If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission. The term “white elephant” was first used in the 1800s in reference to a king of Siam, now modern-day Thailand. According to legend, he’d give rare albino pachyderms to unpleasant courtiers who couldn’t afford the animal’s upkeep—a grand gift in theory, but impossible to maintain in practice.
Now, white elephant gifting signifies a swap party, a fun exchange of items that range from fun and humorous to practical. Some have price caps, others have themes , but the gist remains the same: participants draw numbers and then, in turn, either select one of the wrapped gifts anonymously placed in a pile or steal one that was already opened. It definitely can get very competitive, depending on the selection, but everyone can rest assured that they won’t leave empty-handed.
Indeed, a white elephant party has gained praise for its blanketed “good for anyone” focus—especially when all involved bring practical goodies. When cooler months approach, it’s best to steal blankets, slippers, coffee mugs and hand warmers. In the summer, beach towels, sparkling wine, sunglasses and bucket hats are great options.
Regardless of season, it’s a great way to stock up on essentials. And if you need help finding selects to wrap up and put in a pile, we’ve gathered 25 white elephant gifts—all of them grand and certainly easy to maintain. Long-distance traveling can leave us dehydrated, stressed and tired.
For the world traveler in your life, Nue Co. has created an idiosyncratic formula to alleviate some of that—with a special blend of green cardamom, bergamot, cilantro and palo santo. Spray these sustainably-sourced ingredients on pulse points when you’re feeling stressed, and with 30 minutes, the connection between cognitive function and your olfactory system will activate, impacting your emotional state for the better.
Buy Now on Nue Co. : $95 Hats are often an overlooked accessory, but for those that love them, the shape, style, and color options can be endless. For the hat wearer in your life who seemingly has every style, here’s something fashionable and functional.
Jacquemus has unveiled a suite of cool hats for all seasons, with the Le Bob Artichaut hat topping our list. It features a large brim with a frayed edge, the brand’s name above the forehead and an adjustable drawstring chin strap. Buy Now on Mytheresa: $140 Pop Art Style is a perfect library addition for the art lover in your life.
Penned by Robb Report’s own Julie Belcove, the title details enticing stories from the art world, when creators like Andy Warhol ruled the scene. From the first wave to its recent impact on today’s era of product development, social media and more, the tome perfectly illustrates the lasting appeal of Pop Art. Buy Now on Assouline: $94 This set of highballs from Maximilian Eicke’s label MAX ID NY is truly other-wordly.
Part of the Ghost collection, these blue glasses feature a solid base and geometrically-designed sides that are equally parts edgy and fancy. Ideal for the new homeowner in your life, this gift will truly bring new life to a cocktail. Buy Now on MAX ID NY: $96 In 2004, Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz founded the apothecary and skincare company MALIN+GOETZ.
Aimed to provide uncomplicated skincare for everyday users, they set out to make a line that was clean, streamlined and effective. Over the years, they have consistently sold out their top products, most of which have remained unchanged since their launch over 18 years ago. Now, they’ve combined all these products into a collection of minis.
For the hotel hopper in your life (who rarely uses low-quality products while traveling), the set—housed in recyclable aluminum tubes—includes a grapefruit cleanser, a vitamin E face moisturizer, a bergamot hand and body wash, vitamin B5 body moisturizer, peppermint shampoo and a cilantro conditioner. Buy Now on Malin and Goetz: $34 We all have a friend that never carries cash. Whether it’s a night out at the bar or a day of shopping, they’re always reaching for a card.
Enter Montblanc’s Meisterstück wallet—the perfect white elephant gift for the man that just needs the bare minimum before walking out the door. Buy Now on Mr Porter: $180 Dainty and simple yet bold and unique, the Mejuri’s beaded ring will excite any minimalist. But if they chose to change their MO and pile of the bling, they can easily get more of these these 14K gold rings and stack them.
Buy Now on Mejuri: $98 Taking a day trip typically requires minimal packing; all that’s needed is a compact bag to fill all the essentials. Longchamp’s iconic Le Pilage bag is perfect for this scenario. It’s a light, foldable canvas bag that features a leather strap and trim, two flat pockets and a zipped and snap closure.
Buy Now on Longchamp: $155 Everybody loves a vibrant bouquet of flowers, but not all of us are home enough to appreciate them. For the homebody who loves to spend their weeknights and weekends chilling on their couch, we’re loving Baccarat’s crystal Flora Biseau Bud vase. Weighing over a solid pound, the vertical beveled-cut item is a gorgeous gift for those that want to rest in a cozy place filled with florals.
Buy Now on Saks Fifth Avenue: $190 Typically known for its chic garments and accessories, Prada has ventured into the market of functional workout gear. For the gym buddy who motivates you and keeps you focused, we recommend a white elephant gift that can keep them hydrated in style: the Prada 350 ml stainless steel water bottle. With an exterior embossed logo, the black bottle features a snap-hook and removable ring, thermic properties and a screw-on lid.
Buy Now on Prada: $120 Applying makeup on the go has never been easier than it is today, with mini products, travel cases and makeup mirrors. For the makeup artist who has everything, we’re highlighting the unisex Givenchy Les Accessories Couture lipstick case. Available in ten hues and three styles with the brand’s name on its cover, the leather case is adorned with a 4G emblem and silver-toned metal rivets.
Buy Now on Saks Fifth Avenue: $15 If you’ve recently moved to a cooler climate, getting used to freezing temperatures is a new experience. For the new winter warrior in your life, someone who commutes outdoors or wants to keep cozy on a cold night out, Loro Piana’s baby cashmere gloves are a luxurious treat. Made in Italy, the plain-knit gloves, available in four colors, are inspired by the brand’s dedication to tailoring, featuring a ribbed trim with leather.
Buy Now on Mr Porter: $525 Founded by the L. A. -based husband-and-wife duo Yves Spinelli and Dwyer Kilcollin in 2010, Spinelli Kilcollin has garnered attention for its eye-catching conjoined stacked ring style, each held together with circular connectors.
For your best friend who’s bold and expressive, we’re loving the Solarium ring, which features thin-gauged bands and connectors made of sterling silver. Buy Now on Moda Operandi: $960 For the host with the most, we recommend gifting Gucci’s oval tray. Crafted from white Richard Ginori porcelain, it features the brand’s Herbarium motif—a whimsical touch on toile de jouy.
Inspired by a vintage fabric, the piece is designed to be a serving dish or tray, welcoming guests into your abode with style and class. Buy Now on Gucci: $360 We can’t all have a green thumb, which is why faux options exist. But if you want the real deal, Birds of Paradise, a plant native to South Africa, is easy to care for.
This option can stand one-to-five feet out of the box, and only needs minimal sunlight and watering. Buy Now on Amazon: $66 The Revlon Salon one-step hair dryer and volumizer hot brush is an incredibly effective, at-home blowout solution for both men and women. Available in two colors, the tool features a nylon pin and tufted bristle brush head styler at the end of a six-foot power cord.
With three settings and powered with over a thousand watts, it is the next best thing to going to an actual salon. Buy Now on Ulta: $65 Being a home parent means trekking around the house with unlimited responsibilities. For the dad that does it all, a trusty slipper shoe with both comfort and outdoor functionality is necessary.
Capturing these qualities is a pair of fluffy mules from limited-edition collaboration between Toms and Krost. With a textile upper and a RMAT outsole, the slide-on shoe is available in two colors and benefits Peace First—an organization that supports young people around the globe who lead social change with digital tools, community support and start-up funding. Buy Now on Toms: $70 Fragrance brand Le Labo, has recently teamed up with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to create a special limited-edition, hand-poured candle.
Made up of 62 ingredients, it marries the visual arts and the world of luxury scents. On its exterior, art patrons can appreciate a painting from 1908 entitled Underneath the Cork Oaks by Henri-Edmond Cross. Buy Now on The Met Museum Store: $92 For a friend that recently had a baby or got married, wearing an initial of the new perion in their life is a comforting sentiment.
Oscar de la Renta’s gold-plated necklace, dotted with tiny Swarovski crystals, offers every letter of the alphabet and is designed to dangle on a long chain. Buy Now on Net-A-Porter: $250 Over the years, camera technology has grown to unimaginable heights. Leica—a leading brand in the world of both tradition and contemporary advancements—knows that leap well, and has balanced its new-age approach with collaborations fit for cool cats.
For the photography buff in your life, we’re shining light on the brand’s latest limited-edition camera made in collaboration with A Bathing Ape and Stash. Limited to 1,850 pieces worldwide, the urban D-Lux 7 model features a camouflage foil exterior and a 17-megapixel sensor camera with 4K post-focus modes and video recording. Buy Now on Leica: $1,895 Entitled “The Milk of Dreams,” Illy’s latest line of espresso and cappuccino cups, which celebrates 30 years of the company’s Art Collection series, was curated by Cecilia Alemani, who sourced images from the 2022 Venice Biennale.
They include works by Giulia Cenci, Felipe Baeza, Precious Okoyomon, Aki Sasamoto, Cecilia Vicuña and Alexandra Pirici. Buy Now on Illy: $90 The California-based jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche gained early acclaim thanks to names like Rihanna and Beyoncé. For your friend who wears the same jewelry day after day and never takes it off, we recommend her finger bracelet, featuring one small bezel diamond at its center.
Available in three sizes in either 14K yellow, rose or white gold, the piece is an iconic addition to the jewelry box. It’s definitely for headliners. Buy Now on Jacquie Aiche: $650 There’s always that one guest at a shindig that corals everyone together, raising their glass to toast to whatever is being celebrated.
They are often the life of the party, the master of ceremonies with a bubbly personality that never fails to entertain. Similar sentiments could be said of this delicious rosé chamagange from Krug. Indeed, they’ll definitely appreciate raising their glass with this drink inside.
Buy Now on Reserve Bar: $420 Who better to influence our style choices than Beyonce? Recently, Queen Bey wore Oscar & Frank Made in Japan sunglasses, a style that features, rubber-coated screws and anti-reflective inner lens coated to prevent rear glare. The latter will coming in handy, because this design deserves to be in the spotlight. Buy Now on Oscar and Frank: $230 The UN- and CFDA-backed label Brother Vellies was founded by Aurora James in 2013 to preserve artisanal craftsmanship in Africa.
Recently, it launched its Bodega line, featuring a collection of small-batch goods from around the world, including wooden combs, ceramic jewelry dishes, silk scarves, woven bags and more. For the early bird in your life, we’d recommend gifting the brand’s At Home mug—handmade in Oaxaca, Mexico by female ceramicists—which will make a great addition to your morning routine. Buy Now on Brother Vellies: $35.
From: robbreport
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