H&M’s chunky wool Fall Collection Scarf will keep her warm and beautiful ($30; ). Patagonia‘s Cashmere Hoody Full-Zip is a man’s sweater meant to be stolen by the woman in his life ($290; ). Proof that long underwear can be sexy: Icebreaker‘s 100 percent merino Nature Ultralite Leggings ($60; ). Tecnica‘s Kjetil Boots look equally flattering with skirts or jeans ($279; ). When it warms up, The North Face Hoser Hat‘s flaps fold up and snap into place ($50; ). Mountain Boy Sledworks‘ old-school 6 ft. Mountain Boggan is handcrafted from knot-free basswood and seats—and then spills—four adults ($170; ).
2007 Gift Guide
The Jet Setter
2007 Gift Guide
Left: Whether you’re lounging in front of a fire or shivering in a snow cave, whiskey tastes better when sipped out of Sigg‘s stainless-steel Vintage Flask ($28; ). See the difference: Bushnell‘s rain- and fog-proof, 10×42 e2 allows 99.7 percent light transmission per lens ($500; ). Steve McQueen made Persol‘s foldable 714 sunglasses famous in 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair. It’s cooler than ever to be like Steve ($250; ). The jackknife, all grown up: The limited-edition, rosewood-encased Victorinox Swiss Army SwissChamp LE Knife comes with everything from a wire stripper to a chisel ($145; ). Named after La Carrera Panamericana—the epic sports-car race across Mexico—the TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph Tachymeter, with its classic face, is as elegant as the 1963 original ($2,895; ).
Right: Swiss Army‘s Cotton Military Styled Cargo Pant and Military Flannel Shirt are sharp enough for the office yet casual enough for cocktail hour ($175, $145; ). If you’re going to get someone a sweater for Christmas, make it the decadently soft and athletically cut Cashmere Crew from Patagonia ($200; ). Polo‘s versatile, 100 percent cashmere Balmorrow Glenplaid Scarf is the downtown equivalent of a balaclava ($224; ). Sometimes the best style is sly: Hiding below the understated exterior of Modern Amusement‘s 100 percent cotton Williamsburg Parka is a whimsical liner patterned with brightly colored birds ($225; ). Handcrafted from the same type of leather Pony Express riders used for their saddlebags, Mulholland Brothers‘ medium Hippo Duffel is weekend-size but still meets carry-on rules ($795; ).
The Cold Warrior
2007 Gift Guide
Left: Helly Hansen‘s Stripe Graphic Crew is by far the flashiest base layer we’ve seen this season ($40; ). And it’s perfectly complemented by Arc’teryx‘s supersleek Hercules soft shell, which is cut from a highly breathable, weather-resistant fabric made by Polartec ($299; ). Helly Hansen‘s new Odin line of skiwear makes you look like a badass but keeps yours warm and dry. The three-layer Odin Mountain Jacket ($450) has abrasion-minimizing shoulder reinforcements and a powder skirt that zips into HH’s Mountain Pants ($400), creating a completely snowproof outfit. Despite those “the end is nigh” graphics, the 102-mm-waisted Baggy twin tips, by boutique Swiss brand Movement Skis, have a hopeful story: The wood cores are made from sustainably harvested okume, poplar, and beech ($750; ). Complete the go-anywhere/ski-everything package with Rossignol‘s ultrastiff but still comfy Bandit B-Squad Carbons ($800; ) and a beefy alpine-touring binding like Naxo‘s nx21 ($400; ).
Right: Smith‘s low-profile Varient Brim helmet is the anti-bobblehead, and it meshes seamlessly with most goggles ($150; ). Wear Timberland‘s SmartWool-lined Trailscape Snowspikes around town or slide on the integrated snow gaiters (not pictured) and head off-trail ($150; ). The Burton Warhol, a collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation, is based on their celebrated all-mountain model, the Custom ($550; ). Joystick Skiing‘s Spicolli poles are better-priced and better-looking than most aluminum sticks ($40; ). Spyder‘s new Racer Glove employs a material that hardens upon impact and instantly becomes malleable again ($150; ). Switch up your look with Spy Optic‘s Zed goggles: The lenses are interchangeable, and custom patches adorn the straps ($90; ).
The Luddite
Left: When Eddy Merckx dominated cycling, he wore a short-sleeved wool jersey just like the Molteni Arcore ($138; ). To honor the best surfer in the world, Arbor created the Kelly Slater Series of special-edition skateboards (from $230; ). You’ll find renowned American landscape photographer Frank Gohlke’s most arresting images in
Accommodating Nature: The Photographs of Frank Gohlke
($35; ). Roll up the Mulholland Brothers Travel Backgammon Set‘s leather board and take it on the road ($78; ). Hand-forged in Sweden, the Gränsfors Bruks Small Forest Axe is the perfect size (19 inches long) for car-camping or canoeing trips ($93; gransfors.us). Simple‘s Toekyo shoes are made mostly from bamboo and organic cotton ($90; ).
Right: Westcomb‘s merino Pinnacle Pullover does double duty: The midlayer wicks moisture like a champ in the field but won’t blow your cover on a first date ($140; ). Carhartt‘s winterized Cordura Front Work Dungarees are reinforced with virtually indestructible Cordura nylon ($60; ). The midwesterner on your list will love the lumberjack plaid of Columbia‘s Rogue Plaid Fleece Jacket ($80; ). Invented in 1903 by the company’s namesake, a locomotive engineer tired of having his hat blow off in high winds, Stormy Kromer‘s snug-fitting woolen Original Cap has a funky, pull-down-earflap design ($30; ). Take aim: The classic Sling Shot from bag maker Jack Spade has a Wisconsin-pine handle, suede pouch, and sturdy rubber bands ($50; ).
The Aquaphile
2007 Gift Guide
Quiksilver‘s Solar Power T-Shirt has no photovoltaic properties whatsoever; it just looks cool ($25; ). Which is the same reason we like the Richard Flannel by Paul Frank ($68; ). Quiksilver‘s Limited Collection Blue Beat Shorts ($95), on the other hand, are a touch more sophisticated than your average boardshorts. And Ray-Ban‘s Aviators ($99; ) will never go out of style. Mission Playground usually just makes surf-inspired apparel, but they enlisted veteran shaper Ned McMahon to design the Confish. It’s a versatile fish (a shortboard with a split tail that’s fun even in sloppy surf) made with Biofoam, which contains nearly 50 percent agricultural products ($650; ).
Necky Manitou 13
Greener and meaner: Not only is the recycled version of Necky‘s Manitou 13 ($929; ) molded out of the company’s own scrap material; it’s outfitted with thigh braces and reflective deck rigging stronger than the original’s. The only catch? Necky makes just a few at a time, whenever they amass enough leftover plastic.
The Adrenaline Junkie
Left: With a water-resistant polyester exterior and a moisture-wicking wool liner, Ibex‘s Clive excels in cool weather ($225; ). Descente‘s Newton Mountain Bike Shorts have a removable liner with a super-comfy, stitch-free chamois ($120; ). The hottest ride around: Cannondale‘s Scalpel Team is a full-suspension, carbon-fiber cross-country racer that weighs just 22.3 pounds ($6,500; ). In addition to holding three liters of liquid, Deuter‘s Attack hydration pack has an “exoskeleton” to protect your back and hips ($149; ).
Right: Thirteen vents, yes, but the coolest thing about the Giro Encore helmet is the graphic, which was created by the artist behind album covers for the Shins, Elliott Smith, and others ($75; ). Mount the water-, dust-, and shockproof POV.1 Integrated Video System on your helmet or handlebars: The camera/recorder/microphone kit weighs only a pound ($849; ). CamelBak‘s 22-ounce, bike-cage-compatible Performance Bottle gushes but never drips ($8; ). We’ll drink to that. In addition to the hard-anodized-aluminum fry pan (pictured), Jetboil‘s Backcountry Gourmet Cooking Set comes with their stove, a one-liter cooking cup, and collapsible utensils ($150; ). Merrell‘s hard-faced-fleece Engage Vest is up for anything ($80; ). The weather-resistant SureFire G2 LED is brighter than Bill Gates ($65; ). In a dire situation, SPOT‘s Satellite Messenger can send out a distress signal—like a personal locator beacon. The rest of the time, your friends and family can use it to track your location online ($170, plus subscription; ). Slippers, with razor-sharp spikes! Kayland‘s Ice Dragon BDs are the ice-climbing boots of choice for Ukrainian champ Evgeny Kryvosheytsev ($575; ).
The Techno-Geek
Paul Frank‘s cotton Jason Bailey T-shirt ($22; ) and Sayer button-down ($68) are named after employees, while the Beat Surrender glasses ($110) are named after the (British) hit song by the Jam. Powderhorn‘s Night Hawk Down Jacket has more than enough retro mojo to be a hit with the hipsters, but it’s technical enough—pit zips, DWR-coated, removable hood—to handle serious snow ($325; ). Simultaneously capture high-def video and high-resolution (4.6-megapixel) stills of your buddy’s spectacular wipeout with Sony‘s new HDR-UX7 Handycam Camcorder. Other whiz-bang features: You can easily add your blow-by-blow audio commentary and play the glorious sequence back in slow motion ($1,300; ).
Olympus Stylus 790 SW
Left: Does your holiday shopping list include someone who skis or swims and often drops things? We thought so. Get an Olympus Stylus 790 SW for each of them. This svelte, 7.1-megapixel digital camera is waterproof (to ten feet), shockproof (up to five feet), and freeze-proof down to (brrr!) 14 degrees Fahrenheit ($300; ).
Right: Leica‘s 10.3-megapixel M8 is sturdy, compact, and compatible with most M-series lenses. $4,800;
The Watches
FROM TOP LEFT: Oris‘s limited-edition Carlos Coste—named after the record-setting Venezuelan freediver—is water-resistant down to a ludicrously deep 3,281 feet ($3,195; ). Casio‘s G-Shock Ana-Digi has everything you’d expect—stopwatch, four daily alarms, LCD backlight, and half a dozen other handy features—in a much more refined package ($150; ). With date, month, and moon-phase subdials, the oversize face of Ernst Benz’s ChronoLunar keeps track of it all ($4,700; ). Tissot‘s T-Navigator 3000 has three different date-reading options, and, with just a touch of the finger, its heat-sensitive face can display the time wherever you’re heading next ($595; ). Rolex makes flashier watches, but our favorite is the Oyster Perpetual Explorer II. Like the decidedly unfussy 1953 original, it’s waterproof and, thanks to its corrosion-resistant stainless steel, practically indestructible ($5,000; ).
FROM TOP RIGHT: The large, luminescent hands on Breitling‘s Superocean Heritage are easy to read, even in murky water. And bright light isn’t a problem, either: The slightly cambered sapphire crystal is completely glareproof ($3,120; ). Forget bells and whistles. Cartier‘s Santos 100 is a traditional, trustworthy Roman-numeral watch designed to be passed on for generations ($5,450; ). True to its name, Sector‘s Dive Master really is an underwater champ: In addition to all the dive features you’d expect, it also has a depth meter, thermometer, and backlight ($450; ).