I know, jeans are not the obvious holiday gift. They’re definitely not something you give your boss or your brand-new boyfriend. But your best friend? Your sister? Yourself? I say, if you know her size and where to go for an impeccable selection of blues, there is a very good chance you’ll get her a pair she’ll love forever (or, at the very least, ones she can exchange for a pair she’ll thank you for, still).
Here’s why I am getting all of my gifts from The Line this year: First, they have a denim selection just like the one I describe above. Small and curated, it includes Levi’s 501s plucked from the vintage mecca What Goes Around Comes Around (one of my personal favorites for its well-edited, easy-to-shop offering), as well as key styles from some of the coolest New York labels, like 6397, 3×1, and Proenza Schouler; you really can’t go wrong. Second, the online shop and its immersive NYC home, The Apartment by The Line, have everything you want to wear with jeans! Cashmere sweaters from designer Kate Wendelborn‘s beautiful collection, Protagonist, sandals by NewbarK, and sneakers by Common Projects, to name just a few.
Here’s how I put it together during a recent visit to The Apartment, when co-founders Vanessa Traina Snow and Morgan Wendelborn invited me to come have a look and make a shopping list of things to give and get:
Click on a pic for more info:
Jeans + cozy sweater = a luxury and ease I’d give anyone I love in a minute. But clothes weren’t all I tried on. Vanessa and Morgan had asked me to bring a handful of my most treasured possessions, which, I quickly discovered, mixed perfectly with a lot of what I found in The Apartment – including Uka nail oils, a Mexchic wool blanket, and two petrified wood columns by designer Adrianna Shamaris. Together, we set up a fantasy living space, and I made myself at home. If the best presents are the ones that fit seamlessly into our lives, then I’d just found all I wanted, for myself and a lot of my loved ones. (Friends, don’t let anyone tell you that candles are cop-outs; Le Labo’s Santal 26 is one I would be proud to give and very happy to get. Also, dear husband, if you’re still looking for something for me this year, the blanket is something we’d both enjoy, I’m sure.)
Here’s how it looked – spare, but sprinkled with things that get used and are noticeably lived in. Sort of like my own home, though this is definitely a lot more camera ready:
Later, I went online to purchase some of what’s above, only to find so much more: the 3×1 boyfriend shirt (for my sister-in-law-to-be, who looks better in a button-down than anyone I know), handbags by Philipp Bree (for the minimalist friend who needs to carry a lot, but likes to do so cleanly), plus everything from the Rodin Olio Lusso beauty line. Florence loves the lip balm; I think I’ll get her two because I’m sure she’ll use it (even if she now knows it’s coming).
Below is a larger selection of things I wish to give – from a Proenza Schouler denim dress, to a themed gift set that includes two porcelain egg cups and the Rose Bakery cookbook, How To Boil An Egg (Phaidon), and real works of art – but I recommend visiting the site. There, Morgan and three other stylish entrepreneurs – Daniel Martin, Bettina Prentice, and Elin Kling – share their own gorgeous gift lists. Mine is only the beginning…
For more, go to Chapter 64: On Special Objects, Five Editors Select Favorite Finds; TheLine.com.
The Apartment by The Line is at 76 Greene Street, NYC, 646-678-4908; go to TheLine.com for store hours.