The Obtainer - 3/20/23, Monday
↦ Upgrading Your Corner Chair
Monday, March 20th Edition
It’s hard to beat an excellent corner chair. Besides being the most comfortable seat in the house for big games, it’s brought you some pretty great newsletters too.
- Leon Hedgepeth, Shopping Editor ⋯ @leonhedgepeth
BuyingGuide
Upgrading Your Corner Chair
A statement leather chair can work wonders for your living room. They're where you watch your movies. They double as a WFH seating area and are perfect for your afternoon siestas. And when not being used, the best ones are good-looking enough to enhance the overall vibe of the room. Since most of us spend the majority of our time at home, it's worth investing in a comfortable and well-made chair in which to lounge. I call it the “corner chair.”It's the best seat in the house. The chair with a good view out the window or with the perfect angle to see the TV. It can sit in the corner and instantly make a room look better. Personally, I arrange the rest of the furniture around our corner chair—a handsome style, covered in tan leather with chunky wooden legs. The color allows us to keep the rest of the room neutral and to play with other natural wooden tones to keep the room warm and minimal. Although most leather chairs come with a hefty price, they're worth the investment because they're able to last for a few decades and tend to look better the longer you have them. Sure, it will initially cost you a low four figures to cop one. But the price of resting in a stylish and cozy chair is priceless, right? We've rounded up some of the best options on the market that will complement any living room in style.
4 of Our Favorites
This angular chair takes inspiration from a 1950s Spanish-style silhouette. Sitting on a wooden oak frame and crafted from one single hide of vegetable-tanned leather, the design is perfect for lounging around and enjoying your slow mornings. The leather is bound by fitting it through slats in the frame and will naturally stretch over time to conform to your figure and provide a more comfortable fit.
Leather sling chair, $1,500 by Parachute
This is the chair in our space, and it gets comfier each time I sit down. It's upholstered in a full-aniline leather that has a soft hand and is untreated for an all-natural aesthetic. Although the chair doesn't recline, it certainly feels like you're laying back far, thanks to the feather-filled cushions. The solid wood frame makes this chair easy to assemble and allows flexibility for any interior updates.
Timber Charme leather chair, $1,199 by Article
You've probably seen this chair all over social media, but it's actually been in production for 50 years. In 1973, Michael Ducaroy created the now iconic Togo—all-foam cushion seating with no hard points. It sits low to the ground, but it's incredibly comfortable since your body naturally buries itself into the oversized L-sharped cushions. The chair's exceptional and sculptural design fits comfortably into any modern interior space and remains one of the brand's most sought-after pieces.
Togo leather chair, $2,935 by Ligne Roset
This '70s Italian-inspired chair, designed by Janis Ellenberger in a curvy silhouette, is wrapped in a decadent and supple Moore & Giles leather. The tobacco color offers a timeless feel, and the leather will patina like a well-worn pair of 501s. Four metal braces add some structure and gives the chair an edgier, editorial look.
Brace leather chair, $2,699 by CB2
Where’s the best place to buy skincare in person?
- Grant
Despite there being some great places online to get in-demand grooming goods, this is one category where sampling can come in handy. One spot that a lot of guys might overlook is Sephora. Yes, it’s a mecca for makeup, but they’re a national retailer and carry all the best skincare and grooming brands and have a helpful staff that can point you in the right direction and offer samples of anything you’d like to try. This is a great way to test out a product for a few days to see how your skin or hair reacts to something before investing serious money. I’m not sure from where you’re writing, but if there’s an Aesop near you, that’s a great spot to check out as well. But also, don’t sleep on the drugstore. If you know the right brands to buy (La Roche-Posay, RoC retinols and Burt’s Bees for example), you can score some really quality products for incredibly great deals.
⋆ Have a style question you'd like answered? Ask The Obtainer
Test Drive
The 18-Hour Jersey Boxer Brief
Good underwear should not be taken for granted. The sooner you start sweating the minor details in a great pair, the quicker your life changes for the better. I know some guys wear boxers, but they’re a bit loose for my preference—I need more support for my undercarriage. What makes an excellent pair of boxer briefs? Sturdy elastic, ideally no tag, and they stay securely on your waist. You wear them everyday and they go right against your skin and some very important body parts, so you might as well find some worth investing in, right?The 18-hour jersey boxer brief by Mack Weldon has changed my outlook on underwear completely. The long-wearing technology is built for maximum comfort, and its name derives from an 18-hour resting process that the fabric goes through before they start sewing—creating a supremely soft, consistent fit for daily ease. The underwear is made of a cotton and modal blend with a touch of spandex—these feel like your favorite athletic compression shorts, only more comfortable and less restricting. The underwear features a no-roll waistband and stay-put legs, so they don’t ride up whenever you’re putting pants on or moving throughout the day. Plus, there’s no tag, and all the washing instructions you would find on said tag are printed on the back right leg towards your hamstring area.I get $28 is a lot, but the comfort level is invaluable—they even offer a 3-pack. These have slowly taken over my undergarments basket and are the only ones I want to wear—I no longer wear my previous go-to brand (rhymes with games) just because the durability isn’t like these. I wash everything on cold, and these are no different. My only gripe is that these shrink a bit if you throw them in the dryer, so I now hang dry them. I understand hang-drying underwear is a hassle, but these need that to retain their shape. And frankly, I love them so much that they’re worth it.
18-hour jersey boxer brief,$28 by Mack Weldon
The sales and discounts our team is currently watching.
A boxy, utilitarian overshirt is cut from soft, plain-weave cotton and finished with a sturdy button placket. You won’t usually find a MHL shirt at this price.
$245 / $125 byMHL by Margaret Howell
Now’s the best time to buy outerwear. And this handsome houndstooth wool option is now more than half off. The fit is modern enough for now but classically made for the next decade.
$689 / $275by Rue De Tokyo
This handblown glass pitcher is Scandinavian-inspired and will certainly elevate whatever you’ve got on the table.
$75 / $45 byLSA International
The three best stories from around the web.
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'Keep your wardrobe small and bare minimum.' Owning only what you need is Margaret's way of life and style. The smaller the wardrobe, the more individuality is revealed.”
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The need for annual maintenance, like changing a car’s oil, makes a waxed cotton jacket a somewhat involved piece of outerwear to own.”
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I see carving as a nice metaphor for life … you have this massive stone or piece of wood and you begin roughing it out, then it’s a gradual process of refinement. It takes time and consideration, because once you have removed it, you can't go back on yourself.”
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We asked our friend @aaronplevine, designer, stylist, humanist and part-time model, to provide us with ten pictures from his camera roll. No explanations, no words. Enjoy the trip!
February 1