You’ve all seen it, those scenes in the movies where the character opens up their christmas present and they’re presented with a garish looking garment. They have to put on the fake smile and pretend they like it… or kick off and act like a spoilt brat. But buying clothes for people is quite a tricky task. Clothes are so personal and a lot of people are really choosey about what they feel is right for them and what doesn’t work for them. Even if you know the person really well it can be quite a daunting challenge to a piece that they will absolutely love. My personal advice would be, if you can, avoid it. However, if you really insist on getting them something they can wear this Christmas keep reading.
- The first thing you’re going to need to know is their size. When I worked in retail the amount of times I’d serve someone that was looking for a gift and didn’t know the recipient’s size was ridiculous. Gift receipts are a nice fail safe but really no one wants to venture in to town after christmas to return a gift for a different size. So make sure you know their size.
- Find out where they shop and use that as a starting point to your present shopping. The benefit of doing this is two fold; you’re more likely going to pick something they’ll like and also the size is more likely to be spot on because we all know how much sizes vary from store to store.
- Play it safe, don’t go for something that’s crazy or OTT, pay attention to what they tend to wear… if you want them to instantly like it buy them something similar. I’d much prefer someone get me another of something I love rather than something new I’ll never wear. This leads me onto my next point…
- Novelty is never cool…. not even for Christmas.
- Remember accessories are just as cool and sometimes easier to buy. More often than not if you’re buying accessories you can forget about getting the right size, which means you can take one headache out of the equation. They’re also a lot easier for your budding fashionista to work into their style. Most accessories can be worked into an outfit no matter what their style maybe.
I hope these tips help you if you do intend on getting clothing for someone you love at Christmas. If you have any more tips that you feel I’ve missed then please leave a comment below so everyone else can check them out.
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I agree novelty clothing is such a waste of money & it’s never cool! Say no to novelty Christmas jumpers!
Sophie x
http://lafashionfolie.blogspot.com/
Ha ha that maybe a campaign you can start!
Perfect timing for a post like this! I agree with you, definitely. I hate it when people gift me clothes, just because I am so picky about fabrics and styles. I would take an accessory over a garment any day! (At least as a gift.)
Yeah I can be the same a bit :-s when I get clothes as gifts just because I’m so particular.
Great advice! I always buy people clothing (I just happen to be pretty strong at it—- probably because I read about fashion CONSTANTLY). HOWEVER, when people buy me clothing (unless it is my mother or husband) it tends to go array.
Yeah it is such a tricky task.
I KNOW, RIGHT? When I worked at Ann Taylor during my three-year run, it was incredible how many men came in shopping for their wives and didn’t know their size! It’s as easy as peeking into her closet. Then she’d have to come back and exchange it, insulted because he estimated she was either bigger or smaller than her real size. STEP IT UP, GUYS! Okay, rant over
Ha ha yeah I had that when I worked with shoes guys wouldn’t know what shoe size their partners were. Lol.
Great post and pics! Thanks for sharing!
Great Guide!
Lovely tips!! Im definitely using this for the holidays
Good tips, I think since My boyfriend and I shop much together it makes things easier. For friends and family, the accessories idea has helped quite a bit this year! And I agree about the novelty statement, haha! Congrats on LAM!
Great tips – especially with sticking to the accessories!
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