Holiday season is a beautiful, joyful, but undeniably stressful season. The pressure to find the perfect gift weighs heavily from the second you clear your Thanksgiving plate. When you do find that perfect gift, the joy on your loved one’s face is worth all of the hard work, and the title of Best Gift Giver is yours to keep! You want to find a gift that lets your loved one know you really get them. Everyone’s different though! So we’ve broken the art of gifting down by a variety of types, hopefully earning you the Santa Claus crown.
Your Mom Who Says All She Wants For The Holidays Is Your Happiness
You love her, but the lack of direction makes for the worst kind of gifting anxiety. You also have siblings to compete with! Moms tend to love the most personalized items so a monogrammed item (I’d go with The Classic tee — moms love The Classic) is home run. A custom framed photo of just you and her is also great because it reminds her who her favorite child is. A flower delivery subscription is a winner, too, and one I would actually like to receive myself. Moms (and I) love fresh flowers! Moms also love their kids to come home for dinner, so this incredibly chic dinner set — and maybe a promise (or even written certificate) to come by more often — will win her heart.
The Dad Who Has a Very Particular Dressing Style
Hello all dads out there! You are incredibly hard to shop for. Some dads have a niche interest or hobby, but we are going to stay neutral here to cast a wider dad net. Dads love a capsule wardrobe, so a variety of fun but versatile, machine washable tees is a sure win (my dad’s personal favorite is The Rufus, and you can get 2 or more solid colors for 20% off!). Dads also love their leather goods and this chic wallet has an ID spot for easy Vaccination Card access or you could print and insert a photo of you two so it’s the first thing he sees when he opens it. He might cry. Dads also adore comfy socks with fun prints they can show off and laugh at, and slippers with backs. I’m not sure what it is, but dads really like comfy footwear. A couple other personalized ideas: a gift card to a cute restaurant for you to go with him. And a massage! Dads need massages but never get them for themselves!
Your Significant Other Who Doesn’t Tell You What They Want, but is Very Opinionated
These seem to keep getting harder, but this is definitely the hardest one of all, especially if you live with them! I’m going to throw out a few ideas for different types of S.O.’s. First up: a sweat set (with a pair of socks too, of course). They will wind up wearing this sweat set so often you will have to ask them to stop. I am not just saying this because it’s KULE, but it’s the softest thing ever, made from100% organic cotton (note: both my partner and myself wear true to size). If they’re not a sweatsuit kind of person, do a cashmere sweater, specifically The Sinclair or Billy cardigans for women or The Chase for men. Next: a new watch. This is an item you can tailor to your budget, but I would go with either an Apple Watch or, you can find an assortment of designer watches on The RealReal for both men and women. If your partner likes movies, get them a Criterion Channel membership. An annual subscription costs $99.99 USD a year and there are a ton of classic movies to watch wrapped in blankets together all winter. It’s one of those sneaky gifts that will benefit you too 😉.
The Most Adoring Companion (Woof!)
I am one of those dog parents who has their pet as their phone background and shows it to anyone who will look at it. Get your pup the absolute cutest and most Instagrammable Dog Moritz balaclava hat and vest. We have human ones, too, so you can match. Onto snacks, because that’s all they really care about. I was recently introduced to Little L’s Pet Bakery, which happens to have the most delicious (or so my dog seems to think) treats, which are homemade with local ingredients without any preservatives, additives or by-products. I highly recommend the Woofulls or Brittle, both of which are so good they trick my dog into having her medications. For sleeping, another favorite pooch pastime, get them a new custom memory foam dog bed. You can design it to match your human sofa, with or without legs (but with legs is incredibly adorable). Lastly, a dog robe. My short-haired dog keeps wet for hours after a bath which is hard in the winter. With a robe though, she won’t have shivers after bath time.
I could keep going with dog gifts for hours…
For Your Best Friend Who, TBH You Want to Impress
When you give a great gift to your best friend, you know it immediately. They will also bring it up to your close circle and talk about it for years, so the pressure is always on. You want the gift to be generous but not too over-the-top, so here are some ideas: The Pajama Set (comes in various colors in both short and long) which Amanda Dobbins from the Ringer Dish Podcast referenced as a great gift in their gift guide episode. It’s truly the softest and coziest PJ set. I would pair it with these gorgeous wine glasses (PJs and wine go so well together), but that’s just me. I also love this bubble initial necklace I recently received. It’s a very personal, everyday piece. Without fail, a friend’s massage is an incredible gift. You could make a day of it with brunch before and cocktails after. If you’re in NYC, Great Jones Spa and Chillhouse are both great options in cool neighborhoods.
Those Kids that Live Rent-Free in Your Home, or the Ones You Love from Afar
This is an incredibly difficult category not talked about enough. You need to please the kids and the parents! Nikki actually launched KULE with a luxe childrenswear line, so she knows what she’s doing with kid’s clothes. When it comes to kulest kids, I would go for a little gift bundle. In an O Baby, O Boy, or O Girl tote, package 2 tees (Charley or Riley for kids, Onesie for babies), a Mini Moritz balaclava, and a adorable tiny cozy sweatshirt. You’ll smile every time you see them wearing it. If your gifting a kid who’s old enough, they will love these sets of blingy, fun dress up jewelry and accessories from Super Smalls. I truly wish I had these as a child, and am honestly tempted to get a set for myself. And I don’t know what it is about tiny robes, but this little robe from Weezie is too cute, and you can have it personalized.
For more of the kulest gifting ideas, check out The Gift Guide!