What Tween Row Tweens (and Teens) Want for Christmas
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
In this article
Six months ago, we gave a name to the one-block stretch of Broadway where matcha-sipping, Jansport-wearing middle- and high-school girls swarm to shop and socialize: “Tween Row.” Now that it’s officially the holiday season, the lines stretching outside of the block’s most popular stores (Edikted, Brandy Melville, Princess Polly, Garage, and PacSun) are showing no signs of shrinking — and neither do the wish lists of the girls who wait on them.
So if you’re shopping for a 14-year-old who stops by Brandy once a weekjustto make sure there isn’t anything new or a 12-year-old who insists on getting a Starbucks “pink drink” every time she’s in the neighborhood, consider this your gifting cheat sheet (or at least a guide to the extensive wish-list slideshow she prepared for you). I’ve been chatting with tweens and teens — from the 11-year-olds eagerly awaiting their first Soho visit to the 16-year-olds who count attending brand pop-ups as a hobby — about everything on their lists. There are a few things, like Canal Street bags and appointments atthe Jellycat Diner, that you can only get through haggling and persistence, but there are plenty of items you can buy online without braving Tween Row yourself. And don’t be fooled by all the lip glosses and sweatshirts: If she’s passionate about a hobby, sport, or musical instrument, she’d like gifts related to those interests, too. I’ve sorted everything by price, and you can use the links above to navigate according to your budget.
Under $25
New! You can now save this product for later.
I’ve lost track of the number of teens who told me they went to Sephora the day Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s viral beauty and skin-care brand, was finally available in stores. So if your teen says she wants “something from Rhode,” go with the hydrating lip tint in Ribbon, the sheer-pink shade all the girls say is their favorite.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Tweens are still proudly hanging Touchland’s colorful hand sanitizers from their backpacks. New Jersey–based 11-year-old Claire told me she added the blue one to her list and all the kids at her school have a bottle.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Claire also loves Mofusand, a popular Japanese cat character that can be spotted wearing different hats shaped like fruits, desserts, and other animals. She’d like some stickers that she can put on her water bottle. (And in case you were wondering: Claire, and almost every other tween I spoke to, has an Owala.)
New! You can now save this product for later.
Aria Topalian, 14, always keeps this “emergency” glitter stick in her bag. It’s available in 17 colors and would make a delightful stocking stuffer for a new high-schooler.
New! You can now save this product for later.
When it comes to stuffed animals, Jellycats are still the favorite. Many of the plush characters that came up during my conversations — like thesoccer balland afrowny Timmy Turtle— are out of stock, but the cute croissant on Yonkers-based 13-year-old Megan’s wish list is still available. She’d like to go to theJellycat Diner, too.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Most New York teens either have one of Sonny Angel’s mini-figures or a suction mount called an Octobuddy on the back of their phones. Megan has both on her wish list.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Good news for parents on a budget: Wired earbuds, it turns out, are cool again. “I feel like I would not lose them as easily, especially if I only had one ear in,” New York seventh-grader Victoria told me.
New! You can now save this product for later.
When 16-year-old New Yorker Michelle goes to Soho, one of the first places she likes to visit is Glossier, where limited-edition holiday lip balms are in high demand. Her favorite flavor, Hot Cocoa, is already out of stock, but there are a few others that are still available.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New Jersey–based 12-year-old Hattie is the latest tween adding a sunset lamp to her wish list. We’ve been recommending this one for years.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Emma Arje, 16, andCharlotte Spector, 17, have both noticed their friends pairing leg warmers with their favorite boots, be that UGGs orknee-highs. This cable-knit pair from Edikted would fit nicely in a stocking.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Starbucks Gift Card
New! You can now save this product for later.
Blank Street Gift Card
Before they head to Brandy Melville or Edikted, most teens say they start their shopping day with a drink from Starbucks or Blank Street. A gift card will buy them a few matchas or pink drinks.
Under $50
New! You can now save this product for later.
Tweens and teens on TikTok rave about Emi Jay’s Big Effing claw clips for their strong hold and cute colors. “That’s literally what it’s called,” Brooklyn-based 16-year-oldEliza Dziekonskisays. Their splurgy price tags — $36 for a regular one and$88 for a custom one— aren’t realistic for a teen living off babysitting money, making them perfect for a wish list.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Earlier this year, I noticed a trend: All the 17-year-olds I was interviewing had gotten one ofLululemon’s dual-pouch wristletsafter they got their driver’s license. Many New York teens may not know how to drive, but these key chains are still popular in the city, according to Dziekonski.
New! You can now save this product for later.
When I first met Connecticut-based 15-year-old Sam, she had come into the city for Edikted’s spring pop-up, but she told me she also likes going to Sephora. She’s asking for a new eyelash curler for Christmas — specifically this one from Shiseido “because that’s what everyone says is the best.”
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you’re mourning the SohoREI’s forthcoming closingbecause you’ll be losing its bathroom access, many of the teens I spoke to have a tip: Use the one at Bloomingdale’s. When Spector visits the department store, she likes seeing the new items it has from Slip, but she’s loyal to the brand’s silk hair ties.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Silk pillowcasesalso came up a couple times, and this one from Quince is the very best, according to Strategist beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst. “I sleep with one right now, and I’m obsessed with it and I want them for the rest of my pillows,” 13-year-old New Yorker Kiera told me.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If they haven’t read theSummer I Turned Prettytrilogy yet, Megan and Hattie recommend surprising your tween with a box set. Hattie also enjoyedTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A few teens, including Dziekonski, mentioned bubble necklaces, which have surpassed the nameplate necklaces all the teens wanted last year. A few name-dropped the brand Evry Jewels, which hasa dwindling stock, but this one from Anthropologie is available in just about every letter.
New! You can now save this product for later.
It’s no secret that teens love Sephora, and when it comes to their favorite brands, Sol de Janeiro (still) came up again and again when I asked around. This set of three perfumes includes a few of the brand’s most popular scents.
Under $100
New! You can now save this product for later.
Earlier this fall, I set out to answer the question“What sweatshirt do teen girls actually want?”Pink Palm Puff, the beachy brand that has made a name for itself in middle-school hallways, came out on top, but it’s the brand’s starfish-studded pajamas that I’m now hearing about from tweens and teens ages 11 to 16.
Victoria’s Secret pajamas — specifically in the pink-striped colorway — have also become a wish-list staple. Dziekonski wants the mostly sold-out satin set, but the modal ones work too.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Dandy’s oversize sweatshirts were another favorite. When the brand hosted a pop-up in Greenpoint earlier this year, Dziekonski arrived at 8 the night before to secure the first spot on line and a free hoodie. “Most girls either own one or want one,” says Sam.
New! You can now save this product for later.
White Fox hoodies may be the Stanley tumbler of sweatshirts (as in, they’re very popular), but five girls I chatted with still had one on their wish list. I recommend going for either theWith LoveorLucky Thirteen Cheyennestyles, which are second to the brand’s most popular design, the Offstage Hoodie.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Earlier this year, Victoria’s older sister got this perfume sampler set for her birthday, and now she wants one, too, so she can pick a signature scent. It comes with 20 sample-size perfumes and a certificate to get a free full-size version of her favorite one.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Hattie would also like amini-fridge, “but not the ones for food, the ones to put your skin care in.” For her, that would include someByoma face washandmoisturizer.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Spector prefers stretchy bracelets to clasp bracelets, and she has this beaded bracelet from Kendra Scott on her wish list. But no matter what she gets from the tween-loved brand, she and Kiera just ask one thing: that the stone be pink, their favorite color.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Teens, I’ve learned, love a set. Dziekonski and Spector both have one from Skims on their list, and Dziekonski specifically called out these fold-over pants, which are the only long pajamas she tolerates.
$100 and up
New! You can now save this product for later.
According to Dziekonski, Spector, and Sam, the Longchamp tote bag isn’t going anywhere. Rather than using it for school, they envision it as the perfect sleepover or weekend homework bag.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you’re wondering which UGGs to pair with those leg warmers above, Topalian and Arje both mentioned the Ultras Minis (which we think arethe best length, too).
New! You can now save this product for later.
After Victoria and her sister upgraded their bedroom last year, she came across this marshmallow quilt from Pottery Barn. She’s hoping to add it to her bed setup this year in the color sage.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Adidas Samba OG Shoes
If their Sambas or Gazelles are looking worse for wear, get them a new colorful pair rather than one of the neutral options. Arje wantsa pink-and-green pairin particular.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Topalian and Megan are both wishing for some of Isabel Marant’s signature wedge sneakers. “You can tuck your jeans into the top of them. So people are like,Oh, she has Isabel Marants,” Topalian says. (Those jeans, by the way, should be low-rise and baggy.)
New! You can now save this product for later.
Last but not least, Megan is hoping she’ll receive a replacement for her Tiffany necklace that she accidentally put through the wash. The silver version is a relatively affordable option she can cherish well into adulthood.
More From The Strategist
- The Back-to-School Hall of Fame
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- Everything You Need to Outfit Your College Dorm
- The Strategist Summer 100
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
