date published:
December 19, 2005
FOR YOUR FAVORITE LADY
For an understated yet still lovely gift for your best gal, try the flower tea
light candle set ($9) from
Nomad (1741 Mass Ave., Cambridge,
617-497-6677), carved to resemble real flowers, or gorgeous hand-blown glass
apothecary bottles ($44-84, pictured above, top) from
Nantucket Natural
Oils (Hotel Commonwealth, 508 Comm. Ave., 866-514-OILS) which come
in a range of colors. For a gift with more sparkle and shine, head to
John
Lewis Jewelry (97 Newbury St., 800-266-4101) and check out their
finely textured dangling gold flag earrings ($687), tanzanite and platinum
necklace ($2,849) or pink tourmaline ring ($4,546, all pictured above, middle),
as worn by our cover girl.
FOR YOUR FAVORITE GENTLEMAN
Holiday myth #643: Men can't get enough neckties. His year, bust out of the
Windsor-knotted rut and indulge your gentleman with classic luxury. Function
meets fashion in a classic Swiss Army watch with black leather band ($175,
pictured above, bottom) from
Swiss Watchmaker (58 Church St.,
Cambridge, 617-864-1163). Sleek steel-framed shades from Gucci for the city
sophisticate are sure to awe and come in brown, gray and black ($225) at
Eleganza
(275 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-739-3100). Or to keep your fella warm all
winter long, consider a 100% pure Mongolian cashmere overcoat woven in Italy
($699) from
Simon's Men's Clothing
(220 Clarendon St., 617-266-2345).
FOR URBAN COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS
It's no urban legend-the season's hottest trends come directly from the Wild
West. Cowpokes love nothing more than adorning their jeans with some good ol'
Texan flair like big, bold, belt buckles, which can be found in a variety of
styles at
Rick Walker's (21 Temple Pl., 617-482-7426, $20-65).
But the outfit isn't complete without a pair of authentic boots. Visit
Helen's
Leather
(110 Charles St., 617-742-2077) for red and brown Lucchese boots ($249,
pictured above right), handmade from oiled calfskin.
FOR 'POD PEOPLE
If iPod mania has nabbed someone on your list,
Cross (Zero
Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617-868-7020) carries genuine leather cases ($32-48)
that lets them rock out in style. Keep your iPod addicts happy at home with a
stop at
Levenger
(Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St. 617-536-3434) for the Crosley Solo Radio
($128, pictured above right). Its wooden casing gives it an old-time radio look
to your iPod, which when plugged in acts like a stereo, complete with surround
sound.
FOR THE HIPSTER
At
Black Ink (5 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-497-1221) you'll
find a number of kitschy gifts for the hipsters on your list, like the fortune
cookie kit ($6.95), which includes everything needed to make inscrutably
delicious desserts. For the staples of everybody's inner teenager-comics, CDs,
DVDs, posters and sports paraphernalia-visit
Newbury Comics
(332 Newbury St., 617-236-4930; 1 Washington Mall, 617-248-9992; 36 JFK St.,
617-491-0337). Red Sox fans will love the "Real Women don't date Yankees fans"
t-shirt ($17.99, pictured above right).
FOR THE FASHION PLATE
With their focus on flawless style, fashonistas are often the hardest people to
shop for. Before succumbing to that last resort-a gift card-check out these
chic digs known to be favorites of the glam and gorgeous. The stylish boutique
Intermix (186 Newbury St., 617-236-5172) keeps fashion mavens warm
with a lush, silk-lined, faux-rabbit fur vest ($650). And because fashion
forward men need to stay warm too,
Karmaloop (160 Newbury St.,
617-369-0100) offers a men's gray hoodie, complete with black fur lining in the
hood ($79, pictured top right). For funky handbags, brooches from the 1930s
through 1970s ($15-40, pictured middle right) and more, visit vintage clothiers
Poor Little Rich Girl
(416 Highland Ave., Somerville, 617-684-0157).
FOR BAG LADIES
Purse, tote, shoulder bag, clutch-whatever the occasion, she has to have the
bag to match. The creations at
Anna William Custom Handbags (2014
Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-2662) offer a distinctly local flavor, with
styles such as the "Beacon Hill" and "Nantucket," named after Boston
neighborhoods and nearby cities ($60-110, pictured bottom right). Or if you
have an aspiring Coach designer on your list,
1154 Lill Studio
(220 Newbury St. 617- 247-1154) offers gift certificates for design-your-own
handbags, which range from $58-150, and pre-made creations available for
$25-150.
GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK
To truly experience that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling, give a gift that gives
twice. Stop by handbag haven
Luna Boston (286 Newbury St.,
617-262-3900) for the Elissa Bloom sequined coin purse ($20, pictured below,
left). Proceeds from these pretty penny purses go toward ovarian and breast
cancer research. Or visit the eclectic non-profit
Ten Thousand Villages
(226 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-277-7700; 694 Mass Ave., Cambridge,
617-876-2414), which sells gifts, arts and crafts directly from villages around
the world in hopes of creating jobs and promoting international fair trade.
Pick up unique, lovely curios like onyx goblets ($14, pictured below, middle),
handmade by artisans in Pakistan.
FOR THE HOME
When it comes to home decorating, everyone wants something unique. Help loved
ones on your list achieve that aim with a gift like glazed glass salt and
pepper shakers ($54 for a small pair, pictured above right, $78 for a large
pair) or any number of creative items from the
Cambridge Artists'
Cooperative (59 Church St., Cambridge, 617-868-4434). For a splash
of eclectic wall art, head over to the
International Poster Gallery
(205 Newbury St., 617-375-0076), a haven for unusual and vintage posters. And
while décor is great, some people just want practical gifts that do stuff. For
these folks, look no further than the
Museum of Useful Things
(49B Brattle St., Cambridge 617-576-3322), where you can find
quirky-but-helpful items, like re-usable silicon muffin cups ($12.50) and sleek
silver milk carton cozies ($20-28).
FOR THE STOCKING
Whether you have a little room left in the stocking or need a small something
for that special someone, the following gifts can deliver big smiles. For all
the elements of a Swiss Army knife in a convenient, credit card-like case,
check out the Swiss Army card ($29.50) at
Bliss (121 Newbury
St., 617-421-5544). Letter enthusiasts and funky fashionistas will adore the
Scrabble earrings ($5 each, pictured above, left) sold at
Joie de Vivre
(1792 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-864-8188). Or head to
Paper Source
(338 Boylston St., 617-536-344; 1810 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-497-1077;
1361Beacon St., Brookline, 617-264-2800) for gifts like Camden Fair's red cloud
journal ($14), 4 Bar stationary set of ten note cards, envelopes and matching
folio, or the sleek ACME-Lawn business card case ($27) and matching ballpoint
pen ($51, all pictured above, middle).
FOR THE KIDS
Santa may do the brunt of toy giving this season, but if you're shopping for a
tot you can't go wrong at
Curious George Goes to Wordsworth (1
JFK St., Cambridge, 617-498-0062), a place jammed with picture books, toys and
stuffed animals, like the Doggie Bag plush purses ($12-33, pictured above,
right), the cuddliest way for your kids to carry stuff around. If that's not
unique enough for you, head over to
Whippoorwill
(93 Franklin St., 617-422-0025). Hand-crafted toys like the wooden rocking
horses ($199 and up) and three-dimensional wooden animal puzzles ($44-215) are
special treats to fire young imaginations.
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