This year, we are organizing our gift guide a little differently. We have created six style categories and selected items based on a few fashion philosophies. In our nearly ten years of doing this, we have learned that there is no universal style code. Just because someone is a mom (or a grandma) doesn't mean they only want delicate/small jewelry and just because someone is young, doesn't mean they want big statement pieces. A lot of people want a little bit everything. The everyday pieces, the special occasion pieces, the office pieces, the going out pieces, the "I'm branching out" pieces and so on. 

When people come into our store and ask for help with picking out a piece for someone, we always start by saying, "Tell me about their style."  Jewelry is a difficult thing to gift, because it is very personal. We are hoping this system helps you narrow it down a bit. 

Here are the categories and what they mean to us. We created these, knowing full well that most people fall into a few (or maybe none) of these. Please reach out if we can assist with narrowing down the selections. 

*click the title or photo to see each guide* 

THE MINIMALIST

This person has a "less is more" philosophy when it comes to style. They have a tightly curated closet and want all of the pieces they purchase to work in a variety of settings. They want an earring that works for the office, an evening out and a casual weekend outing. 

THE INNOVATOR

This person has a sense of adventure when it comes to style. They are willing to be the first (or only) person to experiment with a new look and they pull it off with such ease. Moments of style happen naturally for this one. 

THE ARTIST

This person likes a little abstraction in their personal style. They look for pieces with a deeper meaning or design reference. Their look doesn't have boundaries, if a piece speaks to them, they will add it to their collection and cherish it equally for appearance and story. 

THE ACHIEVER

This person has a strong sense of style but they need their collection to work double duty (or triple or quadruple?). They want pieces that express their personal aesthetic at work but then transition to an evening out with friends and then are still holding up (and not getting in the way) when they tuck their kids (or dogs) in at night. 

THE COLLECTOR

This person sees their closet as a "body of work". The pieces are functional, of course, but it's really about form more than function. The concept of "every day" doesn't really appeal to them, because every day is an opportunity to create a new look. To make a statement, to create a mood, to express themselves in a way that only fashion allows. Curation is fun and inspiring, collecting is a long term vision. 

THE CASUAL ONE

This person has a laid-back yet stead-fast sense of style. Confidence is achieved in a style that provides ease and comfort. Just because they aren't as driven to express themselves through fashion, doesn't mean they don't appreciate a beautifully made piece... as long as it's comfortable! 

 

Thank you so much for shopping small this season! Please (please!) come visit us in our Portland pop-up shop. We will be set up there all of December!