Holiday Gift Guide Part 10 — For The Girl Staging Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape”
From her pink-haired, mid-riff baring days as the lead singer of No Doubt to the early days of her solo career, when she dyed her hair platinum blond and donned low-rise houndstooth print pants, Rasta-colored wristbands and knit caps, and printed hooded sweatshirts, to her current more glamorous look, which involved oversize shades, tons of plaid and chevron prints, bold platform heels and boots, and camo print details, Gwen Stefani has more than earned her spot among the most influential style icons of our day.
In the tenth installment of our holiday gift guide, then, we’re giving beaucoup props to the red-lipped rocker by suggesting some gift ideas that would make Stefani herself “wind it up.”
MAC A Tartan Tale “The 5 Sassy Pink Ladies” Kit, $29.50; and MAC A Tartan Tale “A Lady & Her Tricks” Brush Kit, $49.50. Available at MACcosmetics.com
Tartan prints have always been a staple in Stefani’s wardrobe — whether she was rocking a prep school-worthy cropped jacket on stage during in her Hollaback Girl tour or wearing a red Jean Paul Gaultier coat while out in London with her son Kingston. The packaging of the products in the MAC Cosmetics Holiday 2010 collection, dubbed A Tartan Tale, would have her ready to adopt a Scottish accent. We love the 5 Sassy Pink Lassies Lipglass set, which includes five pink shades of gloss — Fab Fun, a sheer, ultra light pink saturated with microscopic glitter particles; Sassy Lassy, a perky fuchsia; Frozen Dream, a pale pink reminiscent of ballerina pointe shoes; Electro Lush, a sienna-meets-mauve pink with a glaze finish; and The Wee Coquette, a medium pink rose (click here for swatches of all five Lipglass shades)— all packed in a tartan print tin can with a MAC “coat of arms” along the center of the case. Another great choice: the A Lady & Her Trucks Buff & Line Brush collection, which includes the 168SE, 187SE, 209SE, 219SE and 252SE brushes which are designed to blend shadows, line eyes, and buff face and cheeks — all packed in compact bags with mashed-up tartan prints, a detachable shoulder strap, and black leather accents with silver-toned studs. Even if you’re not carrying all your brushes, you’ll want to take these bags out on the road.
UES “Barrow” Studded Slip-On Sneakers in Camo or Washed Black, $145 each. Available at NeimanMarcus.com
Stefani is a sucker for UES kicks — in fact, she’s been spotted in the brand’s Chuck Buckle shoes several times during more casual days in London. Between the rows of conical studs along the leather eyelet strips to the punk-flavored uppers (particularly the camo print), these new UES Barrow slip-on kicks would make any Stefani style lover’s knees buckle.
Craftsmanship Capelet, $118. Available at Anthropologie.com
This plaid coat would look great over a simple ribbed black or gray turtleneck, adding a coquettish effect with cropped, bell-shaped sleeves and flattering the figure with a sash belt.
Jee Vice “Dyslexic” shades in Brown Corduroy Bronze, $285. Available at Shop-Online.JeeVice.com
One of our favorite Jee Vice frames of all time, these Dyslexic shades speak to Gwen Stefani‘s edgy, in-your-face style, with their slightly curved, rectangular shape and thick fin-shaped arms. The brown and golden bronze colors of the stripes along the frames create the illusion of texture and depth, making them all the more worthy of some Stefani lovin’.
SkullCandy G.I. Rasta Headphones, $69.95. Available at Skullcandy.com
Stefani has always incorporated Rasta colors into her personal wardrobe — in fact, she often donned red, yellow, and green striped wristbands during her No Doubt days. The reggae lover would be quick to blast her tunes using these Skullcandy G.I. Rasta headphones, which feature 40mm speakers; cushioned ear cups with skull motifs bearing red, yellow, and green stripes; green swivel details; and a cushioned headband with green, red, and yellow bars of color along its interior. Lawdamercy!
L.A.M.B. Lively Laser Cut Platform Pumps, $345. Available at Shopbop.com
If you’re likely to teeter around in treacherously high heels a la Posh Spice, you’ll love these L.A.M.B. platform pumps, which feature a skinny 5″ heel, 1.5″ hidden platform, and laser-cut perforations.
Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style Love, Lil Angel, G, Music and Baby EDT Sprays, each $45 for 1 oz. Available at Sephora.com
Gwen isn’t the only one who has undergone a transformation: her entire posse of Harajuku Girls has evolved with time, leaving behind the cuteness of their early days in favor of edgier fashions. The new Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style fragrance collection, then, features redesigned bottles that showcase more cutting-edge, Gothic-Lolita-meets-schoolgirl-prep fashions and practically fluorescent hair colors. Similarly, the scents themselves have been re-envisioned to reflect this more modern attitude. We’re particularly fond of the Wicked Style G, which fuses together apple and lime top notes with a jasmine and peony heart, and Wicked Style Lil’ Angel which mixes sparkling champagne, bergamot and plum notes with dewy lotus and water lily heart notes.
Jimeale Weekend Totes, $59.95. Available at Jimeale.com
Whether she’s on tour or just heading out with the kids, Stefani is bound to be packing a large bag to fit all her essentials (and hey, when you have kids, your bag just gets bigger and bigger!). These Jimeale totes, measuring 13″ in depth, 15″ in height, and 17″ in width, feature perky prints like stripes and polka dots, plus they’re incredibly convenient since their satin exteriors are wipeable, water resistant, and fast-drying.
Folli Follie Jewelry Skull Ring. Visit FolliFollie.com for retailer and pricing info.
Chunky baubles with a rebellious spirit speak to Stefani’s I-ain’t-no-hollaback-girl attitude. This chunky, faceted heart-shaped ring features sterling silver skull-and-bones symbols against a glossy black enamel backdrop.
686 New Balance 790 Snowboard Boots, $170. Available at PeterGlenn.com
Snow boots tend to look clunky and amorphous, but thanks to a collaboration between 686 and New Balance, you can hit the slopes and look better than any ski bunny out there. These lace-up, sneaker-like boots feature PU leather uppers, a 3-dimensional EVA tongue, TPE reinforcement, a shock-absorbent C-Cap forefoot, and a thermosplastic injected heelstay.
FLUD The Boombox Watch in Gold, $90. Available at FLUDwatches.com
Put your pom-poms down and get everybody fired up without resorting to a marching band and a pack of gyrating Harajuku Girls. Just take a cue from Radio Raheeem and bring the boombox with you — well, metaphorically, that is. Slap this golden watch with its boombox-shaped case around your wrist and wait for everyone to go b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
Gianna Rose Ducks, $19.95. Available at WellDressedHome.com
As a doting mother of two, Stefani would appreciate this triple-milled, ducky-shaped soap set, which features a mama duck and her two feathered babies. All three soaps feature a lovely water lily scent and come in an oh-so-french French striped box.
Nine West Ryeder Boots, $170. Available at NineWest.com
Camouflage prints, cargo pockets, lace-up combat boots and olive green apparel and accessories are part of any urban girl’s wardrobe — and Stefani is definitely a trooper when it comes to military style influences. These olive-meets-khaki leather boots feature a slat sole, slim brown laces, and a side zipper with a pop of red to spice up the silhouette.
Case-Mate The Venture Gold iPad Stand Case, $89.99. Available at Case-Mate.com
This faux leather, textured, gold snakeskin iPad case features peony pink accents, a Velcro tab and button closure to protect your iPad’s screen and buttons, cleverly placed perforations that grant access to all ports and power outlets, and a built-in, easel-like stand so that you can stage presentations or create a comfortable workstation for your compact digital device.
Jules Smith Americana Classic Ring, $95. Available at JulesSmithDesigns.com
Remember all the rings adorning Gwen’s fingers in the yellow low-rider scenes of the “Hollaback Girl” video? This one-inch long, sterling silver Jules Smith ring would’ve bee right at home on Stefani’s slender fingers.
Butter London 3 Free Nail Lacquer in The Full Monty, $14. Available at ButterLondon.com
This formaldehyde-, toluene-, and phtalate-free nail lacquer looks as good as Minx on fingertips, covering the nail plate with a lush, high-impact, 14k gold color that resembles molten gold. Remember the gold-covered room in which a Rapunzel-like Stefani was trapped in the “Sweet Escape” video? You can recreate that gilded feel with Butter’s The Full Monty. Just check out the Midas effect the lacquer has on nails!
Philosophy Holiday Greetings Set, $22. Available at Sephora.com
You’ve got mail! Philosophy’s Holiday Greetings set features a 4 oz. Brown Butter Cookie Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath, which smells better than a Pillsbury factory; a 2 oz. Coconut Macaroon Body Butter; and a 0.5 oz. tube of Pink Frosted Cookie Lip Shine for just a smidgen of sheer pink color. These confection-scented goodies are all packaged inside a box resembling the shape of a mailbox for the ultimate parcel-like effect.
Accessorize Wow Union Jack Clutch Bag, £32. Available at Accessorize.com
She may not have adopted a faux British accent like Madonna, but Stefani is most certainly a proud Anglophile. This nifty envelope clutch features sequins, ball beads, bugle beads, and studs sewn to resemble the Union Jack flag and, since the kitschy, overly literal red, blue, and white motifs were chucked in favor of gold, black and silver hues, this bag is imbued with a glam rock coolness.
Qi Cashmere Alia Tunic, $131. Available at QiCashmereShop.com
This 100% merino wool, long-sleeved, scoopneck dress from Qi Cashmere features gold sequins in an inverted triangle shape that spans the length of the tunic for a disco-meets-rock look that would look great when paired with Gwen’s double G necklace.
Hanky Panky Holiday Low-Rise Thong 3-Pack, $49.95. Available at Bloomingdales.com
For the holidays, Hanky Panky is offering these low-rise thong 3-packs, all packaged in animal print boxes with clear window panes. These thongs come in perky shades of fuchsia, coral and aqua, all with wide, V-shaped, lacy hip bands.
Mighty Fine “Lookin’ to Chill” Tee, $25. Available at WeLoveFine.com
Thanks to a collaboration with Uglydolls, Mighty Fine can now feature such lovable character as Ice-Bat on its tees. This adorable tee, featuring the phrase “Lookin’ To Chill,” is all the funnier if you know Ice-Bat’s dilemma: see, everything he touches turns to ice, and yet all he wants is to warm hearts.
PUMA Urban Mobility Motus Lace Hi, $275. Available at Zappos.com
Designed by Hussein Chalayan for PUMA’s Urban Mobility line, the Motus boots feature suede-uppers, a lace-up system and a fold-over ankle collar, glossy wedge heels, and PUMA’s signature stripes along the sides.
