In theory, buying holiday gifts should be fun — and yet, there’s a certain kind of stylish woman who can stymie even the most confident gifter. She’s the woman with super-refined taste — like the marketing director who seems low-key but is secretly design-obsessed — or the one with hyper-niche interests, like the Chelsea gallery assistant who’s plotting her way to the next biennial. Her persona is so artfully constructed, it’s no match for all those generic gift guides unhelpfully labeled “For Her.”
It’s for those wonderfully eclectic women that we’re bringing you this gift guide, just in time for the holiday season. Ahead, we crack the code to your coolest friends’ aesthetics and round up the 28 gifts they covet the most, including key pieces from Marc Jacobs’ THE collection.
The Brooklyn Influencer Who’s Perpetually Running Late
We all have one: the friend who’s so perpetually late you tell her brunch is at 11 and hope to see her by noon — and if she spots good selfie light on her way over, you may as well reschedule. Rule number one for the champion snooze-hitters: Keep the ‘fit simple. THE Wrap Dress by Marc Jacobs has details that keep the “likes” coming (balloon sleeves, big bow), and chunky joggers will hopefully shave a few minutes off her commute. An aesthetic sunrise alarm makes getting out of bed a little less traumatic, a glow-giving face mask lets her skip the foundation, and who knows, maybe a design-y planner will finally get her organized.
4. Hardon Epoch 2020 Planner, $30 at Hardon Epoch; 5. Ember Travel Mug 2, $179.95 at Ember; 6. Summer Friday Overtime Mask, $44 at Summer Fridays; 7. Philips Smart Sleep Alarm, $199.99 at Best Buy
The Gallery Assistant Who Also Manages a Secret Meme Account
Her wildly successful senior thesis show was on “digital representation and the commodification of the self” — so how did she find herself fetching Cabernet Franc for gallery openings while secretly running a viral account called @GalleryGofer. It’s a mystery, but we do know she’ll appreciate artsy accessories like Marc Jacobs’ pleasantly oblique THE Sweater, the must-have museum tote, an instant camera for when the phone glow is too much, and a colorful notepad to help her map her path from West 21st Street to the next biennial.
4. Artist Quote Totes, $10 at MoMA Design Store; 5. A2 Duo AirPod Case, $11.99 at Elago; 6. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera, $69 at Urban Outfitters; 7. Whitney Biennial 2021 To Do Notepad, $8 at Whitney Shop
The Ex-Party Girl Who Just Started a Supper Club
In her 20s, she did a little modeling, a little acting, and a lot of dancing at all-night Williamsburg warehouse parties — “before the condos.” She’ll be the first to tell you New York’s changed a lot since then as has her tolerance for bad beer and well whiskey. These days, she prefers having people over, and her supper club only started last month, but you’ve somehow already heard it being discussed on the subway. The ultimate hostess gifts? A 30s-inspired Marc Jacobs dress that’s special enough to entertain in, the Dutch oven every cool person covets, a cookbook with a life-changing braised chicken recipe, and shoes that pay homage to NYC — still the greatest city on Earth, she insists.
4. 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Candle, $85 at Diptyque; 5. Wonderboom Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, $99.99 at Ultimate Ears; 6. Alison Roman Nothing Fancy Cookbook, $19.50 at Amazon; 7. The Dutchess, $145 at Great Jones
The Marketing Director Who’s Obsessed With Design
She doesn’t follow the runways or read the glossies, and her social media feed is full of architects, not influencers. She’s not the ultra-trendy fashion girl — she’s the grown-up tomboy who exudes effortlessness. (In other words, she’s who we want to be when we grow up.) The gifts she’ll appreciate: the grungy striped Marc Jacobs sweater that’s this-old-thing? distressed yet exquisitely soft. The low-key cool crossbody bag she’ll wear every day. A statement-y ceramic jug she’ll use as a stem vase (let her say she scooped it on a trip to Copenhagen). A desk humidifier that keeps her skin enviably dewy. A stress-soothing CBD oil because no one’s naturally that chill all the time, right?
4. Hey Dewy Portable Facial Humidifier, $39 at Hey Dewy; 5. Raawii Storm Small Ceramic Jug, $55 at Matches Fashion; 6. Standard Dose Tincture, $88 at Standard Dose; 7. HAY PC Task Lamp, $395 at HAY
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