Hermès Holiday Gift Guide 2021

Happy December, everyone! While I have previously provided you with a ridiculously long and (hopefully) comprehensive Hermès shopping guide this time of year, I’ve noticed recently that Hermès has been adding some fun pieces across departments that I’d like to highlight for you, as well as round out my list with a few other recommendations of pieces I personally love, as a companion to my prior holiday shopping articles.

In-The-Loop Charm (about $750)

A fun and colorful version of a keyring that you can attach to your bag. Personally, I love the idea of attaching it because my key always falls to the bottom of any bag and then I have to dig around for it. The design is an iconic Hermès Chaîne d’Ancre laid out in a useful and effective way. It comes in a nice variety of colors – I saw Rose Confetti, Caramel, Noir, Lime, and Bleu Brume on the UK website – with either GHW or PHW.

Mini Kelly Twilly Ring ($200)

I have two Twilly Rings – one in this Kelly design and the other in the Cadena (H Lock) design – and while they are perfect for twillies,  I prefer them for gavroche-sized scarves. However, you don’t need to limit yourself to a scarf – a leather cord would also be a fun way to wear it as a necklace, or perhaps with a twilly as a bag charm or even in your hair. It’s a versatile piece that could genuinely be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

Apple AirTag Hermès Bag Charm ($299) or Key Ring ($349)

Definitely on the list of small indulgences, I am a convert to the AirTag phenomenon. Although admittedly the Constitutionalist in me has concerns about any surveillance, my hypocrisy reveals itself when it comes to my kids, my stuff, and – of course! – my kids’ stuff. For years my family has had one Apple account so I know where my kids are at any given moment (and, by the way, everyone knows where I am too). With a Freshman in college, there’s a lot of relief knowing that he’s in for the night, and now that he has a bunch of AirTags, he doesn’t have to worry about finding his keys or his backpack. While the Hermès version is of course not necessary (ahem), it’s definitely one of those elegant little gifts that someone might not buy for themself, but will absolutely use.

Porcelain Ashtray ($700) or Change Tray ($520/$610)

Ashtray: 7.9″ long x 6.3″ wide

Change Tray: 8.3″ long x 6.7″ wide

I’ve always loved Hermès Ashtrays and Change Trays, both of which serve the same purpose nowadays – as decor and/or catch-all. Although some of the Change Trays are larger and less expensive, and all have a”velvet goatskin base”, there are production differences: the Ashtray has “handprinted gold trim” and some of the Trays are printed with a different technique, using chromolithography, which appears to me to be more vibrant and detailed. Although the website only has a small selection available, the boutiques almost always have a better variety.

Constance Amulette Fine Jewelry (various)

I am a sucker for some of these new jewelry pieces. While I have always loved the miniature bag jewelry charms, Hermès has really upped their game on these. I am particularly enamored of these Constance iterations – a pendant in rose gold with black jade, a bracelet of pink sapphires or diamonds – Hermès is genuinely becoming a jeweler with genuinely covetable offerings (not just, ahem, “bag bait”) in their own right which a riff on and highlight their other iconic designs.

Glenan Single ($285) or Double Tour Bracelet ($320)

Reminiscent of a friendship or a rope bracelet and perched at the lower end of the Hermès price spectrum, the Glenan bracelet is that perfect, made-for-anyone-and-everyone option. These come in both single and double wrap (tour) options, and in PHW, GHW and RGHW. A nice pop of color worn alone or great to add to a stack. I’ve been eyeing some of my favorite colors here as another option to tie together my scarf or bag to my outfit. Some of these are also bicolor (bottom right is red and gold).

Portefeuille Silk’In Compact Wallet (about $820)

I have owned a Constance Wallet, a Bearn, and several Kelly wallets, and to be honest, the Silk’In Compact wallet is still my favorite. While having no style on the exterior, save for the leather zipper pull (which also means no damage or dings to the interior of your bag or its contents), the interior, lined in silk, is always fun to reveal. I personally find that the silk interior was just as long-wearing (if not longer!) than the Epsom leather exterior. This is a must if you are still carrying around small bags (my only other suggestion would be to use one or two Calvis and/or a Bastia). I don’t use the coin pocket for coins, but find it very useful for receipts.

Irving Loafer ($1250)

I don’t normally suggest shoes as a holiday gift, but it’s nice to see a fuzzy shoe option aimed at the guys. The Irving is a driving shoe, and these look like the kind of pair one would wear for the entire weekend.

Hermès Apple Watch ($1,249-$1,409)

Maybe this one is obvious, but it wasn’t to me, even though I am a huge fan of both Apple and technology almost as much as I am of Hermès, and for a much longer time (back in the day my Dad set up a “computer room” in our house, which over the years came to be stocked with a Kaypro, a TI-99, an Apple IIe, Apple IIC, an IBM PC XT and eventually, a “Macintosh”). Anyway, I am rather old school when it comes to watches – any excuse to wear jewelry, of course – and also I am painfully aware of how attached to our devices we’ve become.

With that said, I decided to surprise my husband when the newest version was released this fall; my husband being one of those people who rarely asks for or even seems to need anything, ever (let’s just say finding gifts for him is a challenge) and who also stopped wearing his watch after COVID. However, he does need to stay in touch with many people and have access to various information all day. While he is always appreciative of my efforts, I have never received such an enthusiastic response as I have for this. He loves it. With access to all of his phone’s features right there on his wrist (I am old enough to be reminded of Dick Tracy whenever he answers his watch) with much less fumbling and searching for anything, it has made life just that much smoother for him. The Hermès-only watch faces keep it elegant, and I love the idea that in the future I can get him straps to match whatever he may be wearing (or, better yet, whatever bag I may be carrying).

Note that the watch comes in 41mm and 45mm size. My SA suggests 41mm for people with slighter builds (although those of us with aging vision could benefit from the larger screen of the 45mm). The only thing I would add is that while the watch cases come in PHW and black, it seems like most of the leather bands have PHW, so there won’t be many options to add a matching band if you get the black watch casing. I personally would prefer RGHW and honesty don’t know why that’s not an option for the Hermès version, as Hermès should absolutely know by now that many (MANY) people prefer RGHW or even GHW to PHW.

For other suggestions:

My 2019 article, The Ultimate Last-Minute Guide to Hermès Gifts for the Holidays

My 2020 article, The Wide and Wonderful World of Hermès Gifts