• Wedding

(Photo: Courtesy of Leontine)

• Linens at Bergdorf Goodman

  754 Fifth Ave., 800-558-1855

  Leontine’s pretty linens are like fine art for the bed-and-bath world. Specializing in fanciful monograms and borders, the New Orleans–based company hand-sews each made-to-order piece. It’s almost a sin to wipe your mitts on their Irish-linen guest towels with hemstitched borders (from $120 a set).

• Bar or Bat Mitzvah

(Photo: Courtesy of Nike)

• Custom Sneakers at Niketown

  6 E. 57th St., 212-891-6453

  With a Nike iD gift certificate from Niketown, teens can go online at nikeid.com and custom-design their own sneakers, right down to the swoosh color. After picking details such as mesh versus leather and 95s versus 180s, kids can personalize their new kicks with initials or nicknames ($90 to $110).

• Hostess

• Candles at Henri Bendel

  712 Fifth Ave., 212-247-1100

  Henri Bendel branded collection candles are quickly gaining sellout status because of their delicious contemporary scents including fig, pomegranate, and citrus blossom. Candles come in single-wick ($30), three-wick ($60), and four-wick ($175) sizes. Accessorize with a metal candle lid ($10) or a leather candle base in ivory or chocolate brown ($15).

• Mother’s Day

(Photo: Courtesy of Caron)

• Face Powder at Caron

  675 Madison Ave., 212-319-4888

  Though best known for its French perfumes dispensed from Baccarat-crystal vats, Caron sells exquisitely packaged loose powders ($45) that are the ne plus ultra of femininity. All nineteen shades of bronzers and cheek colors are rose-scented and come with delicate brass sifters. Top off the gift with an impossibly soft swansdown powder puff ($40).

• Father’s Day

(Photo: Courtesy of The Missing Link)

• Cuff Links at The Missing Link

  40 W. 25th St., 212-645-6928

  Owner Michael Rodriguez has somehow managed to cram more than 5,000 pairs of cuff links ($35 to $4,500) into his tiny flea-market stall. Whimsical styles (penguins, martini glasses) are displayed alongside Victorian-era pieces; stackable trays are filled with gorgeous sets of onyx, mother-of-pearl, opal, and tiger’s eye. Don’t miss the Easter-egg-colored enamels from the twenties and thirties.

• Baby Shower

(Photo: Courtesy of Natalie and Friends)

• Clothes at Natalie and Friends

  205 E. 60th St., 212-759-9077

  Moms-to-be eat up the fashion-forward clothing from this colorful children’s boutique. In place of generic onesies and layettes, you’ll find Jim Morrison T-shirts or leopard-print moccasins for infants ($50.50), adorable bikinis for toddlers ($50 to $60), and attitude tees that say things like will work for toys ($20.50).

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine