I love holiday gift guides in theory, but often the execution is uninspiring. Most lists show groups of product photos pulled from websites. The gifts are targeted at general audiences like “mom,” or “bestie.” I wanted to create something a little more curated.
So I’m very excited to debut this year’s holiday gift guide, highlighting female owned businesses and brands based in New England. I sourced products from each company to style and shoot on my own for something that is (hopefully) more dynamic than your average gift guide.
Cozy Essentials from L.L. Bean
Perhaps one of the best known brands to come out of New England, L.L. Bean is a winter staple here. They make high quality clothes for the ever changing Northeast weather. Although they’re typically known for outdoorsy ensembles, I’ve found many of their pieces can be styled in quite a fashion forward way. For example, this classic flannel which I’ve already worn with a tulle skirt, leather pants, and a suede dress on different occasions. I also pulled a cashmere blend sweater in a soft powder blue and an Irish wool scarf which works for all genders.
Artisanal Chocolates from Hilliards
Hilliards is a family-run chocolate company that’s been operating out of Massachusetts for four generations. Their unique creations have drawn crowds to candy shops from Quincy and West Roxbury to Martha’s Vineyard and Mansfield. This holiday season they’re offering treats like craft beer caramels (pictured above). I love that as an ideas for the beer aficionado in your life. Oprah listed their delectable peppermint bark on her favorite things list. It comes in the beautiful wooden box in my photo and makes a perfect gift for just about anyone. I was also thrilled by this pumpkin pie fudge (shaped like a little pumpkin pie), an adorable stocking stuffer.
Candles from Savvy Cocoa’s
Full disclosure, I’m good friends with the woman behind this candle brand, but that’s not why I chose it for my list. These candles have very unique scent mixes, like my personal favorite “Goodnight Sis” which contains lavender, bergmont, lemongrass, and vanilla. Even better, she uses all natural ingredients and you can see them at work in your candle. Those are organic lavender buds you can see in the right hand side candle. On top of being a high-quality product, I jump at the chance to support local businesses, especially run by women of color.
SOS Necklace from invisaWear
Speaking of amazing, female-run companies: say hi to invisaWear. This isn’t just a gorgeous necklace. Developed by a Massachusetts student, the necklace sends an SOS signal and your GPS location when you press it twice. You can input phone numbers to be alerted (say, your mom) or you can opt to have it connect with 9-1-1. Honestly, I want to get one of these for every woman in my life. I am constantly worried about being followed/grabbed/kidnapped, etc. while walking alone at night. And though I know self defense, sometimes these circumstances are out of your control. Having a hidden SOS option is a game changer. You can also get the piece in the form of a key chain or bracelet.
Chic & Sturdy Boots from Timberland
A lot of people don’t know this, but Timberland is actually based in my home state of New Hampshire! You may know them by their iconic yellow work boots, but they’ve branched out into much more since their launch in 1973. What struck me about these particular boots is that they’re the perfect mix of dainty and durable. They’re real leather but also 100% waterproof and the treads on the bottom keep you secure even on snowy and icy walks. But at the same time you can easily style these boots with skirts and dresses. It’s truly the best of both worlds.
Monkey47 Gin
Monkey47 gin is technically produced in Germany, with historic ties to London. But they’ve been making a major push in the Boston area cocktail scene. It seems like every prominent mixologist in the city is mixing something up with Monkey47. The name of the gin comes from the 47 botanicals that are combined in the distilling of this spirit. This gives it an extremely dynamic taste on its own. I’m also drawn to the old-world branding of the product, which I feel alludes to the wild history of gin itself (hello, bathtubs).
Thrifting Thrill from Goodwill
Did you know that Goodwill was actually founded in Boston in 1902? For the uninitiated, Goodwill is a nonprofit that accepts donations of clothing, home goods, books, etc. and then sells them in their store. The stores are run by individuals with disabilities or other disadvantages that make it hard for them to find employment elsewhere. In that way the stores are both offering goods at lower prices and providing employment opportunities for neglected communities. I’m a big thrifter and buy a lot of my clothes at Goodwill. If you’ve got a friend or relative like me you can treat them to a Goodwill gift card (AKA a thrifting adventure). Or you can scout the spot out for gifts on your own, like these beautiful gloves I found at a store here in Boston. Either way, it’s a good opportunity to donate some gently used items while you’re there.
Luxurious Cashmere from White + Warren
I was drawn to White + Warren for a number of reasons. First of all, they’re run by a mother-daughter duo. The mother, Susan, founded the company with the desire to provide a younger generations with high-quality clothing, since everything is heading towards fast fashion. Now her daughter, Catherine, runs the empire with her. Even cuter, Catherine now has daughters to share her love of cashmere with as well. This is especially beautiful because the benefit of high-quality fabrics is that they last forever and you can pass them on to your loved ones. What I also love is the way they play with classic and contemporary. This Essential Cashmere V-Neck is a classic design and 100% high quality cashmere. But the bright pink gives it a fun, modern spin.
Random House Newly Released Books
Random House has amazing new titles debuting every month (which they generously gift to me). My latest obsession is this in depth biography on the Cartier family, written by one of the family members who had access to all kinds of archives that are hidden to the public. The great thing about new titles like this is you can pick them up at your local, independent book store and support the authors and the shop all in one go! My personal favorites are Brookline Booksmith, Harvard Bookstore, and Trident Cafe and Booksellers.
Memories in Silver and Gold from Dune Jewelry
I discovered Dune Jewelry when I interviewed the founder for Exhale Lifestyle Magazine. The Massachusetts-based, female run company puts natural elements into beautifully crafted jewelry. For example, if your partner proposed to you on the top of a mountain, you could put dirt, sand, or foliage from that mountain into a piece of jewelry for them. The piece pictured has rose petals in it because those were my paternal great-grandmother’s favorite flowers. I think there’s something so romantic about wearing a memory in this way. And trust me gentlemen, this is 1000 times better than heart shaped jewelry.
Natural Skincare from Pure Haven
The Rhode Island based company Pure Haven creates natural skincare products that are 100% free of toxins. I use several of their serums on the regular and they’re extremely effective. With the new scare in skincare changing daily, it’s nice to have the piece of mind that your products are only going to benefit you. For the holidays they’ve debuted a candy cane line of moisturizers, scrubs, and other goodies. These would make a perfect gift, especially for a friend or family member who is sensitive to artificial ingredients.
Performances & Experience
I often gift experiences at the holidays. What better gift could there be than quality time with the people you love? I recommend a trip to Winterlights, when the Trustees of the Reservations light up the historic homes around Greater Boston in gorgeous light shows. A trip to the theater is another slam dunk. Some of my favorites are the American Repertory Theater (where many Broadway shows do a trial run before heading to New York), the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Huntington Theatre Company. If your circle isn’t into the arts, try a gift card to a nice restaurant or tickets to a football game. No matter what it is, it’s the time together that matters.
Please note: some of the companies featured provided complimentary products for me to photograph. However, all opinions expressed are my own. I hand selected each company for their products and values.