locally made gift guide
From locally crafted jewelry and artisanal chocolates to coastal-inspired home goods and one-of-a-kind finds, Santa Barbara offers plenty of opportunities to give something special. Explore independent boutiques, locally made products and thoughtfully curated gifts that capture the creativity and character of The American Riviera®.
Whether you’re shopping for the holidays, celebrating a special occasion or bringing home a piece of Santa Barbara, this guide highlights local makers, specialty retailers and distinctive gifts for everyone on your list.
Santa Barbara Boutiques
In the market for clothing and accessories that capture the effortless elegance of Santa Barbara’s laid-back style for a lady in your life? Get started at Diani Boutique and Diani Shoes located in Arlington Plaza. The brick-and-mortar stores have a relaxed, beach-y vibe that invite browsing the racks stocked with the coolest of European and American designers. If you’ve got a gardener to gift, beeline to Diani Living to check out the line-up of very reasonably priced Tula Hats, along with many other attractive home and garden accessories.
For premium denim and everyday wardrobe essentials, stop by Ace Rivington in La Arcada Plaza. Founded by Beau Lawrence, the Santa Barbara-based brand offers expertly crafted jeans, soft cotton tees and versatile staples for men and women, with complimentary denim hemming and a lifetime warranty on its jeans.
Santa Barbara’s very own women’s ready-to-wear clothing designer, Catherine Gee, captures the city’s no-fuss attitude in her expanding collection of silk dresses, tailored tops and sweaters. The rising star’s pieces have caught the attention of Hollywood stars and trusted global fashion authorities such as Vogue and WWD. The Presidio District’s Jake & Jones boutique is a treasure trove of interesting clothes and accessories by independent designers for women and children, plus highly giftable colorful home accents and simple luxuries like bath and body products.
For accessories with a local touch, stop by Jess Conti Leather Goods in the historic El Paseo complex to discover handcrafted leather bags and accessories. Nearby on State Street, Bungalow West offers a curated collection of coastal-inspired gifts, lifestyle accessories and exclusive designs from its locally owned boutique.
Sevilla Square is teeming with unique places to find gifts, too. Head into Riviera Towel Company for luxury Turkish towels and one-of-a-kind Santa Barbara mementos and Folio Press & Paperie for stationery and small gifts.
Down in the Funk Zone, Loveworn is a partnership reborn between designer Jill Johnson and artist Wallace Piatt who have a long history together as purveyors of vintage threads. Hit the punk rock outpost to shop for vintage denim, customized jackets and screen-printed tees. And if you want to give the gift of original art without breaking the bank, check out the selection of posters featuring Piatt’s colorful paintings. Find other funky gifts at one of these local antique, vintage and secondhand stores.
Montecito-based Wendy Foster is a retail legend synonymous with Santa Barbara style—she’s been in business with her husband Pierre Lafond for more than 40 years and together their local empire encompasses six boutiques, a café and two wineries. Her four signature Wendy Foster women’s clothing boutiques are located in Montecito’s Upper Village and Los Olivos. The more youthful leaning Angel sits in the heart of Montecito’s main street, Coast Village Road. And Upstairs at Pierre Lafond carries home décor, eclectic gifts and art along with a well-edited selection of children’s and men’s clothing.
Another successful retail venture created by a dynamic husband and wife team, K. Frank brings an astute, sophisticated eye for modern style to their designer clothing selections for men and women. For a complete list of places to shop in Montecito, look no further than this guide.
In between Montecito and Santa Barbara is The Post, an upscale outdoor shopping center complete with brands like Marisa Mason, Teller and Shoppe Amber Interiors.
Tokens of Love
Find all sorts of tokens of love made locally at the long-running Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show along the waterfront. Every Sunday, nearly 200 Santa Barbara artisans showcase their creations on Cabrillo Boulevard between Stearns Wharf and Calle Cesar Chavez.
Continue to shop and support area artisans at one of these artisan marketplaces, where you can browse and purchase one-of-a-kind treasures made by creative locals. Located a little further up State Street is The Yes Store artisan store, where shoppers can find handmade local wares including arts, crafts, custom fine jewelry, fused, blown glass, graphics, photography, ceramics, woodworking and so much more.
For even more gift-giving inspiration, explore Montecito Country Mart , an open-air shopping destination featuring a curated collection of fashion, home goods and specialty boutiques. Browse stylish handbags and accessories at Clare V., unique home décor at Hudson Grace, nautical-inspired art and vintage treasures at Mate Gallery, and gifts for little ones at Toy Crazy. Fashion lovers can also explore contemporary collections at Dôen, La Ligne and Marfa Stance.
The Italian Pottery Outlet can help you deliver a virtual taste of “la dolce vita.” The family-owned business specializes in ceramics for home and garden sourced from the Italian countryside. Riviera Towel Company is a homegrown local gem of a boutique dedicated to impossibly soft, premium Turkish towels suitable for everyday use at home as well as sun-soaked vacations and days spent alfresco. Plus, every purchase benefits an environmental nonprofit that protects our oceans. For artisan-made décor, Domecíl on State Street offers a thoughtfully curated selection of ceramics, textiles and distinctive home accessories.
Pair a deluxe towel with a book for a social distanced beach day “care package.” Browse for bibliophiles at independent booksellers like Chaucer’s Books, Tecolote Book Shop, Paradise Found, The Book Den and Godmothers.
Summerland’s Lillie Avenue is home to plenty of unique, curated boutiques and collectives, where you’ll find everything from antiques at Summerland Antique Collective to lavish home goods at Porch, The Well or Field + Fort. Discover more places to shop in Summerland.
Beauty & Beyond
For locally made beauty and wellness gifts, explore The Grapeseed Company‘s collection of skin care crafted with ingredients derived from the wine industry. Visit Seaside Makers on State Street to browse the brand’s products alongside handmade jewelry, artisan gifts and Santa Barbara-inspired souvenirs. Shoppers can also create a personalized fragrance at the shop’s custom scent bar.
The options are endless when it comes to consumable culinary goods made in Santa Barbara County. Home cooks will go crazy for the olive oil and vinegar gift sets made by Global Gardens in Santa Ynez, where you can also buy a club membership for a gift that keeps on giving all year long. Rancho Olivos in Santa Ynez is another excellent resource for premium extra virgin olive oil, as well as lavender products from neighboring farms.
Santa Barbara County wine is always a crowd-pleaser, too, and with more than 200 wineries in the region, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking the perfect vintage. Consider purchasing magnums or sparkling wines (like Riverbench’s glitter-dipped bottles of bubbles) to make a big impression, or sign up for a wine club membership to initiate special deliveries throughout the year.
For the ultimate wine splurge, treat the wine lover in your life to an unforgettable experience with Artiste Winery. The Grand Museum Tasting is a seated tasting in the Museum Room, hosted by resident sommelier, Ashley Meehan, where guests will taste five Museum wines (each valued $100+) paired with artisanal cheeses.
Beer connoisseurs can collect bottles or growlers of favorite brews from Santa Barbara’s dozens of craft breweries. Stock your bar—or that of the cocktail aficionado in your life—with Cutler’s Artisan Spirits’ small batch bourbon, gin, vodka, whiskey or apple pie liqueur distilled in downtown Santa Barbara. Cutler’s also carries Santa Barbara-based Pacific Pickle Works products (as do several other local markets) including savory cocktail mixers like pickle brine and michelada shrub and pickled veggies to garnish.
On the sweet side, Jessica Foster Confections’ handmade chocolate truffles come in unique flavors perfectly packaged for gifting. Several markets (Lazy Acres and Whole Foods included), wineries, gift shops and hotels carry her divine creations or you can make a custom order.
Twenty-Four Blackbirds, a “bean-to-bar” SB chocolate specialist, makes truffles, single-origin chocolate bars and drinking chocolate kits.
For a collection of local favorites in one package, Santa Barbara Gift Baskets creates customizable gift baskets featuring regional gourmet foods, sweet treats and locally sourced products. Visit its Goleta storefront to explore gift options or order online for local delivery and nationwide shipping.
Santa Barbara Company, a multigenerational, woman-owned company that specializes in locally made, sustainable gifts ranging from delectable chocolates and wine to keepsakes like puzzles and tote bags.
Heritage Brands
Santa Barbara has long attracted innovators and cultivated creators, and as a result, some notable global brands were launched on The American Riviera®. One of the most revered and successful surfboard shapers in the world, Al Merrick’s Channel Islands Surfboards is one such brand that started here in 1969. The flagship Channel Islands Surfboards retail store is located in the Funk Zone and carries exclusive Santa Barbara branded apparel—from baby onesies and men’s and women’s T-shirts to hats and sweatshirts—along with surfboards and accessories.
SeaVees is another longtime Santa Barbara staple. The maker of a classic canvas sneaker that debuted in 1964, SeaVees re-launched 40 years later with contemporary interpretations of the original style for men and women. Visit the Santa Barbara retail store in the Funk Zone and get to know the people behind the brand while stocking up on fashionable kicks.
Founded in Santa Barbara in 1973, Deckers Brands has grown into a global footwear company with a portfolio that includes UGG, HOKA and Teva. Visit the Deckers Brand Showcase in Goleta to browse footwear and apparel from these internationally recognized brands, each with strong ties to the company’s Central Coast roots.
Discover even more Santa Barbara-based fashion brands worth exploring with this thoughtfully curated guide.
