Everyone You Know for $50 or Less: Christmas in Soho

Perfect for: Your little sister/brother. The goods: A Christmas Story puzzle, $24. The truth about Urban Outfitters is that, though you may sheepishly stock up on Cheap … Monday's and hoodies while waiting for your 9:25 movie at Angelika, your little sister and/or brother think Urban is the coolest place in the world (and would gladly spend hours there if your parents didn't drag them to the Cheesecake Factory). Anything you get from here (a book about graffiti, a velvet-bird journal, or a pair of Tom's), in its hip wrapping, will make you their hero. [link]

Perfect for: Your boyfriend/girlfriend. The goods: fine merino v-neck cardigan, $39.50 (not pictured). When you're in a relationship, your lover is often the last … person for whom you buy a gift (either because they're with you, or because their gift causes you the least anxiety). That said, Uniqlo is the perfect place to grab a pair of jeans or t-shirt that look so hot on your significant other, they'll barely get it on before you're tugging at it with your teeth. Shopping at the Uniqlo store is also a sort-of hipness therapy wherein you feel sanely cynical, free from the twinkle-y Broadway spirit looming just outside those huge glass doors. [link]

Perfect for: Your (domestic) parents. The goods: Mario Batali Chianti red 2-cup casserole dish, $29.95. If you're flying out of the city for Christmas, destined for the … coziness of mom and dad's -- where eating chocolate chip pancakes and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm are high on our list of to-do's -- then buy a gift that will contribute to their generous cookery. Here's a trick: Think of a dish your crave while home and buy the utensil at Sur La Table that will lend itself nicely to the suggestion that "someone" (a.k.a. not you) make it. Sur La Table has the best of what's required in the kitchen, and all you'll need is a joint, your Dad's station wagon, and a quick trip to the grocery store for the rest. [link]

Perfect for: Your acquaintance. The goods: vanilla bath foam, $25. This under-the-radar soap-stocking New York chain is the perfect place to grab a gift for someone you … don't know that well. The atmosphere of the Soho store makes you feel like a good, clean, thoughtful person, ready to embark on a new relationship with the gesture of a modest gift. Whether it's hand soap for their guest bathroom, or bath salts for their New Year's vacation, you'll be able to slip in and out of their Christmas party unnoticed, though appreciated. [link]

Perfect for: Your (urban) parents. The goods: Riedel "O" Cabernet/Merlot glass, set of 2 for $26. Are your parents cool? Does you dad wear Bvlgari black, your mom, … Repettos? Hit the MoMA store for hip gifts that have little practical purpose yet make you come across as the thoughtful, tasteful, cool kid you are. Other awesome things about the MoMA store? Muji (the Japanese home/office goods collection that makes Martha Stewart look like a slob) and e-commerce capabilities (in case you forget someone, you can order online). [link]

Perfect for: Your best girl friend. The goods: olive shower gel and body lotion, $42. It might not be the hippest of toiletry any longer, but L'Occitane is, like your … best girl friend, something you can always count on to make you feel classy and low-maintenance at once. The Soho store also has a bathroom and cafe. Make it your last of the Soho spree stops by indulging in a gift for your bff (and maybe yourself), a cup of tea, and a restroom break before booking it back to the real world. [link]

Perfect for: Your gay or metrosexual male friend. The goods: party survival kit, $29. The Korres store in Soho, with its industrial interior and posh location, … superficially embodies everything that your gay or metrosexual guy friend stands for -- namely, a well-groomed manner that has neither the woman's fuss, nor the straight man's mess. Get your friend something from Korres because he's the type to stay home with a case of the "blemish" and will never forgive you if you don't understand the delicacies of a man who cares about his cuticles. [link]

Perfect for: Your colleagues. The goods: 2008 weekly medium desk diary, $38. Probably the least offensive place to buy someone a gift, Kate's is professionally … foolproof. Here you'll find nice pens for your boss, photo albums for whoever just had a baby, and journals for the interns (so that they may vent privately). Another safe bet? In-store gift-wrapping. [link]

Perfect for: Your nieces, nephews, and other babies. The goods: Wooden banjo, $28. For those of you notoriously bad with children, arriving with baby toys is a … must. That way, you can toss them over to the little tikes while you beeline for the Grand Marnier and coffee. At Giggle (ugh, just the name is enough to make you need a drink), you can find uppity children's gifts that will bring your competition's Old Navy jumper to shame. [link]

Perfect for: Your older sister/brother. The goods: salt and pepper zip hoodie, $40. With siblings, sometimes it's hard to relate. At American Apparel, there is … absolutely no way you'll leave without something. Perhaps it's a t-shirt that masks your asking "How can you like Coldplay?" or a gym bag that overrides the comment, "What is with your hair gel?". AA goods are so neutral and generically pleasing that whatever you fight about will have nothing to do with the gift. Thankfully, the Soho store is small, so you can be in and out before you start wondering if he'll let you borrow his Jeep Wrangler. [link]