Best-of buying guides

Every guide below is built from hands-on testing — we rank only what we've actually used.

Watches

Two Microbrands, Two Reasons to Skip the Mall: Marathon vs Brew

One builds instruments for government contracts; the other designs chronographs around café culture. They share almost nothing except the thing that matters — a reason to exist beyond being cheaper than a famous name.

3 products ranked

Intimates & Basics

Underpinnings, Done Properly: Bras, Basics and Base Layers

The layer nobody sees decides how everything over it fits and feels. Three brands that each take one piece of the job seriously — and the fitting knowledge to use before buying any of them.

4 products ranked

Swimwear

The Summer Kit: Swim With Personality, Shades That Earn It, Care That Keeps Both

A short list for the season: one swim label worth its fashion pricing, the truth about the polarized sticker on sunglasses, and the free routine that decides whether any of it survives to next year.

3 products ranked