It’s gift guide season, which means it’s also Gift Guide Discourse season. Tove Danovich explores our love of perusing gift guides (and our love of hating on them), while mindy isser unpacks gifting anxiety. Brendon Holder writes about gift guides as an exercise in personal branding. Emilia Petrarca shares a fascinating look behind the curtain at affiliate links, how they work, and how they influence what gets featured. Beyond the analysis, many just seem overwhelmed by how many gift guides there are (though that doesn’t stop them from creating more).
And there really is a smorgasbord of gift guides out there. There are guides for every conceivable kind of person, catering to every possible budget. There is a medieval-themed gift guide. There is a disco-themed gift guide. There are gifting matrices and gifting podcasts, gifts for snobby sisters and gifts for typographers. There are even gifts for people suffering from holiday burnout, possibly from being inundated with all of these gift guides.
We’ve taken a stab at creating some order out of the chaos. Below, find our guide to the guides: organized by overall vibe, cost, and who the gifts are best suited to.
A few of our gift-guide experts will also be hosting live video hotlines to help with the trickiest folks on your list. You’ll find a schedule at the bottom of the post; don’t forget to download the app to join!
Price scale
$: 0-100
$$: 100-200
$$$: 200-300
: 300+
For the hosts and homebodies
Kristiana Noel’s Gift guides for people with taste provide a range of gifts selected for cool urban archetypes: the farmers-market fan, the host, the home chef. Best for: Fans of the fish-chic aesthetic. $-$$
Zio Baritaux’s Flower-Inspired Gift Guide is filled with whimsical gifts for the botanically-minded. Best for: Apartment dwellers always complaining about their lack of a garden. $-$$$
María Vargas Aguilar’s Staring at the Ceiling Gifts Guide includes a mix of new, vintage, and handmade gifts for truly unique finds. Best for: People who do almost all their holiday shopping on Etsy. $-$$$
Jessie Randall’s gift guides (Part One and Part Two) are great for anyone who prefers to see their guides organized by recipient. Best for: Loeffler Randall fans, naturally. $-$$$
Rachel Cohen’s gift guide is ideal for the consummate host. Best for: The person whose house has a signature scent. −$$
Annie Dabir’s gift guide for homemakers is filled with charming homewares. Best for: It’s tailored to the “wannabe Martha Stewarts” in your life. $-$$
Ali LaBelle’s gift guide focuses on items handmade by artists and independent creators. Best for: Stylish Amazonphobes. $-$$$
For those on a budget, thank you very much
Sara Walker’s Under $100 gift guide is full of surprisingly luxurious gifts, given that they all deliver on the promise of the title. Best for: High style at low prices. $
Caroline Chambers’s guide to gifts under $30 is a delicious resource for anyone watching their wallet. Best for: The cute foodies in your life. $
Alexandra Stedman’s gift guide has handy sections for gifts under $20 and under $10 (!). Best for: Stocking stuffers and cozy Christmas decor. $
In Katie Stone’s In Defense of the Humble Gift Guide, she makes a convincing case for each of her recommendations, which she has used (and loved) personally. Best for: The discerning health and wellness shopper. $-$$
Hillary Dixler Canavan’s Gift Guide | For Kids & Adults is a good choice for anyone shopping across a wide range of ages. Best for: Those looking forward to becoming a human jungle gym over the holidays. $-$$
Joanna Goddard and Kaitlyn Teer’s gift guide has ideas for hosts, but also for kids, guys, gals—really, just about anyone on your list. Best for: A one-stop shop. $-$$
For the luxe crowd (and those who like to window-shop)
Carina Nicklas’s Holiday Gift Guide is a well-curated collection for those seeking one-of-a-kind gifts and true luxury. Best for: First-class fliers. $−$$
Jalil Johnson’s gift guides, Consider Yourself a Shopper, part 1 (fashion and jewelry) and part 2 (beauty, home, and travel), are perfect for those seeking high quality and high style. Best for: The friend who’s always turning heads. −$$
Molly Sims’s The Only Gift Guide You Need for the Men in Your Life is a great choice for fancy fellas. Best for: The man who has everything (but not a red light hat).
Jess Graves’s Gifts for the Coolest Girl You Know feels very “quiet luxury”; think: cashmere sweaters and silk pajamas. Best for: People who knew how to pronounce Loewe even before that ad campaign. $−$$
Tahirah Hairston’s gift guide is filled with thoughtful suggestions, including art, events, and memberships. Best for: Class acts. $−$$
For the gift-guide skeptics
Arianna’s No Spend Gift Guide is an antidote to the consumerism of the season. (Don’t worry, there are no chore-based coupon books on the list.) Best for: People who often find themselves talking about late-stage capitalism. <$
Maria DeVoto’s Anti-Gift Guide recommends experiences, gifting them more of something you know they love, and group Secret Santas. Best for: Those who say “no gifts!” and mean it—mostly. $
Sable Yong’s “The Best Gift Givers Are Creeps and Perverts” advocates listening closely to your loved ones and giving gifts when they’re least expected. Best for: People who love surprises. $
Rather than compile a traditional gift guide, Danya Issawi asked her friends, family, and colleagues: “If money wasn’t an issue, what would you get me for the holidays? It can be free, immaterial, and intangible.” The result is a charmingly personalized list of gifts, hopes, and ideas. Turn the idea on its head by telling your loved ones what you’d get them if money were no object and the world were your oyster. Best for: Creative thinkers and sweet sentimentalists. <$
Gift help hotlines
Join the experts on live video hotlines to get advice on all the most difficult-to-shop-for people in your life. Be sure to download the app and subscribe to their Substacks to get notified when they go live!
For the trendsetters: December 5, 3 p.m. ET
Join consumer trend expert Casey Lewis and brand strategist Erika Veurink to learn what the youths really want for Christmas this year. You’ll get tips on what to get your scarily hip teenage niece (and a shot at becoming known as the cool aunt).
Subscribe to get notified:
Casey Lewis, After School by Casey Lewis
Erica Veurink, Long Live
For the niche shoppers: December 5, 11 a.m. ET
Shopping and fashion experts Jess Graves and John Jannuzzi will go live to help you pick gifts for the most particular people on your list. These two have ideas for gifts that run the gamut, like suggestions for witchy women and high-end homebodies.
Subscribe to get notified:
Jess Graves, THE LOVE LIST
John Jannuzzi, Browser History
Holiday Gift Guide Hotline: December 8, 4 p.m. ET
If you’re looking for something one-of-a-kind, this is the hotline for you. Jalil Johnson and Remy Solomon have recommendations for unexpected gifts, from vintage Playboy playing cards to archival Manolo Blahniks.
Subscribe to get notified:
Jalil Johnson, Consider Yourself Cultured
Remy Solomon, Immaculate Taste
Gift Guide Hotline: December 9, 5 p.m. ET
Grace Atwood and Katie Sturino will share the gifts they love to give, from the practical to the splurgeworthy. They’ll be sharing what they hope to see under their own trees, too.
Subscribe to get notified:
Grace Atwood, Scratch Pad by The Stripe
Katie Sturino, Lobby Coffee
Holiday Parties 101: December 9, 7 p.m. ET
Bring your hosting questions to creative director and curator of beautiful things Ali LaBelle, and chef, recipe developer, and food stylist Chloe Walsh. They’ll share creative ideas for what to serve and how to decorate a flawless holiday party.
Subscribe to get notified:
Ali LaBelle, À La Carte
Chloe Walsh, anchovies & soup
Perfume Holiday Hotline: December 9, 8 p.m. ET
Join perfume matchmaker and host of the podcast Perfum Room, Emma Vernon, and perfume writer and enthusiast Christina Loff for a live hotline to help you find the perfect scent.
Subscribe to get notified:
Emma Vernon, Perfume Room Substack
Christina Loff, The Dry Down Diaries
Our Perfect Holiday Outfits: December 12, 10 a.m. ET
Looking for some holiday outfit inspiration? Join fashion experts Erika Veurink and jessie randall as they share how they’re styling three outfits for three distinct holiday party themes.
Subscribe to get notified:
Erika Veurink, Long Live
Jessie Randall, Jessie Loves
Thank you so much for featuring my strange little guide to floral-inspired pieces that echo the fleeting nature of rare blooms. You just made my week. 💐🫶
My GRIFT guide for your enemies!
(often overlooked in the gift guide space)
https://www.thaliascomedy.com/p/thalias-grift-guide-2024