Hard Shell vs Soft Roller: Weight, Repairability and Warranty
Hard shells protect contents and soft shells survive damage better. How shell material, repair access and warranty wording decide which roller lasts.
Sep 5, 2026 · Tessa Marlow
Bags
Michael Kors Jet Set Totes Compared: Leather, 2-in-1 and 3-in-1
Three Michael Kors Jet Set totes in the same 17-inch frame, compared by material, extras and price: Saffiano leather, a pebbled 2-in-1 and a canvas 3-in-1.
Sep 27, 2026 · Tessa Marlow
Measure Twice
A measuring guide for one product category at a time. Three numbers to take, the mistakes people make with the tape, and how to read the spec sheet against both. The tag tells the truth; the listing often does not.
Shoes
Sandal Sizing Runs on the Footbed: Why Open Footwear Fits Larger
Sandals are sized by the footbed, not the shoe last. Why open footwear runs large, how cork, EVA and leather footbeds differ, and when strap width wins.
Oct 12, 2026
More in Shoes →Bags & Luggage
A Work Backpack: Laptop Sleeve, Back Panel and Load
A commute backpack lives or dies on three details a spec sheet buries: the laptop sleeve, the back panel, and how the loaded weight rides on your shoulders.
Sep 20, 2026
More in Bags & Luggage →Wardrobe
Shirt Collar Size: What 15.5 Inches Actually Measures
Collar size is an inside circumference with ease built in, not your neck. How to read inch and centimetre sizes, point length and shrinkage.
Oct 18, 2026
More in Wardrobe →Accessories
Umbrella Canopy Diameter, Arc and Rib Count in Centimetres
Canopy diameter and arc length are not the same number, and the gap is about 20 percent. How to size an umbrella for one person or two.
Oct 19, 2026
More in Accessories →From our columns
Second Look
A popular claim, taken apart with published numbers instead of adjectives. On paper versus in the mirror — and which one the measurements back.
One to read this week
“Measure the laptop first, the tote second. Most people buy the bag and hope.”
Tessa Marlow, Editor
Latest
Jewelry
Earring Post Gauge and Backs: The Millimetres That Decide Comfort
Post gauge, post length and back type decide whether an earring sits flat or aches by noon. The numbers to check before you buy a pair.
Oct 17, 2026
Guides
What Hemming, Tapering and Taking In Actually Cost
Alteration prices by operation, the 1.5 cm seam allowance most trousers carry, and the point where a cheap fix costs more than the garment.
Oct 16, 2026
Guides
Six Body Measurements That Beat a Size Label
Six tape measurements decide fit better than any size chart. Where each number starts and ends, and the errors that move it by a full size.
Oct 13, 2026
Accessories
Glove Warmth Is the Lining: Wool, Fleece, Primaloft and Thinsulate Compared
Glove warmth comes from the lining: wool, fleece, Primaloft and Thinsulate compared, plus what touchscreen fingertips and wet hands cost.
Oct 12, 2026
Accessories
Cap Closures Decide the Sizing: Fitted, Snapback, Strapback, Buckle and Elastic
Fitted, snapback, strapback, buckle and elastic closures size a cap differently. How each one fits, how to make a cap bigger, and why washing warps crowns.
Oct 12, 2026
Jewelry
Ring Size Is Two Millimeter Numbers: Diameter, Circumference and One Knuckle
Ring size reduces to inside diameter and inside circumference. Measure both the finger and the knuckle, and wide bands change the answer.
Oct 10, 2026