You want the ultimate, personal gift for a loved one, something that reflects how well you know them and how carefully you shopped -- clothes.
While the "perfect" piece you pick might be a huge hit, it also has the (much greater) potential to be a huge failure, say our shopping experts. Here are their views on the most common pitfalls and how best to avoid them.
"My first recommendation would be not to buy clothes for other people," says style coach Emily Salsbury with a laugh. If you insist on buying clothes, keep it simple, she urges. "Go with a piece that's more generic, but higher quality; like if you're going to do a cardigan, do a cashmere cardigan."
Stay away from trends. Stick with timeless classics like luxurious scarves or, for men, beautiful ties.
"I think clothing, to be honest, is one of the hardest things to buy for other people," agrees personal shopper Judith McDonald. "If you're going to buy clothes for someone, you have to know that person well."
She's a big fan of quality fabrics like cashmere or silk, in colours your loved one normally wears.
"Buy something a little more luxurious than she would buy for herself," whether it's a sweater, a scarf or a beautifully tailored white blouse.
"If you're going to gift, gift up. Buy them something that they wouldn't buy for themselves."
The two biggest challenges in buying for others are fit and style, says Kim Hill, owner of Edmonton boutique Thread Hill.
"Sizing is so all over the map, even within the same label," she cautions, so stick with less fitted items like hoodies and sweaters. "Stay away from pants, definitely."
Another fit-related problem is the potential for insulting your gift recipient, adds Salsbury. "Do you buy a size 12 that will fit her or do you buy a size 6 to flatter her?" To avoid that land-mine, stick to an outer layer, like a jacket or sweater, rather than a T-shirt or jeans that are harder to fit right, she adds.
Better yet, go with accessories like scarves, handbags and jewelry. Find out where they like to shop and go there.
"You just have to know somebody's style. There's a lot of good choices out there, especially in local jewelry designers," says Hill.
The trick is to make sure you're choosing what the giftee would like, not just something that you, the gifter, likes.
High-end lingerie is always a good choice for men looking for a gift for their gal. So are quality leather gloves, or nice, warm slippers like Uggs, which McDonald says are on her own daughter's Christmas list.
Although many of us hate to give gift cards, people love to receive them, she says. "People think they're so impersonal, but they're not."
Salsbury says she loves getting gift cards. If you want to personalize them, add a nice scarf. "That's something that's easy, it's going to fit, but they can also go and explore the store themselves." If you're not sure about what store to choose, get a gift card from a mall honoured by any of the merchants, she adds.
Above all, make sure whatever you buy is returnable, and include a gift receipt, warn our experts. "And make sure that you tell them that you're comfortable with them returning it; you won't be insulted," says Salsbury. Every year, she buys her 22-year-old brother clothes. "I just tell him, 'I didn't make it. Don't feel bad if you don't like it. Take it back and buy something that you're going to wear 'cause I don't want my money going to waste.' "
While clothes are not the safest bet for gift-giving, the potential for greatness is always there. "I love receiving clothes as a gift," says Hill. "Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but as long as you can exchange them, they're great."
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