Gifting for a particular person is difficult. I often stress myself out into thinking I’ll never be able to find the perfect thing to give, and that nothing is good enough or clever enough. Life is stressful enough right now (🙂), so here’s a guide to taking the edge. I present perfect gifts for everyone in your life.
Your boss
Personalized stationary ($33 / pack of 10)
Being the owner of personalized stationary screams I’m a professional adult person. It’s very chic, as is writing thank you cards or sending people notes on them. Hence, making them the perfect thing to give the professional person in your life.
Parents
Embroidered cocktail napkins ($28 for 1)
These are for any parents—not just yours. Perfect to give a family friend, significant other’s parents, people you know who just became parents or who just got married and aren’t parents at all, just the head of a household! Similarly to personalized stationary, embroidered cocktail napkins scream a sense of togetherness and sophistication that every home deserves. You can embroider them with their last name, a little doodle of their pet, some sort of inside joke—these napkins are your oyster.
A boyfriend
Buying a gift for a boyfriend is weirdly similar to buying a gift for like, a father. Father’s Day gifts and boyfriend gifts live in a venn diagram in my head. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I feel as though I have good authority on a monogrammed wallet being a great gift. The underlying theme of this gift guide is getting personal, because when you take the step of giving something to someone that has their name, initials, or something that relates to them on it, the gift becomes much more intimate. A wallet is great because it can hold the money they need to take you out on a date!
A girlfriend
Botanical Brothers flower subscription ($45 / delivery)
If you’re unfamiliar with the Botanical Brothers, they’re these attractive guys who ride around NYC on a bicycle with flowers in the basket, and approach you to see if you’d be interested in signing up for their weekly flower bouquet subscription service. A genius business plan—cute boys asking if you want flowers. You can pick which weeks to accept and skip, and their flowers are sourced from a farm upstate. My roommate got them one time and they were absolutely gorgeous, and an easy way for you to give the special gal in your life the joy of a flower delivery over and over again, at her discretion.
Your best friend
SKIMS won the holiday ad campaign game in my mind (with a special mention to GAP) by casting my queens of the internet—the Carlson sisters. They also have amazingly soft pajamas in adorable holiday prints. Pajamas fall under the category of things you don’t necessarily want to spend money on yourself, therefore making them a great gift for your best friend. Show them that you care so much about them, you want their sleep to be as epic as they are.
Your gay friend
This category was requested by one of my gay friends who claims people don’t know how to shop for gays. I was urged to make this silly by saying poppers or some sort of Charli XCX merch, but I’m taking gifts seriously, guys. My gay friends love accessories. Sunglasses also make a great gift because you can never have too many. Give your gays the gift of a beautiful pair of shades.
Someone who really helped you out this year
A print of something meaningful to them ($27+)
This category is ambiguous. It could be your neighbor who always watches your cat while you’re out of town, or someone who lended a shoulder to lean on when you needed it the most. A print makes a great gift because it helps someone enhance their space, and it’ll also remind them of you each time they longingly look at it.
A roommate
Your roommate, much like a best friend, deserves luxurious sleep. Especially if you live in New York, you can easily disrupt their sleep without intending to. Flex walls, early mornings, late nights, you get the gist. Help your roommate get their beauty sleep with a fancy eye mask.
A sibling
Uber gift cards are like gold bars to me. They’re tremendously valuable. I would love an Uber gift card for every birthday and Christmas for the rest of my life. Help your brother or sister out and give them the best gift you could possibly give, for as little as $20. They’re also epic because you can use them on Uber Eats, which is the most meaningful thing someone could ever give me.
Your situationship
Coal.
If there’s anyone I missed, please let me know and I’d be happy to help you out on the side. Next week is going to be a bit more fun, with gifts I would give if I were rich, heavily influenced by Goop’s Ridiculously Awesome Gift Guide.