A Mostly Firsthand Gift Guide With Great Reviews

Crowd-pleasing gifts I've identified through trial, error and success.

Dec 01, 2025

I approach gift-giving differently every year. Sometimes it’s exuberant. Or opulent, if you like. But this year it’s more rooted in pragmatism. Time is short. I am tired. And frankly, there’s just too much else going on right now.

I’m so deeply uninspired, too. (I blame general malaise and the dull discourse around gift guides.) Every time I sit down to write I find myself flummoxed and annoyed. It will pass, it always does, it’s just frustrating. There’s a small chance I’ll be doing some archetype guides (occultists, menswear hounds, olfactory ogres) in the near future but for now, I’m keeping it simple with some gifts I’ve given that were received rave reviews and vice versa.

But, before we get to the gifts, a friendly reminder that in my spare time, I design and sell wrapping paper. There are tons of new hand drawn patterns for Christmas, Hanukkah and more. (Also note, this may get cut off in your email, but just hit the read more at the end for the full thing or click here.)

Polaroid Photo Printer: Make way for the universal crowdpleaser. It brings the analog beauty of Polaroid stills to life while eliminating the trickiness of actual Polaroid cameras. (They are tempermental and tricky.) The process is simple: Place your phone on the top, press a button, and out comes a perfectly-colored Polaroid print. It is hands-down the best gift I’ve ever given.

Available at Polaroid, Walmart

A Custom iPod Classic: Oh, speaking of analog, there’s a whole world of iPod classics out there. Though Apple stopped producing them over a decade ago, you can now get them with custom builds through some intrepid engineering types on Etsy. Music without a phone. As it was meant to be! You can upgrade them for wireless headphones, more space, whatever! (Note: your recipient will have to have a library of music to add to said iPod.)

Available at Etsy

Thermal Printer: Nobody wants to buy a printer for themselves. It’s one of those annoying purchases that you know you can get by without, as long as you remember to use the one at the office. The beauty of a thermal printer is that it needs no ink, just heat. What it lacks in romance and magic it makes up for in convenience and practicality.

Available at Target

Commission a Painting: Speaking of romance — a commissioned artwork is hard to beat. I favor portraits above other subject matters, but there’s nothing wrong with a landscape (a favorite vista) or a still life (their favorite flowers, food, etc). It’s a little late to search out a commission now, but you could start the process and present some kind of certificate on the day. Spencer Verney is my go-to for this type of work, but many artists can be found through friends or even on Etsy.

There are limitless options for “joke” portraits that will plop your pet or wife’s head on the Mona Lisa. If that’s your vibe, but with that, the romance is lost.

Available at Spencer Verney

Some Good Vessels: An odd vase, a pointless box, a weird reliquary of sorts. Kate and Andy Spade had a massive collection of snuff boxes (or cigarette cases, I can’t remember) and they had a table that was absolutely covered in them. True collector madness. Not precisely useful — but beautiful, which is useful! (The last one, by Suzanne Sullivan is pretty amazing.)

Available at Over the Moon, Coming Soon, Porta, Fredericks & Mae

The Headphones: There’s a reason you see these all over. They are quite simply that good. They’re so noise-cancelling it’s almost scary. But think of it this way, you’re offering somebody the chance to tune out the world completely. What better gift could there be? (I recommend black as the white get dirty quickly.)

Available at Bose

A Big Fat Candle: If you’re going to pull the candle card, make it ostentatiously large. Something about the giant ones feels more thoughtful than your standard option (though those are perfectly adequate for host gifts). Scent-wise, I prefer Feu de Bois to all others, but to each their own. Once melted, we use these as vases, planters, or whatever. Too pretty to waste.

Available at Diptyque

Fireside Presents: This is the silliest drum to beat, but I love luxury matches. They strike easy, are a good length and are a very good low-stakes stocking stuffer. I grab a bunch at the beginning of the season and by the time Christmas comes, they’ve all found new homes.

Available at Etsy, Porta, Sid Mashburn

Baseline Cashmere: It’s hard to dislike something cashmere. It’s a failsafe when you’ve run out of ideas. My advice here is to just stick to simple silhouettes and colors — don’t attempt a bright red unless you’re sure they love it. Navy, gray and black are your friends and a crewneck does everybody good. I love an Alex Mill Jordan (either men’s or women’s) or Todd Snyder option, but if you’re looking for something more affordable you could try Quince.

Available at Alex Mill, Todd Snyder

A Little Hermès: Years ago, longtime legend and newtime Substack editor jean godfrey june shared this tip with me. Hermès makes playing cards, and they’re a perfect gift. They used to come in editions of one, but the double set is still a great call. (The silver edge — perfect detail.)

Available at Hermès

Light!: Good lighting is essential to a pleasing environment. I’m reminded of this every year when our Christmas tree turns our living room into a warm and cozy den. We’ve given and gotten some table lamps over the years, and they’re always well-received. They don’t have to be fancy, but should feel considered.

Available at Bureau Benjamin (Limited Drops), Anthropologie, Schoolhouse

A Jerry Schatzberg Photo: I’m including this because there’s a lot of mind-numbing chatter about how the New York of the past is dead, etc. This is such a tired conversation and says more about the person saying it than anything. But, Jerry Schatzberg was a storied documentarian of some New York’s most interesting crowds. And while these prints aren’t necessarily affordable, they are a great addition (or start) to a collection. Last time I spoke with the gallery, the smaller ones were reasonable.

Available at FirstDibs

Hugo Guiness Prints: If you’re not into the immediately above, try Hugo Guinness prints. These were among the first things in my own collection and I’ve always loved them. The unframed ones smaller sizes are pretty affordable.

Available at John Derian

Tarot Decks: These skew towards the occult and “witchy” and their are some tarot readers that believe a deck must be given to you before you can even start learning. You can make practicing as simple or complicated as you like — some people I know just pull a card a day, others are more advanced. But there are decks out there for almost every interest just add tarot to the end of it and google. (The Rider Waite deck, on the right, is the original.)

Available at Etsy, Etsy, MyTheresa

Honorable Mentions: Luxury scissors from Salter House (or these kevlar ones) this 2-tone Loewe scarf, a 24k gold-plated jigger from Big Night, this candle, and literally any belt from Maximum Henry.

And for now, that’s all I’ve got. Try and keep a level head about the holiday gift bonanza. It is supposed to be enjoyable and it is technically the thought that counts. I stand by what I said last year about custom gifts: they are a cut above others. If you’re looking for more menswear-related things, keep an eye on THE LOVE LIST for my next post.

Until then, happy hunting.