The Obtainer - 12/15/23, Friday
↦ What We're Wearing for Holiday Travel
A programming note ... This is our last newsletter of 2023. We will return to our regularly scheduled newslettering on Wednesday January 3rd, 2024.
Friday, December 15th Edition
Are you ready for a holiday break? I’m excited for some long, lazy days and plenty of treats. But first, we’ve got to get there. We’ve got a killer travel fit for you, along with a seasonal candle to spark up.
- Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief ⋯ @coryohlendorf
What We’re Wearing for Holiday Travel
Where are you headed for the holidays? Jetting off to a remote cabin in the mountains somewhere? Skipping town and swapping the seasonal stress for some much needed beach time? Or simply going to see family and far-flung friends? The holidays are peak travel time. In fact, in its annual end-of-year forecast, the AAA is projecting that more than 115.2 million Americans will be on the move over holiday travel period—setting airports up to become the “busiest they've ever been” in the last two decades.Flying may typically be the quickest way to travel, but between cramped seats, dry air and bumpy turbulence, a commercial airliner isn't always a joy to ride in. Sometimes, traveling by car is worth the extra time. However you plan to travel, the right clothes will make the whole experience much more bearable. First off, don't slouch on the style just because you're in transit. You'll never regret being put-together and there's still plenty you can wear to keep things relaxed. Our choice at the moment is a well-worn pair of jeans and some winterized slip-on sneakers. Top that with a cushy cashmere sweater that's been cut like a vintage raglan-sleeve sweatshirt and a military-style jacket that doubles as a nice blanket to keep the chilly air off you while you doze off. Other essentials include a refillable water bottle and a multi-purpose moisturizer, because wherever you're headed, you'll want to show up looking and feeling healthy and hydrated.
Your Holiday Travel Fit
Clockwise, from top left:
Pufftech utility jacket, $129.90 by UNIQLO x Engineered GarmentsBookstore hat, $75 by Academy by Chris EchevarriaCashmere sweatshirt, $228 by J.Crew72-Hour merino performance tee, $88 by ProofCavalese padded shoe, $398 by DiemmeBlack hole wheeled duffle bag, $359 by PatagoniaVintage 501 jean, $36 by Levi’s Secondhand3-in-1 face cream, $95 by The GreyStainless steel insulated water bottle, $34.95 / $27.95 by Hydro FlaskSupermerino socks, $30 by American Trench
Making the Case for …
A Good Evergreen Candle
It happens every year … I get a real Christmas tree because I want that old-timey, fresh cut evergreen scent filling my living room. But, without fail, that damn tree never gives me what I want. Maybe it’s just not fresh enough. Perhaps the popular Douglas fir variety of Christmas trees in America, with its dense light green needles, just aren’t as fragrant as what my mind recalls from childhood. In any case, each year I’m left to supplement with a pine-scented candle. Not that I mind. I’m the type who prefers to have candles burning as much as possible when I’m home.
A quality candle gives me that shot of olfactory nostalgia I’m after, while adding a soothing glow to the room. And this year, I may’ve found the best one yet—from the legendary French fragrance house of Trudon. Like all of their candles, it’s meticulously handcrafted in Normandy, France with high-quality materials, right down to the glass jar lined in gold leaf. For the holidays this year, Trudon crafted a Fir scent that blends essential oils from Siberian pine and fir trees with myrrh and incense for a deep, warm scent that smells a bit like a fireplace next to a big, green tree. Of course, at $148, this is a genuine splurge (and would make for a luxurious gift—to yourself or others).
But for something a little more down to Earth, Paddywax makes a reliable soy wax candle scented with white pine that comes in a handsome ceramic vessel. Or you could go with the candle I burned last year—Skandinavisk’s SKOG candle, which smells of pine cones and birch sap.
Fir candle,$148 by Trudon
The sales and discounts our team is currently watching.
Finisterre's cap makes the case for having a pocket on your hats. This classic five-panel features embroidered eyelets, a storage pocket on the left panel, and a pencil slot on the right. It's breathable and constructed with practicality in mind.
$52 / $44by Finisterre
Ten Thousand's quarter-zip is functional and stylish. There's a permanent anti-odor treatment to maintain freshness while running errands after the gym, and it's breathable, so you're not bogged down by sweat during exercise.
$78 / $62.40(w/code TTHOLIDAY)by Ten Thousand
You can never have enough khaki-colored chinos. Billy Reid's version is durably workwear-inspired with a hardy canvas fabric and the brand's signature Hollywood waistband for maximum comfort.
$228 / $159by Billy Reid
The three best stories from around the web.
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I don’t veer off and photograph a tree when I have to photograph a handbag.”
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We just like things that feel real, that feel worn.”
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For Williams’ magnanimity represented a trait rarely seen in the industry: inclusion.”
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November 8
