Get the gifts you really want this year: Stuck for ideas this Christmas? AMY KESTER fashions the ultimate wish-list
- From jewellery to fashionable PJs, these are the gifts to ask for this year
- READ MORE: One hundred and fifteen easy Christmas gift ideas for difficult people – all under £100
Why is it, when someone asks what you want for Christmas, you can rarely think of a thing? The trick is to suggest something classic you know you’ll actually wear.
With this in mind here’s my round-up of quietly luxurious fashion finds, designed to inject some serious polish and quality into your everyday wardrobe.
We’ve taken the items most often found on a wish list — the handbag, the jewellery, the boots — and searched for pieces that will elevate how you feel, from the pretty lingerie you’ll actually wear, to the stylish (no dreary dressing gown) pyjamas you’ll love slipping into at night.
And there’s not a cheap, scratchy jumper or hideous slipper in sight…
Jewellery? Make it demi-fine
Monica Vinader is known for designer detailing at high street prices
Gold celestial tiny star hoop earrings, £125, astleyclarke.com
Leave the 9-carat gold studs and the ‘fun’ earrings to the less imaginative. This season, shift up a gear with super-luxe gold chains, mixed metals and colourful gems for a statement finishing touch.
Demi-fine jewellery unites the durability of fine jewellery with the joy of costume. Look to Monica Vinader for designer detailing at high street prices; Daisy London for gold-plated everyday pieces; and Astley Clarke for crystals that sparkle without the price tag of a carat count.
Cosy cashmere
Cashmere funnel-neck jumper, £129, thewhite company.com
L-R: Oversized cashmere scarf, £153.30, gobicashmere. com; Cashmere wrist warmers, £49, thewhitecompany.com
So much more spoiling and thoughtful than lambswool or a blend, cashmere is a gift that always wins on longevity.
The White Company has a beautifully tight edit of pieces that are certified by The Good Cashmere Standard in soft shades of cream, snow white, chocolate and ice blue that feel perfect for cosy winter dressing (from £110, thewhitecompany.com).
For a more affordable entry price, add the cashmere wrist warmers (£49, thewhitecompany.com) to your list instead. Or try Gobi for 100 per cent pure Mongolian cashmere scarves (from £59, gobicashmere.com) which drape beautifully and provide an instant dose of cosy chic.
Large bucket bag, £425, demellierlondon.com
Yes, another handbag!
Look to the mid-market for a practical-meets-elegant choice that still looks luxurious. DeMellier’s limited edition designs have become every fashion editor’s go-to this past year.
The New York Bucket Bag has pleat detailing and gold hardwear, and can be worn on the shoulder or crossbody. With the bucket set to be the shape of 2024, nothing beats it on cost per future wear.
The fashionable PJs
Sage stripe pyjama set, £165, honnalondon.com
Boston big buckle, £190, birkenstock.com
Swap silk for organic cotton, add a statement stripe and you’ve got the perfect Christmas PJs that are guest-appropriate (unlike the negligée he bought you last year).
Head to Honna London for fresh colourways — sage or olive green, dusty or sky blue, plus mauve — and a choice of styles. The cut is generous — think wide legs and deep cuffs — and the vibe is relaxed English countryside. This is especially true of the green vine-printed pyjamas (£130, honnalondon.com) that come with an elasticated waist for total Christmas comfort.
Borg fabric slippers (not the brown suede of last year) finish off the look.
Knee-high platform boots, £315, bobbies.com
Block heel boots
Step away from the stilettos. We may be forced into some for party season, but a hardworking pair of beautiful boots is top of any woman’s winter fashion list. They need to work for the commute, shopping, parties and lunch — plus be comfortable.
You need a boot that can do all of the above and look stylish too. Parisian label, Bobbies, has durable, luxe styles crafted from butter soft lambskin leather, albeit at ‘main present’ prices. Russell & Bromley is hard to beat for black can’t-go-wrong options.
Forget seasonal smalls
Lace bodysuit, £69, and silk dressing gown, £220, intimissimi.com
Soft cup bra, £40, and lace shorts, £32, wacoallingerie.com
Dial down the diamanté detailing and pare back the colour palette. This season’s most flattering lingerie comes in gentle jewel shades of emerald and forest green and muted monochrome — and in super-soft fabrics.
Styles can be delicate and revealing, with cutaway shapes and deeper necklines, but banish the underwired bra and anything that is red. Head to Intimissimi and Wacoal for pretty floral applique and designs that gently enhance, not restrict.
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