At this point in the holiday season, the gelt has been eaten, the eggnog pours liberally, and we’ve loaded you up on incredible, affordable White Elephant gifts that walk a fine line between erudite and deranged (blow a kiss to Long Furby?). But we’ve still got a few tricks up our feisty little Santa boots, because the week’s best drops and collaborations have us smashing that order button, yet again, in the name of all that is holy, from Carhartt to Crocs, to really good skin care bundles.
Last week’s drops gave us tarot card necklaces, Brooklinen bedding, and eclectic knitwear worthy of Godspell. This week’s offerings are a drool-worthy smattering of beautiful, high-design collaborations and releases from our favorite streetwear and high fashion brands, from Balenciaga to Timex; Belstaff to Huckberry, that we can’t wait to spread over our wardrobe like the sweetest, saltiest butter…
Bodega x Carhartt WIP marries workwear and streetwear
Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) is the streetwear iteration of everyone’s favorite workwear-inspired brand—yes, we said it. Favorite. The history of Carhartt’s signature, democratic shade of spicy brown and built-to-last materials has always strived to support the Every Man, Woman, and Ghoul, and we love them for it. Now, Carhartt WIP has partnered with the streetwear giants at Bodega, and the apparel and accessories have even more spice, like this colorblock chore coat and tasty embroidered beanie.
Bodega x Carhartt WIP OG Chore Coat (opens in a new window)
Bodega x Carhartt WIP Full Flavor Beanie (opens in a new window)
Salehe Bembury x Crocs is the alien clog we need
As the former VP of sneakers at Versace, Salehe Bembury knows how to tackle luxury brand footwear; the designer has a real talent for taking NYC streetwear to the next level, and his recent collaboration with Crocs—the Pollex Clog, which looks as if it rose from the depths of the Black Lagoon—are further proof of that chutzpah. Is it high art? Kinda, and it also sold out instantly.
Champion x Hasbro has got game
This is one of those “y’all talk?” collabs that when you first hear it, can be a little head-scratching. But hear us out: When the sweatsuit lords at Champion make nice with the brand behind Monopoly, Candy Land, and other iconic board games, there can be some charming results, like these Scrabble slippers that make a perfect last-minute gift for your favorite coffee table competitor.
Rowing Blazers x Babar drops a showstopping fleece
Not sure whether you’re of the Eureka’s Castle generation, the Blue’s Clues cohort, or—god, please don’t make us feel this old—a child of Hannah Montana, but no matter what decade you were raised by, Babar the Elephant remains both iconic and essential, which is why this stupid-cute collab between the character and Rowing Blazers can take all our money.
Babar Ski Polar Fleece (opens in a new window)
Belstaff’s first Gore-Tex jacket
The jacket to end all jackets. The jacket with so many pockets, built-to-last layers, waterproof material, zips, ties, and outdoorsy features, that it will ruin all other jackets for you. Not to speak out of turn, but the new Gore-Tex jacket from Belstaff is the kind of piece you buy and own for the rest of your life.
Balenciaga’s goofy, glitzy Christmas ornaments
The puffer, the shoes, the bag—the absolute swaggity swag that this trio of designer ornaments will bring to your holiday tree. Make your sugar daddi or mommi buy this set, because you’ve been a very good goose this year.
Icons Xmas Balls (opens in a new window)
Clarks and Sweet Chick turn brunch into footwear
To paraphrase one of our editor’s mothers, “Clarks are the most comfortable walking shoes, and we should all be buried in them.” The footwear brand collaborated with the Brooklyn-based gourmet chicken ‘n’ waffle house Sweet Chick to create “The Wafflebee Collection,” which reimagines the iconic Wallabee boot to look like it’s ready to be topped with butter and syrup.
The nativity set Martha Stewart made in confinement
As if we couldn’t fall more in love with the woman who has given us quince CBD gummies—the she-king crafter of our hearts, girl boss to end all other girl bosses, Martha Stewart, just announced in a viral TikTok that she’s released exact replicas of the nativity set she made in a pottery class whilst she was “away at camp.” It’s a stunning 14-piece set, which was actually inspired, says Saint Martha, by an 800-year-old nativity set. In the words of one TikTok commenter, “Martha Stewart capitalizing on her prison work is the energy we all never knew we needed this year.”
Nativity Set (opens in a new window)
SVNR’s best-selling fish earring is back
We love food so much that we created an entire food-obsessed gift guide for you and your Guy Fieri LARPing boyfriend (ISO a third??), and while we know that this beautiful, best-selling, 14-karat-gold fish earring from the AAPI-owned jewelry label SVNR is not edible, it will look delectable as it sparkles from our ears. The design is a tribute to the fishing village of Ningbo, China, which is the birthplace of the designer’s maternal grandmother (aw) and sure would make a nice present for our own mommy.
Timex x Huckberry’s handsome, rugged watch
This Timex watch was inspired by voyages taken into the Arctic Circle, which means it will be able to withstand whatever sweet hell you put it through at the bar, on vacation, and wherever your adventures may take you; it’s Japanese-made out of stainless steel, deep-water resistant, winds itself while you move, and has illuminated hands and indexes for day and night visibility. We can’t wait for someone to ask us what time it is.
Navi XL Automatic "Arctic" Timepiece (opens in a new window)
YINA’s Mindbody Ritual Gift Boxes will make you feel goooood
If you’re new to YINA, the skincare and wellness brand was founded by Dr. Ervina Wu and Angela Chau Gray, who are practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and experts at making our turn-down (and wake-up) routines feel ceremonially beautiful by centering quality ingredients like reishi, centella, ginseng, and more with traditional gua sha practices and tools. Their new coffret was designed to be a beginner-friendly set of products for the body and face, including an herbaceous oil serum, bioadaptive cleanser, face mist, and recovery body treatment oil.
Now doesn’t that feel better? See you in the New Year, friend.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.
