Sometimes it's a perfect storm of events that gets you into a product—like the heavens open up and everything conspires to get you to use bar soap. Or maybe it's just really good marketing.

In this case, the first seed was planted by Alex Beggs, who noted that every once and a while, she finds herself in midst of a bar soap phase (and who hasn't, really?). Shortly thereafter, I met Sarah Akkari of Senteurs d’Orient, the Lebanese bath and body line. Her mom started making the soaps and Sarah is taking them global, which is pretty cool. Among their line is a black soap on a rope—it smells like amber, and it's the chicest addition to my bathroom I've found in a while.

All of which got me thinking: Is the reason I never actually finish a bar of soap because they are not on ropes, ergo harder to use? I'm still experimenting (the Senteurs d'Orient bar is big—I haven't lathered my way through it yet), but I get the sense that if you have an appropriate hook situation going on in your shower, hanging is the best setup for your soap. It can drip off while not gathering bacteria and whatnot on your ledge. Bonus: the added safety strap that goes around your wrist. Less dropping! Happy sudsing, everyone.

—Emily Ferber

Photographed by Tom Newton.

Not in a bar soap phase? Consider some of ITG's favorite shower gels.