The “So Cozy” Italian-Inspired Find I Gifted Myself This Holiday Season (and Use Every Day!)

Up there with cilantro and licorice, olives may be among the most polarizing foods. People either love them or love to hate them, and I am firmly in the first camp. I will take my martini extra dirty, with two olives, please! Any fellow olive devotees will have noted that 2024 was our year — martini olive home decor, art, jewelry, clothing, and of course, recipes were absolutely everywhere. 

While I have resisted the urge to redecorate my entire apartment in shades of olive green, I recently discovered an olive-patterned gem that I am wearing basically every day this winter: this olive sweatshirt from Freestyle Snacks.

A pale green-khaki-colored crewneck, it’s printed with a series of nine adorable olive illustrations and their names in messy cursive below, giving it a worn-in vintage vibe. If I wear it outside, it’s a subtle way to signal that I know my Manzanillas from my kalamatas, and who knows, maybe even concert an olive hater or two. 

But if I’m being honest, I’m wearing this sweatshirt inside the comfort of my home 90% of the time, since it’s just so cozy. I have it in a medium and find it runs a little large in a very welcome way — I can layer it over my loungy T-shirts for an extra layer of warmth, or wear it alone and enjoy the ultrasoft interior. Freestyle Snacks may primarily be a seller of snack-packaged olives, but they have nailed the comfy factor with this quirky (and limited-edition) article of clothing.

My Puerto Rican grandmother always calls something she wears all the time her “quita’ypon” — a combination of quitar (to take off) and poner (to put on) — about the pieces heaviest in her rotation. Needless to say, this soft sweatshirt is my new quita’ypon, and one I think would be an excellent gift for any olive lovers in your life — starting with yourself!

Whether I’m shopping for my home or my closet, I’m often wary of buying into passing fads. I hate the idea of purchases growing old quickly and prefer to invest in things that I’ll want to use for years to come. Which is why I feel so pleased with this sweatshirt discovery. I know I’ll be wearing this one until the Cerignola olive is well-loved and faded, simply because my respect for olives and being cozy at home are so strong. And who doesn’t want to add a little extra flair to their work-from-home wardrobe?

Buy: Freestyle Snacks Olive Sweatshirt, $42