The timeless Christmas gift guide

In partnership with Vanish

When it comes to Christmas gifts, few presents are more timeless or purposeful than vintage ones. Giving second-hand items a second lease of life is one of the most sustainable and meaningful ways to shop. With sustainability very much at the forefront of our minds, I thought I'd share how I've been making my Christmas shopping more sustainable.

For years the festive season was my favourite time of the year to shop, heading in-store and online to find the best gifts for loved ones and slowly ticking off my Christmas list with new-in and newly-made pieces.

But, over the past few years, I've become really focused on buying less and buying better. With overconsumption very much at the forefront of my mind, I've been investing in more intentional pieces both in my wardrobe and my home.

So, buying Christmas gifts for the sake of buying Christmas gifts just didn't sit right with me. I've always been intentional and well researched with my gifts but it still felt wasteful. I spoke with my family about it three years ago and instead of buying gifts for everyone we now do a secret Santa each year, setting a budget in advance and sticking to it. It's been so eye-opening and quite a fun new-ish tradition to look forward to instead of being torn financially and ethically in several directions in the effort to find the perfect gift. 

Astonishingly, the UK spends an estimated £700 million each Christmas on unwanted presents, with £42 million worth of those ending up in landfills. So every small thing you can do helps!

Shopping second-hand is a really easy and accessible way to make your gifting more sustainable as you're not only keeping the already made and manufactured item in use you'll likely also be supporting a small business or charity - if you're shopping in-store at your local charity shop.

For a more considered, less consumerist Christmas scaling back, shopping smaller and secondhand is a great place to start.

If, like me, you're looking to be more intentional with your gifting this Christmas I've combed the best vintage and second-hand sites - think, Open For Vintage, Cudoni and HEWI - curating a vintage gift guide that's got something for everyone - at every price point. From vintage Chanel bags to Gucci belts and everything in between.