Louise’s Christmas Gift Guide
With less than a month to go until Christmas, it’s time to get your shop on. Here’s my cherry-picked wish-list of chic bits & bobs, perfect for your friends, your family, your other half and…YOU. Yup, I’m a big believer in being your own Santa, why not!?
Book
The Tale of the Elves & The Shoemaker
A beautiful fashion-memoir-meets-fairytale, that cleverly intertwines the classic story of the Elves and the Shoemaker, with (Carrie Bradshaw’s fave shoe designer) Manolo Blahnik’s real-life career.
Blahnik illustrated the book, and my talented, stylish friend Camilla Morton, wrote it.
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Manolo-Blahnik-Tale-Elves-Shoemaker-Camilla-Morton/?isbn=9780061917301
Bespoke
A personalised bookmark from Anya Hindmarch - such a novel idea – no pun intended! Hand-write a name, message or favourite quote and it’ll be transferred onto the leather: beyond chic.
http://www.anyahindmarch.com/cat/Bookmarks/975/
Stationery
I’m a stickler for old-fashioned thank you letters, and Paper Plain create the most stylish, affordable printed cards I’ve found. I just ordered mine, name-tagged in scarlet, with red-lined envelopes.
http://www.paperplain.net/
Scarf
Louise Roe London Collection for HSN, Farrah scarf.
My top stocking-filler. Printed in Winter’s warmest and brightest
colours: soft mustard, olive green, deep purple and elegant taupe, the ‘Farrah’ scarf from my HSN collection has a 1970’s feel, named after Farrah Fawcett’s effortless Charlie’s Angels style. Lofty and lightweight, the cut is so big it wraps around your neck three or four times. I’m wearing mine to Paris this Christmas!
http://fashion.hsn.com/louise-roe-the-farrah-feather-print-scarf_p-6485860_xp.aspx?o=PD-RI&sz=0&ocm=sekw&attr=&subcat=&cat=&dept=&sf=&gs=&prev=&cm_sp=Recommended*PD*right
Smellies
Dr. Bronner’s Almond Soap.
I just discovered this brand and I’m addicted: not only does it smell delicious, have beautiful apothecary-style vintage packaging, and is super affordable, but Dr Bronner’s is also a 60 year old company, using completely organic, fair trade ingredients. My favourite almond flavour includes extra virgin coconut oil, jojoba, and hemp oils. Mmm.
http://www.drbronner.com/
Calendar
Every year, I go back to London from LA, and hit Bond Street to buy my Smythson diary. I use it every single day to keep appointments and make notes, I way prefer pen and paper to keeping a calendar on my phone!
Picking it out has become a ritual, and the blue box, bag and ribbon the store wraps it in is stunning. This yeat I’m plumping for the purple Soho diary.
http://www.smythson.com/diaries/for-her/mid-size-diaries/soho-diary-purple.html
Winter Warners
Mini Cashmere hand-warmers for only $10? Done and done. These are adorable, and come packaged in a lovely box. Choose from baby blue, grey, red and black.
http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/category/products.jsp?categoryId=cat1640014
Scent
Carlos Huber Arquiste perfume
I have a very stylish friend in New York, who’s a Historian by background. Last year he decided to combine his two passions (history and fragrance) into one: a passion-driven project. Boom! Arquiste perfumes were born. Sold in Barneys, the scents are poignant and incredibly unique – the antithesis to lots of mass produced perfumes on the market nowadays. Carlos used rare ingredients, including foods like cocoa, and herbs like cinnamon, to create smells that evoke specific times and places. There’s L’Etrog, a woodsy, citrusy blend that channels the medieval harvest in Calabria, or Flor Y Canto, a heady tuberose and marigold mix meant to take you back to ancient Tenochtitlan, Mexico, during an Aztec ceremony.
http://arquiste.com/
For Him
Reiss is my first stop when I’m buying clothes for guys. Everything is beautiful quality, and just edgy enough to stand out, in a very Carey-Grant-old-school-elegance kind of way. Their taupe herringbone Alford tie, made from 100% silk, is top of my list this season.
http://www.reissonline.com/shop/mens/accessories/ties/alford/taupe/
Cashmere
I’ve known designer Madeleine THompson since we went to uni together, and back then she rocked the most incredible, boho style. Her beanies and blankets are to die for (I cosy up in mine on every plane ride), and now she’s teaming up with one of my favourite spas, Cowshed, to create limited edition cashmere slippers and hats. And to boot, from January 5th 2012, the first 100 Cowshed customers to book a Cosy Cow package (massage & manicure) will receive a free pair of slippers, worth £85.
http://www.cowshedonline.com/madeleine_thompson_for_cowshed_cashmere/c789152-1.html
Kimono
M&S kimono
The most decadent, gorgeous thing to put on before bed, and when you
wake up. I’m in love with Marks and Spencer’s full length floral silk
kimono.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Autograph-Satin-Floral-Dressing-Gown/dp/B0058Q5S3A?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_53&nodeId=42966030&sr=1-53&qid=1323311133
Christmas in a cup
Salted caramel hot chocolate is the yummiest thing I’ve ever tasted!
Williams Sonoma does a deliciously spiced, velvety version made from
chocolate shavings rather than cocoa powder, so the taste is super
rich.
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/4330023/?catalogId=82&bnrid=3120901&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Food&cm_pla=Beverages&cm_ite=Chocolate_Peppermint_Salted_Caramel_Hot_Chocolate_Set_of_3&adtype=pla
Pyjamas
I wear Victoria’s Secret violet leopard-print PJ’s every night through
the winter months – super soft, cosy and cute.
www.victoriassecret.com
Clutch
I’ve got a thing for orange this winter, to me it evokes the
effortless, retro style of 1970’s icons like Lauren Hutton.
Accessorize’s Alba clutch is a patent burnt orange – the perfect pop of
colour to your festive frock.
http://www.accessorize.com
Fashion with a conscience
If I had to wear one label for the rest of my life, if would be New
York fashion week staple, Tibi. Vivid colours and prints in modern,
flattering silhouettes are totally my bag! This year, Tibi went into
their archives and pulled out their most cherished prints to create a
hot red silk head wrap, with 100% of profits benefiting the charity
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Pediatric Cancer Care and Research.
http://www.tibi.com/shop/memorial-sloan-kettering-scarf
Sarong
Artist, model and writer Sophia Rogge has traveled the world and
consistently looks effortlessly polished. She’s just launched a range
of cotton sarongs, in an array of beautiful beachy colours and
patterns. But what’s very cool about the collection, is that 10% of
profits go to her favourite eco charity, Corals for Conservation.
www.Sophiarogge.com
Candle
Trapp package their candles in pretty leaf-green boxes, and smell like
heaven.
The Bamboo Sugar Cane flavour sits on my desk and burns every day while
I write.
http://store.trappcandles.com/Bamboo-Sugar-Cane-s/1843.htm
Sunglasses
Nicole Richie strikes again! Robyn, her 50’s style tortoiseshell shades
with a curved arm, are amazeballs. Check out the rest of her House of
Harlow collection too.
http://hoh1960.com/collections/sunglasses1/
Tabletop
A good friend gave me these gold and white china salt and pepper
shakers for my birthday, and they look so elegant on the kitchen table.
Jonathan Adler’s eclectic prints on homewares make for easy, brilliant
gifts.
http://www.jonathanadler.com/Futura-Salt-and-pepper/?cat=438&initial=
