Here at GQ Recommends, we spend countless hours toiling in the e-comm trenches to curate cool things to buy so you can shop like one of us, whether you’re looking for a new suit or a fresh three-pack of boxer briefs. Our unrivaled window shopping brings you everything from the best new menswear to the hottest menswear deals. But do those selects always align with our own personal order histories? They do not. So we thought we’d give you a tantalizing peek into our very own actual non-imaginary shopping carts. Here are 12 things our editors copped last month—much of which you can cop for yourself, too!—including a sporty pair of hybrid boots, a grip of stellar fragrances, a cute lil’ watch, and more.
Martin Mulkeen, Global Commerce Category Director
After at least 18 full months of hemming and hawing, I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Paraboot Michaels, perhaps the most elevated and truly refined moc toe on the market. I just couldn’t wear my thrashed tan Wallabees to another upscale restaurant. Turns out, all that waffling and waiting actually paid off because Paraboot and Drake’s cooked up a special collab in those 18 months and it was exactly what I was looking for. It’s nearly identical to the regular Michael, but with a couple subtle differences: No teeny-tiny small French flag adorning the upper, and in lieu of a heavy duty Vibram-esque soles on the traditional Paraboots, these have an easier-to-break in crepe sole (so the fit and feel is still a little bit like my well-worn Wallabees, which I dig).
Closest thing I could find to the low-key silver-buckle belt Jerry wears in the first few seasons of Seinfeld.
Took advantage of the solid winter sale going on over at the go-to for nice, normal clothes to grab this zesty teal button-up. Now I’m ready for easy spring Saturday mornings at the playground and any impromptu ’90s Charlotte Hornets reunion catering gigs I might pick up.
We’re living in what seems to be a golden age of coffee brand…discovery, with a slew of reliable and affordable coffee subscription services that appear to truly support smaller roasters and bean brands. What I like about Fellow, a company that also makes some of the most stylish and functional hardware for java heads, is the simplicity of the service and the all-killer-no-filler quality. Fellow’s sub isn’t as personalized as a couple others out there, which prompt you with a dozen questions about your preferred brewing method and tasting notes, but I haven’t gotten an underwhelming bag from them yet. I was officially a convert when a bag of Santa Cruz-based Cat & Cloud showed up at my door.
Gerald Ortiz, Style Commerce Writer
I’ve never really considered myself a watch guy, but it was only recently that I realized I just never came across the right one. The Casio LA670W is an itty-bitty watch that I spotted while at one of my go-to restaurants. Despite it’s absolutely atomic scale, it fits my wrist quite nicely and even exaggerates my relaxed-fitting outfits. It’s toy-like, super cheap, and a whole lot of fun—now I see what those watch fanatics are going on about.
Two things I learned recently: First, a Costco membership is waaaaay cheaper than I thought (just $60!) and second, you don’t even have to have be a member to shop the website (as long as you’re okay with paying a meager 5% more). So I, a lowly non-member of the Costco universe, bought a pack of Kirkland Signature tees, a not-so-secret secret amongst fashion people. They have a substantial feel and luscious hand, not to mention a coveted tubular construction, all of which belie they’re price tag of just $4 per tee. They’re a classic straight fit that’s neither baggy nor tight—the kind of fit you’ve seen on every menswear moodboard. Nothing is perfect, but these tees get pretty damned close.
Mick Rouse, Research Director
If you’re officially ready to move on from Baccarat Rouge 540, The Harmonist has quietly been producing some of the most interesting and singular fragrances on the market. Now that they have released a complete set of their 10 scents in sample size, you can pinpoint which parfum may be best for you. And if you really want to ensure that nobody else out there smells like you, play around with mixing various scents together. The Harmonist has carefully crafted every one of their fragrances so that they can layer with others.
I’ve always been a little obsessed with my home smelling like my favorite hotels (shoutout The Edition and Le Labo), but Malouf’s Rest scent for the Pura fragrance diffuser smells just like what I imagine the White Lotus in Hawaii to smell like. So now I’m obsessed with my home smelling like my favorite fictional hotel.
Is it a pretty awful time to be leasing any motor vehicle? Absolutely. But if you’re in need of a car, the newly redesigned Kias give off a luxuriously futuristic vibe inside and out. I don’t fully understand how the self-charging electric battery works, but I’m more than happy to try to do my part and lower my carbon emissions in a hybrid.
Michella Oré, Style Commerce Writer
All hail the hybrid boot. When I first saw Grape’s sporty lace-up, I was initially on the fence–where exactly would these fit within my current rotation? The more I thought about it, the more outfits I mentally plotted out until I realized these shoes were exactly what I needed. A mid-calf boot that I could wear with halterneck dresses and straight-leg jeans. That would look chic spotted at a cafe but also gave the illusion(?) I might dash off into some wild city adventure when the moment called.
Mixing poetry, narrative, and history together, Claudia Rankine sets out to dissect US race relations in a way that feels honest and deeply personal. Rankine is a Black woman who is married to a white man and has no shortage of white friends and colleagues by way of academia and her field of work. So why are conversations centered around unpacking inherent racial bias–from politics to the educational system to dinner etiquette–rife with tension? I’ve been reading this book in parts, partly because some of the sections are incredibly infuriating but also to really sift through my own thoughts on the matter. These conversations are hard yet necessary, and when I find myself trying to explain the nuance of a certain word in relation to blackness, it’s nice to defer/reflect back to this book and be reminded that I’m not alone.
Maintaining healthy curls in the winter calls for a very rich conditioner. I like the Curl Manifesto line 1) because it smells absolutely divine and 2) leaves my curls incredibly soft without weighing them down. If I had to pick one product to spotlight, it’s definitely the conditioner, which is packed with honey and ceramides, both great for added moisture.