Something Borrowed, Never New: a Gift Guide
Hello!
Thank you for being a part of the Something Borrowed, Never New community! ‘Tis the season of over-consumption! Our inboxes are already flooded with Black Friday messaging deals that do not address the overproduction, overconsumption, and waste created. There is no shame in shopping deals for necessities that are otherwise inaccessible. However, if you are shopping just to “shop the sales” consider the environmental and social impact a purchase can have.
So, if you are shopping this season, consider gifts that give back, or help reduce waste. Do so before Black Friday or afterward on Giving Tuesday, and use your consumer power to signal to brands what you value. I know that this can feel overwhelming, and it can be time-consuming to hunt down secondhand items or more sustainably minded options. That’s where the Something Borrowed, Never New gift guide comes in!
Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge that it’s a little conflicting to preach about the importance of reducing consumption, and also sharing a gift guide. However, I also know that Christmas won’t be canceled just because of a climate crisis. I do believe there are ways to be conscious about your consumer choices, while still celebrating the people and holidays you love.
You can use your purchasing power to stand behind brands that are doing something positive for people and the planet. Consider shopping small or from a woman or BIPOC-owned company. Let’s de-stigmatize gifting something secondhand. I recently received a Ganni handbag my friends purchased on TheRealReal, and I love it even more because of it! Last week’s issue has a list of brands currently offering resale on their own sites. Poshmark is even calling Sunday the 27th, Secondhand Sunday! Vintage gifts are unique and one of a kind. There are plenty of consumable gifts that combat food waste and support regenerative agriculture, or maybe it’s not even a physical item at all, and you make a donation or plant a tree in someone’s honor.
If you want help sourcing a specific secondhand, vintage, or value-focused gift please reach out! Otherwise, here are some of my favorite ideas for this gifting season:
Home, Kitchen, Cooking, & Cocktails
Supernatural Cleaners Starter Kit- use this link for $25 off! - I use these in our home and have gifted the set as well. The cleaners are derived from essential oils with no toxic chemicals and are in refillable glass bottles that are beautiful enough to leave out on the counter.
Avaline Wine Holiday set- A bottle of wine is a perfect host gift for holiday parties, plus it’s always smart to have on hand if hosting yourself. What I like about Avaline is they use all organic grapes, and work with growers who prioritize sustainability practices. Looking for a non-boozy alternative? My favorite is a Ghia spritz!
Atelier Saucier Reusable Napkins- Made from deadstock fabrics, any of their patterns would be a beautiful addition to a tablescape. I’ve been gifted cloth napkins and use them daily and for entertaining!
Artifact Uprising- I love the photo block prints as a gift, you can select 10 of your favorite memories to be printed, plus the wooden block is crafted from reclaimed fallen pine. Makes a great wedding or new baby gift.
Vintage Apron- I love this colorful option on Etsy. Cute idea: get a vintage apron embroidered and make it more personal.
One: Pot, Pan, Planet Cookbook- Anna Jones shares recipes that are easy to prepare and that keep sustainability at the center of every dish. With a quick Google search, you can find numerous copies of this cookbook at secondhand book shops.
Papier Custom Stationery- I love sending handwritten notes for thank yous, birthdays or just to send my love. Papier is my go-to for custom notes with cute designs that are also all FSC(Forest Stewardship Council ) certified. Use my link for $15 off your first order
Big Picture Farm Caramels- The sweetest goat farm making *award-winning* caramels. As an Animal-Welfare-Approved farm, the health and happiness of their animals is at the center of the farm and its products. Seriously so delicious, and would be cute stocking stuffers (They even have cbd ones). Meet their goats!
1960s Smoky Blue Cocktail Glasses- I received vintage martini glasses for our wedding and they are a chic addition to any bar. Cheers!
Smile Farms Hot Sauce- Heat with Heart™ hot sauce is composed entirely of peppers grown by Smile Farmers with different abilities. Michael considers himself a spice connoisseur, and gives these a stamp of approval!
Deadstock Baggu bag- I’m sure everyone you know already has a tote bag, but what I love about Baggu is that they fold up small enough to fit in even the tiniest mini purse, so you always have a reusable bag with you.
Vintage Ashtray- Smoking is no longer on-trend, but a vintage ashtray to hold your jewelry and trinkets is. RLT has a few cute options.
Recycled Glass Pitcher- A pitcher which can double as a vase, and that is a work of art on its own. Sustainably hand-blown in Oaxaca using recycled glass from local villages. Link for $10 off
Zero Acre Cultured Oil- As Zero Acre puts it, “Cultured oil has a lower environmental impact and offers a scalable solution to the issues caused by vegetable oils.” It uses 99% less water than olive oil and comes in aluminum packaging which is indefinitely recyclable.
Pasta Kit with City Saucery - City Saucery uses “ugly” tomatoes that are either too ripe, bruised, or oddly shaped, their sauces are not only delicious but also fight food waste.
Fashion & Beauty
Thousand Fell Sneakers- 97% of shoes end up in a landfill. To avoid adding to that statistic, Thousand Fell takes back worn sneakers and recycles them to use the materials for future sneakers. Use code HILLIARYL15 for a discount
Hyer Goods x Panache Croissant bucket bag or Luxe mini bag- Hyer Goods uses Better Leather, the quality materials leftover from the production and manufacturing process. If in New York, visit their recently opened pop-up at 134 W 29th Street! I have a mini square Hyer Goods bag and get compliments every time I wear her!
Squard Away Classic Square- 20% of all proceeds go back to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Use code HILLIARY15 for 15% off sitewide
Ganni Nylon Crossbody Bag- This everyday wear Ganni bag makes a great gift, I found this one on Poshmark to support Secondhand Sunday! Use Code HILLIARYB for $10 off
KraveBeauty Waste Me Not Matcha Body Wash- Along with achieving clear skin (something Krave has personally helped me to do), KraveBeauty’s mission is to reduce waste in the beauty industry. Their Matcha Body Wash came from pilot productions of their face wash—instead of throwing it out, they turned it into this new shower favorite.
Saie Every Body Dew Balm- An exclusive from their The Every Body Campaign in support of reproductive justice. $10 off here
Ilia Lip Gift Set- Clean beauty brand Ilia is offering a holiday set from Credo. When you finish any beauty products, bring back the empties to Credo to be recycled.
aNY Bag- The responsible bag is made from plastic bags which otherwise would have been landfilled. Celebrities are just like us and love this bag too!
Dieux Reusable Eye Masks- A reusable alternative to the single-use sheet mask. Just add your favorite serum!
Kate Mcleod Essential Set - Their body stones are 100% vegan, and in beautiful gift-worthy packaging which is also plastic-free and zero-waste.
Coyuchi Waffle Robe- The coziest GOTS organic certified + Made Safe Certified robe. Coyuchi prioritizes circular initiatives and offers a 2nd home resale program.
Gifts to Help Reduce Waste
StoJo Cup- I try to always have a StoJo reusable with me when I leave the house, even when traveling to avoid single-use to-go cups. Since it collapses, it’s so easy to throw in a bag. For a fun gift idea, pair it with a coffee subscription from Finca to Filter or Vega Coffee.
Stasher Bags- I am a stasher bag stan. I appreciate how many I have been gifted over the years because I always find new uses for them–you can make popcorn in them, pack toiletries, take snacks from the airport lounge for a flight…I use them for everything.
Reusable Cotton Rounds- I use these for my entire skincare routine from makeup remover, toner, and nail polish remover, and I no longer need to purchase single-use cotton rounds.
Food52 Compost Bin- When food waste ends up in a landfill it releases methane which is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Composting food scraps is an easy way to divert waste and can help enrich the soil for your own plants or garden. If you have more compost questions, please ask!
Blueland Refillable Soap Set - Sure, someone might not want soap as a gift but think again, they might appreciate the nice glass bottle and soft scents from the plastic-free tabs made with plant-based and planet-friendly ingredients.
Ceramic Repair Kit on Etsy- This kit provides you with everything you need to repair broken ceramics and dishware while adding a touch of gold or silver to your table setting.
Denim Mending Kit by Apprvl- Reduce, Repair! This mending set will help you fix your favorite worn-in denim using the traditional Japanese embroidery technique, Sashiko, to add character where there once was a flaw.
Lavender Laundry Set from Thistle Farms- Stop using chemical-laced dryer sheets and make the switch to natural wool balls and get relaxing lavender laundry with this set from Thistle Farm- a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction.
For the Pet Parents
West Paw Dog Toys- West Paw toys are infinitely recyclable—meaning when you send your worn-out toys back to them, they sanitize them, grind them up and turn them into more things dogs love. 10% off West Paw Products with code: westpaw10 (#ad, must shop through the shared link)
Bark Organix Monthly Treat Box- Custom organic and vegan dog treats to celebrate something or someone special. A monthly box is also available to keep the sweet treats coming!
Awoo Pet Infinity leash- Awoo products are made with 100% GRS-certified recycled polyester, which requires 59% less energy compared to virgin polyester.
Petaluma Sweet Potato Jerkey- American-grown sweet potatoes from B-corp, and carbon-neutral Petaluma. They care about your pet and the planet. Use our link for 30% off!
Reindeer Cotton Dog Toy- 100% cotton made with all-natural dyes. These cute dog toys are a fair-trade product that provides employment to craftswomen in Nepal, I am a biased dog mom, but they do have cat toys also!
Refillable Dog Grooming set - Keep your pets clean while being plastic-free with this refillable set in aluminum bottles which can be recycled continuously.
Experiences
Make a donation in their name to an organization they would like. You can make it personal by finding an organization that is aligned with their interests. My mom loves sloths, so one year I made a donation to this Sloth Sanctuary in her name and shared photos of the sloths in a card to her.
Some ideas: A dog rescue for a pet parent or World Bicycle Relief for a cycling enthusiast.
Adopt an animal to protect through a conservation program
A Membership to Billion Oyster Project- Help support the restoration of oyster reefs in New York Harbours plus you get vouchers for oysters at participating restaurants and other perks!
Subscription to a meditation app such as Headspace
Membership to Audible or a Podcast
An annual membership to a museum. This could be a great option for families to a children’s museum or local zoo!
A gift card to a local neighborhood restaurant
A spa or massage gift card, if NY based, check out Chillhouse or Bathhouse
Tickets to a show
A pack of yoga or workout classes
Something borrowed, nothing new is written by Hilliary and edited by Juliana Radich.
Hilliary is a climate advocate who is passionate about sustainability practices within the fashion industry. She has ten years of experience working in fashion marketing and recently graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s in Sustainability.