Ascent & Après

Gift Guide · Holiday 2026, $1,000 and up

Six things worth keeping ten years

Black card reading Six things worth keeping ten years, The investment pieces, in serif type above the Ascent & Après logo

This is the short list for the one big gift. Every piece costs more than $1,000, and every one is the kind you still wear in 2036. Most are black. All of them are made in Europe. We also say where each one falls short, because at these prices a surprise is expensive.

How these were picked

Would we still reach for it in ten years? A ski jacket, a coat, cashmere, boots, a scarf and one wildcard. No pieces that depend on a logo to explain the price.

Prices as listed by each store on September 23 and 25, 2026. They move, especially after Thanksgiving.

The six

The investment pieces 6

  1. The ski jacket Moncler Grenoble

    Danses Ski Jacket, black

    Shell 84% polyamide, 16% elastane. Fill 90% down, 10% feathers. Made in Romania. Machine wash at 30°C.

    Neither Moncler nor Mytheresa publishes the fill power, which is worth asking about at this price. Mytheresa says it fits small, so size up. Moncler runs an aftercare service for repairs and restoration, though it says not every repair is possible.

    $2,745 Shop at Mytheresa

  2. The coat Max Mara

    Teddy Bear Icon Coat, camel

    88% camel wool, 12% silk. Made in Italy. Professional dry clean only.

    Nordstrom says the style debuted in 2013. The black alpaca version was sold out in every size on Max Mara when we checked. Camel is the original color anyway.

    $4,670 Shop at Nordstrom

  3. The cashmere The Row

    Kensington Cashmere Turtleneck, black

    100% cashmere. Made in Italy. Hand wash.

    A relaxed black turtleneck that falls to the hip, so it goes under a ski jacket and to dinner the same night. The larger sizes were running low when we checked.

    $1,290 Shop at Mytheresa

  4. The boots Moncler

    Aurea Leather Ankle Boots, black

    Leather upper and lining, leather insole, rubber lug sole. Made in Italy.

    A lug sole made for snowy sidewalks. The page makes no waterproof claim, so treat the leather before the first slushy night.

    $1,130 Shop at Mytheresa

  5. The accessory The Row

    Ingo Cashmere Scarf, grey

    100% cashmere with a brushed finish and raw fringed edges, 183 x 45 cm. Made in Italy. Dry clean.

    Long and wide enough to wrap twice on a cold terrace. Of the six, this is the one that gets used every single day of the season.

    $1,150 Shop at Mytheresa

  6. The wildcard Fusalp

    Montanetta Ski Suit, Noir

    41% polyamide, 32% polyurethane, 14% elastane, 13% polyester softshell. Removable faux-fur collar. Machine wash delicate.

    A one-piece in black from the French ski house. Fusalp gives a 5-year warranty on manufacturing defects. It calls the fabric waterproof but publishes no rating.

    $2,790 Shop at Fusalp

Before you buy

Where it falls short

Ask before you pay

The Moncler page leaves out the fill power, which matters at this price. Ask the store before you buy.

Dry cleaning adds up

The Max Mara coat is professional clean only, and The Row scarf is dry clean. Budget for both every season.

Stock is thin

Black versions sell out first. If the one you want is gone, the brand's own site or a second retailer may still have it.