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December 12, 2008A weekly roundup of the latest from the T Web siteThe High Low | J. Crew Timex Watch, $150 By Bifen Xu  The holiday season is upon us, and we are being bombarded with practical gift ideas for all our friends and family. But what about a little Christmas cheer for yourself? The J. Crew special edition Timex watch is a great staple, and J. Crew is offering free shipping and special discounts if you order from its site. It’s inspired by military watches from the 1940s and has a worn-in, distressed look. Casual enough for the weekends, it’s also discreet enough for the office. Sometimes, a special treat can also be a great investment. ADVERTISEMENT  By ALISON S. COHN  Pragmatic: it’s probably not the first adjective you would use to describe fashion’s ubiquitous shoes-on-steroids, so overwrought that sometimes even veteran models can’t operate them. As Suzy Menkes points out in a new IHT video interview with the shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti, some of the latest designs are “on that borderline between something you’d find in a sex shop and something you’d find in a shoe shop.” But for Zanotti, who apparently has 800 styles in his spring collection, it’s not about the fetish; it’s about striking a balance. By BRUCE PASK  I love the cold! The switch from transitional outerwear to full-fledged cold-bearing clothes allows me to wear my long underwear (I have the perfect pair of John Bartlett long johns made by Zimmerli) and my heavy ragg wool socks. Ragg wool is a marled yarn of two different colors speckled together in a salt-and-pepperish kind of way. It usually comes in cream and beige or cream and navy, but there are plenty of other color combinations. Wigwam is probably the best-known company producing ragg wool socks, but other manufacturers offer them as well. On the higher end, Hermès is offering an ultraluxe, multicolored version of ragg wool in heavy socks and knit stocking caps. I’m also a fan of ragg wool gloves, especially the fingerless knit ones, which are perfect for iPhone/cellphone dialing in the cold. By NICK CURRIE  The German capital is gripped, at this time of year, by the same kind of consumerist frenzy you’d see in any affluent city in the run-up to Christmas. But a couple of offbeat stores are giving Berliners the choice to add an ethical edge to their shopping. O.K.-Versand, on Mitte’s fashionable Alte Schönhauser Strasse, stocks cheap and charming goods from developing nations. The emphasis is on classic, sometimes old-fashioned, forms in bright colors, with rough edges and an almost handmade feel, thanks to rough-and-ready manufacturing techniques. By ANNE CHRISTENSEN  Thankfully, some people out there still feel the urge to go shopping and still have some money to spend. To these people I say, “Instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve, wear birds on your handbag!” This Gucci bag, decked with a swallow tattoo motif, not only conveys wealth, but it actually gives some, too! During the holiday season 25 percent of the proceeds from the bag will go to Unicef’s education and health care initiative for children affected with H.I.V./AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Comment of the Week
“MB,” who just made Ms. Dynasty Handbag’s day: “I listen to her music each week before bible study class.” | What Gives: Highlights from the Moment’s gift-giving guide. Even Spam and EZ Cheese on a cracker will look ritzy on this faux malachite tray from Fornasetti. And if that doesn’t work, try giving this solar powered SunJar by Tobias Wong. The next best thing since Prozac!  These recycled rubber bracelets from Made With Love benefit a school for homeless children in Dakar, Senegal. And they go well with this Marni T-shirt printed with illustrations by children from Brazil, Colombia, Tibet and other countries.  Uno note cards are cheap ($32) and cheerful, while Kate Spade’s Par Avion cosmetics pouch ($45) allows the frequent flier in your life to upgrade from the quart-size Ziploc bag to first class.  Instead of a bottle of wine, offer your host the unexpected: a bottle of bright olive oil, like Gianfranco Becchina’s Sicilian Olio Verde, which is simple yet extravagant.  Two foolproof options that will keep the rugrats happy.  |
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