Explore unique gift ideas for your girlfriend or wife for Christmas and other special occasions. This one-of-a-kind guide has a ton of variously cute, thoughtful, romantic and food-related gifts for her.
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In Search of Thoughtful Gift Ideas for Your Significant Other
Looking for a thoughtful gift for your girlfriend or wife? The options below are meant to spark inspiration for great gifts for her for Christmas, a birthday, or another special occasion.
The nice thing about the brands below is that they offer the promise of gift ideas for your girlfriend or wife that have a great story behind it.
Cute Clothing and Jewelry Gifts for Your Girlfriend
While I began Modern Fellows to get to know stylish men’s online clothing companies, over time, I’ve also had a chance to explore amazing online women’s clothing stores and boutiques. (I’ve found many of these brands while exploring stylish women’s clothing gifts for my wife for Christmas over the years.)
The women’s clothing brands below are great places to start for stylish gifts for her, offering everything from sustainably-produced knit sneakers to fresh takes on everything from capsule pieces for professional closets to denim, sweaters, swimwear, socks and more. (You can also get a hand in picking out stylish clothing gifts from brands like Wantable and Trunk Club.)
- Wantable is an online try-before-you-buy service that allows users to leverage a personal stylist to curate “edits,” a collection of clothing tailored to your needs. Wantable is an excellent option for getting some help with your gift-giving. Enter in your significant other’s sizes and preferences, and let them provide suggestions. See my review to see why I think Wantable is worth a try.
- Pamela Love makes striking and unique jewelry for women. The native New Yorker’s modern and edgy jewelry spans everything from a cowrie shell pendant with an opal inlay to a stunning braided Treccia diamond ring.
- Boden specializes in extremely fashionable and not-outrageously-priced modern takes on British fashion. They shine with both work and casual clothing for women. And they will send you an actual, honest-to-goodness physical paper catalog in the mail if you ask for it. Boden has been my go-to destination for unique clothing gifts for my wife. I’ve bought everything from funky dresses to colorblock cashmere sweaters to Boden’s signature striped Bretons as Christmas gifts for my wife. Their snail-mail catalogs provide inspiration if you’re sick of clicking and scrolling online.
- M. M. Lafleur is the brainchild of Sarah Lafleur and co-founders Narie Foster and Miyako Nakamura. I really like this innovative fashion startup, which has been recommended to me as a great gift option for my wife by several friends for its uncomplicated, can’t-go-wrong selection of work dresses, suits, separates and much more. The company has developed into a truly omnichannel retailer, combining its sleek online presence with M. M. Lafleur showrooms in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York City’s Bryant Park, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
- Faherty is one of my favorite options for elevated smart and business casual outfits for women (and men too). Faherty Co-Founder Alex Faherty suggests trying their Legend Sweater Shirt or a cozy sweater as a first item to try. Read my review of Faherty for more background about the sustainable fashion brand.
- Aday is part of the technical fabric craze, offering “consciously-designed” “season-less wardrobe staples” made of performance fabrics with free shipping and returns. See my separate guide to professional and business casual work wear made from technical fabrics for more gift options.
- Ande Swim is the Warby Parker of women’s swimwear, letting women try on bathing suits at home.
- Argent, founded by Millennial entrepreneurs Sali Christeson and Eleanor Turner, focuses on “smart, versatile, vibrant suits and separates” for women.
- Black Halo – Designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, Black Halo features a range of fashion-forward dresses, tops, skirts and pants.
- Cuyana specializes on “timeless apparel and accessories for the modern woman.” Founded in 2011 by Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah,the direct-to-consumer brand focuses on foundational, business casual pieces featuring premium fabrics and attention to detail.
- Grana – Based in Hong Kong, Grana focuses on “modern essentials” for women including tanks, camisoles, shirts, blouses, jeans, pants, joggers, dresses, cardigans, tees and coats made from luxury fabrics including Mongolian cashmere, Peruvian Pima cotton, Australian Tencel and Chinese Silk.
- Modern Citizen is “on its way to becoming the next big direct-to-consumer fashion brand,” according to Glamour,
- Nora Gardner, who founded her eponymous label after graduating from Georgetown University and a career on Wall Street, makes seriously stunning professional power dresses for women.
- Ravella advertises that it makes the “the perfect silk blouse,” along with soft and silky essentials like luxury cashmere scarfs, sweaters, wraps and coats.
- Summersalt features designer swimwear without designer prices. Founded by Lori Coulter and Reshma Chamberlin, Glamour observes that Summersalt “favors comfort over sexiness.”
- Thredup – Founded by Chris Homer, Oliver Lubin and James Reinhart in 2009, this San Francisco-based startup has become the largest consignment shop in the world and boasts a fantastic selection of new-to-you clothing for women.
- Nordstrom isn’t just another department store; its style consultants can help you identify interesting brands and stylish clothing options for your significant other.
- Allbirds is a fabulous gift option for sustainably-produced knit sneakers made from merino wool.
Thoughtful Romantic Gifts for Your Girlfriend
The online destinations in this section offer sentimental and romantic gifts destined to tug at your girlfriend’s heartstrings. (If sexy is what you’re after, scroll down some more.)
- LoveBook has a simple mission to spread love and build closer relationships. The Rochester, Michigan-based small business allows you to create personalized, bound books to express feelings. Their four co-founders started the company as a part-time business, and have grown Lovebook into a global small business. A LoveBook is an exceptionally personal and unique gift idea for your girlfriend that is sure to melt her heart.
- Mapiful makes gorgeous, Scandinavian design-inspired custom maps to tell your personal story. For a thoughtful gift for your girlfriend, try making her a custom map of her hometown or where you met.
- minted, the photography, stationary and gift site, is a fantastic destination for a range of thoughtful gifts for your girlfriend, including this personalized photo collage puzzle. Take a look at the minted gift guide for more inspiration.
- Starry Maps lets you craft a custom night sky star map to celebrate an important date like your anniversary or a special birthday. The unique star maps can be printed on museum quality matte paper or on a canvas and highlight night-sky elements like the Milky Way and other star, planet and constellation names.
Travel, Experience and Staycation Gift Ideas for Her
- Masterclass offers unlimited access to hundreds of online courses from from photography classes with Annie Leibovitz to singing and performance with Alicia Keys from $15 per month.
- Airbnb Experiences is a great place to search for unique local excursions, lessons, classes and more from the Spies of Embassy Row in Washington DC to learning to fly above Los Angeles.
- Get Your Guide holds the promise of unforgettable gift ideas and experiences around the world from a trip to Muir Woods in San Francisco to a harbor sunset yacht cruise in Boston.
- Viator by TripAdvisor is another destination for unique staycation experiences and gifts from a voodoo walking tour in New Orleans to a historic house and carriage tour of Charleston.
- Airbnb Online Experiences provides a number of fun and unique online adventures from around the world from drumming meditation and African folks songs from Kenya to healing stress through art therapy from Spain.
Unique Gift Ideas for your Girlfriend
There are a handful of online stores that curate truly unique gifts for her. Browse these online options to spark ideas for one-of-a-kind gifts for your girlfriend or wife.
- Uncommon Goods has proven a consistently excellent source of unique gifts for me over the years. Dave Bolotsky founded the Brooklyn-based company in 1999 to offer a singularly unique source for birthday gifts as well as special occasions like Valentines Day and Christmas. I love Uncommon Goods’ physical catalogs and their curated holiday gift guides. Uncommon Goods also offers a curated guide to gifts for her.
- Always Fits promises “no more boring gifts.” From Schitt’s Creek greeting cards for grownups to funny oven mitts and dish towels to throwback toys and Parks and Rec coloring books, Always Fits offers tons of irreverent, endearing and unique gifts for your girlfriend.
- VIDA is an impressive global platform that connects creative artists and designers with manufacturers to offer unique gifts on-demand, including clothing and accessories. (Think handbags, silk scarves, and boyfriend tee-shirts, cellphone cases, yoga mats and large accent candles.) Get to know Vida through this interview with founder Umaimah Mendhro and explore Vida’s Black Lives Matter collection featuring Black artisans.
- Lovepop “is on a mission to create one billion magical moments.” The company, whose founders Cofounders Wombi Rose and John Wise took a turn on Sharktank, makes personalized 3D paper sculptures that can serve as a truly one-of-a-kind gift for your girlfriend or wife. Lovepop has an incredible array of themes including selections from the Star Wars, Disney and Marval universes, and offers a unique way to celebrate your girlfriend’s birthday, Christmas or Valentine’s Day.
- Tushy offers a bidet attachment and promises an “instant life upgrade” among other innovative products for your bathroom. Truly a unique gift!
Thoughtful Gift Ideas for your Foodie Girlfriend
- Buy your girlfriend a new cookbook and make a recipe from it for dinner. Try Aarti Paarti for accessible Indian dishes, Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for American standards, Black Girl Baking for updated takes on desserts and sweets, or The Cuban Table by Ana Sofia Pelaez.
- Food52 is an excellent destination for thoughtful gifts if your girlfriend likes to cook. Amanda Hesser, a baker, chef, and food writer, and food writer Merrill Stubbs co-founded Food52 to connect chefs, bakers and home kitchen enthusiasts. The site has an entire section dedicated to special gifts for cooks.
- Sur La Table offers online cooking classes for couples with themes like making sushi at hom, cooking with wine, Italian steakhouse, Indian cooking at home, and British baking high tea.
- Wine Insiders – Switch up your wine routine and get your girlfriend or wife a curated 6 bottle set of wines. Choose from options like California reds, the Best of France, grilling wines, fruity California whites and red-hot Chilean wines.
- Fly By Jing’s Sichuan Chili Crisp is life changing. Their Zhong Sauce, a combination of “fuzhi” soy sauce that is slow-brewed with brown sugar, mushrooms, garlic and a spice blend, is also amazing. I’m still waiting on my order of Fly By Jing’s frozen dumplings.
- Masterclass offers a number of culinary arts classes tacking food and beverages topics taught by the likes of famous chefs Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Gabriela Cámara. Spring for the annual subscription and start with the mixology course taught by Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana.
- Goldbelly is a unique gift option that brings unique foods from around the country to your girlfriend’s door. I first discovered Gold Belly while standing in line at Essa Bagels in New York City. My wife and I are from New York, and I love that I can order gifts for her that remind her of her childhood. Try a S’mores kit from S’moreology. Get $15 off your first Goldbelly purchase.
DIY and Craft Gifts for Her
The COVID19 pandemic brought out the creative side in many. Try these online options for really thoughtful crafting gifts and Do-It-Yourself projects for your girlfriend or wife.
- Lia Griffith is an outstanding destination for DIY projects and patterns along with helpful tutorials. Entrepreneur Lia Griffith started as a one-woman blogger before transitioning to a full-service digital native DIY and crafts store. Lia’s DIY crafts include everything from crepe paper flowers to felt and vinyl conversation heart strings to paper crafts and gorgeous stationary and greeting cards. This is chock-full of unique gift ideas to help your girlfriend discover her love of crafting.
- Crockd was founded by Aussies Rosa-Clare Willis and Andrew Ford. Their at-home pottery kits are designed to allow us to “disconnect from devices and connect with some thing real.”
- Knitcrate delivers soft, premium, gorgeously dyed yarns to your girlfriend’s door every month.
Sexy Gifts for Your Girlfriend
It can be a delicate balance in choosing an appropriately sexy gift for your girlfriend. The trick is to give her something that she wants, not something that you want. Try these direct-to-consumer brands for a range of sexy gift options for your girlfriend with that caveat in mind.
- Lunya is a pretty safe bet, offering a range of cozy and comfortable pajamas, robes, cardigans and sleep sets for women. Try their line of washable silk pajama sets for women.
- ThirdLove was founded in 2013 by Heidi Zak and David Spector with the goal of making “insanely comfortable bras, designed to fit perfectly.” Thirdlove is another pretty safe bet for lingerie given its focus on comfort and functionality.
- Anya Lust is an online destination for luxury lingerie, robes, nightwear, candles, literature and art and sensuality classes. Krystle Kotara founded Anya Lust in 2015 with a mission to “encourage women and couples to live passionately, love deeply, and be open to exploring new things.”
- Urban Outfitters has a range of sexy games amid its collection of “fun and games.”
- Victoria’s Secret – The mainstay of malls and mail-order catalogs is another option for lingerie, sleep, loungewear and more sexy gifts for your girlfriend or wife.
Plants and Flowers for Your Girlfriend
If all else fails, go with an old standby.
Plants Make a Surprisingly Great Gift
For the right person, a plant can be an extremely thoughtful gift. (My wife loves getting new green friends.) With proper care, plants last longer than a few days and can add to a room’s décor.
- ProFlowers allows you to sort plants perfect for low light or the office, and carries a range of bonsai, bamboo, money trees, succulents, and flowering plants including azaleas, bulbs, indoor gardens, calla lilies, mums, orchids, peace lilies and potted roses.
- Try The Bouqs Co. for quick delivery on green plants including tropical orchids, desert succulents, and cacti, which come packaged with cute pots.
- Floom‘s creative and unique arrangements extend to their plant collection.
- Urban Stems carriers a nice selection of orchids, succulents, cacti, wreaths, plants and gifts.
- The AeroGarden Indoor Hydroponic Garden (via Amazon) gets rave reviews and is a great option for growing herbs indoors year-round.
Flower Delivery
Flowers can be another nice touch, particularly if you are forced to be away from your girlfriend for the holidays. A number of great online brands can help you make an extremely thoughtful gesture.
- Floom is a great choice for creative and unique flower arrangements.
- The Bouqs Co. can deliver bouquet subscriptions.
- Urban Stems offers a range of gorgeous fresh and dried flower arrangements.
- 1800Flowers is an option for chocolates, sweets and teddy bears in addition to a wide array of flowers.
Pin Me Please: Gift Ideas for Her
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article about where to find gift ideas for your wife or girlfriend, I hope you’ll consider pinning the image below or sharing via your favorite social network. Thank you for your support.
About JakeJake is an expert on men’s style and fashion based in Washington, DC. He founded Modern Fellows in 2012 to get to know the entrepreneurs and innovative clothing and lifestyle brands helping men dress sharp in the digital age. He has published hundreds of articles on style and apparel, and regularly interviews small business CEOs and startup founders about industry trends. Jake has written about entrepreneurship, international business and fashion for outlets including Business Week, Forbes, Inc., Details Style Syndicate and Primer Magazine. |
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