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Thrillist Washington DCEven the daintiest trend can find its way into the everyman's wheelhouse, like moisturizing, and eating disorders, which Dennis Quaid's manorexia has made completely socially acceptable. Now making needlepoint badass: Smathers and Branson.
Inspired by belts handmade by their college girlfriends -- and horrified by how long it took to hand make them (45hrs each) -- S&B's Bethesda-based founders flew to rural Vietnam and recruited workers from 15 villages, who now produce a huge catalog of custom designed needlepoint accessories, all while knee-deep in the stitch. All belts are finished with full grain, chestnut colored leather, and the near 80 designs range from classics like assorted shellfish and anchors; to uber-prep like golf clubs and martini-sipping pink elephants; to slightly alt numbers like a string of branded beer cans, and a "jolly roger" skull and crossbones, the perfect gift for that dashing Somali yachtsmen in your life. Since needlepoint is a versatile beast, Smathers also produces similarly sweet key fobs and dog collars, and has just dropped a selection of wallets and flasks, so that like Michael Hutchence, you can be both elegantly wasted and waisted.
In addition to the styles on the website, you can also get most S&B gear monogrammed and cop collegiate designs for many major schools -- a handsome reminder of a time when forgetting to eat and constantly throwing up was referred to as "Sunday, and frequently Monday".
Smathers is loving you so much right now that they're passing on a 15% discount at smathersandbranson.com, with the coupon code "thrillis
Available at Sherman Pickey; 1647 Wisconsin Avenue NW; Georgetown; 202.333.4212
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