#56: The 2024 Floss Gift Guide
Edible, wearable, keep-for-yourself-able.
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While watching other writers’ guides mount in my inbox, I—like, I imagine, many a fellow newsletter scribe—wondered whether it was worth adding to the pile.
Reluctance was assuaged by
, who wrote in the subhead of her email, aptly titled “This Gift Guide Will Not Save Democracy”: “we're not gonna shop our way to a better future but we can soothe ourselves while we plot and buy sharp objects.” I love giving gifts, and for as long as that’s the case, I think a well thought-out, albeit very aspirational, guide has a firm place on Floss’ yearly roster.
You know how much I like a wishlist, and below is essentially a more fleshed out version of mine, with an added dose of festive whimsy. There are laughably luxurious fashion buys; effortless food and beverage options; and plenty of home and kitchen objects for cosy season and beyond.
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The extreme cashmere n°35 bandana (several colours): I bought myself one in ‘moss’ last month and have been wanting more—they are the perfect thing to throw in your bag when it’s cold out. I have very sensitive skin around my neck, and haven’t experienced any irritation. Plus, they’re machine washable. If these are slightly too spenny for you, these merino ones are lovely at half the price, and this MHL one comes in a perfect red. Or, if you find the plain bandanas lacking in panache, consider this one from Evelyne De Clercq, with bells on.
For those in harsher winter climates who prefer to burrow in the cosy depths of their winter accessory (sometimes a bandana won’t do), I raise you the perfect suits-everyone scarf by Baserange; a tutti frutti stripe from Penelope Chilvers; and a red and navy stripe from Navygrey.
A beautiful cookbook from Akub chef Fadi Kattan: I’ve already dog-eared the slow-roasted lamb and labneh balls for holiday hosting.
Speaking of Akub, consider a bottle or two from Ashkar Winery, a family-run operation hailing from a Iqrit, a Palestinian Christian town in the Upper Galilee that was seized and depopulated by the Israeli military in 1948. I tasted the wines during a dinner, and they are delicious. The winery is now based in Kufur Yasif, where it was re-established in 2010 by second-gen Nemi Ashkar.
A Babaa sweater: few find fault with a good sweater. I’ve typed your ear off about Babaa, who make some of the most substantial, deliciously chunky options on the market. Their wool is sourced from the brand’s own sheep, shepherds and artisans in Northern Spain; both the colourways and silhouettes are fantastic, though do note that many styles are one size. My favourites include: the perfect turtleneck in a cool, almost-raspberry; the same style in a gravelly grey-brown; a slouchy v-neck in the first colour; a wild-card harlequin pattern with a festive bent.
David Mellor’s Odeon cutlery—my dream set.
An annual membership to an independent cinema: we love the Garden Cinema, where a membership will only set you back £20, and the Prince Charles, where you can even do a lifetime membership for £60.
Or, a library/ museum pass: Ivan is a fan of the London Library, which would be a great one for a fellow freelancer. If the recipient is an exhibition-goer I don’t think you can go wrong with a membership to their preferred institution, but you could alternatively introduce them to a place you think they’d enjoy: see London’s Garden Museum for the green thumbed, which is also home to a cute restaurant.
Or, a book/magazine subscription: see, Isolarii’s small but mighty pocket books (Ivan edits them so I am biased); Fitzcarraldo Editions’ packages (you can choose between fiction or essays, or opt for both); Juno Books’ feminist book box; Lutyens and Rubenstein’s year in books (available overall, for cookbooks, and for kids’ and babies’ books). On the magazine front, I would love physical copies of The New Yorker (the store says it’s sold out?); The Gentlewoman; The Paris Review; and Apartamento.
Or, a newsletter subscription: A brief self-promo for Floss—think about it, this way they might get you one of these gifts next year. But I also raise
(for your friend addicted to adding restaurants to their Google Maps); ’s The Review of Beauty (for the person looking to be truly de-influenced, not in the TikTok sense of the term); ’s The Best Bit (for home cooks who dream of countryside living).Other off-Substack options include Puck’s Line Sheet (for freelancers/ people who can’t expense Lauren Sherman’s weekly fashion industry gossip);
’s Old Fashioned for all things fashion history and joyful personal style; for the minimalist who is hard to buy for but loves a recommendation; ’s recently launched newsletter for chic travellers.I like the idea of coupling a virtual subscription with a book on the same/similar topic; it can feel strange informing someone of a present they can’t hold, and a book can both supplement and serve as the physical embodiment of your gifting spirit. Some pairings for the above: MFK Fisher for the food readers; Lauren and Chantal’s Selling Sexy for a Line Sheet double bill, etc.
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