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‘Tis the season to give gifts to your friends and loved ones. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, it’s time to make your gift-giving lists (and check them twice). But don’t worry—you don’t need to break the bank to spread holiday cheer. Who What Wear’s shopping director Bobby Schuessler has a tip on gift-giving: “My main criteria is always to give something that somebody wouldn’t buy themselves.”
For the latest episode of the Who What Wear Podcast, Kat Collings sits down with Schuessler, Hillary Kerr, and Lauren Eggertsen to share their favorite gifts across a wide range of categories. From the gift for that fashion-forward friend in your life to the best gifts under $100, Who What Wear’s experts have everyone in your life covered. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
We’re speaking with fashion and beauty lovers and people who are really tapped into the market and the trends. Let’s say this describes your best friend and you’re willing to drop a little bit of money because she’s your bestie. What are you buying for them? We’re talking maybe like $100-ish plus.
Hilary Kerr: My go-to is always figuring out something that’s a luxury accessory from a brand that they’re already obsessed with. I feel lucky because I was indoctrinated into this line of thinking and strategic gift-giving by my best friend who gave me a skull Prada key chain in like 2006. I was obsessed with skulls, because that was the era, and it was so fun and luxurious. I thought about her every time I used my keys—which was all the time—and it just felt so charming and something I would never have bought for myself. I say go to whatever brand your bestie is obsessed with and then find the fun, quirky, interesting, lovely accessory that fits in your price point and buy that for them.
Bobby Schuessler: My main criteria is always to give something that somebody wouldn’t buy [for] themselves. Thinking specifically to my best friend. She’s all about Coach bags right now, which we all are also. There are so many amazing styles, like the Empire. The Brooklyn style I think is what I would suggest for my friend in particular. It’s a celeb favorite, it’s a fashion person favorite, it’s a Hillary Kerr favorite.
COACH
Brooklyn Shoulder Bag 39
Lauren Eggertsen: Something that I’ve really been loving are really sculptural, interesting chrome hair accessories. There’s one from Lelet New York and it’s a little hair tie. You can just put it on a ponytail, which is very accessible style if your hair is not in a little bob. It just is so beautiful and it can kind of transform any outfit so easily—like a sweater [or] a T-shirt. You can also wear it to a cocktail party.
LELET NY
Petite Glossy Arch Pony
I want to hear your guys’ recs in the under $100 category.
HK: I wouldn’t categorize it as a thrifty thrill, but I can say that it is officially under $100, which is a Hèrmes or Celine beauty product. Personally, my favorite thing is to do an Hèrmes nail polish. As someone who owns two of them, I can say without a doubt that they are some of the highest quality, longest-lasting nail polish I’ve ever used in my entire life. The colors are impeccable. The bottle is beautiful. It’s very hard to justify buying a very expensive nail polish for yourself, but it is a great gift.
Hermès
Nail Polish in Rouge H
BS: Leaning into what people love, I’m just gonna say bag charms. I’m obsessed with this trend. Parker Thatch is one of my favorites. They have cute bubble charms that are under $100. I have a Daisy Duck one that’s from Bauble Bar that I get compliments on all the time.
Parker Thatch
Navy Big Puffy Heart Chain Bag Charm
LE: My affordable gift I love giving, which might sound lame at first, but I love luxury socks. They’re almost always under $100. One of my favorite brands is Comme Si and they’re around $35–40, depending on the kind of material you get. I love this brand, specifically, because they have the best quality. They come in Egyptian cotton, cashmere wool… They come in crazy colors, like the kind of colors that can fully transform an outfit.
Comme Si
The Agnelli Sock
Onto the next category for the homebody. What would the person like this enjoy being gifted?
HK: My mom is a cancer, so I have grown up with a homebody. One thing that I did was upgrade everything in my parents’ bathroom and shower one year. I got them this beautiful little wicker basket and then I took all of their drugstore faves and gave them a little zhuzh. It was upgraded shampoo and conditioner from Ouai and from my favorite Rōz. It was better-for-you bodywash from Necessaire; Shani Darden face care; Dr Idriss skincare products; and some towels from Matouk, which is one of my favorite brands.
Ouai Haircare
Medium Hair Shampoo
Rōz Hair
Foundation Shampoo
Necessaire
The Body Wash Multi-Oil Eucalyptus
Shani Darden Skin Care
Signature Nourishing Facial Mask
Pillowtalkderm
Major Fade Solution System
BS: I feel like slippers are certainly generic (which I’m aware of), but I just feel like a hotel slipper feels very chic for a homebody. Leset obviously has amazing stuff for a splurge option, but I think a chic hotel slipper is fun.
LE: Bobby [Schuessler], I kind of piggybacked off of yours, because I’m a huge rot girl and such a homebody and I love a robe. All different kinds, like a really warm, cozy one or a really thin cotton one for the summer with a good print on it. I think they’re so fun to gift because it’s this little at-home luxury.
My dream robe if money were absolutely no object, which it unfortunately is, would be the ones from Bernadette. They have crazy, beautiful silk ones. Some of them are even embellished with beading and sequins. On the more realistic pay scale, this brand Dusen Dusen has these really fun they’re all striped block colors. They’re just so statement-y, and there’s no way you can’t feel good putting that on at home.
Dusen Dusen
Garden Stripe Bathrobe
Bernadette Antwerp
Peignoir Cosmos
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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