Gift Guide: My Favorite Small(er) Businesses

Let’s keep going with the gift guides, shall we? It’s been fun to put these together!

Next up is an assortment of small(er) businesses I love. I say small(er) because I’m not entirely sure if they can all be classified as true small businesses, but they’re definitely not Amazon or any of the other major retailers (though some of these brands/products are available at major retailers—an easy way to streamline your holiday shopping). I own products from all of these brands and would highly encourage you to support them if possible!

Happy shopping, friends! 🤗

This post was updated in November 2024.

My Other Holiday Gift Guides:

Holiday Gift Guide: My Favorite Small(er) Businesses | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Gift Guide: My Favorite Small(er) Businesses


SMALL(ER) FASHION & LIFESTYLE BRANDS

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: ABLE Merly denim jacket | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

ABLE

ABLE offers apparel, shoes, bags, and jewelry all made responsibly by women, many of whom are located in developing countries. Their goal is to end the cycle of generational poverty in women in countries around the world by providing job opportunities for them. Women make up 95% of the ABLE staff!

I currently own two pairs of earrings from ABLE but am constantly browsing the site for other goodies to add to my wardrobe. I’m still tempted to try the Merly denim jacket (pictured here). Their leather bags are particularly gorgeous and are a customer favorite.

Check out ABLE’s holiday shop for all of your gifting needs. You can shop by collection or price point!

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: Nisolo leather commuter backpack | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

NISOLO

Nisolo is an apparel brand known for their gorgeous leather goods and commitment to ethical and sustainable production practices. I own multiple products by the brand, including the flatform sandals (I own the first version), huarache sandals (expect a break-in period), and the open-toe clog.

Are you a commuter, or will you be shopping for one? Check out the beautiful leather commuter backpack, which also comes in black! It looks beautifully crafted and like such a smart addition for a business casual wardrobe.

Check out Nisolo’s holiday gift guide and keep your eyes peeled for discounts while you are shopping!

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: Maison Miru earrings | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

MAISON MIRU

Maison Miru is home to a fun mix of simple and eclectic earrings, including their flat-backed nap earrings, and other jewelry. I own their tiny crystal stud earrings (no longer available, but these look the most similar). I’m quite impressed by the quality.

Their jewelry is available in nickel-free gold plated, gold vermeil, solid 14k gold, and sterling silver. Any of their jewelry would make an amazing gift for the jewelry fan in your life.

Maison Miru offers cartilage and flat-backed earrings for those of you that have or know people that have piercings on your ear in places besides the ear lobe.

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: Alice & Wonder striped mugs | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

ALICE & WONDER

Alice & Wonder is a small, Chicago-based online shop (with two physical locations!) that offers an assortment of fashion and lifestyle products. You may remember my vote tee, which was created by Alice & Wonder in collaboration with Jess Keys!

Make sure to browse their holiday collection! There’s so much fun apparel, decor, drinkware, and gift ideas. This set of striped stoneware mugs is so cute. Also check out their kitschy ornaments! The various food ornaments crack me up and are sure to bring a smile whenever you look at your tree.


SMALL(ER) HOME & WELLNESS BRANDS

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: ChappyWrap fleece blankets | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

ChappyWrap

I was influenced to try ChappyWrap fleece blankets a couple of years ago, and I LOVE them (as do my cats)! They are not inexpensive, but they are the nicest fleece blankets I’ve ever felt. They hold up well in the wash (though I find them to be not quite as soft after being washed; it may be a hard water thing, and I avoid using softener).

I currently own three ChappyWrap blankets in various sizes, including a family-size blanket that fits across our king-sized bed. I’ve purchased many more as gifts and try to catch them on sale! How fun is this stewart plaid blanket?! It’s perfect for the holidays.

I also just got their first Christmas tree skirt, which I think will be perfect because the cats love to lay under the tree AND it’s machine washable, which feels like a unicorn for some reason.

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: MightyNest home and wellness products | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

MIGHTYNEST

MightyNest is where you can find sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to common home and wellness products. I received the MightyFix monthly subscription by MightyNest for a few years before stopping it because I felt like I had enough products to use. It’s a fun, inexpensive way to be introduced to new products to make life at home greener!

In addition to the MightyFix subscription, you can also purchase items directly or purchase gift boxes containing a curated selection of items, like the one shown here. I’ve received every item in the box pictured as one of my past Fixes!

Read all of my past MightyFix review posts and favorite products here!

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: The Laundress laundry detergent | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

THE LAUNDRESS

I may or may not have a problem buying laundry products from The Laundress…oops. Haha. I have a wide assortment of detergents from the brand, including both the detergents shown here (and the mesh bags).

My go-to is the delicate wash, which is what I use the majority of the time, even to wash my clothes that aren’t necessarily considered delicate. I’ve repurchased it countless times! Other detergents I use regularly are the darks detergent and signature detergent in isle.

The Laundress products make excellent gifts for the person that has everything! They offer a variety of different gift sets at a discount so your recipient can try a wide range of products.

The Laundress products are also available at Bloomingdale’s, The Container Store, and Revolve.

Small(er) Businesses Gift Guide: Brightland Mini Artist Capsule olive oils | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

BRIGHTLAND

I was introduced to Brightland in summer 2020 by another blogger. It’s a woman-founded brand that offers consciously-made extra virgin olive oil and vinegars from California. I first ordered the Artist Capsule, which used to be a set of olive oils in three flavors: lemon, chili oil, and basil. (Now, the Artist Capsule also includes the garlic flavor.) I LOVE all three flavors of the original capsule and now also own the garlic olive oil that I’ve yet to try!

In addition to the Artist Capsule and other capsules with full-size products, Brightland also offers the Mini Artist Capsule (shown above) and the Mini Essentials Capsule, which includes four mini sizes of their two classic olive oils and two vinegars.

Brightland products are spendy, but they’re a fun gift to give because not many people would think to ask for them. I got my brother and his girlfriend a bottle of the chili oil flavor and they’ve been enjoying it!