Nikki’s Picks: Gift Guide Edition

If you are unsure what to gift (or ask for!) this season, consulting someone whose style you love for recommendations is always helpful. I did us all a favor and asked Nikki Kule—one of those go-to people—what she’d give the people in her life and what she’d love to receive herself. You can thank me later. 🎁

What Nikki would gift:

KULE will be where I get most of my gifts, and I put together an assortment of KULE items for you to shop. From my favorite super-soft sweater in a range of pretty colors, fun (and useful) accessories, and stocking stuffers to make your loved ones smile 🙂.

The Cleo sweater

The Cleo sweater

The Seever scarf

The Seever scarf

KULE x Brooklinen terry pouch

KULE x Brooklinen terry pouch

The Hoodie Dickey

The Hoodie Dickey

The Central Park socks

The Central Park socks

For a friend (who I have probably talked into adoring Italy): a subscription to Italy Segreta. It’s a monthly magazine with beautiful photography and excellent recommendations. She deserves la dolce vita!

For a sister: A Rummy Tile set. Nikki grew up playing this game with her family, and your sisterly competitiveness never leaves you.

For a colleague: Loewe “pot” candles will be pretty to light but will also be a great little vessel once the candle gets used up.

For a best friend: This cashmere triangle scarf from The Row is luxuriously soft and a cool styling item for her to wear with her winter coat year after year.

For a daughter: If she’s naughty, get her classes at Barry’s Boot Camp 🤣, and if she’s nice, this beautiful Savette bag, which is apparently what the cool girls are wearing. I know my daughter is eyeing it.

For a friend

For a friend

For a sister

For a sister

For a colleague

For a colleague

For a best friend

For a best friend

For a daughter

For a daughter

What Nikki would like to receive:

Frederic Malle perfumes. I love the packaging of these pretty perfumes and switching between the beautiful scents. They’re also perfect for travel.

Ted Muehling egg vase: I bought this for my best friends last year, but now I want one for myself. You know it’s a good gift when that happens! I would take any and all colors, but specifically the Robin’s Egg and the Celadon Glaze. So pretty.

I love collecting art and am often drawn to work done by female artists. Tappan is a wonderful place to purchase art, with a great selection of artists and artworks.  

These Loeffler Randall red velvet Mary Janes. They are good for dressing up or down, even into the springtime. They’re currently on pre-order, so make a little IOU. I’ll wait [red heart].

I’m not a jewelry person, but this Elsa Peretti ring is wearable for any occasion. I hope my husband is reading this! The last time I recommended things for a gift guide, he referenced it! It was indeed a win for me 😉.

Frederic Malle perfumes

Frederic Malle perfumes

Ted Muehling egg vase

Ted Muehling egg vase

Yeon Kyung Park painting via Tappan

Yeon Kyung Park painting via Tappan

Loeffler Randall shoes

Loeffler Randall shoes

Elsa Peretti ring

Elsa Peretti ring

Happy gifting 🎁🎁🎁

Vogue

Vogue featuring KULE best sweatpants

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Can Sweatpants Be Chic? According to These 20 Brands, The Answer Is Yes by Cortne Bonilla

The best sweatpants for women surpass comfort. These days, instead of being designated to inside-only loungewear, they’ve moved into the realm of casual, off-duty essentials that can be worn with blazers, oversized cashmere turtlenecks and leather jackets alike. Though the best sweatpants all share a few key characteristics (namely, an elasticized waistband) there’s a surprisingly diverse offering in the category thanks to brands like Sporty & Rich, Les Tien, and Wardrobe.NYC.

Vogue’s Top 10 Best Pairs of Sweatpants

You can go classic with a cotton heather gray pair with a drawstring waist from Kule and Everlane, or, for an elevated look, reach for cashmere and wool styles from contemporary brands like Naadam and The Elder Statesmen—known for their softness and high-quality. Want to play around with winter white? Reformation has a wide-leg pair and Eterne’s straight-leg option looks so chic with a tonal sweater tucked in—functional and fashion-forward. However you put your spin on this sporty staple, the 26 sweatpants ahead will effortlessly carry you through the next few months.

Vogue

Vogue featuring KULE Lucca sweater

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Is There Anything Better Than a Cashmere Sweater? Shop 30+ Styles for Luxe Layering by Kristina Rutkowski and Cortne Bonilla

The best cashmere sweaters are a winter essential (and a great gift for women)—whether you’re bundled up in Brooklyn or learning lessons of layering in San Francisco, it’s one seasonal staple that every city dweller can use. From classic crewnecks to cozy cardigans, the best cashmere sweaters can bring a soothing softness to the office commute, weekend adventures, and every activity in between. And despite their reputation for having a hefty price tag, direct-to-consumer brands are creating cashmere sweaters priced around the $200 mark (and don’t forget to keep an eye out on the Black Friday clothing deals as you might be able to find a similar luxe style on sale). In other words, there’s an iteration for every occasion and outfit.

Before we get to the styles, a little background on cashmere and how it’s made: Cashmere comes from the fluffy undercoat of cashmere and pashmina goats and has been used to make yarn, textiles, and, of course, clothing for centuries. Unlike sheep’s wool, cashmere is softer and more supple, cementing its place as a luxury staple in your wardrobe. When shopping for your choice of cashmere, there are a few helpful tips to consider: First off, determine what type of style, warmth, and weight you’re after—this will be a defining factor in your sweater’s durability over time. And finally, if possible, try and get a good look at your cashmere choice in person to check for any pills, test out its touch and feel, and inspect for any loose threads in the stitching. And when it comes to caring for your cashmere, avoid any unwanted visits from moths by always washing by hand. A cashmere comb is great to keep pilling at a minimum, too.

Now that you know what to look for, the fun part happens—choosing your silhouette. Whether you’re a minimalist, relying on mainstay favorites such as the fail-proof turtleneck or V-neck sweater, or you prefer something with a little more prep to get you through the colder days, like a collared, polo-style or knitted vest, we covered all the options to bring you the best in every cashmere category.

Keep reading to find everything from the now infamous, Katie Holmes-approved Khaite cardigan, to editor favorites from Suzie Kondi, Lisa Yang, and Toteme that are fashion-forward originals. Of course, every fashionista knows that stocking up on the best basics from J.Crew, Everlane, and Madewell is always a smart idea, and won’t break the bank either, and those who want to shop sustainably will find comfort in styles from Cuyana, Arch4, and Gobi Cashmere.

Go ahead—cozy up to these impeccably soft options with our edit below of the best cashmere sweaters to shop now.
Boat Stripes

A statement striped sweater should be a staple in your winter wardrobe—or any wardrobe for that matter. Of course, cool-girl brand Kule’s striped cashmere classic is at the top of our list, though, the options from Everlane and Madewell are equally desirable. Think beyond nautical summer fashion and style yours for winter with suede boots and a chic camel coat for long walks in the park or fashionable work attire for those days in the office.

Image may contain: Clothing, Knitwear, Sweater, and Sweatshirt

Kule The Lucca sweater $358

A Holiday Basket Case

This Holiday Season, we brought on our friends at Underwater Weaving to transform our Rockefeller Center windows into a basket wonderland. Erin Pollard, the founder of Underwater Weaving, was the artist behind the beautiful cascade of one-of-a-kind hand-woven baskets adorned with ribbons, garland, and, of course, stripes. To celebrate the store’s holiday transformation, we hosted an Après Ski-themed party with friends, bites (including baskets of crudités for the reindeer), and bubbles. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Erin to hear from the magician behind the magic herself 🧺🪄

Nikki Kule and Erin Pollard at KULE Rockefeller Center celebrating our new Underwater Weaving holiday windows 🧺

KULE: What made you start Underwater Weaving? How long has it now been around? 

Erin Pollard of Underwater Weaving: Two years ago, after almost 20 years of working in fashion publishing (magazines), I began hosting workshops and beginner basket weaving circles, instructing a particular kind of stake and strand technique with rattan materials. In the basket style I teach, the weaver makes a vessel from scratch, building an entire artifact from start to finish. My urge to begin teaching after only making baskets for just over a year was admittedly premature (though my mother was a weaver 35 years ago– I self-taught much of what I knew when I started). But, I felt an unshakable desire to gather people around the craft, which felt novel in the capital of high-functioning productivity: New York. When my first gathering had over 80 weavers, my intuition was confirmed: Teaching basket weaving can offer me and others a tangible purpose. I officially started the company a year ago. 

Erin at work (in the KULE Sam vest) weaving the baskets for the installation on the left, bringing the fixings for set up at KULE Rockefeller Center in the middle, and installing her creations on the right.

KULE: What is the Underwater Weaving Club (which will be presented by KULE in December!)?

EP: The Underwater Weaving Club is a subscription to a basket weaving kit. Members receive bi-monthly original projects, access to video, and discounts, and they are the first to learn about our workshops and events, which are primarily hosted on the East Coast, but we are expanding. Many club members also join with friends so that they can host their gatherings and make baskets with their friends.

KULE Underwater Weaving installation at Rockefeller Center
All in the details 🧺 This installation is putting our neighbors, Saks and Bergdorfs, up for a challenge 😉

KULE: You surround yourself with many amazing women (our party is proof of that!). I know you also work with one: your mother. How did your mom and your professional partnership begin?

EP: In the ’90s, my mother Peggy taught basket weaving workshops, sold her baskets at her craft store, and made a basket called “the New England woven tote” for L.L. Bean! Soon after launching Underwater Weaving, I presented some of my baskets at the Maria McManus Spring 2024 runway presentation. I had positioned the baskets as art until then, but The Runway called ;). When a large retailer showed interest in the work, I asked my mother if she would come out of her 35-year retirement to help me produce my ideas.

KULE Underwater Weaving party
Underwater Weaving celebration and window unveiling at KULE Rockefeller Center. After an evening of mingling and enjoying Lillet cocktails as one should at an Après Ski party, they went home with an Underwater Weaving club kit (including that little UWW basket ornament Nikki’s wearing as a necklace and the custom KULE basket socks).

KULE: What’s next for Underwater Weaving? Perhaps expanding into window dressing since you’re so good at it?

EP: Ah! I do love dressing windows… but yes, we’re exploring and expanding in all areas. I envision more beautiful collaborations with fashion, bridal, and home categories. I’d like to develop the workshops into different verticals so that people can gather with their friends for a birthday party or a brand can engage their audience to slow down and gather meaningfully around the craft. I’d love to work with medical and rehabilitation centers so that basket weaving can be used to help people. There is endless potential in design as well. We will start selling our work on some preeminent platforms soon, and I’m excited to work more closely with many industries on custom pieces.

Okay, I have a lot of work to do. Thank you for featuring me in O BOY 🙂

Erin Pollard of Underwater Weaving studio with Panier de Crudite and in KULE sweater
Erin wearing the KULE Tatum sweater with her friend and Panier de Crudités, December Underwater Weaving’s December Club kit, presented by KULE.

Event photography by Marsha Bernstein. Shop Underwater Weaving baskets, learn to weave yourself, or sign up for the Underwater Weaving Club. And come by and check out our basket-adorned 🧺 holiday windows! We’re in a prime location, right by the tree 🎄

Something to Smile About

Last week, we launched our Holiday collaboration with Brooklinen. The collection includes a range of highly covetable and giftable robes, towels, and accessories (even if that gift is for yourself 😉). It was a meeting of the minds: a combination of the timeless but playful designs you know and love KULE for with Brooklinen’s award-winning bath linen expertise and craftsmanship.

“The collection aims to bring the KULE brand into our customers’ homes and to add comfort and coziness to their everyday lives. Our best-selling tees and sweaters inspired the pieces, using our iconic stripe and color combinations in signature Brooklinen products.” – Nikki Kule

Nikki Kule joined in on the fun 🙂

To celebrate, Brooklinen hosted a party at its Bleecker Street store, where the full collection is available. Sweet treats by BonBon were served alongside the cozy stripes.

KULE x Brooklinen collaboration event photo collage

The super-soft cashmere robes and sleep socks, comfy terry slippers, and toiletry pouches are available to purchase at KULE.com and our Rockefeller Center Store.

Also available in Cream/Navy

Additionally, signature striped terry robes, and an assortment of super plush towels and bath mats can be found on Brooklinen.com and in Brooklinen stores.

Brooklinen Bleecker Street

You should come home from your day, whatever that may look like, and change out of your day KULE and into your home KULE with these pieces from the collab. So, take off your KULE cashmere sweater and wrap yourself in your KULE cashmere robe and cozy socks, or jump in the shower and hang out in your striped terry robe and slippers. Always with a happy wink 😉

Shop the collection at KULE.com, KULE Rockefeller Center, Brooklinen.com, and all Brooklinen stores.

Campaign imagery by Lorenz Schmidl; event photography by Beth Sacca

InSyle

Instyle featuring KULE best striped sweater for fall

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The Best—And Only—Sweaters You Need To Know About This Winter by Alison Syrett Cleary
To shop for knitwear is to be faced with an overwhelming variety of choices. Are you looking for something thin or chunky? Oversized or fitted? Cotton or cashmere? Pullover or a cozy cardigan? And that’s not even touching on the endless number of necklines and sleeve shapes you’ll have to choose from—or the vast number of brands currently churning out options.

With our expert-curated list of the best sweaters of 2024 (thus far), you needn’t dedicate your precious time to extensive research. We’ve tapped some of fashion’s biggest fans of the cozy category to give their input on the best styles out there—and compiled a few of our personal favorites—to guide your shopping this winter. Find the 21 designs worthy of your time, along with pro tips on how to care for them.

Best Striped

Kule The Betty Cashmere Sweater

Kule The Betty Cashmere Sweater

PHOTO: Kule

View on Kule.com

Why We Love It: A classic marinière design will always feel relevant—and it doesn’t get much better than this take on the look. “This sweater’s my favorite because it’s the perfect mid-weight super-soft cashmere, and the sleeves don’t stretch out,” says Tamkin. Her favorite way to wear it? “Under a jacket or blazer—it is a great layering piece.”

Material: Cashmere | Size: XS–XL | Care: Dry-clean