Welp, you’ve done it again. You said you’d have your Christmas shopping done and dusted by the end of November, didn’t you? And now Christmas is around the corner and you have nothing to show for it.

At least this year you have a good excuse for leaving things to the last minute – us Melburnians have only just started getting out of the house again. But still, a Christmas shop has to happen at some point.

So this year, we’ve once again teamed up with Chadstone – the shopping destination that seems to contain literally every shop that’s ever existed – to give you some ideas for what to give to some of the most important people in your life (and your colleagues).

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With new safe shopping procedures in place, it’s an ideal time to plan ahead and get down early.

Partner

If you want to make a serious impression on your partner this year, consider gifting them the Cleo bag from Prada. Although it’s one of the newer bags by the luxe Italian design house, the ’90s-inspired silhouette, monochromatic colourways and curved sides and bottom give it cool, old-school vibes. It’s already tipped to be the brand’s next classic bag.

It’s officially summer – and we can officially go anywhere in Australia we’d like to get all the Vitamin D we want. So why not get your partner some new sunnies? Head on over to Incu and check out the big range from South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. Our favourites? The glamorous oversized ‘HER BC1’ specs and the classic black ‘DAY 01’ shades.

When the world shut down this year and many of us started to work from home, a lot of us had to face this cold, hard fact: it’s pretty hard to make cafe-standard coffee at home. So even though nothing can replace heading to your local spot for a flattie, it’s worth investing in something that comes pretty close. Especially if your partner needs a strong cup first thing in the morning. We like the CitiZ&Milk DeLonghi Black, which is simple to use and comes with its own easy milk frother. Plus, this is a classic twofer gift: something that both you and the recipient can enjoy.

Prada Cleo brushed leather shoulder bag, $2750
Gentle Monster sunglasses, $345 to $525
Nespresso CitiZ&milk DeLonghi Black, $399

Best Friend

Buying gifts for your best friend is a little bit easier – and less wallet-bruising – than for your partner. The play here is about getting them something personal that’s unique to your friendship and shared time together. Failing that – this is a last-minute gift guide, after all ¬– we reckon they’ll love the limited-edition cherry-red lipstick by Tom Ford, which you can find at David Jones.

If you want to gift your best bud something that will provoke a little more introspection (if, somehow, they haven’t done enough of that in 2020), then we recommend a book from The School of Life, a company (founded by British philosopher Alain de Botton) that creates products that help us understand our lives better – love, work, dreams, the whole shebang. You can find The School of Life: An Emotional Education, which provides a great intro, at Dymocks. Or head over to Milligram to pick up a copy of Great Thinkers or Calm.

If your best friend is a pooch, which is a sensible choice, then thank them for getting you through this year by splashing big on a dog coat from Moncler. Put it on them so they can stunt on every other dog at the park. If it’s good enough for Drake in the Hotline Bling video, then it’s good enough for your dog, right?

Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry lipstick, $74
The School of Life: An Emotional Education, $29.99,
Great Thinkers, $45 and Calm, $32.99
Moncler dog coat in red, $560

Colleague

Many of us have barely seen our colleagues this year, so it’s worth pushing the boat out a little bit for your closest teammates and whoever you draw in the Secret Santa. This year, with all the hand sanitising we’ve had to do, our hands have taken quite the beating. Moisturising hand cream by Suzanne Kaufmann, which you can find at Mecca Cosmetica, is one of our favourites, and makes for a thoughtful gift.

Chocolate isn’t as practical as a hand cream, but it’s always a welcome gift. This year, the spice and herb specialists over at Gewurzhaus have partnered with Richmond-based chocolate company Hey Tiger to create a sumptuous collaboration choc filled with truffles.

There’s something perennial about candles. It doesn’t matter what the occasion is or who you’re gifting to, they always make for a good present. A candle is as close to a fail-safe gift as you can find – making it perfect for last-minute capers. You’ll find Spanish-made candles at Loewe – they come in a range of colours and sizes, including a pastel-pink ivy-scented one and a sunny honeysuckle number. And even the smallest candles have a burn time of about 30 hours, so they’ll last a while.

Suzanne Kaufmann hand cream from Mecca Cosmetica, $66
Gewurzhaus x Hey Tiger Collab chocolate block, $15
Candles from Loewe, $135 to $565

Parents

Your parents: perhaps the trickiest people to shop for. After all, you owe them around 18 years’ worth of present back pay, so your gifts really have to prove that quality is better than quantity. The other problem is that by the time people reach parenting age, they tend to have a lot of things, which rules out obvious gifts. (If your dad loves toast, for example, odds are that he will have, by now, acquired himself a toaster.)

So something you can never have enough of – such as a good bottle of whisky – is a sensible choice. We love Distiller's Reserve Whisky from Suntory Yamazaki, which you’ll find at Calia. It’s Japan’s most popular single-malt whisky, and it’s a great entry-point to the world of Japanese whiskies.

If you’d rather get your parents something to drink from instead, the amber-coloured glass jug by Maison Balzac is a real piece of statement tableware. Also by Maison Balzac: the teal goblet set, which complements the jug wonderfully. Who knew hydrating could feel so mid-century modern? Both are available at David Jones. Buy the jug for mum and the glasses for dad. There, presents sorted.

Suntory Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Whisky,
Maison Balzac Coucou jug in amber, $149
Maison Balzac large goblet set in teal, $69

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Chadstone – The Fashion Capital.