An Enthusiastic Holiday Gift Guide (Part 2): For the Sartorialist

Why, hello again, dear holiday shopper (or holiday dreader...or, perhaps, holiday "too many people to buy for, please help me! I've run out of ideas" - er.) It's time for part 2 of my holiday gift guide! Today's focus? THE SARTORIALIST !

Indeed, we definitely all have that painfully fashionable friend (or ten.) The one you're always dragging to the mall when you have a wedding coming up. The one you call when you've forgotten the term for "those old timey things that men used to hold up their socks with" when you're in a heated battle of Trivial Pursuit. (They're called garters, by the way.)

It's the same person who can buy a vintage grandma quilt at a flea market and turn it into a avant-garde poncho with the use of a belt and a pin. In short, naturally fashionable molecules ooze out of every one of their pores.

SO, what to get this person? What can you get that they don't already have? Or that they haven't discovered already in a remote vintage shop in Helsinki on a cold winter weekday evening? The key here is to not try to mimic your friend, but to go with timeless pieces.

Find links to these items below!

Under $25

Mason Pearson Styling Comb - for Him (Get it here.)

I had to split this section up by his & hers because I'm not sure how interested a woman would be in this item, since most need more than just a comb to style their hair (though this would be awesome for a chic woman with cropped locks!)

I'm digressing. Mason Pearson brushes & combs are tops in the quality department with a rich history. (You can read more about my discovery of them here.) Not only will your fashionable male friends & family members appreciate such a useful gift, but they'll also love that it comes from such a classic brand. You just can't go wrong with the classics...ever.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (in Dragon Girl) - for Her (Get it here.)

Speaking of classics, here's something that's just as important as the perfect shoe or a timeless bag: The Perfect Red Lip. Don't believe it when people say "red lips are trending" because, ya know what? Red lips have made it into the Classics category. When an item gets there, it doesn't matter if it's on the runways at the time or not, it's always in.

So, I chose Nars' Dragon Girl because I love the color and am pretty sure most anyone can wear it. (You can read more about my enthusiasm about this particular product here.)

Your fashionable girlfriend will figure out 1 million ways to use this lipstick to complement an array of outfits and come next season, she can still wear it because it'll never go out of style! And even if she already had a few favorite red lipsticks in her make-up bag, another gorgeous shade of red will not go unused.

$25 - $50

Diana Vreeland Memos: The Vogue Years (Rizzoli) (Get it here.)

How much do I love Diana Vreeland? Let me count the ways. She is not only one of the most inspirational females of all time, but likely an alien from Planet Gorgeous. She took the definition of "beautiful" and turned it on its head, focusing on the uniqueness of women and showcasing what makes them special.

Not to mention she had the most amazing outlook on life. If you're looking for a good read, check out D.V. - her autobiography. (I rant & rave about it here.) Her life was full of what she called "faction"...a healthy mix of fact & fiction. It's what made her special.

Now, Rizzoli has released a book of her various notes while she was working at Vogue and this is one of those books you can really sink your teeth into. If you fashionable friend is truly a lover of the art of fashion and the world around it, this book is where it's at.

If they don't know who Diana Vreeland is, you're allowed to second guess their fashion credibility.

$50 - $100

A Wool Wide-Brim Hat (Get it here.)

Ok, so people are usually hung up on shoes & bags. Well, I gotta tell ya, I'm a lover of sunglasses and hats too...which is where this gift comes in.

To be fair, there are lots of hats in lots of price ranges, but there seems to be a good selection in the $50 to $100 range. It's the kind of price range that will give you sufficient quality without the fear of jamming it into a suitcase. No one wants to treat their headwear like the baby Jesus. It's a's made to be worn, to blow off when it's super windy, and get buried in piles of clothing.

A classic wide-brim hat harkens back to the days of fashionable yore. I can't think of an "It" girl that didn't have a period of wearing a wide-brim hat. Anyone from Jean Seberg to Jane Birkin and Bianca Jagger to the more modern-day Alexa Chung.

Guaranteed to be a staple in any sartorialist's closet, much like the red lip, they'll find a gazillion ways to wear it. The perfect accessory to magically add cheekiness to a suit or dress up a sweatshirt. Trust me, it's perfect.

Over $100

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 12 MP Digital Camera (Get it here.)

Alright. This is where the big guns come in. To be honest, this one's way over $100. (It's actually around $300 - sorry, but it was too good to pass up!)

If there's one thing people love to reference, it's photographs. And people are going gaga over street style photography, am I right? So, why not inspire your friend to keep track of all the gorgeous things he or she sees on the street? Perhaps start their own street style blog or, at the very least, collect images of their favorite visual inspirations from the real world.

This digital piece of technological mastery is the best low-end (yes, the high-end cameras are in the thousands, so this is technically "low-end") camera for street style shooting.

It has a fast shutter speed for it's price (good for on-the-run photos), can produce images that can make beautiful 8 x 10 prints, wide-angle zoom, and even let's your go the way of shallow depth of field. Sorry if I'm speaking camera lingo that doesn't compute - what I'm saying is it's the best you can get for the price and a good starter camera for someone who is seriously thinking about stalking fashionable prey in the urban jungles of the world.

So, hurray for the sartorialists of the world!

Looks like your fashionable friends & family members will have something to look forward to from you this holiday season! Just be prepared. People will, undoubtedly, expect awesome gifts from you from this moment on. Congrats on being a great gift-giver.

Stay tuned for An Enthusiastic Holiday Gift Guide (Part 3): For the Literati tomorrow! xo!


  1. You just made me realize I'll be needing a mason pearson styling comb! :)

    1. Woohoo! Perfect for your newly cropped locks!
      Can't wait to hear about both (the hair AND the comb.) <3