Zooey Deschanel Shares the 1 Gift She'd Give Her Elf Character

We Included these products from Zooey Deschanel because we think you'll like her picks. Zooey is a paid spokesperson for Vera Bradley. E! may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Learn more.

Hey Girl! Whatcha doing? The holidays are just around the corner, and for many families around the world, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until Jovie from Elf is singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. Played by the unofficial ambassador of holiday spirit, Zooey Deschanel, the singer and actress has been gifting us her adorable quirky charm on screens for many years now, but today she sat down with E! and talked about her new partnership with Vera Bradley, what’s on her holiday wishlist, and gifts she would give to some of the characters she’s played in the past.

With her character Jess from New Girl not only wearing and owning many Vintage Vera Bradley pieces in her bag collection, the collaboration only felt natural, as Deschanel has been known to bring both the whimsy and practicality of her characters to her fashion style (IRL), “Inevitably, one of the things about being an actor that's kind of funny is that you try on so many clothes, and if you like clothes and fashion, you end up getting introduced to things that you might not have been introduced to just because you're just constantly trying on stuff.”

She continues, “For me, part of my process is really collaborating with the designer for films and TV. Like for Jess, I went and shopped with Debra McGuire, our costume designer, before the pilot. We went shopping many days together to kind of create the character through clothes and there were tons of vintage pieces and stuff that I tried on for Jess, that I ended up buying myself.”

Keep reading for more of Zooey’s holiday gift picks, and her thoughts on a New Girl reunion in the future.

E!: Are there any vintage Vera Bradley pieces that you still hold dear to yourself and find yourself reaching for?

ZD: I really like the old stuff, which is still kind of available, but I like the classic Vera Bradley look. I have a lot of classic Vera Bradley stuff.

E!: If you could choose one Vera Bradley bag or accessory that you feel perfectly represents its new rebranded style while paying homage to their original eccentric floral designs, which one would you choose?

ZD: The Mini Hathaway Tote. It's part of the new holiday collection. I think it's so cute. It's a little tote bag. It's my perfect size bag.

"It's got this beautiful sequin, floral design. It's very whimsical. But it's also classic, leather, and it's high-end. And you can take it out to dinner or to a party, but it has that whimsy that I think is kind of indicative of Vera Bradley."

Zooey's Gift Picks from the Vera Bradley Holiday Collection

"Here's a great travel bag. It's really cute, the design, it's very Vera, right? But it's waterproof, it's got tons of pockets, it's really practical."

"Something like this dumpling bag is adorable, such a great color. Fancy and fun."

"My personal favorite is this bear bag. It’s so cute, and it's just such a great conversation starter, like at a holiday party."

E!: If you were going to give gifts to Jess and Jovie from the Vera Bradley Winter + Holiday collection, what would you choose? And why?

ZD: Oh, I'd definitely give Jess the bear, you are so right, this is definitely Jess's bag.

And Jovi? It's been such a long time since I played her, but I think she's kind of classic, she's no-nonsense, I think a bag like this Blake bag, it's a beautiful velvet crossbody kind of evening bag. I think she might like that.

The Elf actress said it herself, her character Jovi would love this classic, no-nonsense elegant bag that fits her personality.

E!: In a New Girl Christmas episode, Jess took two approaches giving Nick a holiday gift. She got him sunglasses and she flies in Reagan as a secret Santa gift. With that in mind, I’d love to know if you prefer a gift that's more of an experience/sentimental gesture or an item that is useful?

ZD:  I mean, it depends. I think a sentimental gift is always really special and memorable. But it's always so great to get something that you really need too. I was thinking of a combination of the two, where it feels like something someone really needs that they never buy themselves and it's something sentimental.

Jonathan (Scott) made me a scrapbook from when we first worked together that was really sweet and it had all these tickets from shows we've been to and pictures, it was really nice. And of course, it's really cute when my kids give me really sweet things, like for Mother's Day where they took their handprints and put little flowers on it, and made their handprints out of flowers and then framed it.

Shop More of Zooey's Holiday Gift Picks

"This is just a funny thing, it wasn't something I needed and it wasn't sentimental but my sister once got me a Hello Kitty panini maker and I thought it was such a good gift and it was very me, and I was so excited because I love grilled cheese and Hello Kitty."

Packed with plumping hyaluronic acid and moisturizing properties, this lip oil makes a great stocking stuffer for any beauty lover (and New Girl fan).

If you ever wondered what tights the actress loves to wear under her iconic dresses, it's these Ballet Beautiful ones. They're breathable, durable, and anti-snag.

Made from 100% organic cotton, you can't go wrong with a classic rib tank. It's an elevated basic that everyone needs.

With a slim fit design and a fine-gauge recycled cashmere knit, there's plenty to love about this cropped reformation cardigan that even Zooey can't resist.

This celeb-loved tumbler keeps drinks cold for over 24 hours, features a leakproof design, and makes the perfect White Elephant gift.

E!: I have to ask this question for the fans, will we ever be getting a New Girl reunion?

ZD: I'm up for it, it's hard to wrangle that many people. I certainly can't give you any answers in that we have nothing planned and nobody's asked us to reunite. So I can't give you an answer on that, but I would do it if somebody asked me, I would say sure. As long as I'm available. 

Looking for more chic bags to buy? Check out our exclusive with Rebecca Minkoff where she reflects on 20 Years of breaking fashion boundaries.

—Originally published Oct. 23, 2024 at 2:50 PM PT.