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Our sandwiches weren’t always this bad for us. Sandwiches have grown less healthy in the past 40 years, says Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. Culprits include highly processed grains in bread and the low-fat push that took off in the 1980s, which nutritionists now say led to the consumption of more deli meats marketed as low-fat.

UNTIL 2020, I would primp like a prize poodle before heading to the office. I’d press shirts, ponder outfits, sculpt my pompadour with a one-two punch of hair spray and pomade. This show dog has turned into a racing greyhound. Two and a half years of working from home—a setup that let me sleep until 8:55 a.m. and still be at my desk by 9—changed the game. When I finally returned to an office job, I wasn’t about to sacrifice my snooze schedule to that elaborate, get-ready rigmarole I once performed.

GET ON THE BALL Step up your shoe game with these five rounded pairs. “I HAVE very beautiful feet,” proclaimed Cassi Namoda, 34, an artist in East Hampton, N.Y. She insists she’s “not being conceited,” just stating a fact. What does she credit for making her pedicured tootsies so aesthetically pleasing, callus-free and baby-soft? Her refusal to “wear shoes that pinch—ever.” She mainly sticks to pairs with round toes.

☆ The Recession Special That Always Satisfies: Gray’s Papaya Then and Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kevin Doyle | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For the Time Capsule series, we spotlight a cherished restaurant, hotel or landmark that’s changed remarkably little over the years. This week, we visit Gray’s Papaya in New York City. THENIn 1973, Nicholas Gray, a Chilean-born adventurer of sorts who worked at Arctic radar stations to pay for college, ditched his Wall Street stockbroker job to open a Papaya King franchise on the corner of Broadway and 72nd St. Two years later, released from the franchise contract, Mr. Gray renamed the plum spot Gray’s Papaya and slashed the cost of a hot dog from 75 cents to 50 cents, announcing the price cut on a big white sign (the first of many) exclaiming “Hot Dog Revolution!” in emphatic red letters.

☆ The Recession Special That Always Satisfies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Kevin Doyle | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The sportswear staple known for its crisp collar and clean cut, has been revamped in ways that boggle the mind and energize the wardrobe. Witness the bounty of surreal white shirts in the resort 2023 collection from New York brand the Row, including the version shown at left, which would be standard if not for its detachable, puffy white shawl. “That was my Catholic school uniform!” said Megan Bugey, 46, an Austin, Texas, paralegal, of the shirt’s standard form. “But now, it’s trippy.”This season has seen an abundance of white collared shirts—and they’re anything but uniform. “I love the utility [button-up shirts] have in my wardrobe,” said New York stylist Pamela Shepard, 39, who owns “countless” iterations, including oversize and dip-dyed riffs from Ralph Lauren and J.Crew.

☆ 5 Reasons to Try Turtlenecks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Todd Plummer | Photos F. Martin Ramin Wsj | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Turtlenecks have a PR problem among men. Too many guys put them firmly in the “not for me” category, thinking them overly constricting, pretentious or artsy. We’ve decided to assume the role of the turtleneck’s publicist. Because the thing is, this casual but tidy sweater is an easy option in countless settings.

☆ Five Stylish Crackers for New Year’s Eve
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Alison Duncan | Photos F. Martin Ramin Wsj | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The British-born tradition decrees that guests cross their arms and grab the ends of the two crackers their neighbors hold the same way. 1…2...3...everyone yanks. The poppers snap and out spill various tidbits, including paper crowns that sporting guests don for the evening.

THE FIRST TIME Racil Chalhoub, 39, a womenswear designer from Beirut, decided to buy men’s clothing, she was standing in a sea of denim at Abercrombie & Fitch in Los Angeles. This was the early aughts—when many women’s jeans were so snug and low-cut that visible thongs were considered a viable accessory. But Ms. Chalhoub craved loose, roomy hip-huggers. “Everything for women was fitted or flared,” she said. Ms. Chalhoub even launched her own women’s tuxedo brand, Racil, in 2015.

TURTLENECKS HAVE A PR PROBLEM among men. Too many guys put them firmly in the “not for me” category, thinking them overly constricting, pretentious or artsy. The chin-grazing knit’s reputation suffered a further blow this fall, when French finance minister Bruno Le Maire seemingly declared a plan to reduce winter heating bills by wearing turtlenecks—and was widely mocked. “Let them wear cashmere!”Putting French politics aside, we’ve decided to assume the role of the turtleneck’s publicist. And turtlenecks have poked their heads into every fashion category this winter, from luxe (the Row) to sporty (Uniqlo Heattech).

☆ 5 Holiday Candle Holders to Bring Some Glow Into Your Home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nina Molina | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SPARKS FLY The holidays are prime time to appreciate candlelight, and to decorate with the accessories that go with it. STRIKING A MATCH produces more than just flame and smoke. The move echoes eons of religious ceremonies and rituals; it triggers memories of burning cedar, and lips sticky from melted marshmallows. Especially during the year’s dimmest days, candlelight faithfully ushers warmth into our drafty rooms. “When it’s dark, depressing and cold outside, you want it uplifting inside,” said Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, founder of New York City interior design studio Dream Awake.

WE’RE ALWAYS HERE to help you find gifts that elicit “you really know me!” enthusiasm, even from the normally taciturn. This year, we aimed higher, aspiring to choose items with such eternal appeal, and of such high quality, that they might become heirlooms—used and loved by both your giftees and subsequent generations. Below, find our carefully considered recommendations—most under $300—for everyone in your life who loves gear, food, travel, fashion and design. This holiday, you might need to check your giftees’ lists twice, but you’ll only need to buy any of these once.

Here, our picks for tech, gear and lifestyle gifts with real staying power. A Fountain Pen That’s Due for a Long Life on EarthFor almost 100 years, Lamy has been designing precise, beautiful pens in its Heidelberg, German factory. But the company didn’t make its first fountain pen until 1966, a sleek utensil crafted from a durable fiberglass resin. The metal body of the Dialog pen, by comparison, is downright chunky. Dialog Fountain Pen, $399, US-Shop.Lamy.com

So much waste happens in the kitchen; too many tools are of the flimsy plastic variety. From an artisanal iron foundry in England to the saffron fields of Morocco, the producers represented here take the longest possible view. Mannie Berk , founder of Rare Wine Co., has an 1802 Madeira in his cellar that he opened 25 years ago. This delicious 2001 bottling, rich and warm with luxurious caramel tones, is one for the ages. 2001 D’Oliveiras Boal Madeira, $150, RareWineCo.com

Gifts with inherent stability and even history appeal right now. Meanwhile, the Technicolor tree skirt in our selection is stitched together from hearty wool blankets handwoven by indigenous women of the Andes. When your giftee’s grandkids pull it out from their closet down the road, they’ll think of their parents, and their parents’ parents, and maybe even you. Brand New Serving Plates With Ancient PatinaHaand’s three-piece serving set looks as if it were hewn from centuries-old trees. 3 Piece Serving Platter Set in Burl, $265, Haand.us

From an eco-conscious blazer reminiscent of an iconic late-1940s Christian Dior silhouette to a cloud-soft sweater unlike any we’ve ever seen, this assortment of 14 chic pieces is intended to satisfy this year’s giftees and, with luck, generations to come. An Affordable Heirloom for the WristWant to bequeath sparkle but don’t love the thought of taking out a second mortgage? Consider this bracelet, a string of 47, round-cut, lab-grown, white sapphires. Los Angeles label Dorsey, which uses lab-engineered gems more affordable than their mined cousins, is helping to democratize high-wattage jewelry. This design is equally appropriate for flashing at a schmancy holiday party or brightening a dull day at the office.

“People are bored of a lack of innovation with sneakers, so it makes sense that more guys are getting into loafers and derbies,” said Mark Boutilier, 24, an Atlanta fashion content creator. At men’s spring runway shows in June, the shift to formal styles was clear. Sneakers had faded into the background. This presents a styling conundrum: How to resolve black-tie shoes with comfy shirts and trousers seemingly designed for naps? “Men used to use sneakers to dress down formal looks, but now they are incorporating dressy shoes to elevate more casual [outfits],” said Mr. Klingberg, who recently sold a client cargo pants to team with loafers.

ONE AFTERNOON last month, Eristheo Raif freed his shins with the swoosh of two zips. Mr. Raif, 35, a Los Angeles high-school teacher, had been in a chilly classroom all morning, but it was time for P.E. Since the bottom halves of his new convertible cargo pants detach above the knees, he could unsheath his shanks in seconds. When a student inquired, “Weren’t they pants?” Mr. Raif replied, “Yeah, but it got hot, so now they’re shorts!” He last wore convertible cargos in the early 2000s. Indeed: These pants are “a big thing,” said Katie Devlin, an analyst at trend-forecasting agency Stylus.

AS THE PANDEMIC settled in to stay, smartwatch sales boomed. According to a report from international research firm Kantar, 15% of Americans now wear smartwatches, up from under 12% in mid 2020. It is no longer enough for a smartwatch to have a heart-rate monitor, step counter and basic apps. The latest smartwatches are equipped to accompany you everywhere from the deep sea to deep REM sleep. Here, a guide to some of the most powerful features a discerning buyer should expect.

LAST SEPTEMBER Adi Sigler, 28, wore track pants to a business meeting for the first time. Ms. Sigler felt uneasy—were her pants too laid-back for work? Her office wardrobe now includes a pile of track pants, which she often pairs with Isabel Marant tops and a black Lady Dior bag. Track pants, a gym staple roughly defined as loose athletic pants, have new legs thanks to a one-two punch of runway dominance at labels like Gucci and Max Mara and the rise of postpandemic “bleisure” (a sloshy portmanteau for “business leisure”) that embraces soft fabrics and slouchy silhouettes. Track pants sate the appetite for easy clothes that are still style-forward.

WE ALL MATURED in one way or another during lockdown. Some men became fathers, celebrated a milestone birthday or changed careers. And everyone got older. As we re-enter a world of ever-hazier dress codes, some folks are grappling with how to dress in a way that makes sense for who they are now.

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