Welcome to the 2024 Cotton Bureau Holiday Gift Guide!

We’d like to do something a little bit different this year. We’re publishing earlier, for one thing, but we’re also highlighting a few of our friends who run impressive small businesses and make some amazing products.

We hope you enjoy these incredible products. They’re all great gifts for friends and family, but, you know, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to drop a hint either…

Mark Two Pen by Studio Neat

My personal favorite Studio Neat product, the Mark Two pen in blue. Feel the weight of that thing. Special deal for Cotton Bureau email readers, get 30% off orders over $200 using code SECRET24.

Discbound Heirloom Journal by Ugmonk

Pairs perfectly with the Ugmonk Discbound Heirloom Journal in navy. Use code BLACKFRIDAY to get up to 20% off.

Pen Type-A by CW&T

One of the most incredible products I have ever held. The Pen Type-A from CW&T is perfectly engineered. The pen itself gently slides down the barrel until clicking into place with a very satisfying thunk. I like the black one, personally. (All orders over $100 are 15% off this weekend.)

Traveler by Freewrite

If writing makes your hand cramp and you never seem to look back on what you have written and when you do you can’t really make out what it was that you wrote, well, you should try typing instead. The Traveler from Freewrite is a super lightweight, distraction-free tool to just get those words out. You can edit them later, trust me. Get 10% off this weekend using code DECADEDEALS.

Micro Tyvek Wallet by Slimfold

Find the perfect slim wallet (you are using a slim wallet, right?) is easier said than done. If you’re still searching, try this ultra-slim option from our friend Dave at SlimFold. We like the money green one. Because it looks like money. That’s what we all used to carry around in our wallets before we needed to take out a loan to buy a cheeseburger. Use code COLLECTIVE to get 20% off sitewide this weekend.

Ferris Bundle by Distil

Perhaps you are an organizer, a systematizer. You like what you like and you like it all the same, exactly where you left it. Can I introduce you to the Ferris Bundle? Keys, wallet, and more snapping into place when you walk in the door. Very satisfying. Use code COLLECTIVE to get 30% off orders over $65 this weekend.

Tea & Coffee Press by Manual

It’s past time to slow down, but it’s not too late. Start with the Tea & Coffee Press from Manual’s Slow System. Everything’s on sale, no code needed.

Goldie by Sourhouse

Speaking of slow, there’s nothing slower than growing your own sourdough. There’s also nothing that goes better with tea than toast and jam. (This is a fact. Don’t argue.) The Goldie by Sourhouse makes it easy, and beautiful. Get free shipping on orders $99+ using code FREESHIPNOV24. Ends soon.

Jose Berrio Peaks Towel by Nomadix

A good towel is all the well-traveled man or woman needs. Our friends at Nomadix have so many though, would it really hurt to have more than one? Maybe a big one and a small one. And a bandana. With everything 25% off (no code needed) there’s no reason to skimp.

My Favorite T-Shirt by Cotton Bureau

Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, Cotton Bureau is also a small business. To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we’re running an unprecedented free shipping + 10% sale using code COLLECTIVE at checkout. If you read this far, congratulations. You won. Go find yourself something nice. 

Finally, a very much requested product for us and just in time for chilly weather, Cotton Bureau on demand mugs have arrived.

Full color, one-size-fits-all (11oz), 100% ceramic mugs. They're both dishwasher and microwave safe. Available in any color you want as long as that color is white. Thick, durable, scratch-resistant coating.

All Cotton Bureau creators have access to this new drinkware option, plus existing drinkware products on white finishes have automatically been converted to take advantage of this style. No need to wait, get started now.

We’re quite pleased to be able to ship mugs just in time (appropriately for an on demand product, don’t you think) for holidays.

Go nuts, create a few mugs, email us if you have questions.

Did you know you can follow @cottonbureau.com on Bluesky? We set up an account way back in July 2023 at the same time our Mastodon and Threads accounts were created. Of the three non-Twitter services, it feels the most like home if we’re being completely honest. We miss early Twitter, and even if there’s an astonishingly low probability we’ll ever get that back, well, if you’re telling me there’s a chance, we’ll take it.

Come on over, give us a follow. We’re pretty chill.

Last week we disclaimed that not all of our new premium heavyweight Comfort Colors 1717 and 1566 colors were available on demand. Well, time flies and now they are. If you’ve been looking for bay, berry, blossom, blue spruce, butter, chalky mint, chambray, crimson, crunchberry, flo blue, light green, orchid, graphite, grey, moss, mustard, orchid, terracotta, violet, watermelon, or yam, you should see them now.

We’ve made some big changes in the past few weeks to our default color bundles.

For 10+ years we’ve sold almost exclusively lightweight tees. First from American Apparel, then Next Level. We did offer a heavyweight tee from Gildan (first the 2000, then the 5000), but the intention was primarily to make sure we had a size-inclusive option in the lineup. Starting a few weeks ago, though, we’re proud to add the Comfort Colors 1717 as a premium heavyweight t-shirt option. We’ve been testing it (ahem, wearing it) frequently, and we’ve got to say… those of you who have been on #teamheavyweight for years have been absolutely right. This is a fantastic shirt.

But that’s not all. In addition to the 1717, we’ve expanded our on demand fleece lineup to include our all-time favorite crewneck sweatshirt, the midweight Bella + Canvas 3901. We’ve also added the B+C 3719 midweight pullover hoodie, the B+C 3739 midweight zip hoodie, and the Comfort Colors 1566 heavyweight pullover crewneck sweatshirt. These are all phenomenal sweatshirts that we know you will love wearing.

On a less exciting but more practical note, we’re returning to the Gildan line of sweatshirts for our basic fleece option. Last year we switched to Delta fleece in order to provide more color variety and a higher quality garment. Unfortunately, and if you don’t follow the t-shirt industry this may come as a surprise, Delta lit itself on fire earlier this year and no longer exists, which meant back to the drawing board for us. The Gildan 18000, 18500, and 18600are solid, practical options that allow us to offer a full range of on demand colors this season.

On the pre-order side, not only do we have all of the above styles available, we have also added the Independent Trading Co. IND4000Z heavyweight zip hoodie in a wide array of colors. We’ve always used and loved this particular outdoor sweatshirt, but we’re happy to be able to increase the number of color options available by default.

N.B. Not all Comfort Colors 1717 and 1566 colors are currently available for on demand products, though we anticipate that will be resolved soon.

UI / Definition Updates 💻

Expanding the core products we offer did require some updates to the user interface and how we talk about the product. Traditionally, our default shirt was simply the “Standard” tee, while the more size inclusive option was the “Heavyweight” tee because not only was it bigger, the fabric itself is heavier. With the new heavyweight tee coming it at a higher price point and quality, we needed to disambiguate the styles. Since this is likely not the last time we’ll need similar language, we’ve developed several new labels internally including “lightweight”, “midweight”, “heavyweight”, “basic”, and “premium” to hopefully make it easy for everyone to tell the difference between styles at a glance.