The Best Gifts 21 Fashion Writers Have Ever Received
Toolboxes, custom ceramics, precious gems, once-in-a-lifetime vintage finds, and more
What do you get for someone with impeccable taste? Someone who’s an expert shopper, a vintage guru, and can never be outdone in a game of holiday generosity. I wanted to know, so I asked.
These are the best of the best gifts — according to 21 writers with excellent taste.
I wanted to compile something along the lines of a ‘gift guide’ that felt absurdly personal, as if an overly sentimental friend was gushing directly in your ear about the thoughtful treasures that sit atop their dresser altar. So I reached out to some of my favorite newsletter writers who cover fashion to get the scoop.
This was such a delight to put together. I can’t tell you how giddy I felt getting to read all these juicy details first — like I was being let in on proprietary gifting secrets straight from the elves! I’m so excited to share it with you now, and I hope you have as much fun reading as I did.
This letter is too bountiful to fit in your email. Read in a browser or on the app for the full harvest.
Maya Ernest of Digital Diva
I received my favorite gift ever last year: a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier Soleil dress. I’d been looking for this specific dress for a few years, and finally found one on TRR last September. It sold pretty quickly, and I mentioned how disappointed I was to my partner. Imagine my surprise and delight unwrapping it last holiday season!
I love vintage JPG in general, but the sarape print really spoke to me as a Mexican. (Let’s just say he appropri-ate with this one.) I love styling this piece with a fun textured coat and c*nty black heels.
Editor’s note: Get you a partner who stalks your TRR favs!!! Now that I’m in a JPG Soleil rabbit hole, I’m dreaming of this halter top and this dreamy skirt.
Natalie Brennan of ISO
I struggle to select my Favorite Gift Of All Time (FGOAT) until I spot the one that has remained on me since I first put it on. When my sister and I graduated high school, my mom gave each of us a pair of our great grandmother’s baby rings.
I like how intentional this gift was; something saved for the right moment; a parting gift as I left my home and family unit. A jeweler carefully stretched the small ring for me until it could fit on my finger. My mom told me I could engrave the face of the signet ring but I like it just as is.
My great aunt, who gave my mom these baby rings, grew up without her mother. She passed in childbirth, shortly after her husband joined her in America. My great Aunt first took my mom back to Italy. Decades later, my mom took me and my sister to Italy. I like to imagine who may one day wear this ring, too. I hope I get to take her to Italy. Perhaps after she graduates, adorned with a small piece of gold for her to look down at and daydream about her family’s past and hypothetical future.
I think rings for milestones besides engagement are a delightful gesture. For graduations; for 30th birthdays, for quitting your job! Gift a forever ring!
*FGOAT Addendum: As a passionate gift giver, my favorite gift I have ever given was a Catbird heart gold locket. I gifted the necklace to my sister, but not without printing and glueing a 2 cm photo of me as Dr. Seuss from my elementary school’s Wax Museum Day on one side, and my resume of being her Biggest Fan on the right.
Editor’s note: This fully swept me into another world and now I’m scrolling through every single Catbird piece. Need this Jenny Slate tourmaline ring on my pinky asap.
Taylor Barnett of Driving Shoes
The best gift I’ve ever received is, by far, my vintage Kelly — both for sentimental and aesthetic reasons. I found it on Vestiaire and immediately sent a screenshot to my older sister, freaking out about how it was my dream bag, perfectly pre-worn, everything I’d imagined, etc.
Two weeks later, it was still available, and she FaceTimed to tell me she’d bought it for me. I’ll never forget the feeling of overwhelming shock and excitement. When it arrived, I cried...and slept with it in my bed every night for a week.
Editor’s note: If you’re feeling as generous as Taylor’s sister, this vintage navy Kelly is looking for a chic home on Vestiaire too.
Juliana Ramirez of Search Terms
The best gift I’ve ever received turned out to be a surprisingly practical one. Last year, my girlfriend Jane gifted me a steel Toyo toolbox. I know it sounds a little strange, but the storage and compartments are oddly (and obviously) helpful.
The object itself is gorgeous and now I suddenly feel like I need more than one. They’re perfect for organizing makeup, stationery, stickers… honestly anything. Ten out of ten.
Editor’s note: I’m seething with jealousy as I’ve been deeply in love with the blue colorway of this box. Check out more of their colors here and here.
Glenn Mae of Trash Panic
To love someone is to attend a thousand births of who they are becoming! And one of my very best friends has a way of showing she sees me through the smallest, most precious (vintage!) gifts — things I not only cherish, but think about often because of the sincere kindness they radiate!
I came out as Mostly Gay™️ back in 2013, when it still felt a little strangely taboo, and even some of my closest friends didn’t quite understand. That Christmas, said friend sent me a card, and on the back she’d simply attached this little vintage rainbow bow pin. A quiet acknowledgment, a validation that she saw, loved, and accepted me!
That same friend has been reading Trash Panic since its infancy four whole years ago, back when I felt like I was writing to a big dark endless void (scary!) She bought a vintage heart necklace from one of my first “Dumps” and had it engraved with “Trash Panic” — a subtle acknowledgment that she saw how hard I was working and believed in what I was creating!!!
Let this be your sign that you don’t have to spend a lot of money or buy something really big to show someone you see them.
Editor’s note: What are the holidays all about if not being gay and thoughtful.
Viv Chen of The Molehill
The best gift I’ve received in recent memory is the vintage silver Elsa Peretti bone cuff from my partner! I’d been pining after it for months, especially after researching Peretti for my newsletter.
Editor’s note: Hello gorgeous… browse some secondhand on eBay and TRR.
Kate Snyder of Pony Express
I like being the best at things. It’s one of my passions. And for almost all of my life, I’ve felt secure in holding the superlative for Best at Giving Gifts. I’ve made a sport of the ritual, my love for showing love through little wrapped packages so intense I can feel it growing in the pit of my stomach in mid-October, as soon as things start smelling like dead leaves and Michaels. It’s then that I pull out the notes I’ve been keeping since December 26th the year before, filled with transcripts of any interaction in which a loved one has gestured at something they’d love to receive, fueled by a quasi-masochistic desire for presents so thoughtful they make my family and friends break down in tears.
No one could touch me or my bespoke napkin rings or my Cameos from character actors in my brothers’ favorite shows. Until I met my best friend Isabel and that bitch blew me out of the water. Every single gift she’s given me has been sickeningly perfect — handmade mittens in colors picked just for me, an antique book with the title of my Substack in it just because she saw it on her lunch break — but the one that took the love language cake was the antique lace cocktail napkins she embroidered with my favorite moments from Peanuts.
She’d wrapped them in tissue paper and I opened them on my bed, and the first one I saw was of Snoopy with his head resting on Charlie Brown’s and I cried right then. I keep them sitting on my dresser until I get a Framebridge sponsorship for the shadow box they deserve. I love them.
Editor’s note: Snoopyheads come out on top yet again. If you’re feeling embroider-y, I found this lot of antique cocktail napkins for you on eBay.
Eleanor of Rabbit Fur Coat
The best gift I’ve ever gotten was learning how to make a quilt. Five years ago, my friend bought a self-paced video course on quilting for the two of us to do together. Not only did we end up with finished quilts at the end, but we got to spend hours together learning a new skill, one that has become a core part of my identity.
Learning how to quilt also unlocked another handmade gift opportunity for me — I even traded a quilt for some design work from Kellyn of Best Friends!
Editor’s note: If you’d like to join in the quilting fun, Eleanor’s friend chose this online course.
Sophia Dowling of The Pleat
My favorite gift I’ve ever received was from my grandmother — it’s a first edition copy of Elsa Schiaparelli’s memoir Shocking Life signed by the woman herself.
Original copies of the book came with an illustrated version of her perfume Shocking but it’s hard to find one’s that still have their bookmark. (I also have the bottle of this perfume back home.)
This particular copy was made out to Jane and Helly or Jane and Roscoe “Helly” Hillenkoetter who became the first director of the CIA under the National Security Act of 1947. My opinions on the CIA aside, it is such an interesting piece of history to hold on my bookcase. Why on earth was Schiaparelli sending her book to someone in US Intelligence?
I love this gift for many reasons. Of course, it’s secondhand, and even for Christmas I want special vintage items, but I also love fashion history and there’s just something so special about someone hunting down a gift that really speaks to you.
Editor’s note: A shockingly good gift indeed! Find some more first edition copies here, albeit with less CIA-related lore.
Kayla Roolaart of No Crumbs
The best gifts always come from my sister. She knows me better than anyone, but she’s also mastered the art of noticing and is so sneakily thoughtful. After I wrote about my love for purple plates, she hunted down a glaze in just the right hue and handmade(!) the ceramic plate of my dreams. It’s the perfect size for a breakfast pastry or a sweet treat (very important).
Editor’s note: I want to get lost in this shade of eggplant. I’m getting sister envy thinking about this gift compared to the ones my younger brother gives me (if he even remembers tbh).
izabela raczkowski of Bells & Whistles
Years ago, I received an “About: Blanks” journal from an old boss and dear friend of mine. I was in the beginning stages of my journaling-journey, so it meant a lot to me at the time.
About: Blanks are notebooks made from old book covers, so each one is unique. They’re made from recycled materials and they’re all so beautifully worn in and vintage that it feels like you’re carrying around a relic (I guess you kind of are?).
I brought this journal around with me for two years before I filled it up, and now it sits along my windowsill. I always thought the old book cover of my notebook was pretty cheeky, as the title was “The Young Observers.” And there I was, ages 21-23 being young and writing down all my observations.
Editor’s note: While you can’t get your hands on this exact one, try your local indie stationary store for one that speaks to you.
Kayla Marci of Haute Garbage
I wanted to share Le Labo Lys 41 perfume. It’s such a fresh scent but still warm and sexy. I’ve been wearing it since 2018 and I always get so many compliments.
I moved to Melbourne from London in 2021 to be with the man I spent years loving from a distance. Before the move, he sent me a bottle of this fragrance. In the space to fill out my name, he instead wrote “see you soon baby xx”. I’ve kept that bottle and every other one he’s given me since, all of which have little notes on the label.
Editor’s note: Let me wipe my tears so I can share a link for you.
Sandy Sanchez of Small Pleasures
One of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received is a soap dish in the shape of a mini clawfoot bathtub (in honor of my IRL clawfoot bathtub). My incredibly talented friend Sivim made it for me last year.
The best part is that the little soap says “Sandy” on it. I always keep my bar soap in it and I love that it’s part of my daily life. When my mom visited me over the summer, she noticed it and now she wants a personalized one, too. Handmade ceramics are so special!
Editor’s note: I actually squealed when I first saw this photo. Check out more of Sivim’s work here.
Em Seely-Katz of Esque
My amazing friend of nearly a decade, Marcus Scott Williams, bought me this set of tins when I was in a really sad place — literally, staying with my father’s family in the suburbs.
They arrived with no forewarning — I’d mentioned to MSW that I was thinking about buying them weeks before, but he beat me to it. They’re special collectibles only sold in Japan for a crossover between the candy brand Milky and one of my and MSW’s favorite animes, “One Piece.”
All the main characters are rendered in the cutesy style of Milky’s mascot, Peko-Chan (you’ve seen her around if you ever used Tumblr), and they’re just so unique and special. Useful, too — I store everything from pills to perfume inside them.
Editor’s note: If you’re looking to complete your collector’s set too, I think eBay is your best bet.
juliet mason of julietnotcapulet
Last Christmas, I had just a few super specific things on the list I sent out to friends and family, one of them being two pairs of varsity striped socks from Le Bon Shoppe!
Socks and undies are typically a gift that gets overshadowed on Christmas Day but receiving them nowadays feels much more special than as a child. The pairs I received last year have become cherished members of my wardrobe and I hope to add black striped and pink striped versions to my drawer this year…hint hint…
Editor’s note: I too am a proponent of bougie sock gifts! Take a look at Le Bon Shoppe’s selection here.
Emily Stochl of Pre-Loved
As a sentimental gal, I think the best gifts to receive are personal (to be loved is to be seen!) and when my best friend was learning to cross stitch, they made me this tiny little cross stitch of my cat, Brogan. We were roommates when I adopted Brogan over 10 years ago, and when I see my little wall art every day, I think of them both.
Editor’s note: Those squiggly little whiskers are too much. I need to learn how to make these for all my cat friends asap.
Sheila (of Ephemera)
My favorite gifts from my husband, Logan, (so far, no pressure!) have been my 1970s Brutalist jewelry pieces by Robert Larin, given to me over several years whenever one turned up locally.
He will tell you that I am the Worst Person To Buy For EVER, because I am notoriously picky and have very specific taste when it comes to gifts. Over the past 30ish years, we’ve worked out a system so that I always get something special that he knows I’m going to like. We visit one of the local consignment or jewelry stores and look at their selection, I point out to him what I like, and then turn my back or leave. By the time I open it, it’s a surprise, because I’ve completely forgotten what I looked at (lol)...but I always know it’s something I will wear.
As with all of my jewelry, I carry the love from the giver (Logan), as well as the past history of all of the previous owners, all the way back to the 70s when every piece was made, from the casting to the hand polishing and finishing. One of my nieces will eventually inherit my Brutalist collection, and I hope she will cherish them with the same love that I do, and remember her wacky aunt and uncle.
Editor’s note: If you want to match with Sheila, I’m personally very into this funky chunky pewter bracelet.
Emma Lou Cogan of DIGITAL FRUITS
Let the coffee stains, scratches, and my fervent passion for physical media show you how much I have loved this big ass book over the years. The Fashion of Film by Amber Butchart is a gift from my cool uncle that changed the trajectory of my life. When I was thinking about what gifts over the years hold a special place in my heart, this book came to mind IMMEDIATELY.
It arrived at a time when I was deeply interested in film and fashion but had never thought to combine them. This book changed that — my interest in costume narrative and the psychology of dress exploded. I went on to study fashion history, make fashion-centric films, practice the careful art of costume design, and explore the psychology of style and film on my Substack today.
The runners-up that came to mind were also books, and they had something in common. From this one to a book on Edwardian era fashion (a 2021 Emma Lou hyperfixation) to a vegan cookbook when I couldn’t tolerate dairy (shoutout to Veganomicon, still some of the best recipes ever)... all three were about oddly specific topics that made me feel incredibly seen by the people who gifted them. Topics they only would’ve known I was interested in if they really listened.
Editor’s note: Cool uncle + diva niece is a powerful combo. Find a copy on Thriftbooks here.
Brooke of style toast
The best gift I ever received was my orchid. It came from a long-time friend and client about five years ago. It may seem like a commitment, something you have to care for, but it’s actually the most thoughtful gift of all. It asks for patience, trust, and love.
It’s incredibly rewarding to watch it re-bloom every few months. I’ll admit I feel a little sadness when the first petal falls, but I know the cycle is starting again.
Editor’s note: So this is how I found out you can keep the same orchid for years… The Yeehawt logo is literally an orchid! I’m a fraud! Anyway, I’m drooling over the inventory at Orchid Man in NYC.
Maura Brannigan of Clotheshorse
When I first moved to New York to work in magazines, it was en vogue to elaborately decorate your desk space — these were the pre-COVID, five-days-a-week-in-the-office days. Ahead of my first New York Fashion Week, I pinned one of my now-favorite New Yorker covers to the bulletin board behind my computer: “Stiff Competition” by Ian Falconer. It traveled with me to every workplace but got lost in a move sometime around when I went freelance.
I had mentioned this to my parents, and one Christmas, they tracked down the original cover and had it framed for me. It reminds me of those early days — being young and starting my career in New York — and I’m so grateful to have this physical token from that era as I’ve grown.
Editor’s note: I’ve gifted a couple special New Yorker editions over the years and they’re always so cherished! Track down a specific edition or cover you love on eBay.
Kendall Flavin of The Dressing Room
A few years ago, in passing, I complemented my grandma’s ring. (Hi Nonnie!) She had gotten a custom tanzanite halo ring made for herself, and I promise I had no ulterior motive in my compliment. I just wanted her to know I appreciate her taste.
Then, a year or so later, when all of us grandchildren met her for dinner, she told us she had gifts for us. Gone was the Kohl’s cash from our childhood. Instead, she took out four ring boxes. She placed them on the table, moved them around (imagine the cup game, where you have to pick which cup is hiding the prize), and said pick one. So we each opened our boxes, and we truly, no exaggeration, gasped in unison.
She had, based off my passing comment, gotten custom tanzanite rings made for each of her granddaughters (sorry, Alec). They each had the same center stone, but the diamond side stones on the band varied for each ring. We passed them around, tried each one on, and each picked our favorites. In a shocking twist (if you have sisters, you get it), we all liked a different ring. My younger sister even ended up with the original halo ring. And I’ve worn it at least once a week since.
I don’t own a lot of fine jewelry, so it meant even more that one of my first pieces was something made with love, and something that will connect me and my sisters forever.
Editor’s note: The fact that there was no fighting over the rings is a miracle — grandma knows her girls!
That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed flicking through the tattered pages of this heirloom scrapbook. What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?
ICYMI — Yeehawt is on sale. Snag a subscription at a discount before the price goes up in the new year (and get grandfathered in at that price forever). This is the first time Yeehawt has gone on sale, and this one’s valid through Christmas.
Get in touch with me at mackinley@yeehawt.com if you’d like to work together, browse my shelves here, or find me doing other things on IG.
the way every Fashion Person TM i subscribe to and admire is featured here!!
"see you soon baby" *crashes out in Single*
That KELLY 🙌🏻🌟🤸