Thoughtful Hostess Gifts That Will Secure You a Second Invitation This Summer

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There’s a beloved and oft-replicated needlepoint pillow design that reads, “You never know how many friends you have until you have a country house.” Well, the sun’s out, summer Fridays have commenced, and it’s high time to reunite with friends and family, preferably in a balmy, waterfront location belonging to someone you love. So what is the perfect gift to bring your weekend host or hostess? Of course, there are some one-size-fits-all options—olive oil soap in the shape of grapes, a Murano glass nut bowl—but the best hostess gifts are the most thoughtful ones, targeted to the recipient and his or her interests.

Vogue’s Guide to the Best Hostess Gifts:

• For the Challengers-Obsessed: Nettie classic pickleball set, $150
• For the Southampton Doyenne: Christofle uni silver-plated trinket box, $140
• For the Trompe L’Oeil Trickster: Handmade Soap Emporium grape soap, $35
• For the Gentleman Farmer: Terrain Niwaki garden tools gift set, $238
• For Your Chill College Roommate: Vertly bath salts, $24
• For the Late-Night Boardgamer: Etsy custom monopoly board, $220
• For the Mom of Four: Super Smalls sparkle and shine gemify sunglasses kit, $36

Herewith, a curated gift selection by type of host from the Southampton doyenne who considers tablescaping the eighth art to the on-the-couch Olympian who loves sports since watching Challengers and is practicing her pickleball as she waits to see if Nadal ends up in the Olympics after all, to some high end gays who put Tom Hollander’s White Lotus character to shame. For the Southampton Doyenne…

For Some High-End Gays…

It might not be a palazzo in Sicily but everything in this couple’s home is chicer than yours so gifting them is daunting. Arrive with an elegant comestible: designer chocolate or Via Carota Old Fashioned and you guarantee not to end up overboard like Jennifer Coolidge in White Lotus.

Furbish

high-end gays needlepoint pillow

$88

FURBISH STUDIO

Santa Maria Novella

melograno in scented terracotta

$75

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

Valerie Confections

super choc-o-food set

$60

VALERIE CONFECTIONS

Archivest Gallery

lemon poodle soap

$20

PORTA NYC

Via Carota

bottled old fashioned

$39

VIA CAROTA

Rentrayage

fantastic-not-plastic tall glasses

$120

RENTRAYAGE

Challengers Challenged Her…

Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor confirmed her as a racquet sports obsessive. From pickle to Padel, she can’t get enough. She’s also a world class on-the-couch Olympian who can’t wait to see if Nadal actually retires. A Loewe “I Told Ya” tee probably isn’t the best use of your gifting budget but a Nettie Pickleball racket or a canister of monogram tennis balls hits the sweet spot.

Riia's Designs

custom monogram tennis balls

$30 $26

ZAZZLE

Nettie

pickleball set 2 pack

$150

NETTIE

$150

AMAZON

Tory Burch

heavy French terry polo sweatshirt

$298

TORY BURCH

Weezie

pickleball towel

$42

WEEZIE TOWELS

Kule

over the shoulder tennis tote

$198

KULE

Sonos

Roam 2 portable speaker

$179

SONOS

For the Trompe L’Oeil Trickster…

This friend is the queen of puns, her weekend invitation always includes one. Help her set the table with some of these pouches dressed as food, not to mention a trompe l’oeil paper bag vase. For dessert, serve this spectacular fried chicken ice cream–the breadcrumbs are cornflakes and the drumstick is a pretzel!

Rebecca Gardner

pouches dressed as food

$36

HOUSES AND PARTIES

Makoto Komatsu

crinkle bag vase

$125

MOMA STORE

Table V

spritz candle

$48

GOHAR

Life Raft Treats

not fried chicken ice cream bar

$5

FRESH DIRECT

Handmade Soap Emporium

grape soap

$35

THE SIX BELLS

Loftus International

king deluxe mixed nuts prank

$9

AMAZON

For the Southampton Doyenne…

Who considers tablescaping the 8th art: Flatware and wicker is her love language, get her something she may not get herself like cheeky “this or that” place cards from House & Parties; the chicest bamboo pizza cutter or have an inside joke engraved on a Christofle trinket box.

Porta NYC

Gustavo snack bowl

$110

PORTA NYC

Aerin

bamboo pizza cutter

$70

AERIN

Christofle

uni silver-plated trinket box

$140

NET-A-PORTER

Cabana

Murano cornucopia hand-painted jug

$610

CABANA MAGAZINE

Rebecca Gardner

12 engraved place cards

$74

HOUSES AND PARTIES

D'Ascoli

Montauk napkin set of 4

$175

OVER THE MOON

Moda Domus

Lily Of The Valley ceramic bowls

$370

MODA OPERANDI

West Elm

Rhode wicker tray

$125

WEST ELM

For the Gentleman Farmer…

They’re in marketing…farmer’s markets that is. These hosts just want you to take home more zucchini: They refer to their saltbox in Litchfield County exclusively as “The Farm” and are desperate for you to fawn over their bounty of heirloom tomatoes. Encourage this family endeavor with these Japanese secateurs for the peony garden and a veggie basket for the kids.

Misette

fête embroidered linen napkins

$160

MISETTE

Terrain

Niwaki garden tools gift set

$238

TERRAIN

Ella Pennington

rainbow chard cap

$35

THE SIX BELLS

Tender Leaf

veggie basket

$28

MAISONETTE

Tory Burch

mochaware serving bowl

$158

TORY BURCH

Rebecca Gardner

handy kitchen brushes

$14

HOUSES AND PARTIES

For Your Chill College Roommate…

Whose Catskills cabin cohorts are pumped about New York’s recent marijuana legalization: They’ll need the most elegant Edie Parker Flower x Paul Arnhold glass bong, the chicest version of The Dude with Tekla’s hooded bathrobe, some Levain cookies, available fully baked but frozen from FreshDirect and some special CBD dog treats so Fido doesn’t feel left out.

Edie Parker

bong

$795

EDIE PARKER

Vertly

bath salts

$24

CREDO BEAUTY

Levain Bakery

two chip chocolate chip cookies

$12

INSTACART

Tekla

terry hooded bathrobe

$265

TEKLA

oHHo

Moe's CBD dog biscuits

$28

OHHO

Jonathan Adler

full dose rectangle tray

$75

JONATHAN ADLER

For the Friend Fond of Marrakesh Souks…

But has had to content herself with the aisles of her local health food store: Bring the world to her with Malaika’s Egyptian embroidered napkins and an elephant grass basket from Ghana.

Porta NYC

Rayas serving bowl

$120

PORTA NYC

Malaika Cairo

tulip napkin

$55

MALAIKA CAIRO

Baba Tree

Pakurigo basket

$200

GOODEE

Fete Home

acacia wood salad servers

$65

FETE HOME

For the Late-Night Board Gamer…

Who never tires of another round of Boggle: Provide the perfect set up for an evening of gaming with a deluxe cheese board, or personalized pencils and Monopoly board.

DaniKatesDesigns

custom monopoly board

$220

ETSY

thecarboncrusader

custom pencils

$11

ETSY

Murray's Cheese

cheeses of the world sampler

$87

MURRAY'S CHEESE

LouLou Baker

Hamptons playing cards

$32

OVER THE MOON

For the Mom of Four…

She’s filled out so many camp health forms and applied gallons of sunblock. The best gift you can possibly give her is a cold cocktail and some babysitting. Set her up with the best ice cream sandwiches and keep the kids busy for the afternoon with a Super Smalls sunglasses decorating kit and the cutest paper dollhouse.

Super Smalls

sparkle and shine gemify sunglasses kit

$36

SUPER SMALLS

Frog Hollow Farm Kitchen

ice cream sandwiches

$180

FROG HOLLOW

SplatterBallz

reusable water balloons

$22

MAISONETTE

Meri Meri

mini paper dolls house

$48

MERI MERI

For the Beachfront Betty…

Who spends all day long on the beach: They’ve just finished renovating their oceanfront Amagansett cottage with sea-inspired accents so even when they’re not on the sand, they’re still thinking about it. Help add to that collection with this ingenious umbrella-friendly beach blanket and Hamptons’ print pajamas.

Courtland & Co.

diver cocktail napkins

$60

COURTLAND AND CO.

Meri Meri

octopus costume

$75

MERI MERI

Business & Pleasure Co.

the beach blanket

$119

NORDSTROM

Pink Chicken

kids bamboo pj set

$58

PINK CHICKEN

Aerin

shell platter

$175

OVER THE MOON

Gohar

fish-shaped lemon squeezer

$32

GOHAR