Holiday Shopping: Get Your XX On!
( via changetheratio)
Would you support awesome businesses founded and run by women? Of course. Do you like to buy awesome stuff? Of course. Do you need help finding it on this great sprawling linkfarm of the internet? Of course. To that end: here are my picks from the first-ever xx4xmas Shopping Guide.
Birchbox - Awesome makeup. Awesome how-to. Awesome gift idea. And EASY. They’ve got Birchbox Man, too, if you’re into the power of suggestion.
Of A Kind - Adorable, fashionable, darling, sexy, cool, funky objets d’artsy-fashion from emerging designers. They curate better than I speak French. If you don’t believe me, just check out how awesome I look in this Giraffe Hat.
Red Stamp - For those of you who want to send cards, invitations, notes and family photos showing just how precious you are, look no further than Red Stamp - your one-stop shop for the above-mentioned adorable paperless cards, with your own phot-cuteness if you wish. If you don’t believe me, believe the New York Times, oh-ho.
Hoseanna - Hoseanna, hey zanna, zanna zanna oh, zanna ho zanna hey zanna…hey lady, lady, you need hosiery? Go with Hoseanna, hey, superstar! Either you get that or you don’t, and I won’t hold it against you. If you’re going to hold something else against you - namely a dude, sans clothes - they’ve also got you covered.
Artsicle - Oh my goodness, what’s that VERY FANCY THING ON YOUR WALL THAT ISN’T A MOVIE POSTER OR ONE OF THOSE MONET PRINTS? Look, it’s ART! But it’s art that you didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg for because you rented it from Artsicle, your starter-arter site. Huzzah! Now with gift cards! Go.
AHALife - If you like to surround yourself with singular, distinctive objects carefully selected by people with exquisite taste, then you’ll surely find something unique and cool amonst the metal-cage handbags, plush faux-fur scarf or the Love Is Art kit, which brings a whole new meaning to DIY. Rawr.
Bauble Bar - Not only is there every type of jewelry you could need - rings, necklaces, bangles, pendants, earrings of every size and type (remember the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin? Pretty much that) - it’s organized by style, and helpfully broken down (if you’re like me, you may know how to *buy* accessories, but you don’t know how to *wear* them). I’m loving this elegant old-timey monogram necklace, this Erickson Beamon art-as-necklace (or necklace-as-weapon), and this pearl neck bib.
Chloe & Isabel - Are you a Chloe, or are you an Isabel? And why should you have to choose anyway, dammit? I didn’t. I got the Multi Strand Retro Glam Torsade Necklace which feels very Chloe and the Rocker Chick Spike Shower Earrings which feel very Isabel. Or is it the reverse? Either way, you’re covered.
Hot Bread Kitchen - Mmm. Hot bread. That sounds so much better than just “bread.” Local if you’re NYC, but with some gifting options including granola from the founder’s secret Canadian heritage. Maple flavored? Not unlikely.
LARK wristband - Be the most considerate on-time person ever! The LARK wristwatch wakes up the wearer silently, without disturbing their slumbering partner. Even better, buy it as a gift.
littleBits - MAKE THINGS! Probably your cutest holiday gift-giving option, littleBits is a must for any curious, handy kid you’ve got hanging around. Or grownups. They’re basically little bits of circuit boards that snap together to build, you know, bigger circuit boards. Per the website: “The time is ripe to create the pipe cleaner and the popsicle stick of the 21st century.” AWESOME.
Emily Books - I love this concept: Smart people curate monthly book selection that downloads automatically to your e-reader. Those smart people are Emily Gould & Ruth Curry, founders of Emily Books, and so far, as a happy customer, I’m happy to report that the selections have been delightful, thought-provoking, stimulating and inspiring. Yes, they have gift subscriptions: “No wrapping, no carbon footprint, no supporting major corporations, and no insultingly wrong sizes.” SOLD. #OccupyReading
The Odd Slipper - Tiny ladies with tiny feet have historically had a big problem: As a tiny slice of the market, they consequently have a tiny shoe selection. The Odd Slipper knows this because Odd Slipper founder Sindy Sagastume spent many frustrating hours looking for awesome shoes in her tiny size. She fixed that by commissioning designs for fabulous shoes and letting her community vote with their tiny feet. If you’re a size 3 - 5.5, congratulations - you get to wear wicked kicks like the Riley, the Lucy, and the Sophie. Bigfoot sizes soon, please.
20x200 - A few years ago, downtown gallerist Jen Bekman had a dream: Use the Internet to unite terrific artists with the customers who would love to own some of their stuff, in a series of limited edition prints & photos in varying sizes and at varying (affordable) prices. Success! They also have a gift guide. You’re welcome.
Foodzie - Food! Boxes! Deliveries! Deliciousness! Like Birchbox but with food. Like The Odd Slipper except people with giant clown feet aren’t left out. This is a perfect & professional holiday gift. This is a perfect & professional thing to enjoy entirely alone. Get your own damn Foodzie.
Elizabeth & Clarke - From the brains behind GirlDevelopIt and To Vie For comes this invitation to simple, classic perfection: The White Shirt. Them: A curated selection of this staple. You: never again flinging clothes around your apartment wondering why the hell you can’t find your goddamned white shirt. No, that’s just me? Never mind.
*****Got a company or a suggestion for a women-run company for xx4xmas? Let Tereza know here.
….And don’t forget to check out the SheMakes Holiday Festival on December 3rd, run by the Daily Muse!
