In Good Taste: The Official Fancy That Gift Guide
From hostess and high-flyer to holiday-season homebody — here's how to surprise and delight everyone on your "fancy" list.
Of my 500-plus newspaper column deadlines, crafting an annual Christmas gift guide was the one I looked forward to most.
Gift guides are a bit like horoscopes: everyone claims to read them for fun, but deep down, they're all hoping for a revelation.
The secret to a great gift? It’s not necessarily about being grand, spendy, or trendy. At the intersection of merry and meaningful, the biggest thrill comes from finding a gift that makes the person on the receiving end feel seen.
So, before you get your tinsel in a tangle searching for the perfect “oh-you-shouldn’t-have-but-I’m-so-glad-you-did” gift, here is the fanciest guide you’ll find to help you toast family, friends or even yourself in style.
For the Fancy Entertainer
Oh, you know her. She's the first to deck her halls and kick off a group text, ensuring everyone gets together amid the chaos of the season. Her home is always open and filled with festive cheer and feel-good food. She is a true entertainer who gathers people almost as effortlessly as cocktail ingredients. But what to get her?
Well, for starters, Fancy Entertainers are always house-proud. Even when there's little chance of a gathering, she will have flowers in a vase, cherries in a bowl and a candle burning. She loves the finer details so decorative items, like a Love Ally candle holder (the ultimate Christmas bow) and the La Casa clam serving dish double as year-round décor she will adore. Never one to settle just for holiday spirit when she can have a holiday scent, I buy the Ecoya Fresh Pine Goldie Candle every year for myself, and it makes our entire home smell like fresh pine needles— without having to vacuum them up.
Now, brace yourself for a breezy stereotype here, but the fancy hostess is usually also a fancy socialite. She always RSVPs "yes" to mingling and jingling and for that, she will need a frock. A little black dress may be a classic, but a sophisticated brown gown is for a host who isn't planning on spending the night cinched in an apron. Chances are she has also figured out that the key to floating between hors d'oeuvres and hearty laughs is without a heel, so these woven flats from La Tribe will see her through many a night.
For a butterfly with as many small bags as champagne flutes, another is always a good idea. Local label Tendresse Studio is redefining the mini bag this season with their signature satin pouches —sleek and refined without the cliché Christmas sparkle.
Now, every entertainer worth her weight in olives knows her coffee table reads are just as important as her wine list. If the Fancy Entertainer in your circle is also a fancy foodie, then a fresh cookbook for her earmark, scribble notes, and spill sauce on is ideal. And don't forget to inscribe it with my favourite yuletide saying, "Christmas is for counting blessings, not calories."
Alternatively, a copy of Galah magazine is a collector's item. Equal parts art, culture, and conversation starter, it's perfect for the kind of host who is also a brilliant storyteller.
Finally, because you tend to talk a little more closely at dinner parties, why not give your favourite host the gift of a signature scent – something that says, 'I'm here, I smell fabulous, and yes, that was homemade truffle oil in the pasta.' A fragrance as unforgettable as their soirées.
The splurge: Bollinger. Good enough for Queen Elizabeth II, good enough for her.
The stocking filler: This friend loves a garnish, trimming her cocktails as elegantly as her Christmas tree. Thrift a bowl from your local Op Shop and fill it with limes, oranges, or lemons for a modern take on the festive fruit basket, minus the crunchy cellophane.
For the Fancy Jetsetter
Ah, the jet setter. She's got packing down to a fine art and collects passport stamps like postcards. So, what do you get the friend who's seen every terminal and tried every travel-size toiletry hack? A gift as thoughtfully chosen as her seat assignment, of course.
A huge trend this year is "tonal gifting"- and as well as being aesthetically pleasing, I like that it also sends a subtle message of, "I chose this present in a moment of thoughtfulness, not a panic-stricken rush." As an absolute people pleaser, I decided to take tonal gifting up a notch here by matching a beach towel with a beach read. There might not be a more oddly indulgent, completely excessive, and somehow absolutely essential gift for the beachgoer in your life. Toss her a copy of Long Island Compromise and this bold towel for a sandy escape, even if her 'holiday' is just a Sunday at Bondi.
For the ultimate summer sidekick, a woven tote is the bag that can take her from beach to brunch and also moonlight as her extra roomy carry-on. And if her luggage is lost somewhere over the Atlantic, at least she'll have the essentials right by her side.
When it comes to long-haul flights and layovers, this globetrotter knows comfort is a non-negotiable, and Cotton On's Haven linen pants let her lounge but also look polished at the arrivals gate. Throw in a Viktoria & Woods cap to cover up post-flight frizz and channel her inner incognito celebrity-at-the-airport.
An outfit for traversing the skies also needs layers that will flex across continents and climates. Lightweight and effortlessly sophisticated, a cropped trench is the one thing she'll reach for, whether she's dodging rain in Paris or pretending it's cold in Port Douglas.
And because no one should be subjected to mid-flight small talk while they are trying to watch Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at 35,000 feet, treat her to a sleek leather case for her noise-cancelling companions.
Finally, for the journeying minimalist, these dainty pendants from PL Collective mean she can carry her favourite place close to her heart. It's the ultimate wanderlust keepsake, minus the jet lag.
Splurge: Help her dash from the departures gate to cobblestone streets with ease and style, courtesy of Adidas Originals SL 72 OG sneakers.
Stocking filler: For the friend who knows sun-protected skin is the best souvenir, Ultra Violette is her holy grail. Lightweight, glowy, and as reliable as the friend you trust with the map – it's here for the sun-soaked moments, minus the damage.
For the Fancy Dreamers
I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t deserve a sleep in, so if you are unsure what category your cousin, colleague or brother’s new girlfriend falls into, play it safe: give the gift of relaxation.
After all, shopping for someone who considers the snooze button a lifestyle choice is basically a gift to yourself— a guilt-free ticket to slip out of the Christmas chaos and indulge in the art of nesting, resting, and unapologetic unwinding.
First on the list? Sussan sleepwear. Like wearing the colourful paper crown out of your bonbon, Sussan PJs are practically woven into the tradition of a Christmas Day wardrobe. Make her morning merry and bright with luxe fabrics, nostalgic prints and the kind of comfort that justifies staying under the covers a little longer, in her case, maybe until New Year.
Of course, hydration is key to this cocooned lifestyle, and what’s a self-respecting self-carer without her water station? A glass carafe is a bedside staple. Style it with a satin eye mask and a sleep journal for jotting down dreams.
Given she measures time by her cups of tea, you could also bring extra charm to her daily rituals during the holidays with a new mug and Monista tea. It is the perfect indulgence for her 300th viewing of Love Actually.
Having turned “Silent Night” into a personal manifesto, this unplugged pamperer also knows that bedtime is the best time for your beauty routine to work smarter, not harder. Treat her to Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask or a festive set of Slip x MECCA’s silk scrunchies to keep her bed hair from snagging, even while visions of sugar plums dance in her head. And, since no Dreamer should endure a dry, unfragranced existence, spoil them with Ecoya Guava & Lychee Sorbet Bodycare Set —a match made in Mariah Carey heaven.
Splurge: Paola and Joy bedside lamp. Any nesting enthusiast knows that you never, ever, ever turn on the big lights— especially at Christmas-time. Give her the gift of warm, cosy lamp light, the perfect backdrop for The Holiday.
Stocking Filler: These Sussan slippers are like an out-of-office memo in footwear form. They’re the kind of gift that whispers, 'You’ve earned this.'
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.x