First Class
Warm
Men
Samy Liechti, the Swiss founder of Blacksocks, had a good idea at a bad time.
“I had an embarrassing moment during a dinner with Japanese business-
men,” he recalls of the impetus of his idea. “When we had to remove our shoes,
I had two di;erent color socks on—and nowhere to hide my feet. So I began
searching for an easy way to get my socks. All of a sudden I realized the most
convenient interface between the regular need for socks and men would be a
subscription for socks—or a sockscription. This model eliminates all sock hassles
and future humiliation.”
Shortly thereafter, Blacksocks was born. Today the socks, which are manufactured in Italy using high-quality wool, come in calf-, knee- and cashmere silk styles.
For $89 a year (shipping included), “sockscribers” receive three pairs every four
months, negating the need for sock shopping or even thinking about them. What a
relief for your busy mind–and feet! blacksocks.com
GROOMED MEN
Men’s luxury grooming pioneer
John Allan continues to expand his
line of all-natural skin and hair care
products. Earlier this year, Allan,
who opened his first men’s grooming club in 1988 in downtown Manhattan, introduced Slickwater ($28
for a 2 oz/59 ml bottle), an alcohol-free preshave solution made with
all natural ingredients, including
tea tree oil and cucumber extract,
that doesn’t irritate sensitive skin
or clog pores or razor blades. In July,
he debuted Tough, a hairstyling
paste—again, made from natural
ingredients, such as acai fruit, red
tea and pomegranate—that promises to pump up fine hair and o;er
maximum control without producing the feel of a hard gel.
Inspired by the concern and
loyalty of members after his original location was damaged on
Sept. 11, Allan has expanded to four
New York City locations, in downtown, midtown, Saks Fifth Avenue
and Tribeca.
In time for the holidays, Allan
is introducing a travel kit with
1-ounce sizes of his products. His
shave kit includes his 63 R Series
razor, inspired by the design of the
roadsters of 1963. The products
are available at select Barneys New
York stores, at all John Allan’s
locations and on johnallans.com.
