With the joy of holiday celebrations comes the task — sometimes stressful— of finding the perfect presents.
From candles and towels for the self-care enthusiast to a storage-space subscription and framing service for the friend with lofty resolutions, these gifts from alumni companies will cover all of your bases. Read on for ideas that are sure to bring the holiday cheer and earn you a few brownie points along the way.
For the Woman on the Move
Garni
We all have that someone in our lives who never slows down, going from the office to the party to the airport without missing a beat. Make her life easier with tights by Garni, founded by Elina Tunyan ’17, who aims to make classic tights more durable, comfortable, and contemporary. The tights come in three variations: Tightly-Knit, a darker, opaque look; the more classic, sheer Air-Spun; and On the Grid, a fishnet pair. Tunyan swears they’re as comfy as yoga pants, so if your gift’s a hit, bulk package options are available. Columbia Business School alumni can score 15 percent off any item with the code CBS15. ($32 – $33; trygarni.com)
For the One Whose Nose Knows
Scentbird
It can be daunting to shop for the noncommittal person who is always looking for the next best thing – but fear not. Scentbird, by Rachel ten Brink ’01, is a perfume and cologne subscription service that sends your recipient a new fragrance of their choosing every month. Subscribers pick their scent from more than 450 fragrances and the travel-sized bottles are sent straight to their home. Scentbird has a service for both men and women, and the complete order customization ensures everyone will be — and stay — happy with their gift. ($14.95 per month; scentbird.com)
For the One
The Clear Cut
Looking to pop the question and make this the most memorable holiday season of them all? The Clear Cut, founded by Kyle Simon ’17, can help. The Clear Cut offers one-on-one consultations to guide you through the process of buying a diamond ring, from choosing the diamond to designing the perfect setting for your taste and budget. Getting started is as easy as scheduling a call through the site’s homepage with co-founder Olivia Landau, a diamond expert and jeweler certified by the Gemological Institute of America. The company prides itself on staying “clear” with its customers by sourcing diamonds from wholesalers to get the best quality stones at the fairest prices. (Prices vary; theclearcut.co)
For the Person Who Prefers Mood Lighting
Otherland
Bring light into a friend’s life with a candle from Otherland, founded by Abigail Stone ’16 and Sayyid Markar ’16. Otherland brings a fresh twist to candles with artfully designed packaging and unique scents like Cardamom Milk or Sun Suede. The site offers a dedicated gift page to make sending candles a breeze. All you need to do is choose between a one- or three-pack of your desired scents, select a matchbox with a special greeting, and write a note, all of which gets put together in beautiful packaging – for free – and mailed to someone special. Gifting doesn’t get much easier than that. ($36 for one candle, $89 for a three-pack; otherland.com)
For the Sentimental Decorator
Level Frames
Josh Hubball ’05 created Level Frames to make framing and creating keepsakes effortless through a convenient online service. Just upload an image to the site and customize your frame to gift someone with a ready-to-hang memory. The frames come in a wide variety of finishes and styles, from tabletop frames to hanging collage frames that can hold up to five images. Have a music fanatic in your life? There are even custom-matted frames for displaying vinyl records. (Starting at $48; levelframes.com)
For the Doting Host
Weezie Towels
Have someone on your list who takes pride in being the host with the most? A set of fluffy, monogramed towels has their name on it – literally. Weezie by Lindsey Johnson ’18, offers luxe towels that can be embroidered for a practical yet thoughtful present. The towels come in sizes ranging from washcloths to bath sheets, and there’s even a clever navy towel just for removing makeup without leaving stains. A starter pack of four bath towels and two hand towels makes for a generous gift, or you can opt for a gift card. (Starting at $20; weezietowels.com)
For the Back-to-Basics Guy
Mack Weldon
Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest, and Brian Berger ’03, founder of Mack Weldon, agrees. Mack Weldon is a retailer of men’s basics like underwear, socks, and undershirts, elevated to suit the deserving guy in your life. The brand is obsessed with fabric and fit, and every piece is designed with functionality and comfort in mind. If you’re looking for something less intimate, not to worry, the company has plenty of other gift-worthy items like scarves, travel bags, gloves, and hats. (Starting at $14.50; mackweldon.com)
For the Cork-Popping Connoisseur
13th & Third Wines
Nothing warms the spirit and brings people together like a good bottle of wine, especially one from 13th & Third Wines by Julie Bonne Rothberg ’07 and her husband, Gregg. The company crafts small lots of Rhône varietal wines out of Paso Robles, California, and offers a selection of reds, whites, and rosés. The company also offers membership options that will deliver biannual shipments with 12 or six bottles of your choosing. ($28 – $62; 13andthirdwines.com)
For the Organizer
MakeSpace
Give the gift of space this year to the person who always has organization on their to-do list. MakeSpace is a storage company founded by Rahul Gandhi ’10 that offers more than just a place to put your things. In addition to providing a storage locker, the company picks up whatever you want to store (the first pickup is free), provides free bins to pack in, offers an app that allows you to view every item you’ve stored, and delivers your items when you want them back. Plus, the monthly rent on each unit is guaranteed never to go up. (Prices vary; makespace.com)