Hello. It’s Dorothy. A few weeks ago, I got a text from my friend Andrea Park who is a real writer (she’s now at CBSnews.com and wrote this really lovely essay about her TBI for Glamour which I think you should read immediately) wondering if she could write for The Tankini Files and I was like, “LOLZ. Sureeeeee.” I was 100 percent sure she would never follow through because, well, she has good taste and why would she waste her talent on this silly, little blog? She’s not even a tired mom! She’s a vivacious city-dweller with no children! I can’t stress this enough: She shops at places OTHER THAN TARGET.
Anyway, she just emailed me this list for Black Friday deals and it was the best thing ever as I know nothing about 1. Black Friday Deals. 2. Shopping. 3. Tasteful things you should purchase. (I am going to Amazon Prime everything two days before Christmas and call it a day.)
So, behold. Here is what an attractive, fun, cosmopolitan woman of the world thinks are good holiday presents (and are on sale for Black Friday / Cyber Monday). Let us learn from her, shall we? (I wrote the captions to make the applicable for parents. Just FYI.)

If I were Oprah, I would buy this cashmere throw from Parachute for everyone I know (above). I own one and I love how soft and warm it is. The cashmere also has a really nice sheen to it. It’s normally $329 but Parachute is reportedly doing a 20 percent off sale sitewide. I went to a Parachute event and was really impressed by their “bath sheets” ($49). They felt incredibly plush and luxe, and they’re oversized for maximum hygge-ness. When my current towels crap out, I’m definitely getting the Parachute bath sheets.

The Nespresso Lattissima is on sale at Nespresso, BB&B and Macy’s for $259.99. I would say your best bet is using a 20 percent off coupon at BB&B to get it for less than $210. I think BB&B will send you your 20 percent off offer if you sign up for their e-mails. I love making soy and almond milk lattes in my Lattissima. Also, if you’re put off by how expensive Nespresso capsules can be, I think the ones from Brandless are pretty tasty, and they’re a little cheaper at $3 for 6 capsules.



If you’re a Hanky Panky fan, you know that they have an insanely high price per square inch of fabric and that they almost never go on sale. Right now, on their site, there are plenty of options for $13.50, down from $20.

I got a Natori Shangri-Larobe as a gift years ago and after finally ripping it, I ordered three: one for me and two for gifts. It’s the perfect weight for a robe — light, but not thin — and its length keeps my legs warm enough. The cotton is very smooth and soft. You can’t beat Nordstrom Rack’s price of $39.97, but it’s possible other department stores will have it for cheaper this weekend.
I got my first zit today in two months. I have consistently had at least one zit at a time since I was in puberty. The only difference is that I’ve been using Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Day Serum. I don’t know exactly what it does, but I’m sure it’s a miracle worker — it better be for $80. My skin has been very clear and moisturized since I started using it two and a half months ago. I’m a Sephora loyalist, but Derm Store is offering 25 percent off through Thanksgiving with the code GIVE, 30 percent off Friday with FRIDAY, WEEKEND on Saturday and Sunday and MONDAY on Monday.


I guess it’s weird to give someone pimple patches for Christmas, but I think it’s all about how you frame it. “I personally love these pimple patches, and I know you were complaining about your pimples, so … ” But these COSRX pimple patches really work; you wear them at night and they remove bacteria and gunk for your zit. I was skeptical, but I tried it on a very deep cystic zit (back when I got zits) and it went away after 2 nights — and I thought that one was a 3-weeker, at least. They’re only $5 but Soko Glam is offering a 30 percent discount this weekend with SOKO17. I also love the British M hair oil, which I think has prevented lots of split ends for me, but it’s quite expensive, even with the discount. Looks like the discount begins on Thanksgiving.

Speaking of gendered book picks, if you haven’t read Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels, they’re great, and anyway, I have male friends who love them, too. I think the set of four is a great gift for a girlfriend (just don’t give them to someone you have a kind of competitive or tense friendship with).

The Leuchtturm1917 ($19.95 at B&N) is a good size for a planner. It’s not as big as most day planners but it’s not so small that you’ll have to write in tiny letters to write your tasks. It’s also very sturdy and comes in pretty colors. These are blank lined notebooks, so you’ll have to format it yourself, which I prefer.

If you don’t own a S’well water bottle, you probably think people just buy them because they look cool. Well, you’re wrong! They are worth the hype. They keep your drink cold or hot for way longer than it will take you to finish your drink, they keep your hands dry and they’re very durable. They don’t go on sale too often, but Nordstrom has a few for 25 percent off ($26.26 to $33.75) right now.
