So you want to buy a good gift, one that brings a smile to its recipient's face—not an "Oh, thaaanks" response, but a genuine one—yet doesn't result in entering 2024 with debt and a non-gift receipt to prove it? You're not alone in feeling like that's an impossible ask. After years of doling out gift advice, we're very familiar with the pressures of the festive season. Accordingly, the Low-Cost, High Joy Gift Guide was born. We're in our second season, and have another batch of truly special gifts for you.
For weeks Who What Wear's team of expert gift givers has been scouring the web, hand-selecting presents with explicit guidelines—it has to be affordable (the average price of presents in this guide is $33) and be unique enough to spark joy. French gifts were selected, as were presents recommended from the coolest in-the-know individuals, and luxury gifts that have no business being affordable. There's food, stuff to put food in, and some more food. In other words, the 54-part gift-guide below isn't like the others you've seen—it's better. Scroll down and let us convince you: good gifts don't have to be pricey.
If you’re someone who, in addition to listening to holiday music before Thanksgiving, starts thinking about the gifts they need to buy way early, going the custom route is always a good idea. No matter what it is that you personalize, it’ll inherently pass along the message to the recipient that you put some serious thought and effort into their gift, thus winning significant brownie points. The gifts below are both customizable and shockingly impressive for their low prices, and you’re pretty much destined to do well in the post-holiday gift rankings.
Quiet luxury? Well, we're introducing little luxury. Gifting something for that one designer-obsessed loved one doesn't mean you have to make a dent in your bank account. We're always writing about the best designer bags, shoes, and clothes, but we promise that these little designer buys are just as, if not more, special. From a Hermès pop-up picture book to Louis Vuitton travel guides, the gifts below will easily give you the best gift-giving reputation.
Whenever you can get a vetted gift recommendation from someone you trust, you’re pretty much destined to receive some positive reinforcement upon handing it over all wrapped up and pretty. And not to brag, but no one gives better recs than our fellow members of the Who What Wear team. You know, you’ve probably all bought at least one thing from this site. (Same.) That’s why we had to go straight to the ultimate source to find out which affordable gifts have been received and given by our editors.
There are your average foodies, and then there are people whose taste works at levels you didn't even know existed. Gifting for them is serious business, which is why we did the research to find the items they'll actually put to use in their kitchen. From mushroom chocolates to Portuguese olive oil, the gifts below are sure to impress any gourmand. Their hearts and tastebuds will be happy.
Here at Who What Wear, we think about, write about, talk about, and generally style-stalk French girls on a near-hourly basis. They’re known for having the best taste in not just fashion, but pretty much everything, so of course, we defer to them and the local products they use and love when it comes to gifts too. From scented erasers made by a ceramics workshop slash printing press and publishing house based in Paris to bar soaps from the Parisian brand Bienaime that are almost too pretty to actually use, the gifts below are much more affordable than a flight voucher to France, and yet each one still manages to give a sense of being there.
If your gift recipient is someone who finally needs a moment to themselves, or you're simply just looking to treat yourself to some relaxation, the presents below will get the job done. If you end the night with a little face massage with a gua-shroom, have incense burning out of a chic oyster holder, and a bath running with salts from the Mediterranean sea, you're sure to have the most calming evening of your life.
Opening gifts is fun for everyone, but it's so much more special when you're a kid tearing through the wrapping paper. Whether you're shopping for your own kids or want to be the best aunt or uncle of the bunch, we knew we had to include a selection of kid gifts that can't just be picked up in the toy section of a department store.
If your best friend, sister or brother, parent, or partner spend more money annually on museum and gallery passes than you do on shoes, religiously attending Art Basel, Tefaf, and Frieze whenever possible, you’ve come to the right place. Artsy gifts can either be the most expected or the most creative, depending on the items and responsible artists you choose to have wrapped up and delivered. The five options below, though, are anything but boring or easy to anticipate.
We often look to our favorite celebrities and industry experts for fashion inspiration, so why not defer to them in the gift-giving department as well? The items below might be a little IYKYK, but when the people who know range from Zoë Kravitz to Jenna Lyons, you can trust that the resulting presents will pleasantly surprise whoever receives them.