11 Hyper Specific Presents for Hyper Specific People: A Gift Guide

Part one of...two? IDK. But I do know we're gonna gift guide for at least one more week to come, because I haven't had time to shop yet, have you?

Dec 03, 2023

Fair warning: This might be my first gift guide for 2023, but it will not be my last. Probably. I think. Well, we’ll see. One thing I am certain about is that today I’m sharing five extremely specific presents for extremely specific people, and six extremely specific presents for extremely specific parents. Most of this stuff is expensive; don’t yell at me, because you know I’m going to do lots of extremely accessible ones too, just give me a second.

As always, I love the ideas that I hear from this amazing readership too, so if you have a really excellent idea, please share in the comments.

The Person Who Has The Chani App, Fashion Cred, and Always Knows The Next Cool Thing:

Vyrao High Five Discovery Set ($105)

The truly in-the-know fashion girls are obsessed with the extremely stylish Yasmin Sewell’s cult line of fragrances, Vyrao, a brand that’s poised for global dominance, at least in the luxury market. The vibes are pristine, to put it mildly. For example: The brand’s “quantum energist, Louise Mita” supercharges talismans in Hawaii, which are placed in each one of Vyrao’s fragrances and candles. And the scents are truly next-level, as you’d expect from a founder who is also one of the world’s most fashionable humans. This discovery set is the perfect way to try the brand’s signature fragrances, which are sure to please the sort of person who knows her moon sign and also wears Alaia mary janes.

Vyrao is beloved by the coolest of the cool, and it’s starting to really grow and expand, so expect it to be all over your feed soon.

The Person Who Loves Beauty and Has Extremely High Standards:

Hermes Les Mains Hermes Nail Enamel ($55) in Rouge Casaque

I regret to inform you that a perfect nail polish does exist, and that it is a splurge. As someone who has tried nearly every brand on the planet, I can confidently say that Hermes makes a superior product, in both performance and colors. The brand’s perfect, universally stunning red—64, Rouge Casaque—will be appreciated by any recipient. If your giftee doesn't do red, but was early on the Lincoln Park After Dark trend in the mid-aughts (#iykyk), sub in 89 Violet Byzantine, which is also incredible.

I hate how much I love this nail polish, but the color and performance are better than anything else on the market.

The Person Who Misses RBG And Loved The Supreme Court in Barbie:

Custom Lingua Franca “When There Are Nine” Sweater ($320)

For the friend who deeply admired Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, you can’t go wrong with a custom cashmere sweater created by Lingua Franca (which is a female-founded brand, ofc). The quote comes from when RGB spoke at Georgetown University in 2015. She mentioned that people ask her when there will be enough women on the court, and her response was: “When there are nine.” There have been nine male justices before, but isn’t it wild to think about a world in which the reverse was true, too?

I gave these sweaters to my besties one year (and myself), and it remains one of my top moves of all time.

The Person Who Is Obsessed With Nancy Meyers’s Movies And Follows Annie Meyers-Shyer’s @thisoakhouse on IG:

Lands’ End 400 Thread Count Sheets ($168 for a king set of sheets, currently on sale)

Do you know someone who is obsessed with all things Nancy Meyers? Who knows every line in The Holiday? Who swoons over the set design in It’s Complicated? Who loves all things interior design and exquisite home renovations, and follows Meyers’s daughter Annie on IG, specifically her inspiring and thoughtful home account, This Oak House? Well let me tell you one thing I know for sure: They will love these sheets from Lands’ End, a recommendation that Annie made online and via The Strategist, which in turn went viral. I wasn’t immune to this influence and bought a set for every bed in our house, and having tested them for the last six months, I can confidently say: They are perfect.

The Person Who Has It All, And You Do Too.

Sherman Field 1967 Small Link ID Tag Double Chain Necklace with One Side Diamonds ($16,870)

Let’s imagine that you (ethically) made a boatload of cash, and you pal around with equally loaded ladies, so in other words: money is no object. Let’s also imagine that you are in desperate need of a gift for someone who has incredible taste, loves fashion inside baseball, and wants to support female founders. What would you give them? Obviously something from LA-based brand Sherman Field, which was founded by Danielle Sherman, who also co-founded The Row. Three weeks ago, just in time for the holidays, Sherman finally debuted the brand’s Diamond Collection, which is the first time she’s used the stone since the brand debuted in 2019. Unsurprisingly, it’s perfect, just like the whole brand.

This photo doesn’t do it justice. Just trust, rich ladies.

FRIENDS WITH (LITTLE) KIDS

The Friend Who Worries About Screen Time, But Also Needs Parent-Kid Activities:

Cosmic Kids Yoga App ($65 annually or $10 monthly)

This app is truly awesome, and comes with a wide range of yoga and mindfulness videos (we downloaded ours to our living room Apple TV) you can do together as a family. Our family likes the episodes that are a combo of stories the kids already love (Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast) combined with guided yoga poses that feel good for all our bodies.

The Friend Who Has An Only-Wooden-Toys Policy:

Melissa and Doug Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter ($42)

Perfect for littles (preschool age is probably ideal) this 28-piece wooden ice cream set comes with eight different “flavors,” plus toppings, cups and cones, spoons and more. Our kids fell in love with it immediately, and used it regularly for several years.

The Friend Who Has A Kid Who Loves Canon Disney Characters And Has Sensitive Skin:

Gap Snow White Tulle Dress ($44)

If your friend has a kid who is 5-years-old or younger, and that kid loves some of the key Disney stories like Snow White and Cinderella, I very strongly recommend Gap’s tulle dresses. While I appreciate Disney for so many things, many of the company’s official dresses are pretty scratchy and not always made from (what feel like) great materials. Gap’s versions of Disney dress are adorable, super soft, and the bodice is made from 100% cotton, which means no skin irritation.

The Friend Who Is The Parent of a Future Engineer (Or Wants To Be?):

Ravensburger Gravitrax STEM Starter Set Marble Run ($60)

We got this well-made STEM-version of Marble Run for our kid’s sixth birthday and it is a huge hit all around. It’s technically for 8-year-olds and up, but if you have a kid who loves snap circuits as much as ours does, this will be a winner, too.

For The Friend Who Loves Quiet Luxury and Wants Their Kid To Look Like a European Heiress:

La Coqueta Clothing

I first learned about La Coqueta clothes via Instagram, as a wide-range of very chic women I’m friends with dress their kids (mostly daughters) in the brand’s clothes. Literally every time I’d see one of their kids in an incredible look, it was always La Coqueta. Fair warning: These pieces are expensive (most dresses are around $100), but the quality is pretty remarkable. We have a few dresses that were hand-me-downs from a friend, who got them from another friend, and you’d never know that two other rounds of 4-year-old wore them first.

I wish this coat came in grown-up sizes.

For The Friend Whose Kid Only Likes Sports If They’re Aesthetic:

Banwood Bike ($195)

The chicest kids’ bikes out there are Banwood, IMHO, as they’re the yummiest blend of Scandi design and vintage vibes. Their quality is next level, the detachable wicker baskets are just divine, and honestly everything this brand makes is an 11/10.

Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.