Edition 44: Mirrors for All
Full body, hand-held, magnifying. The looking glasses your face deserves.
Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.
Shopping for a mirror is something I can safely say I’ve never really thought about until recently when a friend asked me to send her a photo of an outfit, and I never did because I was home alone and didn’t have a way to do it easily. No, I don’t own a full-body mirror and haven’t since I had one permanently affixed to my dorm room wall. I don’t fuss over my wardrobe choices enough to need one every day, and besides — I can just catch a glance of myself in the reflection of a storefront window the minute I leave the house. When Camille in Brooklyn wrote in recently with the same problem, I knew I had to save us both:
“A mirror! My friends and family gawk at the fact that the only way I can view an outfit, a 'look', a statement, is if I catch a glimpse of my faint reflection wobbling in the plexi-plastic of my framed Neue Galerie poster. Mirrors always seem to be more expensive than what I anticipate and I can never make up my mind. Any advice would be much appreciated!”
Dear Camille,
Isn’t it funny how you just get used to things like this in your home, to the point where it’s totally normal when in truth an hour or two of research and schlepping could make literally thousands of mornings easier. Who am I to say any of this — I do the exact same thing. And on occasion, I even stand on the wobbly stool in my bathroom just to see what my lower half looks like. We can do better, Camille!
I’m assuming here that what you need is a full-length mirror and that you either have something in your bathroom already, or have a good reason not to. That said, if you’re only going to own one mirror, a full-body one is most versatile, so I’ll start there. Before I share some picks for you, I want to disclaim that I am not going to give you statement mirrors. As you know, mirrors are a pain to acquire because they’re expensive, breakable and difficult to transport so let’s not do this more than once. No Ettore Sottsass dupes!!
Full-Body
There’s a brand called Neutype that specializes in mirrors! You can find all shapes and styles at a wide range of prices. Their website also has great instructions and tips on how to install your mirror, so this is a great place to start even if just to learn about your options. My pick from Neutype is the Alison Mirror ($549), which is a wavy mirror that I could see still looking great long after the Sottsass trend dies:
Before we continue, let’s talk about why mirrors are expensive. Cheap mirrors are almost always plastic, which makes them lighter, less expensive and easier to transport. The downside is that they scratch easily and using normal cleaning products (like Windex) will ruin the surface eventually. And something you might not think about: plastic is flexible! Your body will be distorted!
Glass mirrors will last forever, be easier to maintain but also cost more in materials and safe transport. It’s hard to find a proper glass mirror with a nice frame for less than $300, so don’t spend the money if you’re not sure. And think about it this way: a mirror is a necessary item to plan an outfit, or check your hair, but it also does an enormous amount of good in making a room feel larger.
From Overstock.com, I love this irregular shaped mirror that’s only $221. Something fun and low stakes like this is a good option if you’re not 100% sure what kind of mirror you want to invest in just yet .
Normal Size
The Citizenry is one of my favorite places to find ethically manufactured home goods and they have a gorgeous round mirror that’s made by a husband and wife duo in Chile. I love this mirror because it has a slim wood frame that isn’t going to make it feel dated in 10 years. With so many hard angles in a home, a round mirror will add a little geometry to your room. The Provencia Mirror comes in two sizes and starts at $395:
All of the smaller mirrors in my home were found on Etsy. The one important thing to do if you’re going to look here is to set your filters to only show options that ship from your country. You don’t want to fall in love with something that’s shipping from another continent! It’s not worth the shipping risk or cost. For good results, try this formula antique + (era or style. i.e. art deco, mcm, victorian, 70s, etc) + wall mirror. Vintage will give you too many “vintage inspired” things. I searched antique art deco mirrors and found many lovely, affordable beveled edge mirrors like this one for under $200:
And Camille isn’t the only one who needs a mirror! Lori in Phoenix is after one, too:
“I am looking for a hand-held mirror with magnification on one side.”
I can assure you, Lori, that I scoured the internet to find you something better than the Goody hand-held you’ll find at your nearest Walmart, but what I’ve discovered is that a lot of the materials that would make a hand-held mirror nicer than average are prohibitive based on the nature of the item. A gorgeous vintage silver or brass mirror would be fabulous, but also heavy! And a scant few wood ones do exist, but if you’re using it in a bathroom with moisture and potential water hazards, it just doesn’t make sense. After checking some of my favorite beauty and barber supply shops, I can conclude that this generic but effective $4 model seems to be the favorite, and is dual sided with 1x magnification on on side, and 5x magnification on the other.
If you’re open to something with a few bells and whistles, the Cami mirror by Fancii ($104) claims to be “The Most Versatile Mirror, Ever”. It had 1x and 5x magnification, adjustable light settings, and a moveable stand to put it in for the option of using it on a table.
As an on-the-go solution, this Joseph Joseph Viva 2-in-1 Compact Mirror ($10) has a band under which you can slide your hand for easy holding, making it the best in its class.
QUICK ANSWER
Tanya in Allentown: “I'm looking for a pair of earrings that I can wear most every day that are not huggies or hoops -- not because I don't like them but because I'm bored of them. I'm looking for something that has a unique shape or just enough interest that will be interesting but not as distracting as a statement earring. I don't need 14k gold, but something I could wear even if in the shower or sweating would be nice. Not sure if this affects your thoughts but I have multiple piercings in each ear. What are your suggestions?”
Tanya, look no further than Agmes! It’s an NYC-based brand by a pair of sisters who design spectacularly stylish, but not intimidating jewelry for the modern woman. Their prices are moderate and their earrings are anything but boring. Almost everything comes in sterling silver or gold vermeil. It’s not recommended to shower/sweat/swim in gold vermeil, but I do occasionally and have found that it’s really not the end of the world. There are lots of studs to choose from, but I’d pick the Simone, which is a collab with Brooklyn-based sculptor Simone Bodmer-Turner (starting at $190, and also available in a mini size):
FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
New Yorkers, have you visited any of the new state-licensed cannabis dispensaries? There are three, and they’re all unjustly near each other in lower Manhattan. As someone who identifies as “California sober”, I was quick to check them all out and get my hands on the new edible options. So far, my favorites are the oHHo Good Morning Dots ($30), which are only 2.5mg of THC per piece, but also contain 5mg of both CBD and CBG. A little high and super calm is my preferred way of being and these lil grapefruit treats do the trick. Since it’s a totally new market, the products are completely different to those in other states and fresh ones are arriving at the stores all the time! Should you feel so inclined (and are over 21!), I’d recommend going the Housing Works Cannabis Co. on Broadway and talking through options with any of the wonderful, knowledgeable folks who work there.
Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next week for a fresh recommendations. xo Caroline