He Picks
1 Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett
Seven years after his Pulitzer Prize–nominated debut,
You Are Not a Stranger Here (nine deft and devastating tales of depression, suicide,
AIDS, and death), Adam Haslett is back with his first novel,
Union Atlantic. Five-plus years in the making (and completed during the week Lehman Brothers went bust), it takes on a looming financial crisis from the vantage of the New York Federal Reserve.
$26, www.amazon.com
2 Nightscape by Ulrich Lang New York
German-born fragrancer Ulrich Lang, an alumnus of L’Oréal, made a name for himself by drawing on contemporary art for his scents Anvers and Anvers 2, both of which feature the work of renowned photographers (like Katy Grannan) on their packaging. His third scent, the patchouli-focused Nightscape, is just as artistic, with geranium and jasmine providing a masculine fl oral depth.
$110, www.ulrichlangnewyork.com
3 Rapha Leather Town Gloves
Rapha is the Savile Row of cycling outfitters, so they spared no expense on these chic green gloves. They’re made from goatskin with marksman-grade padding in the palms, a treat for any man who needs to grip handlebars (or a briefcase handle) for any length of time.
$170, www.rapha.cc
4 Ohio Knitting Mills Sweaters
Finding choice vintage gear without another guy’s miles on the threads is tough, which is why Ohio Knitting Mills is so cool. From 1927 to 1974, this Cleveland mill made knits for brands like Van Heusen, Pendleton, and
Saks. Now, thanks to Ohio sculptor Steven Tatar, who discovered thousands of never-worn pieces in 2004 while hunting for scrap metal, these retrotastic crews and cardigans are as good as new.
$66 to $108, www.ohioknittingmills.com
5 Leica X1
Like a digital mini-version of Leica’s famous M9, the 12.2 MP X1 doesn’t skimp on the specs (it has a fixed 36 mm equivalent F2.8 Elmarit lens, a 230,000-pixel LCD, and a full range of manual controls). For an aspiring shutterbug like me, it’s also a lot more accessible than Leica’s considerably higher-priced M-class models.
$1,995, www.leica-camera.co.uk