A Gift Guide That's Actually Good (Part I)
Evergreen present ideas for the people you love.
Greetings Spendthrifts,
Those of you who’ve been here a while will already be familiar with my annual gift guide, but for the newbies: this month’s newsletter is an edited and updated version of the ‘evergreen gift list’ I’ve been sending out for the last two years. I’ve given it a bigger refresh this year, pruning a couple of suggestions from the 2023 & 2024 lists and adding in a few new discoveries. Where brands or makers have retained their place for the second or third year in a row, I’ve updated their entries with new items from their collection to mix things up a little.
I’ve also split it into two parts, for ease (although I’d still recommend you click ‘view in browser’ or read it in the Substack app, as it’s rather long!). Today’s issue focuses on brands where pretty much their entire offering is gift-appropriate, while Part II is more a collection of one-off ‘objets’.
Happy browsing!
AN EVERGREEN GIFT GUIDE
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the vast majority of Christmas gift guides published at this time of year have entirely lost the plot. Too many categories, far too many items, and often at wildly impractical prices (just the other day I saw one with a £4,000 handbag on it - how many of those are you giving out this Christmas?)
I’m convinced all people really want is a tight edit of a few interesting and somewhat original gift ideas that can work for a variety of people in their life - and I’ve always believed the key to buying good presents is to buy people slightly nicer versions of things they already like or have, but that they probably wouldn’t treat themselves to. Presents are supposed to be A Treat, remember?
‘The smallest thing in the fanciest shop’ - my gift giving philosophy in a nutshell.
And you want to make them feel good! Over the years I’ve realised that giving people interesting gifts makes the recipients themselves feel interesting. It’s been a genuine compliment when I’ve received some of the items below - they’ve made me feel chic, and erudite - and ultimately isn’t the point of giving presents about making people feel good?
All that to say that this is less of a ‘gift list’, and more a gifting-themed list. Most of the items on it would, yes, absolutely work as Christmas presents and stocking fillers, but they’re also just good presents you can give to your loved ones year round - a gift guide for life, not just for Christmas (sorry). These are gifts for saying thank you, or happy birthday, or simply to cheer someone up; gifts for when flowers-and-a-card feels too impersonal. Gifts they’ll actually use, appreciate, and buy again for themselves or others.
They’re things I love and can’t live without, many of which I originally received as gifts myself and have since gone on to buy for other people. I’ve included an interior design handbook a friend gave me that explains what looks good and why (and was indispensable to me when I was renovating my flat), and my favourite places to buy edible treats because gifts you can eat are among my favourite type to receive.
Almost all the items on it are permanent offerings from the brands that make them, so should still be available for years to come - I’m hoping this newsletter becomes something you can refer back to time and time again, when you’re stuck on what to buy for someone you love.
Brought to you by Add To Wishlist brand partner Missoma.
I’ve always thought Missoma is such a clever brand. Eighteen years in, the brand has really made a name for itself with its thoughtfully designed collection of demi-fine classics - they’ve absolutely nailed that sweet spot of fashion-forward pieces that are both high-quality and affordable.
Ahead of their upcoming Black Friday sale (starts today, runs until Tuesday 2nd December - up to 40% off everything on the site) I’ve teamed up with them to share a few of my favourite Missoma pieces with you - and give you some ideas on how to style them! There’s so much variety on their website, whether you’re looking for everyday classics or party-appropriate statement pieces, there’ll be something for you.
Take this gold bangle for example - for daytime I usually keep my jewellery super simple (I’m talking one, or max two, pieces of jewellery), and this was one of those occasions where the jewellery dictated the rest of the outfit... I felt like the bangle was just crying out for a simple backdrop so it could really shine, y’know?
And dare I say the white shirt/blue jeans/solid belt/bangle combo feels very Nantucket WASP, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy-coded? I felt like an old money New York heiress opening the door to the architect she’s just hired to “remodel” her Upper East Side duplex (word to the wise - fantasies are better the more specific they are).
I added the t-bar necklace from this set for balance because even though the bangle is the star of the show, the outfit still needs a necklace for symmetry IMO - and these tiny little huggies were the perfect ‘no earring’ earring to finish off the look.
Now for nighttime or party dressing, I tend to layer up. I love a necklace stack - it’s very confident, very London, very ‘oh these old things?’. Hanging on to the t-bar necklace from before, I also added the snake chain that comes as part of that set, as well as this engraveable birthstone pendant necklace. It’s all about balance when it comes to a necklace stack and these three pieces go so well together (I think the formula to aim for is two pendants and one chain - if you’re feeling funky maybe even consider mixing silver and gold?)
This shearling Joseph coat is my new pride and joy (bought for a fraction of the retail price via resale), and although you can’t really see it the dress is an old Saloni number that not one but TWO of my friends also own because of how ridiculously flattering it is - and unbelievably given I bought it 4+ years ago, there’s currently a couple available on The Outnet in a UK12…!
With up to 40% off sitewide until Tuesday 2nd December, now’s an ideal time to treat yourself (or someone else, I guess) to some gorgeous new jewellery... Happy shopping!
LES OTTOMANS
I love Les Ottomans as a destination for homeware gifts as it’s basically impossible to buy something boring there. My favourite offering of theirs are their hand-painted trays, of which they have a frankly staggering number - you'll find the most variety on their website, although there’s also great edits on MyTheresa, Selfridges, Artemest, and Maison Flâneur if you’re easily overwhelmed. I’ve picked out a few of my favourites below:
Gold coral lacquer; gold leaf herons; black florals and orange poppies - something for everyone!
39BC
Time was that bath products were considered a bit of a Christmas gift copout (did anyone actually ever use those crumbly Lush bath bombs and not immediately get cystitis?). No longer - bathing’s gone luxury (even Vogue agrees), and there’s no better evidence of that than 39BC, a new range of oil body cleansers created by (full disclosure: my friend) Sharmadean Reid.
Everything about 39BC, from the packaging to the scent, is pure indulgence - I’ve been using my Sage Water cleanser for pre-bedtime showers since I got it a few weeks ago, and it’s become such a pleasurable end-of-day ritual. Available in four scents - Silk Veil (tuberose + jasmine), Denarii (frankincense, patchouli + sandalwood), Fig Milk and Sage Water, I’ve already given one of these as a gift this year and plan to give many more.
SMYTHSON STATIONERY
Years ago, when I’d just gotten a job that I thought was going to be a real step up for me - I think it was when I was about to start working at VICE Media - I bought myself a Smythson pocket notebook. It felt like a very grown up thing to do (I was 24), and having this notebook felt like saying to the world I’d arrived - I even had it embossed with my initials in gold.
The job itself turned out to be a certified sh*tshow (lol) but I don’t blame the notebook. The notebook was great - in fact I still have it! 128 pages of that signature pale blue paper, bound in crossgrain lambskin leather (with personalisation only £17 extra), it’s a great little gift for the aspiring girlboss in your life.
Panama pocket notebooks in plain leather or (my personal fave) croc-embossed leather
Smythson’s correspondence card + envelope sets are also surprisingly reasonably priced. I was initially looking at getting a personalised set, but those unfortunately came up to £400+ (for a set of 50) once I’d added all my preferred customisation details. And then I thought - maybe I don’t want everyone I write to to know my address anyway?? Maybe I want to write a really elegant anonymous poison pen letter to someone! Anyway I bought an un-personalised set for a mere £26 and have been using them to send thank you notes ever since. I don’t have video footage of the recipients’ faces when they arrive but I can only imagine they open them and think ‘wow… that Otegha is one classy broad’.
Are they more expensive than a set from Papier?…Well yes, they’re from f*cking Smythson. But you’re better than Papier. You’re a Smythson girl. Buy and use sparingly for those you want to impress, or yes - as a gift.
x10 bordered correspondence cards with matching (tissue-lined!) envelopes, available in five different colourways - I went for navy.
GOHAR WORLD
Where does one begin in trying to explain Laila Gohar? The New Yorker noted her “exquisite taste” in a 5,000 word profile some years ago, and she also writes a monthly column on hosting for How To Spend It. I first came across her work well over a decade ago now, back when she was just a cool foodie New Yorker who seemed to host nice-looking supper clubs and did catering for events.
In a way, that is still basically the essence of what she does - catering for events - if you can describe creating increasingly ambitious food installations for everyone from Hermès to Dries Van Noten as ‘catering’. By applying her impeccable taste and idiosyncratic eye to the world of food, she’s elevated it to an art form - examples below.
She and her sister launched Gohar World a few years ago, a source of totally original tableware products, and reader: I love it. It’s the perfect mix of whimsical and practical (a silk bag for your baguette, anyone?), which in my books makes it a perfect destination for present shopping. Here are my top picks:
A tapered candle trimmed with a lace bow (how darling!).
These mother of pearl salad servers would genuinely encourage me to eat more salads.
A bird-shaped lemon slice squeezer (there’s a fish-shaped one too, or perhaps a swan?)
And how pretty are these mother of pearl swirl shell napkin rings!