A Gift List That's Actually Good (2024 Update)
Evergreen present ideas for the people you love.
Greetings Spendthrifts,
This month’s newsletter is already pretty long as is, so I’ll skip the excessive preamble and just let you know that this is an edited and updated version of the ‘evergreen gift list’ I sent out last year, which also turned out to be one of my most popular newsletters (which made me vow to send it out much earlier this year, as I realise not everyone leaves their present shopping until December like I do). Many of the items on it are the same (as implied by the ‘evergreen’), but I’ve updated it to include a few more suggestions that I’ve come across over the past year (and also pruned a handful of suggestions from the 2023 list). So it’s a long one! Maybe make yourself a cup of tea before diving in :)
Over the last few weeks I’d slightly begun to lose my nerve over how to approach this month’s newsletter, thanks to the absolute avalanche of Christmas gift lists already published so far this year. Would anyone even be interested in a gift list come early December (which is when I personally start to do my Christmas shopping, but which I’ve noted described elsewhere as ‘last minute’)? Should I be creating a gift list divided into a million tiny sub-sections titled ‘For Him’, ‘For Her’, ‘For The In Law You Secretly Resent But Have To Buy Something For So What’s Nice But Not Too Nice’ etc. etc.
Fortunately I happened to read fashion journalist Amy Odell’s
newsletter…
…about the absurdity of so many of the gift lists published at this time of year, and it confirmed that my initial instincts on how to approach my gift list had been correct (and that the majority of Christmas gift lists published by retailers, the media and brands have entirely lost the plot). All people really want is a tight edit of a few interesting and original gift ideas that can work for a variety of people in their life - so that’s what I’m focusing on with this issue.
I used to be terrible at giving gifts. I enjoy giving them, but I hate (or hated) looking for them - and not just at Christmas, but year round. New baby gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts… looking for presents to a deadline stresses me the f*ck out, and so I’d hide my head in the sand and leave it to the last possible minute, which of course only compounded my stress, and led to increasingly desperate choices over the years.
My personal Christmas present shopping low point came in 2014, when I’d left things so last minute that I found myself in the Stratford Westfield Hallmark on Christmas Eve (i.e. one of Dante’s nine circles), and ended up literally bribing a stranger in order to avoid the 45-minute queue for the tills. I’ve found myself on Oxford Street the weekend before Christmas on multiple occasions in my life, though I did bump into Zadie Smith one year which in many ways validated my own poor decision-making.
Thankfully I’m much better at present shopping these days, mostly because I’ve finally freed myself from the tyranny of the ‘suggested gift products’ given top billing on shop floors at Christmas time (trust me - nobody in your life wants a trio of sparkly nail polishes), and realised that the key to buying good presents is to remember they’re supposed to be A Treat. The aim is to buy people slightly nicer versions of things they already like or have, but that they probably wouldn’t treat themselves to. ‘The smallest thing in the fanciest shop’ - those are the gifts they’ll actually use, appreciate, and buy again for themselves or others.
And you want to make them feel good! Lately 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 list 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.
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 make the case for a fancy pot pourri (yes you read that right - everything old is new again) [Editors note: the 2024 version of this is a delicious incense I’ve been burning nonstop]. I’ve included an interior design handbook that explains what looks good and why, and was indispensable to me when I was renovating my home.
Almost all the items on it are permanent offerings from the brands that make them, so they’ll still be available in six months time and likely much longer - I’m hoping that this newsletter will be something you can refer back to time and time again, when you’re stuck on what to buy for someone you love. And now, without further ado…
OTEGHA’S ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS GIFT LIST (UPDATED 2024 EDITION)
NICKY HASLAM’S LIST
Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know by now how obsessed I am with interior designer to the super-posh Nicky Haslam’s annual ‘Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common’ list. I’m not sure at what point over the last few years I first became aware of it, but its annual reappearance for me marks the beginning of the slow countdown to Christmas (I’m being 100% sincere here).
Printed on a tea towel and known to include members of the Royal Family, it’s a firmly tongue in cheek swipe at various cultural phenomena, people and trends that Haslam deems to be ‘in poor taste’. It’s also acidly funny - I’d usually never suggest a novelty item sort of present but I make an exception for this one.
Now on its 5th edition, an occasion marked by a collaboration with Selfridges (which itself seems like a rather common thing to do - but I digress), this year’s list includes things like ‘leather jackets on children’, ‘leasing SUVs’ and ‘fire pits’ - though my all-time favourite entry may have been last year, when Haslam decried the rise of ‘grieving’ (which he explained during a Radio 4 interview means “assisted grieving… grief counselling and things”) and the Northern lights.
You’ll know immediately if this is the right present for someone you love - they’ll either get it (and find it incredibly funny) or they won’t, in which case they’ll give you a slightly puzzled look come Christmas morning. Choose carefully.
The Latest Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common Tea Towel
Brought to you by Add To Wishlist brand partner Mulberry.
MULBERRY
A quintessentially British brand that I’m sure by now needs little introduction, Mulberry have got you covered this Christmas with an edit of pieces full of little luxuries that make ideal gifts. There’s something for everyone, from super-soft cashmere scarves (which FYI, you can have personalised with embroidered initials for extra brownie points), to their iconic leather accessories in an array of beautiful colours. My top picks include this small classic grain leather Postman Lock Agenda – I think there’s something quite cool about people who do their diary management the old-fashioned way, and Mulberry also sells refills so they’ll be able to use it for years to come. I’m also a mega fan of the Islington Bucket Bag (pictured below in Chalk) – the top-handle makes it feel super contemporary, and it’s elegant enough to wear as an evening bag, but still roomy enough to work as a practical daytime handbag too.
I always try to buy workaday accessories like wallets and umbrellas in fun colours - it means I get a little jolt of pleasure every time I use them - and I’m seriously considering self-gifting (ahem) myself this Darley Wallet in yellow croc. And why not upgrade any frequent flyers in your life with this red leather Darley Cosmetics Pouch – it’s an ideal travel washbag for a loved one who’s always on the go.
As a classic heritage brand, quality and craftmanship are key to Mulberry – their pieces are made to last and look even better with time, making them the perfect destination for forever-gifts this Christmas.
CLIMAX BOOKS
You’re probably already aware of Climax Books (if not, it’s the IYKYK purveyor of rare books and design ephemera beloved by the fashion crowd, founded by former Dazed Editor-in-Chief Isabella Burley) but you might not yet have clocked these extremely cute latex shoppers they launched just a few weeks ago - I honestly squealed when I saw them, and immediately made a mental note to add them to this year’s gift list. I think they’re a fab alternative to boring cloth tote bags - just looking at them makes me want to skip around town running my little errands with one of them in tow.
