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Welcome to InsideHook’s Staff Picks, a compendium of what our editors are digging recently.
Holiday Sock Boxes by American Trench
You should know by now that a man’s excitement over receiving socks as a gift is directly proportional to his age. You should also know that relatively few men are willing to shell out for nice socks, since they’re just f*cking socks and we’d rather do our splurging in other, sexier ways. This is where you come in, proffering a four-pack of cotton, wool or special-edition JFK-inspired socks from American Trench, the USA-made company that makes the best socks I currently have in my rotation. They are softer more supple than your average socks, with just the right amount of elasticity to stay up all day without cleaving impressions into your shins. And they’ve got a pack in there for the lady in your life, to boot. — Walker Loetscher, Editor in Chief
Revtown Sharp Denim Jeans
Revtown makes my favorite jeans. The Pittsburgh-based denim bar was launched earlier this year by a couple of Under Armour alums, in the hopes of offering “performance jeans” — pants that blend flexibility and comfort with high-end Italian yarn. Spoiler alert: they did it. I can’t definitively prove it, but the days Revtown pops up in my weekly jeans cycle seem unequivocally better. The sky beams a brilliant blue. I catch the express elevator heading up to the office. And people compliment me like I’m The Rock at a hotel gym. — Tanner Garrity, Associate Editor
Huawei Band 3e
I miss my Misfit Shine, a supremely minimalist fitness tracker that gave me only the analytics I needed (steps, sleep, etc.) with a few LEDs. I could have it on my wrist like a watch, or clip it on my shorts or shoes. Huawei’s new Band 3e offers a similarly versatile and stripped-down wearable — I can wear it snug on my wrist, or detach the body and clip to my shoe. Lasting two weeks on a charge, the lightweight (17g) tracker provides me with the basic health data I crave with some smart assistant tweaks, including a phone locator and phone alerts. And it’s just $30, a minimal price. — Kirk Miller, Nation Editor/Managing Editor
Puma Te-Ku San Lorenzo MII Leather Sneaker
I’m not typically one for a sneaker that looks like it could have been a dress shoe in a former life, but by golly I’ve fallen for this one. I’ve yet to meet a gum bottom that I don’t like and these are one of the rare sneaks that will look just as good laced as it does unlaced. They’re also 44% off (under $90 bucks!) from Nordstrom Rack at the moment, a veritable gold mine of footwear discounts, as we detailed here. — Eli London, Director of Partnerships and User Acquisition
Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
You’ll get no argument from me that 300 dollars is an outlandish amount to pay for a vacuum cleaner. That being said, if there’s any season to spring for one — what with the decorating and the gatherings and the unwrapping fallout — it’s now, and I will say that this lightweight, cord-free, impressively powerful eater of debris is the only one I’ve ever owned that actually made me want to vacuum. Converts easily to a hand-held for spot cleaning, empties hassle-free, and comes with a convenient docking station that not only stores it out of the way, but keeps it charged and ready to rock. — Danny Agnew, Creative Director
Lumio Book Lamps
Bear with me on this one: remember Reading Rainbow? Chances are you watched it with your kids, or watched it as a kid. And the magical glowing book from that hallucinatory intro? Lumo is that IRL. I got one last year and it’s proved itself as much more than a ”˜grammable fad. Unfurl it as a lamp, hang it somewhere with the built-in magnets, use it as a portable night light (good for kids, Airbnbs) or just leave it on a coffee table for guests to crack open and exclaim, “This is divine!” There are tacky knockoffs on the interwebs, but Design Within Reach is having a sale on three bona fide versions right now so you can get one that won’t crap out in a week. — Alex Lauer, Senior Editor
Polo Bear Sweater
Like most reasonable people, I tend to favor clothing that does not feature prominent logos. Which is why it’s strange that I am so drawn to the iconic Polo Bear Sweater. My interest in it is not particularly original, of course. Kanye made it famous years ago, and a quick internet search confirmed my suspicion that Ezra probably has one. The reason I do not yet own it (aside from it costing $400) is that I’m not sure I’d be able to pull it off. I’m a 40-year-old white dude who lives in the Northeast with a wife, two kids, and a three-row SUV — all of which is to say that I could easily be mistaken for the type of person who would wear it without the slight hint of irony necessary for it to really work. But, ugh. I really fucking want it. — Mike Conklin, Executive Editor
THE BEST THING WE DRANK THIS WEEK
Starbucks opened a supersized Roastery in New York this week, including a cocktail bar on the inside. We tested it out — our thoughts are here. While pricy, the coffee- and tea-based tipples are certainly worth a one-time visit (and the space is gorgeous and worthy of a non-boozy follow-up).
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