The Best Of Bows: Where To Shop The Best Ribbon-Adorned Festive Gifts

Bow down to bows, the favoured accessory of cool girls everywhere. Especially this festive season, we’ve spotted them adorning trees and candelabras as well as up-dos; tied on cocktail glasses as well as on handbags (à la Jane Birkin). Screen printed onto T-shirts, moulded into candle holders, knitted into scarves, laced through tights and painted on as eyeliner... The possibilities are seemingly endless — hell, they’re even appearing baked into pies and on baguettes!

Of course, as with most trends, this one started on the runway, with the patron saints of all things ultra-femme: Simone Rocha and Sandy Liang. Last season, for autumn/winter 2023 especially, Rocha practically dedicated her entire show to the motif. Models were sent down the runway sporting fine red bows in their hair, while others had delicate bows placed under their eyes (you’ve definitely seen the TikTok filter this inspired). And we haven’t started on the clothes, where they were woven everywhere you could expect (and more). As for Liang, it was a “go big or go home” moment, with exaggerated, larger-than-life satin bows bags or slung low on hips as belts. Even brands who don’t traditionally lean into the uber-feminine are taking note, from Celine to Jacquemus.

The best thing about this trend though is that you don’t need to shell out on lots of fancy designer gear to take part. All you need is a trip to your local arts store, a free afternoon and nimble fingers to craft your own ribbon-embellished masterpiece. Or, there’s plenty of cool indie brands doing all the hard work for us. (Take it from this bow-obsessed writer whose job is literally just writing about shopping).

Whether you’re after dainty silver bow earrings to furnish your ears in a sweet but subtle way or a bold graphic print, I’ve done the legwork and rounded up all the very best bow adorned trinkets, treasures and knick-knacks around. Take this as your official guide to nailing the super-sweet aesthetic. Especially if you’re on a bow gift guide hunt, you’ve hit the jackpot: Below are 72 bow- and ribbon-adorned options for all budgets and divided up by brand. It seemed only right to go all out for our With A Bow gift guide series (we are nothing but consistent at R29 HQ).

Armed with a spool of ribbon, a few free hours and a Gilmore Girls marathon, you could be unstoppable — yes, even if you aren’t super crafty. After all, along with telling the time and learning to read, what were we all taught to do as children? Yes, tie up our shoes with a bow. And if you feel a bit more confident, there’s always air-dry clay (for moulding your dream bow-themed candle holder or trinket dish), Lino cutting for T-shirt printing or fabric markers for transforming a plain tote bag.

When in doubt, ASOS is a haven for the unsure shopper: It’s got thousands of options from hundreds of brands and at every price. When it comes to bow-themed goodies especially — I spotted bow earrings, ribbon embellished tops and knitwear, all for under £20.

Etsy is a treasure trove of beautiful handmade gems. Set yourself some free time for this one — you’ll undoubtedly find yourself scrolling for hours through all the amazing options.

UK-based brand Damson Madder is a breath of fresh air. It prioritises transparency and small-batch production, and tries to use 100% recycled cotton and a minimum of 20% recycled materials across other garments. Despite their slow fashion approach (releasing collections 15–35 strong after a year working on them and with only 100–350 pieces per style), Damson Madder is always on the money with trends — and, you guessed it, that means they have plenty of bow-detailed goodness. Their prices range from £22 to £175 so there’s options for every budget. On my own personal wish list is this gorgeous crochet hair bow.

Take a dollop of pop culture, a big dose of romanticism and a cheeky sense of humour, and you have Favorite Child Collective. Offering everything from reference-laden graphic prints to sweet fangirl-fave jewellery (just look at the Pride and Prejudice Hand Ring!), you definitely won’t get bored by its wares — plenty of which are adorned with bows and, more importantly, nod to other similar areas of interest. If you’re shopping for a bow lover, chances are they also listen to Lana Del Rey, idolise Sofia Coppola films and the ballet, and are lovers of classical literature.

The best thing about En Route Jewelery isn’t just the prices (they start as low as £4), it's also the sheer range of its designs. From jewel-adorned bow earrings to tiny cat pendants with ribbons on their tails, I’m in danger of buying it all.

Urban Outfitters always has its finger on the pulse with current trends and it’s no different with the bow. Especially on a budget, these bow-embellished tights look so much more expensive than they really are (and are a quick and easy way to dip your toe into the trend without fully committing).

Hola Amor Estudios has long been a favourite of mine, having discovered the handmade, German-based jewellery brand during lockdown. Now, it’s continuing to treat us bow fiends to delicate ribbon jewels. I’ve got my heart set on their bow hair accessories though — especially the Big Ballerina Bow Clip which feels like such a steal at just £11 (no wonder it’s often sold out!). For any uncoordinated girlies out there with thumbs for fingers and an inability to tie the perfect hair ribbon, they are a saving grace.

In print we certainly we do trust, especially if it means securing the cutest bow graphic baby tee for under £30.

Whenever I’m tasked with sourcing romantic and ethereal fashion, I always turn to Free People. It sure knows how to do a bow well — especially in its hair accessory range. If you would rather not make your own, this should be your one-stop-shop for beautifully crafted hair bows and ribbons; it has options in pretty much every colour of the rainbow, from delicate lace to festive-season favourite, velvet.

hollysworld is a new discovery of mine and I’m so glad I stumbled across the brand’s weird, wonderful and slightly wacky world (knicker bags anyone?). The brainchild of Holly Kingsley, who graduated from the University of Westminster Fashion Design BA in 2021, the brand describes itself as blending “the nuances between childhood and adulthood culture into a new anatomy of womenswear whilst creating a future nonchalant femininity”. So get ready to see a mismatch of lingerie details, graphic prints edged with lace, kitschy pet motifs, and of course, bows. Personally, I will not rest until I own the Cat Mom T-Shirt.

There’s nothing Lisa Says Gah does better than making the kitschy and slightly gaudy, chic, elegant and oh-so cool, and there’s no better example of this than its vast collection of bow designs. Where else can you find delicate, sparkling bow sandals worthy of the dance floor and cheeky bum-adorned bow trousers?

Aside from having the coolest brand name, My Mum Made It has nailed a cuter-than-cute aesthetic that’s also super wearable and even practical. Take for example the Bow Puffer Jacket — why can’t we be warm and cosy and also wear pastel pink and be covered in bows? Or the roomy Bow Shoulder Bag, which is roomy enough to carry all your work-day essentials, but so much funner than a boring black commuter backpack.

There’s a reason why This Story’s Ribbon Rings are a hot commodity, going viral on TikTok (which is how I discovered the brand) and selling out almost immediately at every drop (trust me, I had a ring in my basket for just a minute before it was snatched up!). If you Google for bow or ribbon rings, you’re hard pressed to find anything as beautifully crafted. Each is one of a kind, handmade with the lost-wax casting method (where a molten metal is poured into a mould made with a wax model) and recycled metals (sterling silver which can be plated with 18ct gold vermeil or in 9ct gold). And, unlike cheaper alternatives, each ring is designed to really look like a ribbon tied around your finger with an artfully and authentically twisted band. You can also shop matching Ribbon Hoop Earrings. While both are sold out at the moment, Anna — the artist behind the brand — tells me that she has restock due in the new year and more drops throughout 2024 so watch this space.

Bows are fun! They’re a little silly goofy time for the girlies (and by girlies I mean everyone and anyone who wants to take part in the trend). No brand understands this better than Melbourne-based label par moi who goes big with their bows (taking over mini skirts and sleek LBDs), pins them to seemingly random items (your everyday turtleneck?) and uses them to completely cover their accessories.

No one does cool-girl knitwear like Spanish brand Paloma Wool — so its no surprise that it’s mastering the bow trend with plenty of ice-cold maturity. This is the brand for the bow-obsessed friend who doesn’t want to look like they’re playing dress up in their childhood wardrobe.

Did you know that your mum’s favourite brand for wedding guest attire is also nailing the bow trend? No, neither did I, until I did some digging. But sure enough, I discovered beautiful party dresses embellished with sparkling bows, cosy bow-adorned knits and even bow decor that you’ll want to leave up long after the festive season has passed.

The Aussies clearly have the bow trend on lock! Another Australian label, Dabek Designs, makes every one of its items to order — from frilly lingerie sets to silky maxi skirts. They also only use natural fibres and dead-stock fabric to further minimise waste.

All hail the queen of the bow: Simone Rocha was rocking ribbon long before the rest of the fashion rat pack caught wind (from at least since her spring/summer 2016 collection). Now the two are pretty synonymous with each other; you can’t describe the Simone Rocha aesthetic without name checking bows (along with pearl embellishments, voluminous tulle silhouettes and ballet-inspired accessories). It’s unabashed femininity at its very best.

If Simone Rocha is the queen of the bow, then Sandy Liang is the princess; a natural inheritor of the ultra-femme aesthetic who began to dabble with ribbon back in 2018. Now, she’s championing a brave new bow-covered world. If my bank account played ball I would spend my life prancing about in her bow-themed designs, from head to toe (literally, she offers everything from bow headbands to bow printed socks) — all while lounging on the Sandy Liang Ribbon Runner rug, naturally.

Loveshackfancy is for the kids who never grew up out of their princess daydreams. Truly, in any one of its sparkling party dresses gilded with bows and rosettes, tufts of tulle and ripples of ruffle, you’ll feel like royalty.

For anyone so inclined, Selkie Collection is a household name. They stole our hearts in 2021 with the viral puff dress and just haven’t quit, with the brand now offering a family tree of cotton candy gowns, separates and accessories, many of which are detailed with bows.

Shanghai-based brand — a collaboration between designers Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang — has been coming up with the ultra-girlie goods since 2015. It’s the duo’s playful take on grown-up tailoring that has me obsessed though. I was simply born to wear the brand’s exaggerated bow blouse and sailor skirt combination.