Gifts for the Friend With the Most Delightfully Weird Wardrobe
Some people get dressed. Your friend gets dressed on purpose, usually in something that makes strangers stop them on the sidewalk. Beige basics would be an insult. Shop for them like the walking art project they are.
The Cat Sweater That Watches You
A cream knit with one very fluffy cat stretched across the front, complete with beady little eyes that seem to follow the room. It is equal parts cozy and slightly unnerving, which is exactly the energy your friend runs on.
Buyers say it feels soft, survives repeat wears and washes without looking tired, and gets stopped for compliments constantly. It comes in a long size run (XXS through 4X) and several versions, including one with a dog, so you can match the critter to the person.
Style it with: a black midi skirt and a crossbody bag, so the cat gets all the attention.
Custom Pet Face Socks
Is there anything funnier than wearing your dog on your ankles? Probably not. You upload a photo of their pet (sneak one off their social feed, nobody needs to know) and the face gets printed all over a pair of crew socks.
One buyer who ordered them as a Father’s Day present said the photo still looked sharp once the socks were stretched on, which is the real test. There are dozens of colors and backgrounds, from paw prints to bones, so cat people are covered too.
Secret Garden Watch
Tiny pigeon. Fluttering butterfly. A whole patch of daisies, all living under the glass of a watch face with a sparkly rim. Checking the time turns into a little nature break.
It reads as storybook rather than costume, so it works with a plain sweater just as well as with a floral everything look. A gift buyer noted it looked exactly like the photos and the recipient was thrilled, which is about all you can ask of a present.
Best for: the friend who owns more than one cottagecore dress and isn’t sorry.
Fake Sandal Socks
Socks with sandals is a fashion crime. Socks that look like sandals, printed with painted toenails and all, are a loophole. From a few steps away it seems like your friend is barefoot in strappy flip-flops in the middle of November.
They come as a trio of different designs, which makes them easy to split up for a sock swap or a white elephant table. One reviewer brought them to an office sock exchange and reported that everyone found them hilarious. Expect the same reaction at brunch.
Feather Slap Bracelets
Remember slap bracelets? These grew up and joined a cabaret. Snap one around each wrist over a long-sleeve top or dress and you get dramatic feathered cuffs in about two seconds.
People have worn them to weddings, for Halloween costumes and again on New Year’s Eve. Fair warning, a few feathers may drift off over the night. Your friend will call that a trail of glamour.
Style it with: a plain white blouse, so the cuffs look like they were part of the design all along.
Sardine Tin Makeup Bag
For the tinned fish devotee, a cosmetics pouch shaped like a can of sardines, right down to a pop-top pull ring on the corner. It holds lipsticks, brushes or travel toiletries and makes everyone at the airport security bin do a double take.
A buyer described the stitching and printing as sturdy, and said it slid neatly into a gift basket of fancy conservas. That’s a gift idea in itself. There are several colorways, so pick the label that best suits their personality.
Wrap any of these in plain brown paper. The gift is already loud enough.
