Leslie and Nate's 2024 Gift Guide

Cue the Mariah Carey and track down which streaming service is showing "Love, Actually" (It is Amazon Prime!!) for the holidays are upon us once more. This year, Leslie and I sat down and picked out a few items for all of the people on your shopping list.  

All about that Base

Scandinavians build every outfit from the base layers out, so we thought we would start there. This year, we are proud to bring in Aclima from Norway. Aclima supplies the Norwegian military and police force with their base layers so you know they aren't messing around. Their signature set is the woolnet which is a merino mesh combo made for those that run a little warm (or are engaged in full-tilt cardio). We have it for women (top and bottom) and men (top and bottom).

Leslie loves the extra-fine merino feel of We Norwegians' Sno pants and the Zip-Up which is made from the highest quality wool we carry. The Zip-Up is an amazing base layer and also looks great as a light sweater. Click here for our complete selection of women's base layers. Nate's go-to is the kit from 66 North both top in bottom in world class merino wool. We have a wide selection of other men's base layer varieties here.

Vestivus for Festivus.

Vests might be our favorite article of clothing...so versatile and stylish.  Nate's current favorite is the Beito vest by We Norwegians which is perfect for the vest-curious beau on your shopping list. Our most popular vest for men is the gorgeous merino Hadar Vest by Ivanhoe. Leslie loves the lines and accents on Elevenate's Motion Vest. 

Sweater Song

Are we humming the Weezer song right now?? Yep. We have a wide array of sweaters for men and women this year and one for everybody on your shopping list:

From Sweden, we proudly carry Jumperfabriken and their classic wool stylings. The Sivie is a slightly oversized side button cardigan design and is one of the most talked about items in the shop. We also really love the professorial feel of the Joelle cardigan. Aktiv is the only American retailer that carries Jumperfabriken, so you won't have to worry about your gift receiver already having it. #bonus

The most talked about item in the shop? That is easy, it is the Boiled Laced Hoodie by Amundsen, check it out for men and women and give a gift that will become their new favorite thing to wear. Amundsen took the design of the hoodie and tweaked it a little to produce a gorgeous half-zip boiled ski sweater with a classic pattern or a subtle (but not that subtle) Norwegian flag for women and men. Leslie also really likes the Boiled Turtleneck, which is new for this year. 

Some people prefer their sweater to zip fully and we understand that...for women the Kaldi is amazing while for men, we love the Lumber.

One of our most popular items ever was the Half Zip Comfy by Bjorn Dahlie. Dahlie redesigned the Half-Zip for this year and the 2.0 version is available in three colors for men and women. Dahlie also released a Full-Zip version of the comfy which includes a little more insulation and pockets!  The Full-Zip Comfy is also available in three colors for both women and men.

True Originals

Let's face it...some people are hard to buy for. We are here to help. Aktiv carries 23 brands only available through us in the United States, so you can check that originality box! See their items in our Only at Aktiv section. One of the most original is definitely Varg and their signature Sarek down hood jacket!

For those with sustainability on the mind, the Undyed wool collection by Ivanhoe is perfect in a men's hoodie, men's vest and the cutest poncho we have seen...check out the details about Undyed wool on the product pages!

For the people on your list that have everything....consider a Kaldi Arctic Hat from Iceland available in three sizes and two colors. Kaldi is cold in Icelandic. #freelanguagelessons 

Parka Perfection

One thing we heard last year was that people love a big old parka and while giving a winter jacket as a gift is a bit like getting someone a Lexus...you could make this a December to remember for yourself and crank up the warmth. The Groomer by Amundsen is built for Antarctica and Norway but perfect in Anchorage and New York. 66North builds their parkas as unisex items and the Dyngja Down is simply amazing for all. If you prefer your parkas vegan, check out the Drangar. Looking for a little Asgardian flare? The Thorsmark Parka is our warmest jacket by far. 

That about wraps it up from us but if you have specific requests, please drop us an email at aktiv@aktivstyle.com and we will find something for everyone on your list!!

(Post credits scene...)

Two more items from us--the Scandinavian Winter Tights by Skhoop and the Sudureyri Hoodie from 66North. 

Enjoy and remember,"There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."