Stylish stocking stuffers

I have stocking envy — Christmas stocking envy. I have a mantle that’s perfect for dangling a stocking from, but unless I adopt the tradition for Chanukah (which I’m seriously considering), I’ll be living vicariously through this column, which is all about filling them fashionably.
Not really sure how much style can be stuffed into a stocking, so I came up with this formula: six things for guys, six things for girls = 12 days of Christmas.

For the guys
• There’s something so sexy about a man in a French cuff shirt, and if he has one (or if you give him one) he’ll need a pair of cuff links. Though details.com just ran a scathing piece about how men should abandon French cuffs and the links that go with them, the good news is that according to the article, one acceptable place to wear them is “in close proximity to a bowl of eggnog.” It’s the holiday season. The cuff links stay.
• Wake up Christmas morning to the tick-tock, tick-tock of a vintage timepiece. He’ll look regal reaching for a pocket watch.
• With the “anything goes” rules of street style, bow ties have become far more versatile than anyone might have anticipated. They go beautifully with the classics — a tuxedo and martini — but consider them also with a sleek button-down collar shirt sans jacket. (And consider buying one from Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Tie the Knot line; proceeds benefit organizations working toward LGBT rights.)
• I take my man clean-shaven, but the perpetual 5 o’clock shadow thing is sexy, too. Fill his stocking with luxe shave products and stand by as his fragrance fills the air. (Cleanse Apothecary has just added the high-end Art of Shaving line, which is also available at International Plaza. Or, for an option that’s easy on the pocketbook and on his face, consider the Kiss My Face line available at Whole Foods.)
• Whether tucked in his pocket or in the car’s glove compartment, a handsome writing instrument is a powerful expression of style. Maybe he’ll pen you a love letter.
• Style meets substance in men’s magazines such as GQ and Details. Roll one up with a one-year subscription. That’s a whole year’s worth of presents fit into one stocking.

For the girls
• Meet her at the mistletoe! But first pop some super kissable lipstick in her stocking.
• Lace, print or popping opaque tights are perfect for pumping up the volume at a holiday party (or on a plain black outfit). As far as I’m concerned, you could fill the whole stocking with stockings and cute, cozy socks. #favoritewinteraccessory
• Fashion documentaries are perfect for the chick who likes flicks that inform as well as entertain. A few titles to tickle her pink: Valentino: The Last Emperor; Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel; and Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s.
• Mark the occasion with temporary tattoos. They provide all of the fun of self-expression without the silly mistakes.
• Claws will come out with graphic nail art. Drop in a few polishes and decorative tips so she can scratch your back in style.
• Nothing screams celebration like a giant, gleaming cocktail ring. And if you’re stuffing a stocking for a stylish little princess, a Ring Pop will suffice.

Happy stuffing! Now I’ve got to go fill my Chanukah stocking.

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