Time and time again, we have learned that, yes, you do need to bring a sweater to dinner. The decision about which sweater, exactly, is not so easy in the warmer months. But Ann Mashburn’s cotton-and-silk-blend cardigan has become a staple. It’s the perfect sleek fit and summer weight,affording the rare ability to actually elevate an outfit. (Can you tell I hate sweaters?) I started with the oatmeal and quickly doubled back for the black. ($295, shopmashburn.com) —Clara Molot

Efforts to dress up a ponytail are often thwarted by the unevolved hair tie, creating looks that are better suited to Pilates or brunch than to black-tie galas. Enter Lelet NY, the brand handcrafting made-to-order hair accessories in its Manhattan studio. The highly desired golden Glossy Double Arch Pony easily and quickly loops onto one’s hair, elevating a humble ponytail or bun with a Brancusi-esque sleekness. Needless to say, it’s a must-have in any complete wedding-season arsenal. For those who crave a more-is-more approach, add on a few of Lelet’s other offerings, such as the Glossy Bar Barrette and Dash Dot Bobbi. The combinations are endless. ($158, leletny.com) —Gracie Wiener

For anyone lucky enough to have seen Little Feat perform in the 70s, one of the more poignant artifacts on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, is likely to be the trademark white overalls worn by their leader, Lowell George. George died at 34 in 1979, but his peak—as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist—dovetailed with the band’s heyday, captured on the just-reissued gems Sailin’ Shoes (1972) and Dixie Chicken (1973). Little Feat produced other fine work, but never did their singular stew of rock ’n’ roll, blues, country, and funk, with inspiration ranging from Allen Toussaint to Frank Zappa, crackle more thrillingly. Rhino’s deluxe editions comprise the original albums remastered, including “Willin’,” “Cold, Cold, Cold,” “Fat Man in the Bathtub,” the classic title tracks, and many more, plus unreleased demos, outtakes, and live cuts, all of it sounding as fresh as ever. ($24.98, store.rhino.com) —George Kalogerakis

I recently hosted three dinner parties, ranging from 10 to 18 guests, over a six-day period. The only reason this was possible without a psychiatric intervention or an emergency trip to the frozen-foods section of Costco was Amber Guinness’s extraordinary cookbook, A House Party in Tuscany: Recipes, Stories, and Art from Arniano. Guinness runs a painting school on her family estate, but it’s her recipes that should be framed and hung on the wall. Using only a few, high-quality ingredients, she encourages a dish’s raw materials to shine; a criminally simple salad of grated carrots, torn basil, and lemon vinaigrette is only one of these revelations. But it’s Guinness’s charming stories, useful techniques, and battery of menus that make A House Party in Tuscany a new classic. Order a dozen copies and consider your host and hostess gifts sorted until further notice. ($50, amazon.com) —Ashley Baker

Becky Malinsky spent more than 20 years as a style editor—most recently, as the deputy fashion director at The Wall Street Journal—and, as such, she’s a trusted voice on what’s good and what’s garbage. Now her addictive weekly newsletter, 5 Things You Should Buy, brings her expertise to your inbox. She has spent much of July (so far) trying on bathing suits (Lido!) and tracking down packable hats (go for the Jacquemus) to highly useful effect. When she loves something, she styles it in several different ways as a testament to its utility throughout seasons and moods. And whether it’s a spot-on black cotton skirt from Kallmeyer (where has this been all my life?) or slouchy gingham shorts from Proenza Schouler, each “Thing” I’ve bought has surprised and delighted me. ($5 per month, 5thingsyoushouldbuy.substack.com) —Ashley Baker

A summer wardrobe comprising crisp whites and plenty of sharp-looking linen calls for footwear of similar consideration. Leave it to Palmes, the Copenhagen-based apparel brand known for turning out insouciantly raffish tennis-inspired wares, to ace the ultimate shoe of the season. Made in collaboration with Brooklyn’s Blackstock & Weber, which boldly claims to produce the “best fucking loafers in the world,” the resulting penny loafers feature an all-white upper fashioned from actual tennis-ball felt, and arrive with a small sack of tennis-court clay for any deliberate D.I.Y. scuffing-up. (Fun fact: tennis balls were all white until the 70s, when brighter, neon shades were deemed easier for viewing on television screens.) Dress them up, dress them down, and, no, it’s certainly not too on the nose—but more like a wink—to sport these loafers courtside. ($375, palmes.co) —Laura Neilson