Table of contents for December/January 2017 in Esquire

THERE’S AN INHERENT contradiction in the phrase “planning a party.” Planning implies maturity, organization, common sense. Virtues all. But we know that the best parties—the real benders, the ones that leave us with bones that ache from dancing, skulls that throb from drinking, and morning-after vapor trails of Dionysian catharsis—tend to happen on the fly and off the cuff. When you’re in the mood to throw a holiday bash, the universe is telling you to do so right now, tonight, go. There is, however, an art to the immediate and impromptu, as some of America’s hospitality specialists will tell you. “The philosophy I believe in strongly is keep it simple,” says John Winterman, managing partner at James Beard winner Bâtard, in Manhattan. “Last minute soirees tend to suffer when you…

THE SEYCHELLES For Beach + Adventure This dreamy archipelago is known as a decadent chaise-and-cocktails capper for safari honeymoons. But the Seychelles is now a legitimate stand-alone destination for diving, snorkeling, fishing, and hiking. Plus, there are those powdery beaches edged with coconut palms. Once you finally get to the serene Alphonse Island, on the edge of the archipelago, you won’t find cars or cell reception. What you will find are white bottomed saltwater flats perfect for casting for trigger fish, bonefish, and barracuda. (Or motor out with a guide to pursue sailfish, yellow fin tuna, and dorado.) Guests at the just opened Six Senses Zil Payson, which has 30 indoor-outdoor villas on a private island studded with granite boulders, can go on hikes through the deep jungle. And the…

YOU PROBABLY RECALL that era—was it three or four years ago?—when urbanites in cold-clime cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia went wild for Moncler down parkas. The jackets suggested a pampered approach to the snow, more après-ski than black diamond. These days, though, there’s a new type of skiin spired clothing that’s built as much for technical performance as it is for standing out in the city. Try Aztech Mountain, a three-year-old brand from Aspen that’s already earned fanfare for its city-friendly parkas, joggers, and performance fleeces. (Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller recently signed on as chief innovation officer.) Or check out Dsquared2’s debut ski collection, or Canada Goose’s reinvigorated line, whose down parka you may recognize as a status symbol among celebrities at Sundance and students at the…

IF YOU LIKE your jeans stiff and inky when you buy them so that you can gradually imprint your own personality through general wear and tear, you’ll like what’s happening in leather goods right now. Small artisanal makers and savvy big brands are using leather that hasn’t been anywhere near a dye bath for everything from wallets to footballs, allowing the natural wrinkles—or in some cases even the brand marks from the hide’s original owner—to come to the fore. Every piece will age differently. And just like your jeans, they improve with scuffs, spills, stains, and exposure to your skin’s natural oils. Should you wish to accelerate the process, try rubbing in a good extra virgin olive oil and leaving the leather out in the sun.…

WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO the wellcut, unlined lightweight summer jacket, one without internal structure or any visible means of support (grazie, Italy), as a blessed fixture of the summer wardrobe. However, in autumn—which is, let’s face it, men’s wear’s spiritual home—when the temperature drops and wearing actual clothes once again becomes a pleasure, we look forward to more heft in our jackets and the opportunity to break out all those crunchy, earthy wools we stowed away in the spring. Now, counterintuitive as it sounds, the unlined winter jacket is on the rise, and it gives you the best of both worlds: Stripping out the lining enhances the cut while allowing the coat to be made of thicker, more authentic fabrics. For the style guy, it’s a win-win.…

• A newcomer to the olfactory world, ExNihilo’s Bois D’Hiver offers a powerful woody scent. • Francis Kurkdjian brings his years of experience to Grand Soir, mixing cist us labdanum, benzoin, and tonka bean. • Tom Ford’s Vert des Bois, from his privateblend line, is the perfect combo of greenery and expressive wood base. • Oud Royal, from Giorgio Armani’s Privé collection, showcases oud wood, considered a “second skin” in the Middle East. • Mugler’s Woodissime combines agar wood, cedar, saffron, and osmanthus for a scent that’s both soft and spicy. • Finally, the Art of Shaving has made its first foray into fragrance with five that are sure to turn heads. Sandalwood & Cypress is best worn during the coldest months.…

(1) To: Mom-in-Law Sorry for saying your meatloaf was dog food. “ THE SHORT STACK COOK BOOK” They’ll want to keep this book as accessible as the salt and pepper grinders. Organized around 18 main ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, the recipes from food-world experts are easy yet inspired—chickenskin tacos, anyone? shortstack editions.com........................$40 (2) To: Infant Son Welcome to the family! You’re not getting the keys to the Porsche. CANDYLAB TOY PIONEER Spark his love of automobiles, boats, and adventure with one gift. The canoe attaches to the woodieinspired wagon with a magnet. It may be Uber all the time when the little one becomes old enough to drive, but this at least guarantees a faint memory of when cars were cars. candylabtoys.com............$42 (3) To: Teenage Pokémon…

(1) Uber won’t be my default mode of transportation. MARTONE CYCLIN COMPANY GRAMERCY DIAMOND BIKE This bold two-wheeler is sprezzatura in bike form. Pretty much everything about it is red: the steel alloy frame, handlebars, pedals, tires, spokes, saddle, kickstand— even the chain. An automatic SRAM hub shifts between the bike’s two gears, depending on how much force you’re pedaling with. And the low-maintenance design ensures you’ll coast confidently to your destination. martonecycling.com..........$1,100 (2) The microwave will cease to be my go-to kitchen tool. FIELD COMPANY FIELD SKILLET A seasoned cast-iron skillet is naturally nonstick and gives meats and vegetables a perfect sear, but unless you’ve got massive forearms and biceps, it’s not the easiest thing to pick up every day. The Field Skillet has an ergonomic handle and weighs…

Hiroki NAKAMURA The Denim Whisperer At just a glance, you might not understand why Visvim, Hiroki Nakamura’s label, has a cult following. But then you feel it, wear it, and something clicks. Embodied by Nakamura and inspired by Native American fashion and workwear from a time in America when things were built to be indestructible, the clothes evince a kind of soul from labor-intensive Japanese artisanship, both traditional and technological. Like Nakamura’s style, it’s of the past and the future at once. HIDETOS HINAKATA THE FASHION FOOTBALLER For Japan’s most-famous-ever soccer player, the appeal of playing overseas in Italy was as much about the fashion as the sport. The attacking playmaker retired surprisingly early, at twenty-nine, and has since become a fixture at haute-couture events, regularly photographed “shoulder robing” (wearing…

THAT PHILOSOPHY CHAIR is where I’ve read most of Nietzsche’s works. Because I’ve read all of them. It’s the Poltrona Frau 1919 armchair; the color reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. My wife Kate’s got the Cappellini Peacock chair, and they sit in two corners, sort of facing each other. The pen is a Montblanc Heritage Collection 1914, coral edition. I write all my own stand-up, I write sketch, I write television and film stuff. You know, for me, a pen is almost more important than a car. I don’t own a car, but I do own this pen. My father always said, “Never buy a car unless you’re gonna drive it.” I always say, “Never buy a pen unless you’re gonna write with it.” That’s an ottoman my wife…

MATTHEW DESMOND, author of Evicted “I learned loads from Elizabeth Hinton’s From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime, a deep and critical look into the rise of America’s prison boom. Brimming with vivid detail, this history book shows the political machinations that gave life to America’s tragic experiment with mass incarceration.” Harvard University Press, $30 ZADIE SMITH, author of Swing Time “Alexandra Kleeman’s You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine [2015] really thrilled me. I hadn’t read anything that got as close to the existential feeling of being young and female in America right now. As soon as my daughter is old enough, I’d like to give it to her, to use as a shield. I’m just as excited to read Kleeman’s new book, Intimations, which…

I FIRST SAW La La Land on a Monday at noon with a bunch of press and industry people recovering from hangovers of various intensities. We’d all had to wait in line to see it, some of us for more than an hour, in unseasonable heat. Then the movie started. I had never attended a screening for professional critics in which the crowd spontaneously burst into applause in the middle of the film—several times. But that’s what happened. It is nearly impossible to explain the movie’s many pleasures in a way that makes sense. It is a big budget feature that aspires to be a loopy independent. It was shot in Cinema Scope but feels more contemporary than any other film I’ve seen this year. Confused? You’re supposed to be,…

YOU CAN’T MISS A PANERAI. When the Italian company relaunched in 1993, it did so with three watches inspired by the designs it had once made for Italian Navy divers. And it was their sheer size that caught the attention of watch fans. The Luminor Marina was bigger and thicker than anything else out there. Early devotees had their shirt cuffs tailored to accommodate the beefy new behemoth. Many more did not, content to show off a wristwatch that became a talisman of corporate success. If you’ve ever wondered why modern watches are so big, thank Panerai. So, in an industry whose monumental shifts can be measured in a handful of millimeters, it’s something of a sea change that Panerai’s major news this year is the Luminor’s drastic slim down…

MORNING WOOD THE DRESSING GOWN: WHAT EVERY SMART URBANITE WEARS WHILE LOUNGING AROUND HIS HOUSE— OR HIS BACKYARD. Dressing gown ($1,215) by New & Lingwood; pajamas ($99) by Brooks Brothers; boots ($219) by L. L. Bean; ax ($350) by Best Made Company. YOU DON’T SLIP INTO a fuchsia-and-turquoise peacock-print silk dressing gown by accident. Even in the comfort of your own home, it takes an iron sense of self to put on several meters of exotic silk to answer the door for the postman. Or to chop firewood. What you choose to wear in private is the great divider. For ease I should refer to a dressing gown as a robe, but I can’t bring myself to do so. A bathrobe is the Dude poolside in The Big Lebowski. The…

When I was growing up, my family followed the Chinese tradition of gifting red envelopes to children on the holidays— crisp twenties (fresh from the bank) wrapped in waxy crimson paper. Now I look back fondly on those days when Christmas rolls around and I unwrap yet another artful coffee-table book (sup, Phaidon) or wireless Bluetooth speaker already marching toward obsolescence. Call me a Scrooge, but there’s no gift more useful than cash. No one considers it a breach of etiquette to create a honeymoon fund for newlyweds, so why shouldn’t single guys ask for Xmas cash? This year, I’m taking contributions for my personal project, Let’s Galápago, which will surely bring me more happiness than an Apple Watch. (I’ll accept red envelopes, too.)…

Dear Mr. #@&!-Up! We’re not saying you’re , but you’re not exactly .Your loyal friends deserve more than .An isn’t going to make up for the time you spend . And your (wife or bae) is going to need more than to forgive and . Here are the gifts that will make things(sorta) right with almost everyone... Because sometimes you’re more than. (1) To: CEO I’m not saying I Wiki Leaked that email. I’m just saying some notes should be written with a pen, you know? HMM RULE/ONE PEN Carrying around a cool pen is old-school, but the Rule/One is an expert multitasker. Made of lightweight yet solid milled aluminum, the case doubles as a five-inch ruler and a straightedge; the pen has swappable heads for converting from ballpoint to…

ESTABLISHED IN 1883 Texas-bred Lucchese uses time-honored craftsmanship techniques to build handmade boots of unrivaled quality, fit, comfort and style. In virtually every step of our boot making process, we rely on human hands to complete centuries-old tasks to perfection. Visit lucchese.com for more information. STERLING VINEYARDS Ascend 300 feet in an aerial gondola to Sterling Vineyards, the winery on the hill. Take in awe-inspiring panoramic views, stunning Greek architecture, and the brilliant wines that Sterling has to offer. Enhance your wine tasting experience with a glass of Sterling wine perfectly paired with a gourmet cheese and charcuterie platter for two. RIMOWA Once again, RIMOWA fundamentally redefines travel: With the RIMOWA Electronic Tag, travellers will be able to check-in their luggage from anywhere and drop it off at the airport…

WHILE CLEANING OUT a closet this past summer, I came upon a corduroy jacket I hadn’t worn in years. It had not held up well. There was a speck of moth damage at the lapel and loose stitching at the shoulder. The arm patches that I’d once found dignified now seemed cheap and pretentious. I tossed the jacket on a pile to take to a charity. Something about it called out to me, however. I picked up the jacket again and tried it on one last time over a T-shirt. As I did, I felt something in the left breast pocket. There’s always a small thrill that comes with discovering an unknown object in an item of clothing you haven’t recently worn. Is it an envelope filled with cash? Drugs…

FISHING WAS HIS IDEA. To browse through Michael Fassbender’s press clippings is to witness a man intent on transforming a burdensome professional obligation—parsing the ecstasies and devastations of his life for the benefit of strangers who write for magazines—into something fun and, on occasion, thrilling. He once coaxed a reporter into skeet-shooting in New Jersey. He went race-car driving in Montreal with another. Today, on an overcast autumn morning in Toronto, he wanted to be Captain Ahab. Such activity planning doesn’t stem from an aversion to discussing his craft. As far as theatrical pedigrees go, Fassbender’s is unimpeachable—he’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, he’s played both Macbeth and Steve Jobs, and now he gracefully hops between challenging independent films and tentpole franchises like XMen— and he is happy to…

PART 1 THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW RUSSIAN SPIES HACKED THE U.S. ELECTION ON AN APRIL afternoon earlier this year, Russian president Vladimir Putin headlined a gathering of some four hundred journalists, bloggers, and media executives in St. Petersburg. Dressed in a sleek navy suit, Putin looked relaxed, even comfortable, as he took questions. About an hour into the forum, a young blogger in a navy zip sweater took the microphone and asked Putin what he thought of the “so-called Panama Papers.” The blogger was referring to a cache of more than eleven million computer files that had been stolen from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm. The leak was the largest in history, involving 2.6 terabytes of data, enough to fill more than five hundred DVDs. On April 3,…

HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW If you’re reading this, you’ve already won at least one lottery. A boy born today in Chad, the country with the world’s lowest life expectancy (50.2 years), will spend more time on earth than an American boy born in 1900 (46.3). And if you’re reading this in the United States, you’re doing even better: With adjustments for inflation, the average American today makes more than triple what his counterpart was making in 1916. KUMBAYUTOPIA We’ve got a long way to go, but racism, sexism, and LGBT discrimination are fighting a losing battle. When else in history could you attend a gay wedding, watch your black president give the State of the Union, and take orders from your female boss without blinking…

Cedric Buchet PHOTOGRAPHER OF “THE SPARK,” PAGE 106 Credentials: His work has appeared in countless editorials and campaigns and is in the permanent collection at MoMA. On his holiday wish list: A puppy. Favorite comfort food: Vin jaune and Comté. New Year’s resolution: “To spend more time with friends and family.” Amanda Petrusich AUTHOR OF “THE SPARK,” PAGE 106 Credentials: Author of three books, including Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records; Guggenheim Fellow. On her holiday wish list: A bottle of good bourbon. Favorite comfort food: Macaroni and cheese with Champagne. New Year’s resolution: “To finally alphabetize my LP collection.” Christopher Glazek AUTHOR OF “MAVERICK OF THE MONTH,” PAGE 94 Credentials: Founder of the Yale AIDS Memorial Project; his writing…

A CLASSIC MARTINI 3 oz gin or vodka ¼ oz dry vermouth 2 dashes orange bitters (optional) Stir over ice; strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and/or olives. EVENTUALLY YOU come back to the martini. And like the martini itself, the return arrives with a shimmer of clarity. Let’s say you’ve settled into your seat at a restaurant one evening and you’re scanning a cocktail list that comes across like a chemistry-class periodic table. It’s as though your palate can anticipate what a sorry mess these drinks are going to be. Dear God, look at this one— somehow it’s got Cynar and Chartreuse and Bruichladdich and Becherovka, along with grapefruit juice and almond milk and rhubarb bitters and a strip of smoked pork loin. How’s that…

Sweater ($1,110) by Gucci. IF YOU’VE EVER SUFFERED THE INDIGNITY of the ugly Christmas sweater (whether wearing one or having to look at one), Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele feels your pain. Well, either that or he’s mining it for fashion. Michele’s wool V-neck sweater looks like that classic holiday staple, down to its cheery red shade, striped hems, and animal motif. Only where the insipid reindeer would be, there’s a panther, mid pounce, incisors flashing. This isn’t some twee, twitty jumper you’d imagine on Colin Firth; it’s the sweater Idris Elba would wear while rubbing out his enemies.…

GREG LAUREN, SON OF JERRY and nephew of Ralph, is a painter-turned-designer who cuts, dyes, rips, stitches, and patches clothes in his Melrose Avenue studio. His namesake collections—which he began selling quietly in 2011—have been partly inspired by Baja surf nomads and underground fighter poets, with many of his pieces washed and destroyed in a manner that can only be described as scarecrow chic. They’re handmade and painstaking works of art, with a price tag to match. Not exactly what you’d expect to find on the racks at your local mall, right? Well, think again. Thanks to a recently announced collaboration with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Lauren and Banana Republic produced a limited-edition collection of subtler versions of his own statement-making clothes—a stonewashed twill tuxedo and flight…

STOP ME IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR. Though you’ll still find plenty of men in the chunky square-eyeglass frames popularized post-recession by War by Parker, these days more and more of the earliest adopters (see: Justin Bieber, Zayn Malik) have been moving on to pared down round frames. Designers from Garrett Leight to Mykita to, yes, War by are churning them out as quickly as we can scoop them up, though, of course, those of us who remember John Lennon— or, hey, Johnny Depp—know the silhouette’s been around since long before its current moment. We’re calling it now: The Samuel Beckett look will be huge in 2017. Clockwise from top right: Glasses by Cutler and Gross ($450); by Linda Farrow ($750); by Mykita ($559); by Garrett Leight California Optical ($310); by…

REMEMBER WHEN Ryan Gosling single-handedly transformed schlub by Steve Carell in Crazy, Stupid, Love? That’s what Marc Piatek does for his clients every day, except he’s much nicer about it. “A personal shopper is just a catapult to someone changing a part of their life. I’m there to coach and guide guys.” STYLE STARTS WITH THE RIGHT FIT: “A lot of men don’t know what fits them, so we get sizes down pat. Then we ask questions like ‘Who are your style icons and what kind of success would you like to convey?’” THINK ABOUT COLOR: “Men always have an answer, because they know what colors they feel good in.” BLAZE A NEW TRAIL: “Start with one great basic blazer—and it doesn’t have to be crazy expensive. Then get a…

(1) To: Bae I won’t ask you to turn down Adele. DAQI CONCEPT JINGOO BLUETOOTH SPEAKER Yeah, this Bluetooth speaker is shaped like a bird and lights up. But don’t mock. The bird’s ceramic tail disperses lows from the woofer (integrated into the acacia-wood base) while the tweeter (hidden inside the body) handles the highs. She’ll get about 16 hours of playback and light per charge— whether it’s streaming Beyoncé or Spotify’s sounds-of-nature playlist. acgears.com....................$250 (2) To: Baby I will try to notice your haircuts more often. DYSON SUPERSONIC HAIR D RYER Even for the most demanding blow-out, the Dyson Supersonic is total overkill. Does she really need a hair dryer that monitors its airflow temperature 20 times a second? Will she ever use all three of the nozzle attachments?…

(1) To: Therapist You deserve a drink for listening to my dad issues. CASA NOBLE ALTA BELLEZA TEQUILA The secret to this very special añejo tequila? It’s finished for six months in cabernet sauvignon barrels from To Kalon, a highly esteemed vineyard. This sweet, balanced, extra-complex sipper is limited to just 563 bottles. casanoble.com.................$1,200 (2) To: IT Guy How have I been living without incognito mode all of my life? BEATS BY DR. DRE SOLO3 WIRELESS HEAD PHONES These supercomfortable overthe-ear headphones instantly pair with your new audio-jackless iPhone. But their coolest feature? Forty hours of battery life—long enough for that flight to Tokyo or anytime you need to block out the world for a while. beatsbydre.com..................$300 (3) To: Lawyer Thanks for getting those possession charges dropped. LOL PAX3 VAPORIZER…

ON JUNE 26, nine days before police shot Alton Sterling outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and ten days before police shot Philando Castile on the side of the road in a suburb of St. Paul, Jesse Williams walked onstage at the BET Awards, held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The thirty-five-year-old actor was there to accept the Humanitarian Award, an honor previously bestowed upon Muhammad Ali, Al Sharpton, and Denzel Washington. Best known for playing a Casanova doctor on the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, Williams didn’t seem to fit the mold. Then he started talking. Bowed over a microphone in front of an auditorium filled with thousands of attendees— and seven million viewers watching from home—Williams delivered an indictment of race relations in the United…

SEE NO EVIL HE WAS THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT ANELITE PREP SCHOOL. HEAR NO EVIL HE WAS ALSO A SERIAL PEDOPHILE WHO OPENLY TERRORIZED STUDENTS FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. SPEAK NO EVIL SO WHY DID NOBODY STOP HIM ? ERIC LEWIS INVESTIGATES. During the summer of 1968, Robert and Pamela DiBenedetto spent four weeks at sleepaway camp in upstate New York. The siblings, twins from Brooklyn, were twelve years old, and their camps were on opposite sides of a lake. One morning, Pamela woke up in her cabin with a swollen arm, an injury that puzzled the camp nurse: Pamela had not fallen or tripped, been bitten or stung. At the end of the season, however, she learned that her brother had broken his arm across the lake the day…

Dressing for work these days can make you feel like you have entered the Upside Down—the alternate dimension on Stranger Things. But there’s no reason to flip out. As the Duffer brothers show, it is possible for a guy to look professional and creative. Even if you are not in a line of work that traffics in severed arms, the key to effortless style is to build on modern classics, like jackets and scarves. Being a twin can get irritating. For starters, people ask questions like “Are you guys twins?” As kids, your folks dressed you up in matching outfits, which didn’t help. That’s why the Duffer brothers have a rule: The thirty-two-year old auteurs behind Stranger Things—Netflix’s supernatural retro-’80s series turned pop cultural phenomenon—never order the same thing at…