Every year, Christmas brings me immeasurable amounts of joy. Not just because of the snow, immaculate music, and spirit, however. My favorite part of Christmas is shopping.
This may sound a bit shallow, but constructing the perfect gift for someone and making a Christmas list are two of my favorite things to do. Giving people a present that I’ve spent time and care about is my love language. Not only that, however, but as an admissible shopaholic, I love looking at holiday sales and creating a list that effortlessly captures my essence.
This year’s list has taken inspiration from TikTok slideshows, my friends’ great fashion sense, and my own brain, so here are some of my top most wanted items for Christmas this year.
Clothing
I am a fashion fraud. I read Vogue at least three nights a week and shop constantly, and somehow, I still don’t own one coherent, stylish outfit. This is in part due to my persistent exhaustion in the morning and my desire for something comfortable, so I am working harder to construct a wardrobe that has an equal amount of comfort and style with various pieces.
First off are my (hopefully) stylish pieces that could work for both formal and casual occasions. Next year, my biggest wish is that sheer and mesh tops will come back, not in the cheap 2021 SHEIN mesh way but in a chic layering and lacy way. Motel Rocks’ Black Wild Rose Lace Top is one of my favorite pieces and wishes for Christmas. The black lace combined with the simple rose pattern would pair perfectly with jeans or skirts and would work for parties and the everyday look.
The Kimbra Top in black is another one of my favorite pieces from Motel Rocks, and the cute ruffles and peplum style are something I’m looking to wear more. It falls right at the hips, which is ideal as I grow further and further away from my affinity for cropped tops and more toward full-length tops and mid-rise pants.
Now, if the last two Motel Rocks items haven’t made it clear that I need a gift card from there, then my next item will: the Red Heart Flocked Mesh Shirt. This would pair perfectly with virtually any bottoms in my mind, and layered with a cute, blank tank top and a jean skirt, it would be the perfect year-round layer to add on.
This one likely won’t look good to the majority of people, but I saw it online and fell in love. I have owned the same tired tennis shoes for three years and am in desperate need of a new everyday shoe that can pair with anything. The Steve Madden MOMENTUM Gold Velcro Sneakers are those shoes for me. They’re a level up from the average sneaker and can be paired well with jeans to level up an outfit.
Another pair of everyday sneakers and tennis shoes, along with a recently trendy brand, is the Gola Viper Sneakers in white and black. They seem like a comfortable pair of sneakers to wear just about everywhere in all four seasons, which is exactly what I look for in a pair of shoes as someone who owns pretty much three pairs of footwear.
Now for the comfy, everyday, tired school fits.
Amazon’s Women’s Oversized Navy Hoodie would be perfect for a comfortable cold-weather outfit on the days when I want literally nothing more than an extra hour of sleep. Along with this motif is the Women’s Fleece Lined Navy Sweatpants for a cute matching sweat set and another comfy cold-weather outfit.
Accessories
Recently, I’ve been trying to do more styling with my hair, whether it’s updos, accessories, or curling it. I’m on a persistent search for cute (and non-headache-giving) headbands that can be styled uniquely with different outfits, barrettes, and hair ties to make average hairstyles more elevated. Essentially, all of these are from Anthropologie, and they are the absolute best for all accessory needs.
Firstly are Anthropologie’s Florette Scrunchies in raspberry and Faux-Leather Flower Hair Ties in pink. Both are simple hair ties or scrunchies that come with an adorable attached flower in varying colors, and they immediately make a simple ponytail infinitely cuter.
As I’ve been progressing slowly through Gossip Girl, I’ve grown an affinity for Blair Waldorf’s signature season one headbands. She has a headband for virtually every look, and seeing the range of headbands and hair accessories she wears has inspired me to stray from my boring, plain black headband staple. The first, in true Blair fashion, is a set of bejeweled headbands in navy and silver, and it is Anthropologie’s Jewel Headbands. The second is something that Blair likely wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, but as myself, I find it adorable, and it’s Anthropologie’s Gold Western Metal Headband. It seems cute for a nice summery, beachy vibe to wear out and about.
I’ve also been wanting to wear more French twists once I can finally learn to perfect them, so of course, the perfect accessory for this is Amazon’s Camila Paris French Twist Stick. The next, also from Amazon, is a cute multicolor block scarf to finally replace my aging knitted one that I’ve used since I was a kid. I would love a Yatemiole Women’s Cashmere Scarf in any pattern because they’re all so cute.
Jewelry
I own plenty of jewelry, too much even for my preferences, but I somehow wear the same necklace and pair of earrings every day and have long resigned from wearing rings or bracelets. For 2025, however, I vow to wear a different necklace at least once a week.
As an exclusively gold jewelry wearer, I’ve been looking for more cute customizable necklaces. I’ve always found jewelry with my name on it a bit tacky, but Baublebar’s Custom Bubble Letter Necklace might just be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. My name in bubble letters is never something I’ve desired before, but the second I saw this necklace, I knew I had to make it come true, so that’s my Christmas wish (even if it would arrive after Christmas, don’t worry, I don’t mind).
I always fidget with my hands when I’m bored, which usually involves chipping off my nail polish and pushing back my cuticles, so for the time being that I had a spinny ring, I really enjoyed it. However, that ring was in silver, and after my switch to entirely gold jewelry, it didn’t transfer over to my everyday use. So my wish for this year is for a gold spinny ring to fidget with while I’m bored or nervous, like the Gold Plated Spinner Ring from Amazon.
I also have been looking for more jade-incorporated jewelry, and despite its unfortunate lack of spin, the Chunky Jade Gemstone ring from Amazon is still cute and has an adorable pattern and design.
Fashion Design
I’ve been a lot more into fashion design and sewing over the past year, especially after making my Winterfest dress with my mom from a cute vintage pattern. I recently bought the fabrics to make another dress, likely one I would wear to prom, and the only problem is that the design I have is entirely in my head. I’ve been looking for more tools to do sketches as an artistically challenged individual and to put the ideas in my head onto paper.
The most expensive item on this list by far, and the most desired, is an iPad. Yes, I’m well aware it’s an unreasonable and out-of-budget gift, but ever since Mariah Carey’s voice serenaded me on November 1, it has been the top presence in my mind when I think of Christmas. I would obviously be content with any iPad model, but I’m looking for one that is compatible with an Apple pen or stylus so I can make easier and more in-depth sketches and have a portable device to bring around that works better for my writing that’s lighter than my eight-pound laptop. The ideal iPad for me would be the iPad 10th Generation in yellow.
A cheaper alternative to this that I want almost equally so is a sketchbook. Not a plain sketchbook, however, due to the aforementioned artistic struggles. I’m looking for a sketchbook with premade models inside, so all I have to attempt is the dress silhouettes and styles to ease me into it. Amazon’s Essentials Fashion Sketchbook seems like a good sketchbook for beginners to practice designs on premade figures.
Along with this, I would like a set of colored pencils. Not just any set but a 180-colored pencil set to encompass every color I could possibly dream of. I am particular about shades, and the KALOUR 180 Colored Pencil Set seems absolutely perfect.
This year, I am straying from my typical holiday asks and trying to find a way to incorporate my own wants and style against the grain of trends to be more individualistic. This likely doesn’t even scratch the surface of my expansive Christmas list, so if anyone is looking to buy me presents, my Amazon list has much much more, and I will always be ready with a mental list for anyone who asks.
