I’m here with my central gift guide of the year: gifts for the women in our lives that we love. (I’ll also share some gift ideas for children and men at some point but this is really where I pour my energy). These are items that I’m actually giving my sisters and sisters figures, or have given them in the past. They are specific and considered and skew towards small brands and artisanal quality. I always like a handful of buzzy products that my loved ones may only be liminally aware of on the list, too, as I find a strange amount of joy in introducing them to lesser-known, IYKYK-type labels and product categories I’m excited about. Per years past, I try to keep most of my gifting options in the $100-$200 range, with a handful a bit more.
Family members and loved ones, avert your eyes!
UNDO HAIR CLIPS // SMYTHSON AGENDA // HART BEZEL EARRINGS // KUJTEN CASHMERE BANDANA // LE LION BESPOKE CARDIGAN // AURATE “CONNECTION” BRACELET // CLARE V. COIN PURSE // ABI AME SKINCARE GRADE BODY SET // THE IT GIRL FRENCH BRUSH
01. For my bestie (one of those Becky-with-the-good-hair types): a Chris McMillan haircare set (sold out everywhere online but at Chris McM) and two of these buy-it-for-life, sculptural Undo hair clips in size 02. The latter calls for an explanation: she is NEVER without a small fleet of tiny tortoise shell hair clips. I can distinctly remember her buying them from J. Crew in our 20s and complaining when they broke. This will be a full circle moment, and she’ll get the callback. She is going to love this tiny, intentional upgrade to her everyday life! Even if your friend hasn’t been a clip devotee since the aughts, this is a beautiful “IYKYK” type gift; maybe give yours the larger size. The clips come beautifully packaged in little velvet envelopes.
02. For sisters: I guess hair is the theme this year, but these it girl French brushes would also be absolutely perfect. Apparently the store in Paris now has a line/queue around the corner? These brushes are magic — your hair looks like Renoir painted it: soft, gleaming, voluminous. They sell them via their on site with the cutest little travel pouches or bundled with some of their hair care products (I’m very intrigued by this volumizing and refreshing mist). What I like about the latter bundle is that you get free shipping and a guarantee of no duties, imports, etc.
03. Alternately — another Francophile’s treasure — these cashmere Kujten scarves. If you don’t want to mess with the import tax (sigh), St. Bernard has one color available here, or you can grab one of their snoods for a little more $$. This is, in my opinion, the “it” accessory of the season and adds a little interest and drama to any outfit. It also feels deeply special thanks to the Paris provenance, and the cashmere quality is incredible. Alt purchase here: one of the Freya cosmic rodeo cashmere blend scarves. I’ve seen a lot of women at my children’s schools wearing these. A bit more splurgey.
04. I got my mother this beautiful fleece half-zip in the “niagara mist” hue for her morning walks. The color is so her — serene, soft — and I am always looking for little ways to enhance or upgrade the daily rituals of my loved ones. I know she’ll love this little splurge.
05. I realized this year that I’d not yet given my MIL a Chappywrap somehow! I got her the classic, best-selling bow wreath style. I cannot wait to rave about its many charms (she loves a story along with a gift), including the fact that we now carry two in our car because my kids fight over them! They’re also machine-washable (incredible virtue, if you think about it; how many of those wool and cashmere ones have never seen a flake of soap?) and have the perfect weight.
06. Another really solid mother-in-law gift (in fact, something you can give her year after year, as the boxes are collectible / artwork in their own rite, and everyone loves a calendar desk to keep the dates in our line of sight!): Inslee’s 2027 calendar. The presentation is gorgeous. The box is honestly at least 1/4th of the gift! I keep all of mine and use to hold little mementos and letters and also stack on bookshelves, etc. I can’t get over this year’s petal box (which I ordered for myself), but there are several motifs.
07. Speaking of Inslee, for the crafter / the soulful, anti-scroll sister: these gorgeous needlepoint canvases she designed with my other friend Coco (a fellow Washingtonian!). We’ve moved to a model in my family where we draw “secret santas” so we’re not all on the hook for buying gifts for siblings and siblings-in-law (that would be 10 of us!), but I would have gotten my youngest sister one of these (she’s very crafty) if I’d drawn her name this year. This is what we gave my MIL for her birthday this year!
08. This is what I’d buy my other sister if I’d drawn her (I drew my brother this year). I love (!) this tool both as a wake-up/depuff in the morning (especially after a late or sleepless night, to which we are prone) and as a comfort ritual/therapy when my sinuses are bothering me or I have a headache (you can toggle onto a warm setting). It’s something she wouldn’t buy for herself but I know she’s become hooked on. Also: she’s in that phase of young motherhood where someone is always sick in her house, and she often catches it a week later!
09. For an active friend / hiker / runner / explorer / crunchy type: this belt bag. I wear it running, hiking, and running. It’s the perfect size (holds just enough) and has held up so well despite week-in, week-out use, often while sweating, in the rain, etc. When I wore this in Norway on all our excursions, my SIL asked after it, and I wrote it down as a possible gift idea for her for her birthday, etc.
10. She’ll want anything you give her from this brand. It’s just the best, most elite loungewear, but it is spendy, and therefore I feel like my sisters and friends would appreciate the indulgence. I can’t think of a single woman I know who wouldn’t love this waffle knit pullover in at least one if not several colors.
11. If it’s jewelry you’re after, I have three very passionate recs. The first is a Jane Win coin pendant. You can pick from a wide range of motifs so it feels personal — and you can write a little note explaining why you picked it. The small ones are probably more universally appealing/wearable with different styles. The second rec is a pair of Hart drop earrings. These are just so fun, whimsical, and joyful — also very on trend. The packaging and branding are really fun and add to the sense of novelty / boutique. (Use code JEN10 for a slight discount there). My final rec is one of these cord connection bracelets. They’re perfect for long-distance sisters or friends — or simply gals you’ve gone through an intense experience with. You could accompany it with a thoughtful note. (They are also Hermes-coded and currently 30% off).
12. Three smaller brands whose products I love that they may not know about — Cadence for travel cosmetics (also kind of a spurge, so a nice little surprise if they travel frequently!) and Cyklar or Abi Ame for body care. All three of these brands are very “IYKYK” and come bundled/branded/packaged really nicely. These are the kinds of things my youngest sister loves — because then she can find entire Reddit threads singing their praises. (This sister was the one who introduced me to Soft Services last year — another brand of this ilk. Small, intentional, with a focus on quality and beautiful packaging.)
13. A cheeky card case (they also have mag safe ones that attach to your phone! so clever!) from Anya Hindmarch. I saw these in London and regret not buying one for myself as a memento!
14. Whether or not she has a Cuyana tote: one of these Cuyana purse organizers or tech sleeves. I use these in my non-Cuyana bags. They are super luxe. A lovely little upgrade for your workerbee sister.
15. Indulgent / splurge wearables: over the $200-ish budget, but these terry sweatshirts (or, better yet, the full terry set) from Suzie Kondi are uber-chic and the kind of thing suddenly all the women in East Hampton will be wearing to grab coffee, and I’m also smitten with these Alice Walk cashmere getaway sweaters for the more classic-leaning. For something bespoke, a personalized crest cardigan from Le Lion.
16. Year after year, I plug Appointed notebooks and planners as a beautiful gift for a “paper person.” You can have the beautiful linen covers embossed with initials, and you can select if you want gridded, lined, or blank pages on the notebooks. A writer / list-maker’s dream. Bundle with a beautiful pen like this or this. These are the only notebooks I use in my studio. A splurgier pick in this category: one of these stunning Smythson diaries for 2027. I’ve always wanted one. They are so elegant, and you can have them personalized with her initials. Their special edition “dogs” one is almost stupidly expensive but geez is she a charmer.
17. For that sister with raynaud’s (it’s me — and all my sisters, too): the warmest and best made winter gloves. Made in Scandinavia by a multi-generation family business so you know it’s good. If you’re looking for something more casual (and under $100), try these knit ones.
18. In the vein of things she never knew she always needed: a travel jewelry case. No, really. I have this one tiny coin purse I got from Sezane years and years ago that is my permanent jewelry holder. I don’t know what I did before it? But you need a little leather zip-top pouch to hold your earrings, etc! It doesn’t need to be marketed explicitly as a jewelry case – you can be creative. I love this heart shaped one, this cheeky Clare V., or this applique-letter Leontine Linens round. The brand Wolf is known for its jewelry cases, so they have some exquisite styles specifically intended for jewelry storage, too.
19. On the bespoke side: one of these beautifully-made baseball caps with her initials on the back. These hats are made by a female founder specifically to fit the female head and have the most thoughtful details, like an adjustable leather band that tucks into a slot in the back, a sweatband with an inspiring mantra on it, and the option to have gold or silver hardware (I’d go gold). This is an elevated ball cap if I’ve ever seen one. Or, have one of these sweatshirts personalized with her nickname, or your family’s vacation spot and then have her name put on the collar.
20. I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw my hat in the ring here, too, and suggest framing “a Woman of Substance” for her!
Let me know if you have any specific giftees / specific requirements that I’m not meeting and I’ll try to answer in the comments!
P.S. Lighthouse friends — actually, a friend of mine, Anna Teem, just made a watercolor of these words! So gorgeous. I had to share below.
P.P.S. Marriage is…many things. Including the annual ritual of fighting over getting the Christmas tree into the tree stand.
P.P.P.S. What things fall into the “buy it for life” category for you?
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