What to buy this week
Exclusive first look at 18 East + Nanga, the return of Palace x The North Face Purple Label, a store that just did a huge Paraboot restock, and more!
I think we can all agree that there needs to be a pause on releases right before the holidays. Gifts are being bought, my wallet is hurting, yet my desire to acquire new garments for myself hasn’t subsided because we have so many great releases coming out right before the end of the year.
In today’s letter:
The return of my favorite partnership: Palace and The North Face Purple Label
An exclusive first look at the upcoming 18 East + Nanga collaboration.
A Salomon shoe that I actually…enjoy?
Exclusive information on a huge Paraboot restock you can take advantage of right now.
and other great recs that came across my desk this week.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLLABORATIONS RETURNS
Palace and The North Face Purple Label getting together right before the end of the year was not something I was expecting to wake up to a few days ago. It’s their second collection together, and it’s just as strong as their first collab from 2021.
Before you get excited, I’m going to warn you that I’m about to show you below is the first collab between Palace and The North Face Purple Label:
For their second collection we’re getting a bunch of great winter-ready items. Similar branding motifs like the purple logo slaps can be seen across this collection—something that’s very on brand for Purple Label. Might not work in the North American market, but this will fly off the shelves in Japan.
Puffers with removable hoods, GORE-TEX windstopper fabrics for that extra layer of protection, nylon sets, mittens, hats and backpacks. They’re all great and I love the color palette, but my eyes are landing directly on the Cowichan sweater.
Ever since I wrote the letter about Cowichan sweaters, I’ve started to see more and more brands release their own. Palace has done a lot of them so there’s no surprise that they are back with another one for this Purple Label collab. This one is great because it also uses the GORE-TEX Windstopper fabric, making these extremely warm for that serious cold.
Now this is the part that you’re probably not going to be happy to hear. This collection will be only available in Japan. I know, it sucks, and it’s not the first time good collections have been exclusive to the country, and it won’t be the last.
If you’re in Japan get ready for this collection to drop at Nanamica, The North Face Standard, and Palace stores across Japan on December 20th.
The one thing that I really love about Purple Label is that their stuff is really well made. The way stuff fits is very relaxed, so it’s common to see longer fits on items like shirts, sweaters and some outerwear. Their use of high quality button snaps, built-in hardware, and quality zippers take your overall clothing experience to another level.
On one of my earlier Japan trips this year, I bought a bunch of Purple Label stuff that I still use almost daily—a button snap sweater in a soft cotton that hasn’t left my body in weeks, a nylon bag that has become my first choice when needing to run errands, and more.
FLEECE SEASON
I’m a sucker for a well-made, warm and easy to wear fleece. Montreal winter is no joke and a good fleece is going to be really comfortable and will allow for solid temperature control when layering.
Almost all fleeces are made out of polyester and it’s always been like that. There’s discussion around polyester right now and how you should be going with natural fibres, which is fair, but then those same people complain when they see prices of fleeces using wool.
There are levels to how polyester is made that defines the overall quality and price of said fleece. I personally don’t mind having these sorts of items at 100% poly for specific moments in my life. Good quality fleeces are insanely durable, they are comfortable, and they keep me warm.
Unless it’s priced at an absurd amount, I believe spending the time and energy to complain about a fleece being made out of polyester is silly—the simple answer is to not buy it.
If you’re someone who understands the importance of the functionality that a fleece gives you, then Adsum just dropped some relaxed fitting fleeces over on their site recently that are built for cold weather layering.
The ACEM fleece is constructed with a more relaxed shoulder fit which gives extra comfort and overall mobility. The lightweight fabric that’s used for it is also important which will help regulate temperature when layering.
The fabric is brushed on both sides, giving it a soft and warm finish, and because of its higher quality it can easily be washed and worn while resisting to pilling.
Overall, a solid choice for anyone looking for a solid quality fleece that isn’t heavy, still provides good warmth, it’s cozy, and it looks great.
Want more fleece recommendations? Make sure you read the latest Fleece Report here.