Can a gift guide be a gift in itself?
Here, 48 curiously compelling, oddly luxurious, possibly life-changing and probably inspiring gift ideas from toryburch.com and other select corners of the internet.
We at WSIW have a ‘more the merrier’ philosophy on gift guides. We love the endless scroll, discovering new brands, products and shops. Like magpies, we greedily collect ideas. Gifts for others and treats for ourselves. To use now and later. In this spirit, we bring you the first What Should I Wear? Gift Guide. Forty-eight presents sorted by color because one of Tory’s mottos is to live in color with character, beauty and confidence.
Side note: Please share your favorite gift guides and/or gift ideas in the comments. We’re insatiable!
From left: Petite Lee Radziwill Double Bag, $598, is the perfect balance of luxury construction and crossbody functionality. Part ceramic art, part cooking workhorse, the Miso-Shiru Nabe, $180, is an authentic Igayaki ceramic donabe that slow-cooks like a millennia-old tradition should. Fleece Zip Vest, $398 — a classic owned by nearly every TB staffer. In every color. This Tangle Sculpture, $1,500, is the original but it’s available in many forms, all of which can be twisted into infinite shapes. Pickleball is the game that allows you to say things like, “Dink!” and “Stay in the kitchen!” Tory’s a pro already and uses this Pickleball Set, $298. There’s a sprig of rosemary suspended in Susanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath for the Senses, $70, which promotes circulation and fends off dry winter skin. Loewe’s Leather Wick Trimmer, $540, is truly indulgent, and a great complement to all those candles being gifted.
From left: Archive Sofia Coppola, $65, is an embarrassment of mood board riches for the bts view of talent, costumes and sets of her films and her personal style. Designer Carlos Mota’s catchphrase “Beige is not a color,” plays out beautifully in these embroidered Casamota Tulip Scallop Placements, $350. Rosebud Eye Treatment Set, $65, is designed to de-puff, with the storied healing power of rose quartz. Santa Maria Novella’s Scented Wax Tablets, $38: closets may not need this, but they definitely want them. This Dodie Thayer for Tory Burch Lettuce Ware Tureen, $358, raises soup szn to new heights. With a recent biopic starring Kate Winslet and a new Gagosian exhibition, Lee Miller: A Life with Food, Friends & Recipes, $45, shows yet another fascinating talent of the model-turned fashion photographer and WWII correspondent. Physical photographs don’t need to be a rare luxury thanks to the Instax Smartphone Printer, $114, small enough to go everywhere with you.
From left: Gohar World’s Dinner Napkins, $80 are the surreal opposite of mundane. Our Logo Sweatshirt, $228, because viva la Toryssance! Hands are the new face, which means Nécessaire’s The Hand Duo, $50, is a luxurious must. Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s Spiral Coasters, $75, are both table protectors and sculptural objet. For design connoisseurs, chic tea drinkers and owners of shiny, immaculate kitchens, Alessi’s 1986 Il Conico Tea Kettle, $262.50, is a stove-top icon. The Clip Tank Suit, $218, is our ultra-flattering suit — we wear-test every summer and getaway. We also spend days in our Pierced Mule, $398. It’s edgy. It’s comfortable. It’s our shoe of the year. Grace Wales Bonner: Dream in the Rhythm, $65, is a curation of MoMA’s collection and archives through the sharp lens of the Brit designer and Adidas collab queen. Criterion Collection Subscription, $99 is the ultimate cinephile streamer.
We really struggled to edit down Tory’s products in this palette. They’re all so good. From left: ’90s-inspired Broken-Logo Sunglasses, $283. A newly-minted customer favorite, the Mellow Mule, $248. The vibrant scent of cactus flower, lavender and wood in our Electric Sky Eau de Parfum, $125. Tory’s dad, Buddy, needlepointed the original of our Nobody Likes A Smart…Pillow, $298. All those clove-studded oranges will fit perfectly in our Mochaware Serving Bowl, $158. The Mini Ella Bio, $248, is a snack-sized tote in our plant-based leather alternative. Saffron Gold Sauce 006, $18, looks like something from a five-star chef’s kitchen, and easily turns the notch up on seafood and chicken. For fans of high-end tinned fish and chic pantries: ABC+’s Bacalhau Caldeirada, $20. Tory’s Cocktail Ring, $298, looks like a mysterious fossil, carved in semiprecious stone.
From left: La Bouche Rouge’s Lipstick, $45, is vegan, cruelty-free and packaged in a handcrafted refillable leather tube with the option to monogram. Our Eleanor bag, $748, is straight-up arm candy. 100% net proceeds from sales of the Embrace Ambition Pearl Bracelet, $35, benefit the Tory Burch Foundation and continue to directly support women entrepreneurs. Straight from the runway, we are obsessed with the pre-scrunched sleeves of our Wool V-Neck Sweater, $628. The Santos de Cartier pen, $425, will inspire anyone to be a writer. The power of Kehinde Wiley’s large-scale paintings transfers to his Playing Cards, $25, net proceeds of which support the artist in residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by the artist in 2019. Elsa Peretti’s Heart Paperweight, $65, for your design-loving loves.
From left: The Adventures of Amazing Grace, $8.99, is the first book in a series about third-grader Grace. A story rooted in family bonds and Spanish customs with a touch of magical realism. Bonus: the dyslexia-friendly font. Every shelf could benefit from the color and character of Shane Gabier’s Profile Bookends, $315. Vintage-looking baseball hats will never go out of style, like this Logo cap, $58. In pretty jade green with curving lines, the Serif-T Hair Clip, $98, ups the game on the casual up-do. The loop-de-loop bridge detail on these classic Pilot Sunglasses, $188, is worthy of Maverick and Ice Man. Ghia’s non-alcoholic Lime & Salt Spritz, $60/12 cans, are truly delicious and bypass that “I’m not drinking tonight” awkwardness. For your favorite urban gardener, a 1-Pint Metal Watering Can, $68, from the venerable English company Haws. A vintage Apothecary Jar, $325, elevates ho-hum storage — whether cotton balls or gum balls.
WOMEN AT WORK: ARTIST IRENE NOREN
We caught up with budding painter Irene Noren in her airy studio in the Bronx. The Spanish native’s work has a rich sense of color and symbolism that echoes some of her longtime favorite artists: Magritte, Dali, Kahlo. Her best advice for fellow aspiring artists? “Keep painting,” she says. “I think it’s important to not focus on goals or expectations at first and think only about creating.”
ICYMI: HUNTER SCHAFER’S PRESS TOUR
The looks on Hunter Schafer’s press tour for “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” were somehow thoroughly eclectic and visually connected to the film's narrative. An impressive feat pulled off by Schafer and stylist Dara Allen. ICYMI, please take a moment to appreciate Schafer in the sculpted top and studded pants from our Resort 2024 collection.
This is our last issue of the year. We’d like to thank you for subscribing and supporting ‘What Should I Wear?’ We wish you a happy and restful holiday. We’ll see you in 2024!
So much great stuff here! My personal list: Archive Sofia Coppola, the donabe, Tory Sport fleece and Necessaire's Hand Duo.