Habitually Chic Holiday Gift Guide No.1

Gift giving is my love language.

One for them. Two for you.

Yes, I am posting my first holiday gift guide for 2024 when it’s unseasonably warm and before Halloween has even arrived but the early bird gets the worm as they say. I slacked off on gift guides on my OG Habitually Chic blog last year because of my two-week trip to Paris so I wanted to get a head start this year. There are also some great sales that you can take advantage of to buy gifts for yourself and everyone on your list. Some gift items notoriously sell out early every year so you will have the jump on everyone else.

I like to curate my gift guides with a mix of items for everyone instead of assigning posts to certain ages or gender groups. I’m not particularly girly so I often love items designated for men and men might not look at gift guides for women although it might contain something they might like.

Gift giving is my love language and I think it’s important to thoughtfully consider what the recipient would like to receive not just what you would like to give them. Check out their Instagram posts and stories. What are they posting? Is there something they’ve mentioned needing or wanting or wish they could afford? If you really look, I bet you will figure out the perfect present. I also think it’s nice to give something long lasting with an ephemeral gift like food or a gift card so they will remember you long after the other one is gone.

I’ve tried to choose gifts in all price points but gift guides are a fun time to dream so yes, there are luxurious gifts included as well. Hopefully, there is something for everyone on your list.

These ornaments are my favorite thing and every year I can’t wait to see which people they’ve added to the motley assorted cast of characters. The Taylor Swift doesn’t exactly look like Taylor but I think it would be funny to give her with ketchup and seemingly Ranch. Timothee Chalamet and Fran Lebowitz are fun new ornaments but George Michael resembles Billy Ray Cyrus which is what makes them so funny. Art lovers will appreciate the new Lady with an Ermine and Lover's Eye. These sell out early every year so order and pre-order them now. I also just realized there is a full set of the Golden Girls. You give them as a gift them alone or as part of a larger theme present. You can find even more fun ornaments here.

Speaking of lover’s eyes, this Portrait of Françoise Gilot by Irene Owens is framed in a bespoke display case created exclusively for Art/artefact by Parvum Opus and is extremely chic. There are five other artist eyes from which to choose as well.

I don’t really need anything for the holidays this year but this Celine Triomphe Fair Isle wool hat is one thing I will be buying with my Christmas check.

If you don’t follow Atelier Vime on Instagram, you are seriously missing out. They not only make the chicest wicker pieces but have the most beautiful homes. Now you can see everything bound in their new book, The World of Atelier Vime: A Renaissance of Wicker and Style that will be published on 29 October 2024. The French version Atelier Vime: Histoire, lieux et formes has already been published if you need a gift for your Francophile friend.

The Diptyque Holiday Collection just launched last week and their candles are always a hit. If you have deep pockets, there’s an Advent Calendar but the individual candles also make great gifts. This year’s limited edition scents include Sapin (pine tree), Friandise (sweet treat), and Étoile (star). Keep extra on hand for last minute gifts.

Don’t forget about your four-legged friends during the holidays. These knit dog sweaters come in 38 different styles and five different styles so there is something for every fur baby.

This Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick Petit Trio would make a great gift for any woman in your life. You could also break up the set for stocking stuffers.

You guys are quick! The Baby Cheeks Trio is already sold out but the Lip Suede Matte Lipstick Trio is still in stock.

Make sure he looks nice when he comes home for the holidays to meet your parents with this wool Fair Isle crewneck sweater.

Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Ovens come in 27 colors so there is a color for every kitchen. Give one alone or with all the ingredients for a special meal.

Gift everyone a copy of Be Ready When the Luck Happens from Ina Garten and then start a book club. Everyone can cook dishes from her books to bring to your meetings. For fun, you

You’ll buy these Jacques Marie Mage Aviator-Style Tortoiseshell Sunglasses for the man in your life but I am here to tell you that you will definitely want to steal them.

If there is someone on your gift list who dreams of owning something from Hermès, they will really appreciate any of these beauty items that also come in orange boxes.

Options include Ombres d'Hermès Eyeshadow Quartet which comes in seven different color options and Rouge Hermès Satin Lipstick available in eight colors, Rose Hermes Blush, and Les Mains Hermès Nail Enamel which comes on 20+ colors. I’m partial to Rose Porcelain and Rouge H.

Three years ago, I bought all my friends Hermès Les Mains Hermes Complete Hand Care and Les Mains Hermes Nail Files for all my friends. They were a hit.

The Hermès Barénia Eau de Parfum just launched this fall.

Your photography buff friend will appreciate Jonathan Becker: Lost Time. A protégé of legendary Parisian photographer Brassaï and a longtime contributor to Vanity Fair, Becker’s work provides a link between fine-art photography and the notion of the photographer as social observer.

Your pampered pooch deserves this Gucci Small Canvas Pet Carrier for their holiday travels.

Your British friend who’s missing home at the holidays will appreciate any of the anything from Fortnum & Mason but I especially love the Fortnum & Mason Superb Hamper.

Your royalist relatives will love Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III by Tom Parker Bowles who happens to be Camilla’s son. It was just published this week.

I don’t know anyone who would snub their nose at an agenda or notebook from Smythson for the holidays. My personal preference is the 2025 Soho Weekly Agenda in forest green.

Most Fair Isle sweaters are scratchy wool so gift yourself or another person on your list this chic Cashmere Diamond Fair Isle Sweater for the holidays.

If Stanley cups give you the ick, gift your significant other this Get Out Insulated Canteen with a vintage vibe. Tell them it’s the hottest new accessory du jour and will keep their beverages cold up to 24 hours and warm up to 12 hours.

The brand has a lot of very chic camping gear and accessories too.

I saw a women walking down Madison Avenue last week carrying this Celine Small Heloïse Bag as a crossbody and it looked very chic. My Instagram followers loved it if your mom is in desperate need of a new bag.

Chic Tip: In many cultures, it's considered bad luck to give an empty wallet or purse. Adding money, even a small amount, is thought to bring the recipient good fortune and prosperity.

My friend Ana Mari Ortega is the sweetest person I know and she also creates beautiful and affordable jewelry. These Pearl on Hook Earrings for $128 are always a hit at the holidays. They also come in silver. The gold sold out the last time I posted them so don’t snooze on them again.

Your architecturally obsessed friend will appreciate Rosario Candela & The New York Apartment: 1927-1937, especially of they live in New York. “Known and celebrated for many of the apartment buildings on Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and in Sutton Place—82 in NYC, including the storied 740 Park, sometimes called the richest and most powerful address in New York and whose famous residents included John D. Rockefeller Jr.—Candela’s work is at once timeless and profoundly of its time.”

If you need a gift for the person who has everything, I recommend checking out my friend Alan Bedwell’s treasures on his website Foundwell. Alan learned the trade from his mother who was a well known vintage jewelry dealer in London and he’s who I bought my Cartier Tank Louis Ultra Thin with a Paris dial from this summer. He has a similar Cartier Tank Louis Ultra Thin without the Paris dial if you need a present for yousefl. He also has chic cufflinks, an Hermès Dressing Table Set, a Dunhill 'Bando' Teeth Smoking Set for the chic dentist in your life, a Jaeger LeCoultre Leather Clock, a Rolex Tiffany & Co. Two-Tone Oyster Perpetual Datejust Watch, and much, much more.

Gift the guy who uses a wallet held together with tape this chic Leather Cardholder with a gift card tucked inside so he upgrade his wardrobe too.

When you have run out of ideas on what to gift the teen who has everything, how about a Celine Triomphe Scrunchy?

Architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath and his partner Charlie McCormick have just moved from their idyllic old parsonage in Dorset, England to a new home on the island of Rousay in Northern Scotland. While we can follow along on this new adventure on Instagram, Ben’s other design projects can be found in his new book An English Vision: Traditional Architecture and Decoration for Today. It will make the perfect gift for lovers of color filled traditional British interiors

Your minimalist friend will love Moro Dabron’s chic candles with vessels based on antique stem cups. The brand generously gifted me Cecile which smells fresh and lovely but I love the sound of A Furnished Room that “evokes the scent of a candlelit room, filled with beeswax-polished furniture, creaking elm floorboards, foraged greenery and stacks of wood by a flickering fireplace. Smoky notes of incense and warm, woody notes of juniper, fir, vetiver and cedarwood are gently sweetened with honey”.

Your jet setting pal will love this Versace Travel Set no matter where they are sitting on the plane.

You’ve read about Dr. Diamond's Metacine Skin Care everywhere but I can tell you from first-hand experience that it lives up to the hype. I purchased one set for myself and was gifted another set but then bought a third bottle of the serum because I love it that much. I honestly don’t know what it does but I’ve never had so many compliments on my skin since I’ve started using it. You can buy the Plasma Growth Factor Serum and Night Cream Emulsion alone or as a set. There is also a small Discovery Set that would make a great stocking stuffer.

How about tucking tickets to Italy inside this Ceramic Tomato Box or if that’s too much, at least gift it with a box of very fancy salt.

Socks became a big inside joke between me and my Instagram followers last year when I posted in Paris that you will never see a Parisian with bare ankles in the winter. They hate to be cold and always dress for the weather. If you see bare ankles, the person is most likely a tourist.

If you need socks to travel with or just keep your tootsie’s toasty in a drafty house, try these Cashmere Socks that also make a great gift.

For men, try these Patterned Socks that come in 18 different patterns.

Your hairdresser doesn’t need any more bottles of wine. Instead, gift them something from the Loewe Home Scents Collection like this Medium Incense Scented Candle.

If any of your family members are traveling this fall and winter, gift them with a chic crossbody bag like this Vintage Blue Claude Bag, Canvas and Leather Bag, or Braided Blue Leather and Suede Bag. Tuck a few Euros inside for fun.

How about this chic Hermès Heure H Double Tour Mini Stainless Steel and Leather Watch for your daughter who’s always late?

Your foreign friend who loves New York will appreciate anything from the Kule NY, I Love You Collection.

One of the chicest gifts you could give the bibliophile in your life is the Heywood Hill A Year in Books. It is the most personalized book subscription service in the world, and makes the perfect gift for bookworms everywhere. Their dedicated team reads over 500 books a year and are experts at helping readers find the books that are just right for them. There are different options and even one for kids.

If you need something for the little people on your list, head to Maisonette who have everything you need. I especially love the brand Little English who make the cutest sweaters and other kid’s clothing for boys, girls and babies.

This is the first of many gift guides but so I’ll have a lot more gift suggestions coming each week. I might rotate them between Substack and my OG Habitually Chic blog but I haven’t made a definitive plan yet.

Happy Shopping!

XOXO,

HC

P.S. One thing you can do to support Substack writers, especially as free subscribers, is to like and comment on posts and notes. Thank you again for all your support and encouragement in this new endeavor. I’m also still trying to post on my original Habitually Chic website to keep everyone happy.