Anthropologie carried them. But who cares where you buy it when there's a scent called Dirt?
I'm not kidding: It smells like dirt. Like that damp dirt you played in as a kid with toy cars and plastic dolls when the weather was just starting to get chilly enough that you needed a jacket. It's a nostalgic trip to childhood fun times every time I spray it. And while I'm a happily married lady, I can't help but think it's the kind of olfactory experience that would bring men with similar memories a-running. Find it at Duane Read stores throughout NYC, Walgreen's on Powell Street in San Francisco, and many more locations across the country.
Racked LA associate editor Danielle Directo-Meston: Australians and Angelenos are on the same level when it comes to that laid-back, warm-weather lifestyle, so I wasn't at all surprised when this black quilted number by Oz brand Cameo ended my wild sartorial goose chase for the perfect edgy-meets-sporty bomber jacket. This lightweight piece has everything I needed but didn't know I wanted: a playfully-shaped hood, comfy front pockets, buttoned cuff sleeves and an elastic waistband, all striking the right balance between tomboy and girly.
It was hanging like a dream at one of my fave new local boutiques, Aust, which boasts a killer inventory of cult cool Aussie brands. Though it's no longer sold on the shop's site, you can pick it up online at RevolveClothing.com.
Racked LA editor Natalie Alcala: In case you missed it, "selfie" is the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year. To help me embrace this shameless phenomenon sans awkward posing, I'm investing in a smartphone camera remote like any self-respecting social media fiend would do.
Firebox's version is better than others because it's cute, compact, cordless and easy to use. Simply download the device's free iPhone app to connect, then use the accompanying stand to prop up your phone. Hurry, hands-free selfies await!
Izzy Grinspan, Racked editorial director: A few days ago, Gisele Instagrammed a photo in which she's breastfeeding her perfect baby while her minions curl her perfect hair and manicure her perfect fingernails. This is, I am sorry to say, not what new motherhood is like—except for the part where you're doing many things at once while also wearing a bathrobe. That part? That part is 100 percent accurate.
Since not all of us look like Gisele, it helps to stack the deck a bit with a bathrobe that's flattering even when you're exhausted. Eberjey's Mila robe comes in an electric shade of pink (they call it "guava") that's basically blush in jersey form. It's also super soft, which is convenient when you pass out while still wearing it. If there's a new mom in your life this holiday season, I promise she will appreciate it—especially since everyone else is going to be gifting her with onesies and rattles.
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