What our staff wants to give and get (but mostly get) this holiday season
Bell Jar Lamp
"Lamps are hard to shop for, mostly because of the shade. No matter how vintage or antique or modern or postmodern or whatever the stem is, chances are the shade makes it look about fifty percent too much of whatever you were going for. Go unshaded, and you look like a college student. It's basically lose/lose. I spent my bachelor pad years stuck in this deadlock, totally unwilling to commit to table-based lightning solutions or a particular aesthetic (or anything, for that matter). Which is why I fervently endorse the Bell Jar lamp, God's gift to apartment dwelling men everywhere. It's wood, glass, and a light. You put it on your table. Done."—Mark Byrne, GQ editorial assistant
8 Knots Pestemals
"WTF is a pestemal? Officially, a traditional Turkish bathhouse towel, but I use these seersucker versions as a beach blanket, a rug, whatever. They dry lightning-fast, and get softer and softer with each wash."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
Blackbird Argonaut Coasters
"When you're lucky enough to be sharing the same living space as your lady, every purchase becomes a mutual agreement. These coasters bridge the gap between masculine and feminine in that they are cut from leather hide into sharp geometric shapes, and look good during the holidays with their gold surface."—Benjamin Bours, GQ designer
Fraisier Fir Candle
"I've been obsessed with this particular candle for a few months now. It's the next best thing to getting a real Christmas tree to scent your house."—Chelsea Cardinal, GQ art director
Playdate Bike Club
"I own two bicycles: a hipster-certified single speed for running errands around Brooklyn, and a carbon fiber speedster that requires pants with ass-pads. So why would I want a third bike, and the oddball Playdate, no less? Because its faux-stalgic vibe somehow trips past cheesy and falls into chill as hell. Slap your ass down on the optional banana seat, reach up for those ape hanger handlebars, and you suddenly remember that riding a bike wasn't always about getting from point A to point B while burning calories or beating traffic. It used to be about rolling with friends, eyeballing the neighborhood, and enjoying the scenery."—Jon Wilde, GQ senior editor
20th Century World Architecture
"Better reinforce your coffee table for this behemoth: over 800 pages of gloriously detailed descriptions of the most jaw-dropping architectural achievements in the last century, from Ankara to Zurich. (Who's moving in to the Malaparte House in Capri with me? Anyone?) And with more photos on each page than words, it welcomes casual leafing. Good thing, too: holding this book too long is hazardous to your health."—Eric Sullivan, GQ Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
Teranishi Market Tote
"I know what you're thinking: 'Three hundo for a tote bag? AW HELL NAW.' But you can't smell Teranishi's Market Tote right now, so you can't appreciate how the hand-worked leather—tanned on the outside, raw on the inside—takes over the room with that earthy, heavenly hide scent that taps into a primitive Neanderthal memory of satisfaction. And you can't touch it, so you can't fully comprehend its exquisite craftsmanship. This bag can carry more than you; it will outlast you. The hardest part of owning the Market Tote won't be paying the bill, it'll be deciding which grandson gets it in your will."—Jon Wilde, GQ senior editor
Roberu Leather Key and Coin Case
"I'm on the record here about how much I hate the feeling of loose keys jangling around in my pocket, so I'm always on the lookout for new solutions. This one's the best yet: big enough to hold a few odds and ends in addition to your keys—euro coins, expensable receipts, joint, etc.—but small enough to slip, sans bulge, into your breast pocket. Did I mention it's also just a really beautiful piece of leather? Do I need to?"—Mark Byrne, GQ Editorial Assistant
La Boite Concept LD120 Hi-Fi Sound System
"Ever thrown a house party where the music isn't loud enough to hear the 'Ye over the din? Plug in this bass-thumping hi-def stereo with seven internal speakers, and you'll never worry about that again. The best part: the digital-to-audio converter will make those MP3s from your hard drive sing in a way you've never heard before."—Eric Sullivan. GQ Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
Gluekit Bookends
"I like my everyday objects to have a hint of humor/intelligence to them. These bookends don't have any function other than what their name implies, and still fit my need for something just a tad unique from the standard."—Benjamin Bours, GQ designer
Sonicare DiamondClean
"The DiamondClean is the Rolls Royce of toothbrushes. It has five power levels, packs a three-week charge, and makes 31,000 strokes a minute—a sensation I can only describe as a fleet of tiny fingers massaging your mouth. Simply put, it'll have you looking forward to the act of brushing for once."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
Edgewood Porcelain Cups
"These cups are a bit of a mind-fuck. They look and feel like wood, but are made of porcelain. Stock up for a quick and easy Danish kitchen upgrade, and watch out for sticky-fingers at your next house party."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
Nusskubus Nutcracker
"No, this is not some piece of modern minimalist sculpture. It's a nutcracker, and it's the only one I have ever encountered it doesn't hurt to use. The design couldn't be more pure or ingenious: two hardwood cubes, one with three differently sized indentations to accommodate any-sized nut (that's what she said) and the other for striking. No freakishly large hand muscles required."—Chelsea Cardinal, GQ art director
Starbucks Verismo System
"My morning ritual is packed enough—finding a pair of matching socks, my apartment keys, and a new excuse to skip the gym—that there's never enough time to brew a cup of coffee, making that inevitable pre-office Starbucks run a major hurdle to getting to work on time. That's why I need their new at-home Verismo machine, which can brew a single serving of virtually anything from the coffee juggernaut's menu, from a standard joe to mochas and macchiatos. The best part? I'll get to replace the wait time for ordering my grande vanilla latte with at least three miles on the treadmill—or an additional 26 minutes of sleep."—E.J. Samson, GQ editor-digital development
Scrabble Typography Edition
"If you have a Scrabble nerd and a typography nerd in your life, they're probably the same person, so get them this. The gorgeous walnut board snaps together magnetically, and the tiles are rendered in a whole spectrum of different fonts, which make your cheat-y AA and QI moves look like an absurdist newspaper-clipping collage—and who doesn't want that? Plus, you can make a great side game out of naming fonts: first one after Times New Roman and Arial gets the dork hat."—Dennis Tang, GQ web producer
"Lamps are hard to shop for, mostly because of the shade. No matter how vintage or antique or modern or postmodern or whatever the stem is, chances are the shade makes it look about fifty percent too much of whatever you were going for. Go unshaded, and you look like a college student. It's basically lose/lose. I spent my bachelor pad years stuck in this deadlock, totally unwilling to commit to table-based lightning solutions or a particular aesthetic (or anything, for that matter). Which is why I fervently endorse the Bell Jar lamp, God's gift to apartment dwelling men everywhere. It's wood, glass, and a light. You put it on your table. Done."—Mark Byrne, GQ editorial assistant
"WTF is a pestemal? Officially, a traditional Turkish bathhouse towel, but I use these seersucker versions as a beach blanket, a rug, whatever. They dry lightning-fast, and get softer and softer with each wash."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
"When you're lucky enough to be sharing the same living space as your lady, every purchase becomes a mutual agreement. These coasters bridge the gap between masculine and feminine in that they are cut from leather hide into sharp geometric shapes, and look good during the holidays with their gold surface."—Benjamin Bours, GQ designer
"I've been obsessed with this particular candle for a few months now. It's the next best thing to getting a real Christmas tree to scent your house."—Chelsea Cardinal, GQ art director
"I own two bicycles: a hipster-certified single speed for running errands around Brooklyn, and a carbon fiber speedster that requires pants with ass-pads. So why would I want a third bike, and the oddball Playdate, no less? Because its faux-stalgic vibe somehow trips past cheesy and falls into chill as hell. Slap your ass down on the optional banana seat, reach up for those ape hanger handlebars, and you suddenly remember that riding a bike wasn't always about getting from point A to point B while burning calories or beating traffic. It used to be about rolling with friends, eyeballing the neighborhood, and enjoying the scenery."—Jon Wilde, GQ senior editor
"Better reinforce your coffee table for this behemoth: over 800 pages of gloriously detailed descriptions of the most jaw-dropping architectural achievements in the last century, from Ankara to Zurich. (Who's moving in to the Malaparte House in Capri with me? Anyone?) And with more photos on each page than words, it welcomes casual leafing. Good thing, too: holding this book too long is hazardous to your health."—Eric Sullivan, GQ Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
"I know what you're thinking: 'Three hundo for a tote bag? AW HELL NAW.' But you can't smell Teranishi's Market Tote right now, so you can't appreciate how the hand-worked leather—tanned on the outside, raw on the inside—takes over the room with that earthy, heavenly hide scent that taps into a primitive Neanderthal memory of satisfaction. And you can't touch it, so you can't fully comprehend its exquisite craftsmanship. This bag can carry more than you; it will outlast you. The hardest part of owning the Market Tote won't be paying the bill, it'll be deciding which grandson gets it in your will."—Jon Wilde, GQ senior editor
"I'm on the record here about how much I hate the feeling of loose keys jangling around in my pocket, so I'm always on the lookout for new solutions. This one's the best yet: big enough to hold a few odds and ends in addition to your keys—euro coins, expensable receipts, joint, etc.—but small enough to slip, sans bulge, into your breast pocket. Did I mention it's also just a really beautiful piece of leather? Do I need to?"—Mark Byrne, GQ Editorial Assistant
"Ever thrown a house party where the music isn't loud enough to hear the 'Ye over the din? Plug in this bass-thumping hi-def stereo with seven internal speakers, and you'll never worry about that again. The best part: the digital-to-audio converter will make those MP3s from your hard drive sing in a way you've never heard before."—Eric Sullivan. GQ Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
"I like my everyday objects to have a hint of humor/intelligence to them. These bookends don't have any function other than what their name implies, and still fit my need for something just a tad unique from the standard."—Benjamin Bours, GQ designer
"The DiamondClean is the Rolls Royce of toothbrushes. It has five power levels, packs a three-week charge, and makes 31,000 strokes a minute—a sensation I can only describe as a fleet of tiny fingers massaging your mouth. Simply put, it'll have you looking forward to the act of brushing for once."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
"These cups are a bit of a mind-fuck. They look and feel like wood, but are made of porcelain. Stock up for a quick and easy Danish kitchen upgrade, and watch out for sticky-fingers at your next house party."—Andrew Richdale, GQ associate editor
"No, this is not some piece of modern minimalist sculpture. It's a nutcracker, and it's the only one I have ever encountered it doesn't hurt to use. The design couldn't be more pure or ingenious: two hardwood cubes, one with three differently sized indentations to accommodate any-sized nut (that's what she said) and the other for striking. No freakishly large hand muscles required."—Chelsea Cardinal, GQ art director
"My morning ritual is packed enough—finding a pair of matching socks, my apartment keys, and a new excuse to skip the gym—that there's never enough time to brew a cup of coffee, making that inevitable pre-office Starbucks run a major hurdle to getting to work on time. That's why I need their new at-home Verismo machine, which can brew a single serving of virtually anything from the coffee juggernaut's menu, from a standard joe to mochas and macchiatos. The best part? I'll get to replace the wait time for ordering my grande vanilla latte with at least three miles on the treadmill—or an additional 26 minutes of sleep."—E.J. Samson, GQ editor-digital development
"If you have a Scrabble nerd and a typography nerd in your life, they're probably the same person, so get them this. The gorgeous walnut board snaps together magnetically, and the tiles are rendered in a whole spectrum of different fonts, which make your cheat-y AA and QI moves look like an absurdist newspaper-clipping collage—and who doesn't want that? Plus, you can make a great side game out of naming fonts: first one after Times New Roman and Arial gets the dork hat."—Dennis Tang, GQ web producer
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