Review: Magic Wand Plus

Kate Sloan

When I interviewed Shay Martin – co-owner of Vibratex, the company that legendarily saved the Magic Wand from extinction when Hitachi wanted to pull the plug on it – for a story I was writing in 2015, she said something that sex toy makers never say. She said that in updating and modernizing the toy, she was doing her best to keep everything the same, with the exception of the problems the redesign was trying to fix (mostly, the porous foam head and the overworked motor). She said she knew she was going to receive phone calls from Magic Wand purists regardless, claiming the new toy felt different or sounded different or just was different in ways that mattered to them – so it made sense to change only what absolutely was not working – a head all too easily stained by menstrual blood or cum, a motor known to occasionally burst into flames – and leave almost everything else the exact same.

This is rare in the sex toy biz. The We-Vibe Nova 2 is a recent example of a sex toy re-release that kept the best and tossed the rest – but in general, sex toy updates tend to add bells and whistles nobody asked for (*cough* Lelo) without making the improvements that would actually excite customers (*cough* also Lelo). So, needless to say, I’ve been wanting to try the Magic Wand Plus ever since it was announced – and thanks to my pals at TheVibed.com, I finally got to!

For context, there are already two major Magic Wands to be aware of (not counting the literally hundreds, if not thousands, of knockoffs and wannabes out there): the Magic Wand Original, a plug-in 2-speed behemoth essentially identical to the original Hitachi Magic Wand except for the minor motor updates as outlined above, and the Magic Wand Rechargeable, a contemporized version that no longer chains you to an outlet and that boasts 2 extra speeds and some vibration patterns. The MWR is the better choice for the vast majority of users, because its added 2 speeds are on the lower end of the intensity spectrum, bringing it down from “HOLY FUCK” territory into something more approachable, even for a vibrator novice – but, notably, the MWR is more than twice the price of the MWO. So it’s no surprise so many horny hopefuls on a budget would go for the MWO; it was the best option that existed for them – until the Magic Wand Plus.

The MWP is the best of both worlds: it has the MWR’s nonporous silicone head and wider variety of speeds, but is only a little pricier than the MWO: $65 versus $55 on TheVibed. The trade-off is that it’s plug-in rather than rechargeable, and it doesn’t have vibration patterns. That’s it.

The more that I think about it – and the more that I use the MWP instead of my well-worn old MWR – the more I realize that those trade-offs are no big deal for me at all. I almost never use vibration patterns, and I almost never use wand vibrators anywhere that doesn’t have electrical outlet access (especially in, y’know, pandemic times). Sure, it’s great to have a travel-friendly vibe I could whip out in a bar bathroom or back alley if need be, but generally I need those vibes to be small. I can literally only think of one time that I used a wand in a situation that lacked nearby outlets, and that was during a porn shoot at a sex club – not exactly a normal set of circumstances for most people.

The combination of laziness, depression, and chronic pain also renders me chronically reticent to plug in my vibes when they run out of juice – so, despite the modernity and convenience of wireless toys, my most-used vibrators these days are ones that plug into the wall. I am just not organized or on-top-of-things enough to habitually remember to charge vibes before I need them, so electric ones are, oddly enough, often the best choice for me. (That said, though, the MWR has a brilliant feature a lot of other rechargeable toys lack: you can use it while it’s charging. The more you know…)

So, that being the case, I cannot think of a single thing I love about the Magic Wand Rechargeable that the Magic Wand Plus doesn’t also have. And it’s about half the price, which is a pretty fucking big benefit, especially right now when many people’s sex toy budget is – to say the least – constricted.

The lack of vibration patterns on the MWP freed up some space in the control panel, so Vibratex added a “minus” button. This means that you can quickly move back to the previous speed if you so desire, instead of needing to cycle through all 4 like you do on the MWR. This is a pretty small difference, unless you like to move up and down the intensity scale a lot during sessions like I do, in which case it might actually be super convenient.

I do not have Princess & the Pea-level genital discernment skills, so in discussing the more minute differences between these toys, I will defer to my friend Epiphora, who does. She says the MWP is slightly buzzier and stronger than the MWR – possibly owing to differences in motor weight – and when I really strain to pay attention, I can detect this too. But, as she also notes, the difference is most notable between the 2nd and 3rd speed, so if (like me) you tend to hang out on the lower 2 speeds, this won’t be an issue for you. (For reference, I always max out when using smaller vibes like the Tango, but the lowest 2 speeds of the MWR/MWP are more than rumbly and strong enough to get me off.)

Perhaps as a result of the minor differences in buzziness/strength, I also notice that the MWP is louder and rattlier than the MWR. But both quiet down significantly when pressed against skin and flesh, where (presumably) they will spend most of their time.

I sort of wish the MWP’s wire was a bit longer – it stretches 6 feet – but I also know that the 12-foot length of my beloved Eroscillator‘s cord gets tangled more than I would prefer, and can be more of a hindrance than a convenience at times. If your preferred sexytimes zone is more than a couple feet away from an outlet, I would suggest throwing an extension cord into your cart alongside the MWP if possible, but it’s not a huge deal. The wire also gets in my way occasionally when I’m holding the toy, but I just rotate it around until the wire juts out away from me and the annoyance is neutralized.

So what’s my verdict? The Magic Wand Plus is a genius invention. Vibratex found a way to make a blessedly more affordable version of their absolutely magnificent Magic Wand Rechargeable, without compromising on any functions that matter to me. If you care a lot about portability or patterns, then disregard this – but if all you want is beautifully strong vibrations at a decent price, I think the Magic Wand Plus is absolutely the best bang for your buck.

 

Thanks so much to TheVibed for sending me this toy to try! This review was sponsored, which means I was paid to write an honest and fair review of this toy. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Look at Meee!: A Product Wishlist for Exhibitionists

Kate Sloan
From a recent striptease set I shot at a customer’s request.

Oddly enough, I’ve done more sex work than usual since the coronavirus swept the world. I guess it makes sense: lots of people are stuck at home, bored, and battling a stress-inflamed libido. Of course some of them would slide into my email inbox to inquire about purchasing nude pics, lingerie shots, or sexy videos. (Pro tip: if you do this, state your intentions upfront, have your credit card at the ready, and do not under any circumstances ask me for a “free sample.”)

This being the case, I’ve been thinking lots about various upgrades I could make to my arsenal of exhibitionistic equipment to boost the quality of my output. Here are some items I think would drastically improve your nudes, clips, and/or cam shows, whether you’re performing for beloved partners, regular customers, random strangers, or even just for yourself.

 

A selfie stick. These are fairly cheap and are sold all over the internet, so if you want to try your hand at some exhibitionism, they’re a great starting point! You can use them to shoot selfies, of course (they’re particularly useful for taking full-body shots or butt pics), and you can also use them to lend different angles and degrees of distance to sexy videos or mobile livestreams.

A lighting setup. Some people go the whole nine yards, with multiple lights and diffusers/reflectors; some people just spring for one ring light; some people get by with just a small bedside lamp. It depends on what effect you’re going for – but generally, more lighting is better than less. On the best cam sites, you’ll sometimes see people getting creative with lighting colors and effects, but as long as you’re well-lit enough to be clearly visible, there’s no need to get super fancy.

A non-distracting backdrop. You could keep things simple by just performing in front of a blank wall, or a wall you’ve draped with a bedsheet or blanket. You could also look into the more pro-level backdrops preferred by professional YouTubers, etc.

A tripod. If you have to choose between a selfie stick and a tripod, choose a tripod every time – it’s more versatile and forgiving. Standard tripods are terrific; however, these days I’m also lusting after a suction-cup iPhone holder, because it enables you to affix your phone to any hard surface (like a wall, floor, or even ceiling if you can reach it) at the exact angle that you want.

A camera remote. Whether you’re shooting with a phone, a webcam, a point-and-shoot, or a decked-out DSLR, there’s likely a remote-control option available to you somewhere. It’ll make your life so much easier, especially when taking a lot of pictures at a time.

Suction cup dildos. These make it easier to create content where you’re “riding” a dildo, maybe for a POV scene or maybe just for the fun and pleasure of it. Affix the suction-cup base of your dildo to a wall or floor before playing (hard, smooth surfaces work best, like tile or lacquered wood), or – if no viable surfaces are available to you at the moment for whatever reason – use a hardcover book or other rigid, flat object instead. (Yeah, it might look a little strange if you’re riding your old geography textbook in bed, but anyone watching will likely be too distracted by your bangin’ bod to notice.)

See-through sex toys, like a clear glass dildo or anything from the Fleshlight Ice range. These give the viewer a peek at the inner workings of your sexual response, almost as effectively as if they had X-ray vision!

Lube. I recommend this for any sexual activity, as you no doubt already know if you read this blog, but it can be particularly handy during exhibitionistic play – especially if your session goes on for a long time (gotta get all the shots you need!) and/or you get nervous in front of the camera and find that your nerves affect your natural lubrication level. When making content related to “creampies” and other forms of cum fetishism, you may want to go with a lube that looks semen-esque, such as Sliquid Silk.

Face powder. I’ll leave your other makeup decisions up to you, but powder is a must-have. It gets rid of the pesky shine that can crop up on the oily areas of your skin. (Some kinds of shine are hot – like the glisten of wet, excited genitals – but a shiny face is often just distracting.) If you’ll also be doing makeup for other models whose skin tone differs from your own, look for a translucent setting powder so you don’t have to worry about tone-matching (although some of these still create a light cast on darker skin, unfortunately). Don’t forget a puff or brush to apply it with!

A robe or dressing gown. Not strictly necessary, of course, but it is nice to have something glamorous to slip in and out of between shots – particularly if it’s cold where you are, or you’re in a location where people might randomly walk by at any moment. (Abandoned stairwell, anyone?)

Photo/video editing software. Crucial. I mostly keep it simple with iMovie and the other built-in editing functions on my various Apple devices, but there’s a whole world of applications out there to explore. They may be less or more useful to you depending on how intense you want to go with your editing. Final Cut Pro and Adobe Lightroom are two popular choices.

 

What do you consider must-haves for a burgeoning exhibitionist or sexy content creator?

 

This post contains a sponsored link. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

In Defense of Wearing Socks During Sex

Kate Sloan

Recently, I asked my partner to write mini reviews of some lewd self-portraits I shot in Agent Provocateur lingerie (yep, I’m needy as fuck) and, in one of the shots, it became evident that I had teamed this very expensive, sexy ensemble with a pair of blue calf-high socks. Rather than do what most people would do and either wish they weren’t there or not even notice them, my partner noted that the socks “show me that you want to come, and they’re the only thing that will be left on you once I get my hands on you.” I giggled, blushed, and nodded. Exactly.

If you’d be mystified receiving a sext like that, let me explain. A study done in 2003 in the Netherlands, on the neural processes that contribute to orgasm, found (among numerous other things) that wearing socks increased female participants’ rate of orgasm from 50% to 80%. Innnteresting.

This makes sense to me, given what I’ve learned from sex researcher Emily Nagoski about how women can be more sensitive than men to the presence of “sexual brakes,” i.e. factors that inhibit sexual arousal both physically and psychologically. (For the record, I’m not really sure how this information relates to trans women or nonbinary people, or whether gender-non-conforming people were included in any of the relevant studies, although my past experiences reading sex research lead me to believe they probably weren’t sampled significantly or at all.) Having cold feet in the literal sense could give women cold feet in the metaphorical sense about having sex, because in some cases it’s a distraction significant enough that it prevents or slows down the arousal process – at least, for me, and seemingly for other women as well. This is likely compounded by the fact that women’s extremities, on average, run colder than men’s. (Again, I assume the research here refers only to cis people, but would be pleasantly surprised if that was not the case.)

In the many years since I first read about the socks study, I’ve cited it to multiple sexual partners when asked why I tend to keep my socks on during sex, or (in the cases of a few foot fetishists) when lustily asked to remove my socks. It’s interesting how just explaining “My feet get cold,” like I used to do before I knew about the science, was typically met with more resistance than the more recent and more airtight “Studies show wearing socks during sex helps with having orgasms.” It’s almost as if… people trust male scientists more than they trust women about women’s own bodies?! Gee, who’da thunk.

I should note here that many people have a legitimate aesthetic issue with the whole idea of socks during sex. Either they think it looks silly and weird (which is their prerogative – I know even ultra-busty pouty-lipped sex dolls would look kinda odd wearing woollen hiking socks and nothing else) or they’re turned on by feet and/or full nudity. When I fuck someone who feels this way, my partners’ orgasms may be inhibited almost as much by me wearing socks as mine would be by me not wearing socks – so I’m sometimes willing to bend my policy and work a little harder for my orgasms, knowing I can wriggle back into my nice warm socks when we’re done. I do, after all, want my partners to enjoy having sex with me!

But luckily for me, I’ve had about as many paramours who loved socks as ones who wanted to ban them from our bedroom. This, I think, can be attributed mostly to my interest in DD/lg – there are a lot of visual tropes within that fetish, and knee-high and thigh-high socks are high on the list for many kinksters. I still remember the time I settled into bed for a nice long phone-sex sesh with a daddy dom years ago: he asked me what I was wearing, I told him “a T-shirt, underwear, and some knee-high socks,” and he moaned/growled/grunted with such ferocity that I knew I had made the right choice even though he couldn’t even see my outfit.

Sometimes when I talk to other women about wearing socks during sex – and, yeah, my life is sufficiently weird that this topic does come up in conversation with friends sometimes – they seem slightly mystified by my decision to put my comfort first in a sexual scenario. I think this is sadly emblematic of our sexual culture. Mainstream porn, for example – while I adore much of it and think it is necessary and important – is full of messaging which suggests that hot sex and comfortable sex are basically mutually exclusive, especially for women (can you IMAGINE doing reverse cowgirl, while standing, for 20+ minutes straight?! I simply cannot). And indeed, there are some sex acts I enjoy greatly which could not be considered “comfortable” by any stretch of the imagination (getting paddled and getting throat-fucked come to mind), so it’s not like discomfort is incompatible with arousal for me. But for some reason, socks are one place where I draw a line. I’m rarely up for being uncomfortable in this particular way even though I’ll happily be uncomfortable in various other ways during sex from time to time.

I will say, too, that this has sometimes been a litmus test of sorts for how a new partner reacts to boundary-setting or mid-bang communication. Are they really so committed to their porn-borne sexual scripts that they’re going to insist on full nudity at the expense of my comfort? Are they really going to argue with me about this perfectly reasonable boundary I have set for my own body? Or are they going to say “Huh,” shrug it off, and move on like nothing is wrong (because nothing is)?

Despite being a foot fetishist, my current partner is so devoted to and interested in my pleasure and my orgasm that they’ll often encourage me to keep my socks on during sex. And this makes it all the more delicious for both of us when – after giving me a partly socks-enabled orgasm or two – they crawl down my body, rest their hand gently on my ankle, and ask so so sweetly, “May I take these off and look at your feet?”

Respecting sexual partners’ boundaries is so, so important, even if those boundaries don’t totally make sense to you. Every time a partner respects one of my boundaries without question, it becomes easier and more fun for me later on to bend my more flexible boundaries in the name of pleasure. Heeding my “no” now is likely to get you a “yes” later, for something else. I’m glad science exists to back me up when I set this particular boundary, but the truth is, I shouldn’t need a scientific citation to state what I want and have that be respected.

So when my partner compliments the socks I’m wearing in nudes ‘n’ lewds, I know it’s more than just a compliment. It’s an affirmation that my choices are valid, my boundaries are important, and I am beautiful regardless of which clothes I do, or don’t, remove.

Review: Biird Obii

Kate Sloan

Picture yourself as Cinderella, or Snow White, or another of those Disney princesses who enlist woodland creatures to do their bidding. Picture the sun cresting over the horizon, beams of light beginning to stream into your quaint forest cottage. Picture a pink cartoon bird landing on your windowsill and chirping, “Would you like an orgasm?” That’s kind of the whole vibe (so to speak) of the adorable Biird Obii.

Made to look like a stylized little bird, the Obii is a rechargeable vibrator that also offers “pressure wave” stimulation, the technology originally developed (as far as I know) by Womanizer and later utilized by other companies like Satisfyer and Lelo. New phenomena in the realm of clitoral stimulation don’t come along too often, so it’s no surprise that so many sex toy reviewers and sex writers have effused about the wonders of pressure waves – they really are pretty cool. They work by way of a tiny panel inside the toy’s nozzle that moves back and forth to create rhythmic suction/pressure around your clit, if you can get a good enough seal. This makes the sensation essentially “touchless” in a way that vibrators are not, so some people report more intense orgasms and shorter refractory periods with this type of toy.

The control panel on the bottom of the Obii – thoughtfully labeled, with buttons that are easy to press but hard to accidentally press, hooray – allows you to flip between the toy’s 4 vibration modes (3 steady speeds + 1 pulsing pattern) and its 3 pressure-wave intensities. You can use one at a time or turn them both on if you like your clit-sucking with a side of vibration.

The problem is, the vibrations on this toy are… sad. Like, “weak” or “disappointing” are not even the right words; when I turned on the vibrations for the first time, I felt like saying out loud to the toy, “Oh, honey…” They’re meager, they’re buzzy as hell, and they’re buried so deeply in the toy that I can’t even discern where the motor is or which part of the vibe I’m supposed to press against my clit, since all positionings feel equally numbing and underwhelming. If you are looking for a vibrator – or you’re curious about pressure wave toys but want to be able to use yours as a vibrator incase it turns out you don’t like pressure waves – then definitely look elsewhere. The power and resonance of the Obii’s vibrations are literally on par with one of those single-use bullets sold alongside Trojan condoms in fluorescently-lit drugstore aisles.

But what makes the Obii interesting and remarkable isn’t the vibration, it’s the pressure waves. And those are actually pretty swell. The waves this toy creates feel stronger and, for lack of a better word, “rumblier” than those I’ve experienced from some others. While reaching orgasm is always a slow process for me with this type of toy, because it focuses so intensely on the exposed tip of my clit and thus risks overstimulating me easily, they are nonetheless very much within reach when I’m using this toy. I wish there were more than 3 settings, because my clit is a sensitive little flower and I like gradation, but the existing settings are plenty good enough to get me off. And incase you’ve never had a pressure-wave orgasm, I’ll reiterate here: they really are different from orgasms with a vibrator, or orgasms achieved via just about any other means. They’re kinda like… if your clit was a dick, and you were getting a blowjob from a robot, but the robot only knew how to suck the head of your dick and not the shaft, but it was really good at that. (Bam. Another brilliant sex toy reviewer metaphor. 😂 I’m good at my job sometimes, I swear.)

An issue with the Obii, which some other reviewers who I deeply respect have pointed out, is that the nozzle is unusually small for a toy of this type, and that the moving panel inside the nozzle is abnormally close to the opening. What this means is that people with bigger clits will likely have a hard time using the Obii comfortably. I have asked a couple partners of mine over the years whether my clit is small, average, or large (yes, dating me is quite an adventure), and both of them said it was average or perhaps slightly larger than average, and I found this toy comfortable and inoffensive – but your mileage may vary. (It’s annoying that culturally we don’t talk about clits nearly as much as we talk about dicks, and so we don’t have an understanding of what an “average-sized” clit would look like, but also, maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. There’s already enough vagina-shame in the world; let’s not start comparing and competing with regards to clit size!)

The Obii won the Red Dot design award, and it’s easy to see why, from an aesthetic standpoint: it’s very pretty. I actually love how cute it is, and I think it would make you happy if you’re one of those people whose experience is genuinely improved when the sex toy you’re using is #AestheticGoals. It also doubles as a bedside lamp when placed on its cradle to charge; it casts a dim, warm glow that would be ideal for sexytimes (although, you know, the light would go off whenever you grabbed the Obii to use it). The silicone used all over the toy is wonderfully soft and silky in my hand, though it’s also one of the foremost lint magnets in my entire sex toy collection.

The silkiness of the silicone also poses problems during use. I can’t maintain a solid grip on the toy for long unless I squeeze it past the point of comfort (which, as someone with chronic pain in my hands and elsewhere, I’m especially disinclined to do). The ridges on the side of the toy seem like they could help with grippiness, but in practice they don’t actually help much. This also points to one of the problems with making a “design-y” sex toy: just because a shape looks pretty doesn’t mean it’ll feel good in someone’s hand or against someone’s body. While testing the Obii I often found myself reminiscing fondly on more ergonomically-shaped pressure wave toys like the Satisfyer Penguin.

All of that said, though… I can’t deny that I like pressure wave stimulation, in a “forced orgasm” kind of way, because it’s more intense and more direct than the stimulation I typically pursue – and I also can’t deny that the Biird Obii is pretty damn good at that type of stimulation. At one point while I was testing it, I watched a video on YouPorn of a domme holding a wand vibe against a penis pump in which her sub’s cock was trapped, and it occurred to me that the stimulation of pressure wave toys is similar to what I imagine that would feel like: mild and muffled vibration paired with insistent suction. It’s a very effective combo on my clit and on the clits of many other people. The Biird Obii may not be the perfect manifestation of this type of toy, but it’s cute as hell, smooth and soft, and surprisingly satisfying – so I say, as long as your clit is on the small-to-average side, have at it.

 

Thanks to Biird for sending me the Obii to try! This review was sponsored, which means that I was paid to write a fair and honest review of this product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Sensual Sleepwear for Rhapsodic Napping

Kate Sloan
An old picture of one of my favorite sleepwear items ever, a turquoise and pink romper by Leg Avenue.

I know I just talked about loungewear recently, but now I wanna talk about sleepwear, too!

There’s a fair amount of overlap between these two categories, but there are some notable differences. Loungewear is the sort of thing I’d mostly wear around the house, but would have no reservations about sporting to the store or a local café if I needed to, or wearing on a casual Zoom call. Sleepwear, on the other hand, tends to be a little slinkier, a little skimpier, and not exactly grocery store-appropriate. It must also be comfy enough that I can toss and turn in it and not wake up a sweaty, tangled, wrinkled mess.

Now that we’ve got that distinction sorted out, here are some sleepwear items I’ve been eying lately…

 

Remember when the word “mask” could refer to stuff that didn’t remind you of the global health crisis we’re all facing?! (Gulp.) I think silk eye masks are the best type of mask (fight me, N-95s… just kidding) and don’t know what I would do without them. One entire wall of my bedroom is a window, which ordinarily I love, but it can be tricky when I’m trying to squeeze in some mid-day zzz’s. There is just something about the pressure on my eyes, and the total blockage of light, that helps me sleep so much more easily and peacefully.

I probably already have too many masks of this sort, but this pink silk one by Emily Au is calling to me nonetheless. There’s something so delightfully meta/Dada about napping while little illustrated eyes cover your actual peepers.

This mask would be best paired with a black silk slip, pale pink striped thigh-high socks, and a white noise machine. Mmmm.

 

Excuse me, this matching pink satin robe and nightgown set is far too cute to exist. What I love about this is that it makes coordination effortless, so you can have your glamorous Cat on a Hot Tin Roof moment without needing to spend hours getting ready like Elizabeth Taylor did!

I also love that each of these items could be worn separately, depending on the situation. I can imagine falling asleep in just the nightgown and then slipping into the robe to go make breakfast and coffee in the morning… or wearing the nightgown during a hookup and then throwing the robe on to walk my date to the door. So many possibilities!

I would pair this ensemble with shiny black stiletto heels, hot pink lipstick, and big hair for an over-the-top selfie photoshoot… and then I would kick off the heels, blot the lipstick off, tie my hair back, and curl up for a nice comfy snooze, draped in stunning satin. Ah, heaven.

 

Sometimes you just wanna feel like a cartoonishly hot babe, and this cotton Lola Bunny nightgown from H&M is just the thing for those moments. It’s essentially an oversized T-shirt, which are the best thing to sleep in anyway (particularly when borrowed from a beau). I like that the design is juuust presentable enough that you could throw on some leggings underneath and maybe a denim jacket on top and you’d be fine to pop by the store or answer the door.

H&M also makes one of these bearing the NASA logo, and I love that juxtaposition. Imagine the kind of person who would own both of these. They seem like they’d be awesome to hang out with.

I’d pair sweet Lola Bunny with black cashmere socks and a pale lavender sleep mask. Bunny ears optional.

 

I’m absolutely losing my shit over everything made by Prayers and Plans, a Black-owned luxury loungewear company. However, this midnight-blue silk slip might just take the cake. The cut is so sexy yet so simple, and that color is just… va-va-voom. Silk can be so amazingly vividly hued; there’s a reason I keep gravitating toward it in this post!

I love when nightgowns are designed with actual sleeping in mind, rather than just being optimized for visual sexiness (there’s no shame in that, it’s just not what I’m after when I talk about sleepwear specifically). There’s enough looseness in this slip’s design that it seems like it’d be comfy all night long. Plus I’m pretty sure that if I had a one-night stand with someone and woke up to see them wearing this in bed the next morning, I’d have a hard time leaving…!

I’d pair this with… ideally nothing at all, honestly. And it looks like it’d actually feel fine when worn naked, unlike a lot of more lingerie-leaning slips that can scrape you with lace and poke you with seams.

 

I’ve always loved Yokoo‘s quirky collection of handmade knitwear (they made an absurdly warm raspberry cowl I’ve treasured for a few winters now) and I know from experience that these items are the best accessories for wintertime naps, especially before your landlord turns the heat on in your building (le sigh). The Pembroke Cowl is HUGE – like, almost Lenny Kravitz huge – and can be custom-made in a wide array of autumnal and wintry shades just for you. This scarf in the “warm blueberry pie” color has been calling my name for years now…

Yokoo’s scarves are also the absolute best for cold winters in general, especially if you’re someone who uses your voice professionally as a singer, podcaster, etc. (I used to have a voice teacher who insisted I should wear a scarf EVERY time I left the house, to “protect [my] throat,” and I don’t quite go that far, but…) I remember it feeling very comforting when, in winters past, I would sometimes wake up from a nap in my Yokoo cowl while sick with a cold or a flu, and head out the door immediately to go pick up medicine or soup without needing to first change my outfit.

For naptime, I’d pair this massive grey scarf with a long black modal slip dress, and (if it was really cold) black cashmere gloves. For bonus points, pull the scarf up over your eyes to act as an impromptu sleep mask!

 

What sleepwear are you craving these days?