A half-hour Zoom call with the Lafayette Fashion Society was how I, the disgraced former Student Government parliamentarian, spent my Tuesday night. My objective was simple: find the best Christmas gift for everyone in my life. And who better to turn to than the most stylish group on campus?
Today, I impart their wisdom upon you, the good readers of The Lafayette.
Whatever you celebrate, here are the best fashion items to gift during this season of giving.
For her
“One thing I have is called the Little Words Project bracelet,” Rebecca Koury ’25, the society’s treasurer, said. “These are like wearable affirmations.”
The bracelets include beads that spell out phrases such as “You’ve got this,” “Good energy” and “Keep going,” according to Koury.
“The goal of wearing the bracelets is that after you fulfill what the bracelet says, you pass it on to someone else,” she said.
Kat Flanders ’25, the society’s vice president, suggested getting the woman in your life a chunky scarf – which I did not know was a real thing.
“It’s super thick and I literally wear it all the time,” Flanders said. “I’m obsessed with it and I feel like it elevates any outfit.”
Cate Dennehy ’26, the Lafayette Fashion Society secretary, recommended Dossier perfumes as a budget-friendly option.
“They’re really cute and good quality at an affordable price,” Dennehy said. “I like the ambery saffron one, and then the ambery vanilla.”
For him
“For men, that’s a more challenging question,” Avery Gillett ’24, a fashion educator for the society, said. “A hat maybe. I know those flat brim caps are really in right now.”
Gillett recommended selections from Patagonia or Amazon.
Flanders and Dennehy suggested a water bottle, travel kit, wallet or shaving kit.
“Especially with the travel kit I feel like that can be a ‘for him’ or ‘for her’ situation because anyone needs, when you’re traveling, a little place to put all of your belongings,” Dennehy said. “Kind of the same thing with a water bottle.”
For the shaving kit, you can look to Harry’s or eShave, while S’Well, Hydro Flask or TIME-top-inventions-of-2023 Owala can satiate your water bottle needs, according to Dennehy. Carhartt apparently makes bang-up wallets and travel kits.
For mom
“Something that I outlined for mom would be slippers,” Flanders said. “You can get slippers from literally like Marshalls or Walmart or Target.”
If you can swing it, though, Flanders said you should treat your mom to some loungewear from Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS.
“SKIMS has great reviews everywhere and I feel like someone’s mom would really greatly appreciate quality loungewear,” Flanders said.
Gillett, meanwhile, recommended a cozy blanket.
“You never have too many blankets,” Gillett said. “I know HomeGoods has them for like 30 bucks and then I can get ones on the nicer side too from Pottery Barn or any sort of home decorating place.”
But for the mom who already has everything, Renee Pascoe ’25, the Lafayette Fashion Society president, suggested going down a more personal route.
“What I’m doing is making a travel magazine that just has pictures of everywhere that we’ve been together as a family and family photos,” Pascoe said. “She also really likes food, so I’m gonna do a section on like food from all over the world.”
For dad
“A dad flannel or a dad sweater,” is what Flanders recommended for your father figure. “Just something classic that you know they’re going to wear.”
If your dad isn’t much of a fashionista, Gillett suggested giving him a new hobby: pickleball. But what if your dad isn’t a sports fan?
“Instead you can get them a personalized glass for cocktails,” Gillett said.
If you need to play it safe though, according to Dennehy, you can get your dad a grilling kit, something that every dad innately desires.
For the Secret Santa partner you don’t really know
Okay, so a rando from class somehow got invited to your friend group’s Secret Santa. Fear not, Lafayette Fashion Society has a solution.
“Plushies, like the Jellycats or Squishmallows from Target” is what Flanders proposed. “We also did like cute little skincare stuff like Summer Fridays or pimple patches. EVRY JEWELS has really affordable jewelry that doesn’t tarnish.”
Other safe options include lip balm, lotion or a mug.
Julia Pilaitis ’24, another fashion educator, cautioned against scented items if you don’t know the person well.
“I think scents are very particular for people,” Pilaitis said.
Flanders also suggested avoiding items that are “too trendy or too tacky,” like early 2000s wear.
“Sticking to neutrals and classics is good because it’ll never go out of style,” Flanders said. “It’s something that they’ll be able to wear for a long time.”
