Culture Carton Review December 2020
Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle? Why do noses run and feet smell? How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn’t live there? These may be some of life’s greatest unanswered questions (I did say ‘may be’ ha ha) but what I really want to know is what can I get my hubby for his birthday? And Father’s Day. And Christmas. I’ve always had hard time finding great gifts for the men in my life (I’m thinking of my brother and my father-in-law), but I think I found something they might all enjoy. It’s called Culture Carton, and it’s a monthly men’s subscription box from the US designed to add confidence, sophistication and knowledge to your life. Each Standard box — the one I’ve got here — features a book and three to five lifestyle items. January’s edition is en route but I’ve got December’s to give you a feel for what’s inside.*
*They kindly sent us this box for review
Culture Carton offers three subscription options (all prices in USD):
Book Club — “Get the handpicked book of the month from Culture Carton. Start building your library now with the best of classic and modern fiction. $16/month + free US shipping.”
Standard — “All the best men’s lifestyle items and a book every man should read delivered to your doorstep monthly. $45/month + shipping.”
Essential — “All the best lifestyle items, hand picked by the Culture Carton team, delivered monthly. $35/month + shipping.”
Culture Carton also ships outside of the US. Shipping costs vary.
Each box includes a product card with a brief description of the contents. I’ve quoted from it in italics.
December’s book is a 2018 release, Chicago by David Mamet. “This gritty exploration of the mob in Chicago by the Oscar-nominated David Mamet is a must-read. It will make a great addition to your growing library. ($18)”
More from the publisher:
“A big-shouldered, big trouble thriller set in a mobbed-up 1920s Windy City, Chicago is the first novel in more than two decades from David Mamet, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Untouchables and Wag the Dog; and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Glengarry Glen Ross. Across the canvas of a city, peopled exclusively by the corrupt, the cynical, and the deceived, Mamet crafts a wicked and tough saga of retribution and double-cross. Mixing some of his most brilliant fictional creations with actual figures of the era (among them Al Capone), he explores–as no writer can—questions of honor, deceit, devotion, and revenge.
Set in his hometown, Chicago is the book that David Mamet has been building up to for his whole career. From its opening fusillade to its astonishing conclusion, Chicago is that rarest of literary creations: a book that combines the spectacular elegance of craft with a kinetic wallop as fierce as the February wind gusting off Lake Michigan.”
My hubby’s a Mamet fan but hasn’t read this one so it’s a great fit. My mother’s going to want to get her hands on it too. (She just finished bingeing The Sopranos and loved it.)
Wolf Project Face Masks
“These Hydrating Face Sheets keep your face hydrated in just 15 minutes a week. Perfect for the cold winds of winter, or the brutal sun of summer. ($25)”
My hubby spends all of 15 seconds on his skin so 15 minutes with sheet mask is going to take some selling but I love the idea. A little bit of luxury and multi-seasonal. Culture Carton included five masks.
An Ivy Tie
“This beautiful tie will stand out, without drawing too much attention. ($25)”
Unsimply Stitched Socks “will display a pop of personality during any event. ($12)”
The Alara Pocket Square ($18) and Weekend Casual Lapel Pin (pictured below, $16) “tie together the look as elegant accessories.”
My hubby’s tie collection could use some updating and this skinny tie is a great start. Maybe a little out of his comfort zone but the colours and pattern are totally in his wheelhouse. As are the socks. He doesn’t have much occasion to wear the pocket square and the lapel pin but they’re both lovely. I feel like you can’t go wrong with a crisp white pocket square.
December’s Culture Carton promised style and sophistication and it’s got that in spades. It’s thoughtfully curated with on-trend items — all useful, some luxurious — and I love the colour coordination. The only thing I would like to see improved is the box itself — a missed opportunity to generate excitement IMHO. December’s Mamet edition is valued at $114 (the Standard boxes generally range from $90 to $130). If you’d like to try it, A Year of Boxes has a special promo: save $20 on your first month with the code AYOB20.
What do you think of December’s Culture Carton? What men in your life are especially difficult to shop for?
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