Celebrate Every Mother Figure in Your Life With One of These Heartfelt Gifts
Mother's Day is right around the corner, and if you're anything like the daughter I am, you're using the holiday this time around to make up for all those years in the past when you lollygagged right up until the day before and had to inevitably buy something completely unworthy of your mom and everything she's done for you. Or maybe that's just me. Either way, I'm going hard in 2024, putting extra time and thought into what I'll be wrapping up and gifting my mom with on May 12.
Since I find it hard to believe that I'm the only person who's been poor at prioritizing Mother's Day a time or two over the years, I figured it might be helpful if I share some of the heartfelt and thoughtful gift ideas that I came up with during my own shopping experience. Ahead, you'll find high-end presents—like a luxurious scent that every mom will love and the timepiece that would cause anyone to shed a tear or two—as well as affordable alternatives—from stationery made in Florence to personalized lip balm made in France. Basically, everything you need to impress the mother figure in your life is just a scroll away.
If your mom has a special tie to Italy, and specifically Florence, this set will blow her away. The brand that makes it, Pineider, was founded by Francesco Pineider in Piazza della Signoria in 1774.
Nothing says, Hey, Mom. Take a load off and relax because you deserve it, quite like a luxurious pair of suede slippers.
There's no better way to show you adore someone than with Dior's J'Adore Parfum d'Eau, an innovative and alcohol-free concentrate of flowers and water.
Founded in 1971, Alexandre de Paris makes some of France's chicest accessories. And unlike with some other French accessories, these headbands and claw clips won't cost you a small fortune, so you can gift your mom with a plethora of styles.
Find me a mom who doesn't love cashmere—I'll wait. Actually, find me anyone who doesn't love cashmere. I'm convinced it's impossible.
These will no doubt become her new everyday, no-matter-where-she's-going bottoms. She'd probably never buy them for herself due to the high price tag, but that'll make it so much better when you buy them for her. Trust me, the photos she'll send you every time she wears them will make it all worth it.
Charlotte Chesnais's sculptural rings and bracelets are all over my Instagram feed this year, paired with elegant cocktail watches in mismatched metals. If your mom's into unique, of-the-moment jewelry items, this is a gift that she'll cherish.
I don't know about you all, but my mom is always sending me recipes from vanilla-stained scraps of paper she scribbled on to preserved pages from her mother's old recipe book. Give her peace of mind with this recipe book, where she can write them all down in one place for all of her children.
Comfort, elegance, and versatility collide in the form of these flat Manolo Blahnik mules. The Maysale is a timeless classic for a reason—it's just that good.
It might feel a bit odd to stock your mom up with basics on Mother's Day, but if it means that she doesn't have to do it herself, I'm sure she'll be forever grateful.
Whether your mom has tried this lauded multipurpose Nuxe oil before or has just been talking about wanting to nonstop like mine, this is the perfect occasion to order a bottle. For $25 a bottle, why not stock her up?
Give your mom her Grace Kelly moment with this pair of slightly cat-eye, oval sunglasses from everyone in fashion's favorite eyewear collaboration.
If your mom no longer has kids in the house, she probably doesn't need her large coffee pot anymore. This sleek espresso and coffee machine would allow her to make single cups whenever she needs a slight boost of energy. It'll make cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos, or macchiatos—whatever her heart desires.
I'm sorry, but this Bonne Maman sampler tin might be the cutest gift idea I've ever laid eyes on. Plus, when your mom is done trying all of the featured jam flavors, she can store things like cards from her kids or trinkets inside of the adorable tin container.
If your mom is more into bold colors as opposed to neutrals, you can select from a vast range of colorful container options for her new French lip balm. Plus, you can customize hers with her initials. She'll love that.
My mom's bathrobe could definitely use a luxury upgrade, and this option from Hailey Bieber's favorite elevated-basics brand Éterne is just the one.
To make this gift even more heartfelt, go in and leave your mom little notes on different days throughout the year. That way, even if you're not together, she'll know you're with her and thinking of her.
My mom and I share an unfortunate inability to shut off our minds sometimes. I've been seeing this Magnesi-Om drink powder from Moon Juice all over TikTok, so I thought it'd be fun for us both to try it out and compare our results. It can be a sort of bonding moment but also perhaps the cure to all of our bedtime woes.
My mom actually got me one of these when I moved into a new apartment last year, and I use it every night to make tea. It's the best not only because it heats up very quickly but also because of how non-clunky it is. The design is super sleek, so it's never an eyesore when you leave it on the counter (guilty).
At least in my household, coffee is to be drank out of very large mugs, so this XL H&M mug stood out to me immediately. It's so fun and will fit right in with all of your mom's mismatched coffee vessels. (Or if she keeps her cabinets super tidy and uniform, this will be the mug that makes her think of you first thing in the morning.)
This glamorous sun hat would go perfectly with an all-expenses-paid beach vacation. Now that's a great Mother's Day gift.
Since The Row's Margaux bag is currently all sold out, give your mom a chance to test out TikTok's favorite alt for the viral tote, Reformation's Patrizia bag, which is great for traveling or simply carrying around everything for everyone in the family.
I talk about this serum a lot—like, a lot a lot. In fact, I talk about it so much that now my mom is just as obsessed with it as I am. Now, I'm convinced that everyone needs to try it so that they can become perhaps overly reliant on it too.
This is a gift for a very specific type of mom who appreciates things like a super-high-end Japanese knife. The blade is made of G2 micro-carbide powder steel and is ideal for dicing, slicing, and mincing. Plus, it's very pretty.
I'm 99% certain that a Loewe candle is the best gift anyone can give or receive. I prefer the tomato scent, but this honeysuckle option felt a tad more universal. If you have time before the holiday, stop in somewhere to smell all of the scents and pick the one that's best for your giftee.
When it comes to one-piece swimsuits, no one's doing a better job right now than Hunza G. This bright-red shade is just the right level of bold, and the fit on these styles is excellent.
A Baignoire is guaranteed to impress anyone who opens one of Cartier's iconic red velvet boxes and finds this beauty inside. Sure, it's an on-trend pick right now, but I know for certain that even if another timepiece gains traction in the coming months or years, this watch will always be in style.
If your recipient is expecting, this Mummy to Be notebook will be a fantastic home for all of her pregnancy notes, reminders, and manifestations.
Just think of how fun the table will look at Mother's Day brunch with these spiral candlesticks as its centerpiece.
This slouchy straw bag will look so chic going into summer paired with white cotton trousers and a linen button-down shirt. It's very Cameron Diaz in Head Above Water. She'll get loads of use out of it.
This sleek espresso cup set from Lazy Jamie, a Venice Beach–based homewear brand, will become your mom's new go-to in the early hours of the morning.
Diamonds are great and all, but honestly, I find a jewelry item like this one from Phoebe Philo's eponymous brand far more heartfelt. My suggestion? Don't wait to buy one. The Mum necklace was one of the first pieces to sell out when Philo launched the label, and every time it's restocked, it *flies* off the shelf.
I grew up loving Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style because my mom did. She was the epitome of grace and understated elegance, and this new coffee table book is a perfect way to look back on her best looks.
All moms deserve some "me" time. They rarely get it even though they're the ones who often need it the most. (Kids of all ages can be a handful!) Give her the gift of relaxation with this set of 100% Mediterranean Sea salts mixed with a blend of petitgrain and jasmine essential oils.
To be honest, I just thought this was the cutest gift idea maybe ever. A toast rack? Who knew that this existed and that every toast lover on the planet needs one? I do now. I'm buying one for myself and one for every mom figure in my life, from my actual mom to my godmother and beyond.
Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.
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