CH Gift Guide: Brick and Mortar Options

by Letizia Rossi

As the holidays get closer and closer, online orders may no longer be an option—not to mention that the best way to support your local workers in our increasingly flagging is to shop local. Luckily there are plenty of options included in the 2008 Cool Hunting Gift Guide that are available nationally at Brick and Mortar Stores.

American Apparel
With tons of colorful basics as well as a flashy statement pieces, American Apparel is a great place for pleasing a range of giftees on your list. We selected the Shiny Denim Diagonal Strap Gym Bag and the colorful Baby Rib Men's Briefs.

Whole Foods
Love them or hate them, Whole Foods has amazing chocolate options. We especially love both the fair trade Kallari Chocolate and Chocolove Mini Bars.

Urban Outfitters
With its eclectic selection of clothing, accessories, housewares, books and novelties Urban Outfitters is another great resource to find gifts from everyone to bad joke-cracking uncles to irreverent teenagers. Our favorites picks include the Speedball Block Printing Kit.

The Gift Guide also includes a ton of other awesome selections from: Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Barney's, Old Navy, Target and West Elm.

A.R.C. Sports Store

by Ami Kealoha

Of streetwear pioneer Alife's many 2008 accomplishments—which include fresh collaborations (see their Lacoste Polos and the Parra x Patta sneaker for a couple of our favorites) and stores opening in Tokyo and Los Angeles—what might be the most significant for the seven-year-old brand is the introduction of their new NYC retail location, the A.R.C. Sports Store. Opened Monday directly across the street from their original store in the Lower East Side and named for their ongoing commitment to sports, the space focuses on Alife's branded goods with sport heritage labels like Lacoste, Penfield and Canterbury, as well as select picks from other high-end, technical brands.

Housed in a sleek grey-and-white storefront designed by the Alife crew themselves, the execution of contemporary materials—like spider brackets seemingly suspending the glass counter (above right) and a totally modular peg-based display system (left)—make for a modern shopping environment that's on par with their approach to streetwear.

Perhaps the most telling and surprising additions to the new store's inventory are basics by Comme des Garçons, which makes sense considering their superior construction and materials put them in the category of clothing that's as functional as it is fashionable. The idea is the driving force behind the goods available at A.R.C. Sport, like Suunto watches that feature heartrate monitors but look good enough for a night on the town and Newman gloves which are made for wide-receivers but their casual line works on the field or for urban biking. Other labels offered are now-familiar Alife staples including Patagonia, Arcteryx and Brooks.

On par with all of Alife's thinking these days, collaborations are continuing to evolve with more classic styles, cleaner looks and better materials—all choices keeping it true to original sportswear. Made by hand in Philadelphia, the A.R.C. Mitchell and Ness Varsity Jacket (pictured above, $400) features a specially-engineered diagonal stripe and is a perfect (and on-trend) example of their concept. There's a lot more in store to get pumped about for the future, like the A.R.C. Saucony Shadow 6000 (pictured after the jump, available Christmas Eve), the A.R.C. Canterbury Rugby (below right) and the A.R.C New Balance 1300's (below left, both available January).

See more product shots and store images after the jump.

A.R.C. Sports
157 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002 map
tel. +1 212 253 0363

Hours
Monday-Saturday, noon-8pm
Sunday, noon-6pm

Gestalten Temporary Shop

by Ami Kealoha

by Tamara Warren

All good things come to an end—but they don't need to be forgotten. Such is the logic behind Gestalten Temporary, the German publisher’s pop-up store in Berlin where books documenting visual culture are abundant. With over 250 provocative titles documenting visual culture on its roster, there’s something for every art-phile to take home, from detailed volumes on specialized design projects to edgy art catalogs. The latest releases are an ideal gift for the savvy collector including "Strike a Pose: Eccentric Architecture and Spectacular Spaces," "Calma: The Art of Brazilian Painter Stephan Doitschinoff" and "Arne Quinze Works."

For those who are more tactile than verbose, Release The Freaks toy collections are also sold at the shop. And, this month the publisher launches Gestalten Art Editions, a print series featuring work by various artists such as Jan Feindt, James Gallagher and Benjamin Güdel. Originally installed as holiday shopping option, Gestalten Temporary remains open through the new year in the hip Mitte section of town. For those who are stuck stateside, the website is great for shopping and perusing Gestalten's podcasts, such as a documentary about Doitschinoff filmed in Brazil.

Gestalten Temporary
Through 31 January 2009
Mulackstrasse 31/32
10119 Berlin, Germany map
tel. +49 (0)30-2180-88 11

Deluxe Honeydrop Teas

by CH Contributor

by Natalia Rachlin

With flu season just around the corner, it's time to stock up on fluids that will leave you feeling good and sipping pretty. Founded by David Luks (aka Deluxe), Honeydrop was just launched this week, as an alternative to all those sugary substances on the market. The low cal, low sugar juices come in four flavors: Blood Orange, Apple, Chamomile, and Blueberry. They're as healthy as can bee (logo pun intended) and even help soothe coughs and sore throats. The fully recyclable PET plastic bottles are even better on Mother Nature, making everyone a winner.

Just dropped off to the office today, we all collectively cracked a bottle and all you could hear from various corners of the room were satisfied oohs and aahs, forming a consensus that every flavor is just as good as the next.

Read more at Refinery29.

The Ghostly Box Series 8.0

by Brian Fichtner

Now into its third year, the Ghostly Box Series is a smart way to introduce your friends and family to the Ghostly Universe. Series 8.0 of The Ghostly Box for 2008 is a hand-numbered edition of 50 that includes a Text Ghost Tee (designed by Ashkhan from Don't Stop Studio), an exclusive Ghostly Moleskine notebook with embossed logo and a copy of the Ghostly Swim compilation (which we covered earlier this year), available on CD for the first time.

Also included in the box set is your choice of any CD from Ghostly's 2008 full-length releases, a pair of Ghostly & Spectral lapel pins, an assortment of stickers and (a Cool Hunting office favorite) a set of three Ghostly Computer Decals that will turn any MacBook into a spooky ghost machine (see right).

To purchase the box set for $60 plus shipping, simply head to the Ghostly Store. To guarantee domestic holiday delivery, order Friday 19 December 2008 by 2pm EST to ship via UPS three-day Select or Monday 22 December 2008 by 2pm EST to ship via UPS 2nd Day Air.