6 Unique & Chic Holiday Gift Ideas
This post contains affiliate links. Please read the disclosure here.
The Three Part 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
If you’re still struggling to find a gift that works for the most “difficult” person on your list, or if you haven’t even started your holiday shopping because there’s no escaping the work vortex (or, let’s face it, you’re all about that #procrastinationlife (I’m with you!)), the House of High/Low’s three-part holiday gift guide is here to help you effortlessly find Mr. and Ms. Difficult’s perfect bow-wrapped companions.
Part II - Gifts for the Fashion & Beauty Lover
If you haven’t already, check out Part I of the House of High/Low’s Holiday Gift Guide for useful gifts for jetsetters. And now, here are 6 great gift ideas for the stylish women in your life. P.S. Kudos to you if you’re able to resist buying these prezzies for yourself - you have more willpower than me!
1. Knitwear from Sézane
Image via: Sézane’s Instagram
A few years ago, while on vacation in France, I fell in love with Sézane’s aesthetic (just look at their IG feed! *swoon*) and concept. Their clothing and accessories embody the Parisian minimalist and effortless sense of style. The French label only releases four main collections each year and a capsule collection monthly.
Every single item I have purchased from the NoLIta shop (fyi - this is their only North American outpost but you can shop the collection online here) is of extremely high-quality and has held up beautifully with proper care (actually, their founding principle is to create long-lasting items). I often wear Zara, H&M and sometimes even Forever 21 pieces at my corporate job, but combine them with a higher-end sweater, blazer, bag, scarf, or shoes for an overall more-tailored look. Mixing in a piece from Sézane certainly does the trick!
As much as I love a great deal and bargain hunting (trust me, it’s a lot), it’s also a pet peeve of mine when stores constantly have 50% off sales but these “sales” more accurately reflect the correct pricing. And I especially hate gifting an item that goes on sale after I purchase it. Sézane, on the other hand, rarely has sales (in fact, items will sell out when they “drop”) as they price items correctly in the first place. This means, you don’t have to worry about your gift being 75% off on Boxing Day (aka December 26th, for my American friends)!
I love all of their knitwear, but especially the Zack jumper in ecru (US$135), the Marjolaine jumper in red (US$130) and the Hans jumper in peach (US$120).
Even though I don’t typically wear pink, I picked the Hans jumper up last week because I couldn’t resist how soft (and non-scratchy!!!) the fabric is despite being made of 100% merino wool. It’s the perfect versatile and lightweight sweater that hangs beautifully. My other sweater purchase (the Pull Rob in ecru, 100% wool) is now sold-out.
For the holidays, you’ll have 40 days from the shipping date for returns, but I have a strong feeling that your giftee will be thrilled with the style and quality of her unique, yet classic, piece.
2. Eberjey PJ Set
I think extravagances that we don’t typically buy for ourselves can make some of the best gifts. And if the weather last week is any indication of what’s in store for us this winter on the east coast, I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time hibernating (whilst netflixing) at home. With our loungewear getting more mileage than our outwear, a set of Eberjey’s PJs is a worthwhile upgrade from our significant other’s old t-shirts (hey, no judgment! I typically wear GC’s t-shirts that he should retire around the house). I have yet to find another pair of PJs that are as chic, soft and comfortable as Eberjey’s. Currently, they’re on sale here at Amazon.ca. For Amazon US, you can click the photos below. If you’re not already sold, take Oprah’s word for it - Eberjey’s Gisele PJs made Oprah’s 2018 Most Favorite Things List.
Wearing my Eberjey Gisele PJs at the American Museum of Natural History Grown-up Sleepover in June (yes, I party hard).
3. Allbirds Sneakers
Similar to Sézane, Allbirds never go on sale. Every pair of their shoes (except high-tops (US$125/C$165)) are US$95/C$135. This brand is as minimalist as it gets – no “flashy logos” or “senseless” details. They’re also unbelievably comfortable (I find they fit better (and are cheaper!) than my Adidas Boost). Allbirds is so confident you’ll love them, they accept returns on worn shoes within 30 days if you’re “not walking on cloud nine” (or if you accidentally gift the wrong size!) I also love that the shoes are of premium quality and “made from nature” (i.e. merino wool, recycled bottles, recycled carboard, etc.) making it a perfect present for the chic woman in your life who’s all about sustainability. Celebrities like Mindy Kaling, Emma Watson, Mila Kunis and Jennifer Garner are also fans. I picked up the classic wool runners in very light pink (I swear, I don’t often wear pink - it’s more of a neutral/beige with pink undertones) and the olive high-tops at their SoHo location this week. I felt like I was walking all around Manhattan with clouds on my feet. Bonus: Allbirds make great gifts for men too!
Image via: Jessannkirby.com
My Allbirds in Tuke French Fry (Cream Sole)
4. Luxurious Lip Products
As I previously mentioned, value sets make for good holiday presents as some brands bundle their best-selling products and offer them at a discount (side note: I often calculate the stated value of a gift set myself, as sometimes this figure can be inflated), like Sephora’s Favorties: Give Me More Lip Set. It allows your lucky giftee to try an array of formulas and test different brands – who knows, you may help your BFF find her next Holy Grail lipstick! I really like all but three colors for my skin tone and I’m loving the included creamy full-size natural berry red matte lipstick from Charlotte Tilbury. This set (five full-size and nine deluxe lipsticks) is an excellent value as it’s currently on sale for US$47/C$57 (regularly US$68/C$82 with listed value of US$212/C$254 (sorry, I didn't calculate the actual value myself this time!)) at Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick on its own retails for US$34!
Yikes, I need to work on my swatching skills!
5. Premium Banana Republic Leather Touch Gloves
I used to think you had to sacrifice style for practicality when it came to touchscreen-friendly gloves, but this season Banana Republic has released chic tech-friendly gloves in a variety of styles. Give the smartphone addict (aren’t we all?) in your life the gift of non-stop warm and stylish screen time. These gloves are currently on sale for 50% off (discount will show once you add it to your cart) at Banana Republic until Christmas. In Canada, this works out to the leather gloves ranging from C$47.50 - C$55.
6. Stylish Business Card Case
One of my favourite congratulatory gifts that I received when I landed a summer position at my first law firm was a cream-coloured saffiano leather business card case from Henri Bendel. I personally like that it has no logos (except for a discreet stamping of “Henri Bendel” on the gold button snap closure), but I’ve seen women with logo-clad card cases that I also love. Unfortunately I can’t find it for sale at Bendels anymore (and they’re going out of business in January!), but the following business card cases from Nordstrom (US$24-US$250), Louis Vuitton (US$290) and Amazon (US$16) will make excellent gifts for the stylish businesswomen in your life. Bonus points if you get it monogrammed with her initials! [UPDATE: Check out these beautiful card holders on sale from Burberry for C$110 (regularly C$280) and C$160 (regularly C$320).]
Bonus pick: A Chanel Handbag
If you’re looking for a very generous gift, a Chanel classic flap may be cheaper than you think (but still north of $1000!). Read more here.
Stay tuned for the final installment of the 2018 holiday gift guide series that will cover perfect (and last minute!) gifts for foodies. If your love for minimalist style extends beyond fashion, check out neatntiny.com’s holiday gift guide for minimalist lovers. Let me know what holiday gifts you’re planning on buying in the comments below!
To be notified each time I post on the blog, please subscribe.
