As this crazy year draws to a close, we consider ourselves lucky for the people around us--the stores who carry us, the press who write about us, the vendors who supply us, our partners in factories and warehouses, and of course, YOU who buy and wear us. This is an ecosystem that we can be proud to be a part of.
If you are still looking for holiday gifts this year, we'd like to point you to our marvelous world-wide stockists. They must have great taste if they carry Battenwear, right?
Like our own little brand, many of our stores are run by a super small team, motivated by a love of clever things and a desire to share them with their communities. Just before Thanksgiving, we asked the stores who carry us to let us know what they recommend to Battenwear fans for this gift giving season.
Below, you'll find a few of their responses, and we'll plan to keep posting them as they come in. We hope that you'll shop with these stores not just for this holiday season but going forward--they're great people whose businesses are worthy of our support.
WHAT: The Park Deli Fleece Shopper (pictured above)
FROM: Park Deli in Brooklyn, NY aka our #1 favorite skateboard/flower shop
ABOUT: "It's super soft, lightweight, and easy to carry. This is a great gift for holiday 2020 because the NYC bag ban finally went into effect this past month. Not only are plastic bags wasteful, they cost your local bodega thousands of dollars a year. The Fleece Shopper is made in the NYC Garment District."
WHAT: MHL Margaret Howell Pull On Polo
FROM: Sportivo in Madrid, Spain, which will be the first store in Spain to carry Battenwear, starting with Spring/Summer 2021.
ABOUT: "We love Margaret Howell's philosophy of simplicity and durability. It's perfect for every season, and the fit is amazing."
WHAT: Lost & Found Toques (pictured above)
FROM: Lost & Found in Toronto, Canada. They've been carrying us since our first season and are merciless jokesters in addition to being good friends.
ABOUT: "This tuque, toque, beanie, watch cap, head warmer is near and dear to our hearts as it's all made in our native land of Canada. It comes in a rainbow of colours and is itch-free, made of 100% acrylic which makes it warmer than cotton but not too warm as wool can sometimes be."
WHAT: Snow Peak Kanpai Bottle
FROM: HHV in Berlin, Germany who do really cool photoshoots and are generally super fun to work with.
ABOUT: "Perfect match with Battenwear Day Hiker or Tote Bags. Always well equipped for cold and warm days."
WHAT: Light Revival Boots from Danner (pictured above)
FROM: Epitome in Edinburgh, Scotland. Run by a really awesome woman who gets what we mean about Battenwear being unisex in a way we wish more stores would!
ABOUT: "We love retro outdoor style and these are straight out the 70s, old school hiking at it’s best!"
WHAT: Craighill Press Vessel
FROM: Cult is a relatively new store in Chicago, Illinois run by a couple of young dudes who were coincidentally wearing full Battenwear when we met them, so we decided we should do business together and are glad we did.
ABOUT: "The Press Vessel is a special home for worldly treasures. Fashioned from precision-machined anodized aluminum, it’s an airtight container that’s equally suited to storing rare spices or heirloom jewelry."
Finally, here are a few of the things the two of us here at Battenwear have bought or received as gifts lately and can heartily recommend as gifts to your loved ones:
Paper Project Socks, a keeping-your-feet-happy project run in part by a good friend and Battenwear model-extraordinaire
Rancho Gordo Beans, which feels like what Battenwear would be if Battenwear were food
HA KO Paper Incense, which was super fun to watch burn in addition to smelling great
Nicolas Jay Wine, a box of which was sent to us by a friend with the explanation: "i can guarantee i was wearing your khaki stretch climbing shorts and navy/burgundy camp shirt during the harvest of the 2018 chardonnay. i was most likely wearing your grey flannel herringbone camp shirt during the harvest of both of the pinots." We had never before thought of Battenwear as grape-harvesting gear, but now cannot stop.
If you have a small, good-hearted local business that you think Battenwear fans should support this holiday season and beyond, let us know at info@battenwear.com!