Dear Santa: Tracy Reese's Holiday Give and Get List

By Bee-Shyuan Chang
December 7, 2010

Looking for some holiday gift ideas? We know we are. (Early New Year's resolution: There will be no unwanted martini shaker sets, neckties or fuzzy slippers under our tree this year.) Where better to get it? How about from the stylemakers whose enviable taste we covet all year long? We turned to today's top stylemakers and asked them what holiday gift ideas they have for friends and family this year, as well as what they wrote on their own letters to Santa. The answers are as intriguing as the people behind them. Every day from now until Christmas, we’ll share the holiday give and get list from a different fashion experts, interior designers and others. We kick off our article series today with fashion designer Tracy Reese.—The Editors

Our Article Series on What Today's Top Stylemakers Plan to Give—and Hope to Get!—for the Holidays

Tracy Reese showed a romantic, vagabond-inspired fashion collection for Spring 2011, and it looks like the designer herself will be getting a taste of a sunny trip in no time. "I'm planning to spend the holidays at my dad's place in Naples, Florida with my family," the Parsons alum told us. "Our new tradition, since my dad opened his Naples home, is getting up, having coffee by the pool, playing with my nieces and nephews in the sunshine and just relaxing. We are really trying to relax and enjoy each other's company instead of running around willy-nilly and coming into the New Year exhausted."

Given the end-of-year crunch Tracy Reese faces as she works to finish designing her fall 2011 in time for February's Fashion Week, this holiday R&R is much-deserved. Of course, Tracy Reese is accustomed to being busy. In her 12-year career, the Detroit native turned New York resident has not only grown her original clothing line into a burgeoning business and fashion industry mainstay, but has also kicked off a Meatpacking District flagship and launched her much-loved and more affordable clothing lines, Plenty and Frock! All three of her collections are reliable go-tos for women who like their dresses flirty yet ladylike.

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Tracy Reese Spring 2011
Photo Credit: courtesy of Tracy Reese

But if there's one thing Tracy Reese always makes time for, it's her family. "I love seeing my nieces and nephews open their presents on Christmas morning," said the fashion designer." The house is always filled with so much love and joy." To get in the holiday spirit, read on for Tracy Reese's favorite winter trends and her personal holiday gift guide.

What Tracy Reese Plans to Give (and Hopes to Get) This Holiday Season

Roll over items for details

Cable Cashmere Sweater

Boys Blazer

Tall Boots

Novel

GIVING

1. Cable Cashmere Sweater: An efficient procrastinator, Tracy Reese has her hit list of favorite shops, but divulged, "All of my holiday shopping is done on the evening of December 23rd. I go to a nice men’s store like the Bergdorf men's store." There, Tracy Reese will be on the hunt for "beautiful cabled sweaters" for her dad and brother.

2. Vintage Cloche: For her beloved grandma, Tracy Reese is considering a special "jaunty chapeau."

3. Young Adult Book: "All of the ladies on my list get a beautiful dress from my collection," Reese said. And "coming of age novels for my niece," she added.

4. Antique Mirror: "Maybe a great entryway mirror for my Cousin Kim’s new home," she mused.

5. Boys Blazer: On her Dec. 23 schedule is also "a children’s store, like Yoya on Hudson." Tracy Reese said of the shop, which we've previously profiled on The Inside Source. "I'm thinking miniature tailored blazers for my nephews."

GETTING

6. Vintage Silk Dress: "Dresses are always my go-to wardrobe staple!" she noted of her usual style uniform.

7. Vintage Necklace: "I love to shop eBay for vintage clothing and jewelry," Reese shared. "I’ve found a lot of great inspiration for the collections there."

8. French Press: "I actually don’t really have a wish list. Just good health and happiness for the ones I love throughout the year!" said Tracy Reese. Though when it comes to treating herself, the designer enjoys her wintry niceties, too. Two chilly weather must-haves include a "cozy blanket and cup of hot coffee."

9. Tall Boots: For colder temperatures, designer Tracy Reese is excited to layer some of her "favorite dresses with wool tights and tall boots under cozy sweaters."

10. Novel: For some fashion world reprieve, Tracy Reese's idea of a perfect winter day is curled up "inside with an engaging book."

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