Athletic skirts, statement tees, and designer cowboy boots are all the rage right now, and luckily for us, some of the finest of these are made right here in our state. You can find more Made in Texas gift ideas in our guides for the Entertainer, the Stressed-out, the Texan in Training, and the Stocking (gifts under $50).
T-shirt, Super Yaki, Starting at $25
Houston’s Andrew Ortiz has touched a cool cultural nerve with Super Yaki. Designed for the true movie fan, Super Yaki’s super-specific apparel, accessories, and home goods are built on cult favorites and film-geek passions. “Crimson Peak Was Good,” boldly declares one T-shirt. On another: “Let Elizabeth Debicki Be Tall, You Cowards,” which is a statement we can all get behind. (If you know, you know.) You’re sure to find a friend or loved one’s “die on that hill” obsession referenced on at least one item for the most personal of gifts. Besides the tees, which are printed locally at Night Owls print shop, Super Yaki also features creative collaborations and unexpected treasures—we are coveting the Michael Shannon Fan Club mug and the “a film by Nora Ephron” tree ornament. Ortiz donates a portion of Super Yaki’s proceeds to nonprofits, so you honestly can’t geek out enough.
Tic Tac Athletic Skort, HTX Sewn Goods, $70
When the pandemic hit, Houston sewists, small-batch makers, and educational groups came together to produce cloth face masks, forming a nonprofit collective called HTX Sewn Goods. With supply chains being the mess that they are, the group has continued to make goods and to train immigrant and refugee members of the community in the sewing arts, providing fair wages and valuable skills. Because athletic wear—particularly skirts and dresses for pickleball, attending festivals, and well, everything else—is on the rise, the group began making a line of skorts this summer. A standout in the new fall line is the black-and-white print Tic Tac skort, a stretchy polyester-spandex blend that features a unique pocket that just so happens to fit a pickleball (see For the Stressed-out for a local option). For cute overload, check out the matching “mini-me” styles.
The Original French Box, OuiPlease, Starting at $150
The Francophile on your list will be sure to exclaim “J’adore! J’adore!” with this box—available as a one-off or in a subscription service—containing French brands for everything from beauty products and jewelry to home decor and clothing. Founded by Dallas resident Jessica Barouche, a native Parisian, in 2014, OuiPlease contains eight full-size products with a value of at least $300. In the current box, we’re ooh-la-la-ing over a checkered pouch from Marius, a box of Le Beau Thé tea bags, and a bottle of Z&MA night oil.
Heirloom Collection Vintage-Scarf Clutches, Hampton Road, $319
San Antonio’s Lisa Davis elevates the idea of “one-of-a-kind” with her stunning petite clutches made from vintage scarves by designers such as Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, and Christian Dior—in other words, all of the best ones. Sourced from the Vestiaire Collective in Paris and other reputable brokers, all scarves are authenticated before being transformed into stylish bags that are perfect for date night or a black-tie gala. Each ten-by-seven-inch bag, which can fit a cellphone and other essentials and features a zipper closure, is reinforced and lined with silk dupioni in a contrasting color and has a wrist strap so you can talk with your hands or sip champagne from your coupe glass. It comes beautifully presented in a green box with an accompanying certification card that includes a photo of the original scarf, the name of the designer and the theme, and the country of origin. Davis started Hampton Road, named after the street she grew up on in Austin, with husband Bruce Kirchofer in 2018; the line’s other offerings include fun leather handbags with guitar straps and on-trend slouchy bow bags.
BFG Limited Edition Boot, Alvies, $450
Everyone’s crazy about a sharp-dressed man in cowboy boots, so ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons seems like the natural choice to design a pair for Austin-based Alvies. Featuring the legendary Texas rocker’s initials (the F is for Frederick), the cowhide leather boots come in three color choices—“Sharp Dressed” (black), “El Hombre” (brown), and “33 Coupe” (a sumptuous dark red). Each features stitching on the shaft and toe bug inspired by Kustom Kulture hot rod artists Von Dutch, Dean Jeffries, and Big Daddy Roth. And for an extra Gibbons surprise, if you reach into the pull strap, you’ll find tucked away a couple of custom BFG guitar picks, which you should honestly always have on hand (or on foot, in this case).
Terlingua Shearling Tote, Humphreys, $580
As sturdy and streamlined as the stylish folding chair that put its designer, John Humphreys, on the made-in-Texas design map (and in our 2017 Gift Guide), this spacious shoulder bag is pure Lone Star luxury. Stitched together in El Paso, the eighteen-inch-long workhorse features soft-yet-strong textiles—white and fuzzy Texas shearling on one side, black and buttery Argentinian calfskin on the other—and a large inner pocket perfectly sized for a small laptop (up to thirteen inches) or a large book.—Alainna Wurfel
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