IVALO.COM Team Christmas Gift Guide 2020

Who?

I’m 31-year-old originally from Turku and I’m now living in a one woman’s apartment in Kallio, Helsinki. I love everything beautiful and I often pay attention to small details. I value the quality and the stories behind the brands.

For a long time, I have wanted to make informed choices with Christmas gifts and choose durable and long-lasting consumer goods. If I can’t think of anything the gift recipient might need, I donate the money for the gift to a charity or an intangible gift like restaurant gift cards. 

What would you give to others?

Men of my life, my father and brother, are both quite faithful to their style and they have got brand awareness. This year I would like to introduce them to the world of sustainable fashion and our wonderful brands. Komodo has a great selection of fun printed socks, and everyone needs more socks regularly. Rotholz’s trendy cropped beanies could delight my younger brother. Frisur is one of my favorite brands and from their large selection of men’s shirts I could find several options for the men in my family.

I have a wide circle of friends, so I often don’t buy any gifts for my friends. This year, however, two of my friends have got a special place in my heart and they have been an important support in a year full of changes. I would like to remember them with something small. Fejn’s jewelry is wonderfully minimalistic and dainty, so they are suitable for many. Plus, the jewelry made out of recycled silver is reasonably priced, so it’s a good gift brand for those who want to remember something small and affordable.

What do you wish for from Santa?

For a long time I have dreamed about a laptop sleeve and I have found my favorite from our collection. O My Bag’s black crocodile looking eco-leather laptop sleeve is extremely elegant.

The Knotty Ones is one of the brands that have an amazing story and mission behind it. If you’re not acquainted with The Knotty Ones, you can read more here. Their Laumès cardigan is in my constant use but I’m now dreaming about a Preila cardigan to add to the collection in a beautiful camel color. I hope the Christmas elves are listening! ;)

As my last wish, I want to highlight my shoe craving. Terhi Pölkki’s ankle Artur boots are just BEAUTIFUL! It may be that I will reward myself for the past year and buy the black Artur boots as a gift from me to me. I know these shoes will walk many kilometers with me, so I can invest in high-quality, Finnish shoes with a good conscience.

Who?

I’m a 33-year-old ice-hockey playing programmer, user interface designer, and one of the founding members of IVALO.COM. I live with my girlfriend in Oulunkylä, Helsinki. I relax the best in central Finland in the heat of the cottage sauna, which luckily serves us all year round.

To avoid gift mistakes, I ask for a little hint from my girlfriend and other family members in advance. However, the best Christmas gift in my opinion is the time spent together and delicious Christmas food.

What would you give to others?

My girlfriend can stop reading here! This Christmas the gifts are soft. I heard that there would be use for one big soft beanie and I remember that you can find one from Voglia, Residus, and Miia Halmesmaa. I wonder what color might be good…

My bigger brother is such a geek! Said with all love, of course. I found a perfect shirt for him, to be precise a Pac-Man sweater from the Spanish Brava Fabrics. I believe that the shirt will cause some laughter when opened. :D Father, on the other hand, needs a new card wallet to replace his old almost exploded one and my mother would be delighted by colorful jewelry.

What do you wish for from Santa?

My style is quite casual so you can never go wrong with a hoodie. In my view, the most stylish hoodies are made by Finnish Craga that prints fun landscapes on the fabrics. From Rotholzs I can find a lot of clothes fitting into my style for example caps.

I have worn out my basic black T-shirt from Nomen Nescio. I wish Santa would listen and would give me the same one new or some other basic t-shirt as I always wear them.

Who?

I’m a 43-year-old writer from Helsinki and Oulu who has escaped the exceptional times to the peace of a northern log house. Pens, notebooks, and old MacBook, like their owner, now enjoy the time under the polar sun.

I confess to being to some extent a Christmas person. The atmospheric twilight, the creative break offered over Christmas, and the food prepared with enjoyment are each year worth the wait.

I buy the gifts thoughtfully. I make an effort to make the packages genuinely useful, timely, and meaningful.

What would you give to others?

For my husband, who travels a lot, I will get an Otis Weekender bag made by O My Bag from Amsterdam. So far, the tricky question is whether timeless black or light camel color would be more appropriate.

O My Bag manufactures its products from eco-leather while at the same time employing fairly and safely women from the poorest regions of India. The Otis Weekender bag is compact as well as practical, high quality, and simple style appreciated by the gift recipient. 

For my mother and my sisters, I will get the ever-popular Sweat Harder 2.0 workout leggings made by Ninepine. Mother can use them while biking and gardening. One of my sisters can use them in her hobbies in dancing and acrobatics and the other sister can wear them as fitness and yoga pants. Sweat harder leggings are definitely great workout leggings and therefore the best gift to anyone who likes to move.

I already planned to buy luxury pajamas from the leftover fabric from Dior made by Residus but the Swedish customers went crazy over them and most of the sizes are sold out before Christmas.

That’s why I rely on Miia Halmesmaa’s hand made Muhku sets, which have both a beanie and mittens. In Finnish winter everyone needs Muhku from Turku that is made out of merino wool, kid mohair, and silk. You can get the Muhku set in black, grey, and pink.

What do you wish for from Santa?

Houdini just launched on IVALO.COM, is an innovative eco-brand that makes outdoor clothing. Immediately I started looking at the famous Cloud Jacket with “that eye”. The Cloud Jacket is a multipurpose jacket designed for mountain climbers and other hard-core adventurers. You can use the Cloud Jacket as a jacket, blanket, pillow, or extra insulation to your sleeping bag.

The light Cloud Jacket compresses into a small space, dries fast, and travels easily with you. The jacket is recycled, recyclable, fluorocarbon-free, BlueSign®-certificated, and made out of Houdini’s Primaloft® Silver Eco material.

The idea of dressing in The Cloud feels perfectly comfortable especially when The Cloud Jacket, despite its technicality and extreme sportiness, is stylish and suitable for the urban lifestyle as well.

Dear Santa, I would like to have a black one!