Hugo’s Christmas List 2024
Our mascot, Hugo, knows a great present when he sniffs it. Here’s his selection of the perfect gifts for the dearest people in your life
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Hugo here!
I have spent a great deal of time nosing around Polite Society with my owner this year, which means I’m extremely well qualified to select the perfect gifts for every special person (and canine) in your life. Rest assured, I’ve tested every blanket for warmth and texture, admired every bath towel and bed sheet, and even risked my waistline for a piece of panettone.
It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
So here’s my pick of the best presents for your friends, family and that nice neighbour who always carries treats for tired and hungry pups.
Hugo x
In a sophisticated deep green, this handmade laquer tray is the perfect foil for a moody candle, Sicilian aperitivo or simply English Breakfast tea in bed. My mother-in-law would love it – and so will yours.
2. Ortigia mugs
With their gold trim and sharply angled handle, these mugs elevate the humble tea break to a far more luxurious event. They’re exotic (pumas! Zebras! Prancing giraffes!) but also very chic. In shades of green, pink, corallo and sahara, I’m planning to pop them in the stockings of all the important women in my life.
3. Moss River Luxury Bath Robe
My owner spends far too much time lounging about in robes when he could be enjoying a brisk walk in the park. That said, it is Christmas and so I will be putting his interests ahead of my own and giving him this soft robe in a gorgeous duck-egg blue. Woven in Portugal, it’s 100 per cent Egyptian cotton, and warm, absorbent and generously proportioned.
One of the quickest ways to update your bathroom is to switch up your towels – and these Superfine towels come in eight cosmopolitan colours, from a rich mink to a subtle gardenia. Having tested them out after a rather muddy run, I can attest to their softness and absorbency.
I know the holidays are here when my owner puts on his 100 per cent French linen Sassari Shirt. Light, elegant and with the subtly rounded collar that all the cool kids are wearing this summer, it’s a shirt that’s designed for practicality and comfort. I adore the navy blue, but the white and duck egg are delicious, too.
6. Vila Hermanos - Apothecary Amber Collection - Bergamot & Orange Blossom - Room Diffuser
Personally, I love the smell of a wet dog on a summer morning, but I’m aware that not everyone feels the same. That’s why this room diffuser is such a great present for the olfactorily challenged. The stylish bottle looks chic on any shelf, while the bergamot and orange blossom reminds me of a particularly sultry evening in Sicily one year when… but that’s another story.
While I love curling up on a layered winter bed, there’s a refreshing crispness to a bed that’s made up in cotton sheets and quilt cover. This 100 per cent combed cotton percale feels classy this season and I adore the narrow Oxford border with its white micro-piping. My owner’s cousin (named Fred, by complete chance) is definitely getting this set under the tree.
For a more feminine twist on classic summer bedding, I’d choose this RONDO set in tones of ink fading to pale blue. This one has a more generous Oxford border piped in navy, which would work beautifully in a room with a lemon-yellow chair and star jasmine framing the window.
(I think I’ve just described my owner’s sister’s room, so maybe the RONDO is the set for her. Or any stylish female, really.)
9. Ortigia Veneziana Green Panettone
I’ve sampled a few of these fluffy Italian treats in my time, thanks to my owner’s appalling table manners (honestly, I’ve never seen so many crumbs). I can confidently say that this Ortigia panettone is as decadent as they come, and it’s encased in a beautiful jade tin that can be used to house all manner of delights once you’ve devoured the contents.
10. Marvis Sinuous Lily Toothpaste
It comes as no surprise that the Italians do toothpaste better than anyone else. All the men in my owner’s orbit have been using Marvis ever since they discovered its unique range of flavours, from cinnamon mint to black forest, and the exuberant packaging. This Sinuous Lily version is the cream of the crop – the perfect stocking filler.
I’m no fan of the beach (all that sand in-between my paws), but this beach towel works just as well for poolside lounging. It’s bright without being showy, and the dark, tramline stripe feels very 1920s Riviera. Size wise, your favourite human should be able to lie on it comfortably, with room for a furry friend as well.
