The holidays are great and all, but somebody’s gotta talk about some of the stresses that come with it. And I’ll gladly do the talking for us! Where to begin? From the pressure to find a thoughtful gift for loved ones to the pressure of putting together a cute/trendy/post-worthy winter outfit for all the parties and events—there’s a lot to think about! But after talking with Ariana Madix about her curated DSW collection (that’ll put us antsy girlies at ease) and her gift-giving secrets (let’s just say her boyfriend, Daniel, is a lucky guy!), I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Thankfully, your favorite reality TV star’s favorite reality TV star is one of us. She also faces some of the same holiday struggles we do. To help solve the holiday party wardrobe crisis (as I like to call it), Ariana worked together with DSW to create a capsule with a variety of holiday dressing options that legit has every type of shoe you need for all the upcoming shindigs—from cozy chic to glam yet comfy. And as a shopping editor, they have my approval! Plus, she let me in on where her headspace was at while putting together her DSW holiday collection, the holiday trends that do and don’t matter and how she’s become an expert thoughtful gift-giver.
Some faves from the Ariana Madix x DSW collab ✨
When you were curating the collection what did you have in mind?
As far as dressier shoes, all I could think about was “Could you wear it with tights?” and “Would you wear it to a holiday party?” In the shots that I have on my Instagram, there’s a pair of Jessica Simpson black heels that have the sparkly detail and I feel like you could wear them with or without tights even if it’s cold or not. You can dress them up with any holiday outfit—whether you’re wearing black, red, or sparkles. That was a big thing for me. I also love the red sneakers. They’re great if you live in a city and you’re walking everywhere.
What is your favorite piece from the collection?
There’s something for everything. There’s something for being glam or for being cozy. But I’m really into the platform, cozy UGG slippers. I wear them all the time. I have multiple pairs—ones for going out and ones for the house. And I feel like you can make them cool. And I love the tall boots. I’m not an ankle boot person, so there are lots of taller boots in the collection because I’m obsessed with them. I have every pair!
What would you gift someone from this collection?
There’s a scarf that has a little pocket and I think it’s so cute. You might not know someone’s shoe size, but you would be able to give them something like an accessory. There’s also a pair of brown gloves that I’m obsessed with that have a lil horse detail on it. I’m a horse girl! There’s also a really cute bucket hat.
Easy-peasy gift ideas!
With all the trends that are circulating, it can be hard to dress for the holiday season. What vibe would you say you’re gravitating toward for your holiday looks?
I’m really into different shades of chocolate and browns. To me, those colors feel very warm and cozy while still being super chic. And I love tights. I’ve always been a tights girl. Those are my holiday trends. I know sparkles are kind of an unspoken rule, but sometimes it can be a little overdone. Everybody’s gonna be doing sparkles so I wanna do something else.
Also, I’ll be 40 next year, and you know, as I get older, I wanna push myself to have more fun with fashion instead of being afraid to try new things because of one reason or another.
How do you find a thoughtful gift for whoever you’re shopping for?
I started this note in my phone for my boyfriend so I can keep track of what size he wears or if I overhear him say if he wants something or if I see something that I think he’d like. I’ve started keeping notes going like this for different friends I love so that when it does come time to give them a gift, it’s right there. And I think that also makes it thoughtful because it shows that you’ve been paying attention. And I think if you’ve been paying attention to what someone says they like, it’s immediately a thoughtful gift.
Megan Uy is an associate shopping editor at Cosmopolitan, where she searches for the best products in all things fashion, home, beauty, sex, gifts, and more, so you don’t have to. When she’s not writing for the site, she’s whipping up some cool and trendy content for the fashion section of the print magazine. She’s been with the brand since 2019 (when she was an itty-bitty editorial fellow), and she's also written for Delish, House Beautiful, and People. Follow her on Instagram to get some BTS of the editor life and chaotic NYC content. Also, feel free to hit her up if you ever wanna discuss the madness that is TikTok.
