Every year, I love reading gift guides. But, let’s be real, I can’t actually afford anything in them. So instead, I decided to write an article about the gifts (clothing) I gave people over this holiday season. Because what’s more affordable than something you already bought?
In this article I talk about the clothes I gave as gifts over this holiday season including breakdowns of the actual items and why I gifted them. But at the same time, I also talk about some of my experiences with similar items. I don’t recommend you to necessarily get the same exact items but I think it’s important to put thought into the gifts you get people, especially when they’re clothes. OK, let’s get started.
VINTAGE/SECONDHAND WOOL SWEATERS
If you know our beloved social media editor Christine, you’ll know that girl loves her sweaters. Frankly, I don’t think she’s even worn a jacket, sweaters are her thing. So this Christmas I went looking to get her a sweater. As pictured in the image, I ended up gifting her a sweater secondhand that’s 90s Eddie Bauer which is made of soft Shetland wool and she loves it. It really works for her comfortable, casual, kind of fun style.
Here are some pointers for choosing some great knitwear:
- Color and patterns. I think if you’re just getting into knitwear in general choosing something simple like navy, cream, burgundy can work great with nearly any type of outfits. On the flipside, you can also choose from a wide range of patterns, from the ‘still pretty simple’ to the avant-garde, giving you even more options to suit different personal styles. I also have a strong liking for textured knits, like the aforementioned one in Shetland, which provide a lot of visual interest and look great especially if you layer them.
- Consider fabrics. I think Shetland wool (like what I got Christine!), as mentioned several times in this section, is the best ‘starter’ option for knitwear. Nowadays, Shetland wool simply refers to wool made in the Shetland Islands, off the coast of Scotland between Norway, which is often very high quality. These sweaters are known for their texture, and some are aptly even called ‘Shaggy Dogs’ due to the fact they’re brushed.
CORDUROY PANTS/JEANS
So I got this for Rose, our fashion section writer, this interesting, slightly weird pink pair of pants in a high-rise and wide leg from Cathcart, a London based brand. It really fits with their style which is generally a darker color palette with some bold splashes with color. They also gravitate more towards straight and wider pants, with higher rises. My thinking was, ‘Hey, they already have a lot of black pants, why not get something unexpected and fun, like in pink?’
Corduroy pants are great as they can make outfits have a more sharp appearance without appearing too be snobby or overdressed. Obviously they usually don’t come in pink, instead, they often come in brown and green which makes them very versatile. Corduroy is associated with fall and winter, but is still an all year fabric which makes it a great choice for Corpus Christi weather.
AFTERWORD
In closing, I think the key takeaway is you should put a lot of thought into the clothes you get, especially when they’re gifts for other people. Remember to consider not only the qualities of the item, but also, consider (their) personal style. Gifts don’t necessarily have to be the most expensive or trendiest thing; because thoughtful gifts are always going to be in style.
In conclusion, I’m really good at getting gifts.
