Here we go again: Black Friday and the hunt is on. So many gifts and so little time.
Relax. Here’s our latest Fashion and Fragrance Holiday Gift Guide, a collection of fashionable gifts for the naughty boys and nice girls in your life.
Check your list twice – and determine which femme fatale gets the Art Deco parfum bottle, and which go-go boy needs new undies. There’s plenty of booty to go around – from fashion tomes to fountain pens, with Michael Feinstein crooning (and dumpster-diving) and Timoteo gym wear that’s certain to get you noticed in the locker room. Emollients for travel queens and cultish Nancy Boy toiletries – and sweet cacao nibs for those who live for your sweet love.
Make yourself a hot toddy and toast to the gift-giving season.
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For those on your gift list who’ve been both nice and naughty (and deserve something more indulgent than a bottle of absinthe or a platinum pleasure object), Kilian Hennessey, the nose behind the luxury perfume line By Kilian (and scion of the LVMH luxury conglomerate, which means he knows a little something about indulgences) has partnered with Bergdorf Goodman for what might be the most sublime fragrance presentation in decades.
During the Art Deco years (roughly between 1920 – 1939), some of the world’s leading designers and jewelers such as Jean Després, Gérard Sandoz, and Jean Fouquet created some of the fragrance industry’s more stunning fragrance bottles, which were almost immediately recognized as objets d’art.
Inspired by these extraordinary objets, By Kilian has created a line of four Art Deco bottle designs – and produced exactly ten bottles of each design, with each Art Deco bottle hand-numbered from 1 to 10.
The purchase of any of these bottles enables the buyer to fill the bottle with any one of the By Kilian scents (from either the L’Oeuvre Noire or Arabian Nights collection), thereby creating a personal fragrance in a collector’s Art Deco bottle.
Jeweled and luxurious, these fragrance bottles are the sort of object glimpsed in Art Deco Hollywood films starring Jean Harlow or Carole Lombard, as the heroines sat down at their vanity and perfumed themselves, and their staterooms, before dinner – or that knock on the door.
Equivalent to a proclamation of love, By Kilian’s Art Deco Jeweled Collection is certain to seal the deal.
Cross our heart.
PRICE: $395.00
LINK: By Kilian
Bergdorf Goodman
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It’s all about the package. The box. Ever since the invention of the codpiece (What? You don’t know what a codpiece is? Go look it up – you’ll be glad you did.), men have been obsessed with how to best showcase their moneymakers.
With the advent of high-end underwear (and let’s face it, they must be high-end, if your briefs cost as much as a pair of jeans…), every man worth his eight inches has determined how to position his net worth.
Leave it to the Canadian boys to teach us a few new tricks. PUMP! Fashions, based out of Montreal, is the latest entry in the underwear sweepstakes and their design team has developed a brand-new cut (don’t start with us…).
The result is a fit that’s the equivalent to a month of lunges – and any number of blue pills. In other words, your booty and your box have never looked more inviting. And isn’t it always about the invitation?
PUMP! isn’t only about fit; it’s also about design and their paint splash series of underwear evokes the gay lovechild of Jackson Pollock and Keith Haring. The acid bright splotches hit all the right places – like an extraterrestrial orgasm from the black light galaxy. Woven from the softest microfibers and high quality cotton, PUMP! briefs and boxers are as easy on the skin as they are on the eye.
Best of all? Unlike other lines of underwear, PUMP! undies don’t cost as much as a tank of gas. So, go ahead, pump up your natural resources with PUMP!
PRICE: $20.00 – $36.00 / pair
LINK: PUMP!
WANT PUMP!
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Just as it is widely presumed that you can tell a man’s pedigree by his shoes, so it has been that a man’s word is as good as the pen with which he signs his name.
Founded in 1888, Parker Pen Company is one of the oldest names in the pen business, and for much of the twentieth century, it was the largest writing instrument company in the world.
Now that we’re all rediscovering classic American style again (Levi’s, Sperry, LLBean, Orvis, Eagle, Gant, Crane, etc.), it’s time to add a Parker pen to your inside suit pocket. And this time, spring for a fountain pen – because signing a mortgage, or a literary contract, or a movie deal deserves some pomp and circumstance.
(And if it’s a bankruptcy proceeding, why not go out with a bit of dignity? Sign your name with a Benjamin Franklin flourish.)
Engineered in gleaming chrome and gunmetal gray metal with a glossy finish in a chiseled check pattern, the Parker I.M. Premium Twin Chiseled Fountain Pen marries form to function (as all the best American classics once did).
With its iconic arrow clip and its brushed metal grip, the Parker I.M. retains a contemporary tapered shape. The stainless steel nib provides the optimal writing angle – for both right- and left-handed writers.
At last! A fountain pen for left handers! (And if you’re right-handed, you’ve probably never considered why left-handed signatures are, invariably, smeared. Think about it now.)
Stylish and classic, the Parker I.M. Premium Twin Chiseled combines high-end design with practicality, resulting in a beautiful instrument that is certain to give your accountant and your attorney an entirely new take on you.
Put two Parker I.M. Premium Twin Chiseled Fountain Pens on your holiday list: one for your agent – and one for you. Best of all, the pens come in a presentation box, so you can put the box under the tree and say it came from Santa.
PRICE: $51.00
LINK: Parker Pen
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You don’t have to be a germophobe like Howard Hughes to love good soaps.
Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than bringing your fingers to your nose and inhaling – and particularly when you’ve just washed your hands with a hand-milled, vegetable-based soap infused with a high concentration of citrus oils. Oh, in that case, you must’ve washed with Atelier Cologne Soap.
If you’ve used Atelier Colognes, you know that they have one of the highest concentrations of fragrance in the industry – and when combined with aloe vera and nourishing shea butter, the resultant soap is as refreshing as it is skin-softening.
Hand-wrapped and tied with Atelier Cologne’s signature aubergine leather band, the Atelier Cologne Soap is available in Orange Sanguine, Grand Neroli, Bois Blonds, Trefle Pur, and Oolang Infini.
Made in France, Atelier Cologne Soap makes a lovely hostess gift – and shows that your taste is as good as your fragrance.
PRICE: $15.00 / 7.05 oz. soap
LINK: Atelier Cologne Soap
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One of the smartest sartorial quips we ever heard was “Doncha just love basketball shorts; they’re so easy to slip off.” Smart and sexy – and that could just as easily describe Timoteo’s Active Club Short.
You know how sometimes you need a little extra something to get you to the gym? Something that makes you look good and feel good as you make your way through a sea of buff bodies. It’s these shorts.
Made in the USA of 100% cotton with a wide, ribbed fabric, drawstring waistband and two hip pockets, these Timoteo Active Club Shorts are lamb-soft against the skin. Easy to slide on – and off. With an embroidered Timoteo crest patch on the left leg, and a 9″ deep inseam…
Hmm.
Perfect for the health club (or a private session with your personal trainer), flyless, with a 9″ deep inseam…
Did we mention that already?
Honestly, these are the shorts you’re going to grab when you’re walking the dog, or running through the Park, or heading for the beach. You’ll probably want to sleep in them too; just don’t be surprised if someone slips them off.
PRICE: $56.00
LINK: MensUnderwearStore: Timoteo Club Shorts
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Dr. Hauschka : Body Care Travel Kit
Flying can be a bummer. It’s not enough that you have to remove your shoes and lose your scissors and leave your cologne in the trash, but then you’re supposed to cram all your emollients into one plastic bag.
Hello? One plastic bag? Who are we kidding here?
Fortunately, Dr. Hauschka to the rescue. That would be the Dr. Hauschka whose founding mission is “to heal humanity and the earth.” Since 1967, Dr. Hauschka Skin Care has been soothing and nurturing the skin of devotees around the globe.
If you have yet to experience Dr. Hauschka, the Body Care Travel Kit is a perfect way to mitigate airline stress and still care for your skin. Packaged in a handy tin to prevent spillage, this kit contains travel-size products, including soap-free Lemon Body Wash and Rose Body Wash; Hand Cream; Lavender Bath; Quince Body Moisturizer and Rose Body Moisturizer; Lemon Lemongrass Body Oil and Rose Body Oil.
And just so you know, all of Dr. Hauschka’s products are certified natural, with pure essential oils and the highest-quality plant and mineral ingredients – and that means no artificial preservatives.
Perfect for all skin types and perfect as a gift (for your trainer, for your masseur, for that boy in the locker room…). And while you’re at it, why not grab a couple for yourself? At this price, there’s no reason not to treat yourself right.
PRICE: $22.95
LINK: Dr. Hauschka Body Care Travel Kit
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Mixed martial arts (a combination of jujitsu and boxing, involving grappling and striking skills) can be traced back to the ancient Olympics. While mixed martial arts is unquestionably dangerous, it appeals to certain men and women – as does this new line of tees called Never Surrender Fightwear.
Based on the philosophy that dedication and determination are the keys to victory, Never Surrender Fightwear wants you to look good while you work hard on your journey to excellence.
Of course, you might argue that Nike already copped this attitude back in the days of Just Do It – and yet, it’s always good to update a slogan. (Or, for that matter, to co-opt a slogan for our own needs, e.g. Never Surrender before the achievement of full LGBT equality.)
Made of pure cotton, the Never Surrender line is available in sizes S to 3XL, making these tees perfect for the gym – or for use as a sleepshirt, when you do surrender: to sleep.
PRICE: $24.00
LINK: Never Surrender Fightwear
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Nancy Boy : Signature Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner, and Shave Cream
First of all, you should know that there’s a limit of three units if you’re thinking of ordering Nancy Boy Signature Shave Cream.
That’s because Nancy Boy’s products have such a cultish and devoted following that one customer swore that if Nancy Boy ever stopped producing a particular face cream, then she would hunt them down and fillet them like a deer.
Well, you get the point; sometimes it’s necessary to restrict the amount sold at one time.
If you haven’t heard of Nancy Boy before, then, plain and simple, you’ve been missing out. The two boys, Eric and Jack, behind Nancy Boy, Inc. are characters from an Armistead Maupin tale of the city – and exactly the kind of boys you’d want at your next dinner party.
As for their product, Nancy Boy never advertises – and their products are only sold at their two flagship stores (one in the fabled Hayes Valley of San Francisco, where chain stores are verboten, the other in Sonoma County – d’oh…) or on-line at their website.
Okay, so what’s the allure? Well, some of the allure has to do with their pricing, which is lower than comparable products – because they don’t advertise. Nancy Boy doesn’t believe that consumers should subsidize their advertising costs. Secondly, Nancy Boy relies upon word of mouth, which means their product better be good.
It’s better than good. Their eponymous Signature line of shampoo, conditioner, shave cream, and soap showcases a sparkling scent comprised of French lavender, Washington peppermint, and Tunisian rosemary. Think about it: lavender, peppermint, and rosemary; the end result is a line of products that are as invigorating and refreshing as they are calming.
(In truth, you actually want to light them on fire so that their fragrance might permeate your entire living space – or maybe just inhale really deeply. Is this too much information? You see what we mean about cultish devotees?)
Over the course of its nine-year history, Nancy Boy has garnered numerous awards and many industry plaudits, a fact that underscores their reliance on satisfied customers. With a healthy dose of humor and some seriously good product, Nancy Boy goes a long way in showing why gays give good face.
PRICE: $18.00 / 6 oz. / Signature Shave Cream
$7.00 / 7 oz. / Signature Body Bar
LINK: Nancy Boy
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Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook DVD
Some years ago, we celebrated the holidays with friends at their country house in Connecticut. As expected, the house was like a spread in a Martha Stewart shelter magazine: logs crackling in the fireplace, cranberries strung with popcorn on a tree with all-white lights – and Michael Feinstein on the stereo, piped into every room. It was Christmas with the Feinsteins – and it was heavenly.
For those of you with similar friends (and tastes), PBS has just released a two-disc DVD, which includes three one-hour episodes (plus a two-hour bonus disk) from Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook series.
If you missed the award-winning PBS series, you might not know that Feinstein is as much an archivist of the American songbook as he is one of its foremost interpreters – and his decades-long obsession with tracking down lost treasures from the American songbook results in an incredible cultural history of American melodies and mores.
The bonus disk includes rare archival footage of Judy Garland, Kitty Carlisle, Lena Horne (singing “The Man I Love”), Rosemary Clooney (singing “Who Cares”), Betty Hutton, Nat King Cole, and Ethel Merman querying “Why Do They Call a Private a Private?” As for the three one-hour episodes, there are performances by Cheyenne Jackson, David Hyde Pierce, and Margaret Whiting (once married to gay porn star, Jack Wrangler). Suffice to say, it hardly gets more gay.
As much fun as the songs are the stories that Feinstein tells about his passion for collecting, and saving, these rare American treasures. (He’s not above dumpster-diving, for example, and yes, that was probably him that you saw at the flea market on 26th Street.)
If you still need convincing, there’s Garland singing “Over the Rainbow” to World War II soldiers – and if you think you’ve heard her sing it before, you’ll think again after witnessing this poignant performance.
Let’s face it: this is exactly the DVD you want to watch while snuggled with your honey-bunny as the snow falls outside.
PRICE: $39.95
LINK: Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook DVD
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So many office parties, so many secret Santas – and so many stockings to fill. Here’s the solution, the perfect all-purpose gift: Steamcream.
Created by the people behind Lush, the apothecary whose scents waft onto the sidewalks, Steamcream is a multi-purpose cream for the face, body, and hands. Utilizing a steam infusion manufacturing process during which the natural vegan ingredients emulsify to produce a light and glossy moisturizing cream, Steamcream is quickly absorbed upon contact with skin, thereby enabling the immediate penetration of ingredients such as oatmeal (an anti-inflammatory), orange flower water (for skin elasticity), almond oil (for vitamin E), as well as lavender and jojoba oils for moisturizing and healing.
And yet, as luscious and effective as the cream is, it’s Steamcream’s packaging that is certain to generate buzz. Sold in limited editions of 1,800, Steamcream is packaged in recyclable, reusable tins designed by a team of funky artists from around the world who have created signature tins for every personality type on your shopping list.
Perfect for holiday travel, each 2.6-ounce Steamcream tin becomes a collector’s item once it’s empty. Perfect little stash tins, perfect for storing…oh, condoms, let’s say – or Christmas candy.
PRICE: $18 / 2.6 oz.
LINK: SteamCream
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Adrian, Poiret, Schiap, and Balenciaga – if these names make you pant the way other boys pant for Taylor Lautner, then you’re the intended audience forFASHION. A nearly ten-pound tome (clothbound in fashionable black-and-white, mais bien sur), FASHIONis one of the more definitive texts in the field of fashion.
Written by Charlotte Seeling, former chief editor ofFrench Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue, this new book from Ullmann Publishing is an encyclopedic compendium, which traces fashion’s origins from the late 19th century right up to the 21st. With more than 500 glossy pages, lavishly sprinkled with more than 1,000 full-color photos, FASHION is roughly the equivalent of complete and total immersion in the worlds of such visionary artists as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaperelli – and any other fashion genius whose stunning creations have walked the runways in Paris, Milan, and New York.
Seeling’s incisive essays chart the development of fashion juxtaposed with historical epochs: fashion as a reflection of the times, and, at others, a rebellion against. As much a history of women on the planet as it’s ostensibly about clothing, FASHION examines the revolutions within fashion that have enabled, and complemented, the evolution of women’s lives.
A true fashionista’s pornography, FASHION is filled with photographs of women like Dovima and Bianca, and boys like Iggy and Bowie and Beckham. There are pages of movie stills, and ads from Madison Avenue, and fashion magazine spreads – and yet, and yet – it’s the clothes. Magnificent, resplendent, stunning gowns, worn by Hollywood stars and American socialites. Tailored suits, shoulder pads, shrugs, kilts, and corsets…
FASHION is for those who love it.
PRICE: $69.99
LINK: FASHION 150 Years
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What could be more thoughtful – and sweet – than making chocolates for your sweet babboo? Imagine it: serving your own chocolates in bed. And best of all? These are superfood chocolates.
Ever since 2003, Navitas Naturals has been providing premium organic superfoods that stimulate energy and improve health. Drawing upon the wisdom of ancient cultures and the use of plants for culinary and medicinal purposes, Navitas Naturals offers a cornucopia of superfoods such as green stevia, raw cacao, mesquite, lucuma, acai, yacon, mulberries, pomegranate, chia, flax, goji berries – and more.
The Organic Superfood Chocolate Kit comes with organic cacao butter, organic cacao powder, organic mesquite, organic lucuma, organic maca – and is available in three superfood varieties: Goji Berry, Cacao Nib, and Goldenberry. Each kit makes twelve organic gourmet chocolates.
Think it’s difficult? Think again. All you need is a knife, two bowls – and an ice cube tray for the freezer. Fifteen minutes later, you’re feeding your little bear cub chocolates in bed.
Watch what happens then. These are superfood chocolates, remember – and goji berries are packed with protein. And the sweet cacao nibs are loaded with antioxidants. These are chocolates packed with antioxidants and magnesium – and loaded with essential amino acids.
Don’t be surprised if your sweet little bear becomes a lion in bed.
PRICE: $9.99
LINK: Navitas Naturals
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Now that the Hunter’s Moon is behind us – and we’re staring up at the Frosty Moon, and looking ahead toward the Long Night Moon (leave it to the Native Americans to anthropomorphize the full moons), all these long nights can only mean one thing: it’s cocoa time! Long nights and fake fur throws, robes and… cafe mocha.
Since 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (affectionately known as “the Bean” by its aficionados) has been purveying some of the world’s premium coffees and finest and rarest loose-leaf teas. Roasted daily in small batches, the Bean’s House Blend coffee is noted for its smoothness and buttery finish (full disclosure: we just brewed a French press pot of the Bean’s House Blend, and we’re sipping it now, waiting for snow. Does it get better?).
For gift-giving, the Bean offers a full range of holiday combinations. One of our seasonal favorites is the Winter Dream Tea Latte Set, which comes with the Bean’s signature Winter Dream Tea, a sweet and spicy blend of South African rooibos (sweet and nutty – and loaded with antioxidants) and black tea, highlighted by mulling spices. This is the fragrance that takes you immediately back to every childhood holiday. Complete with 17-ounce ceramic mug and French deluxe vanilla powder, as well as a mini-whisk, the Winter Dream Tea Latte Set is perfect for that someone you want to cozy up with.
Ditto the Cafe Mocha Mug Set, which also comes with an oversized ceramic mug and the aforementioned House Blend coffee, and chocolate powder. Brew, whisk, and sip – and let the snow fall. Oh, baby, it’s cold outside; you might as well stay the night.
PRICE: $17.95 / gift set
LINK: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
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