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Calling all men who are getting Christmas-present palpitations. If the woman you are buying for loves fashion but is fussy (goes with the territory); and you don’t want to get something that might not fit (very wise, nothing puts the dampeners on Christmas quicker than a skirt you can’t zip-up), then this is the present list for you.
As for the other very important consideration – budget – we get it.
Lately even reliable High Street brands can seem alarmingly pricey. But the picks on this page are all under £100 and they’re all close to guaranteed to raise a smile.
So, women! Leave this lying around the house. You’re most welcome.
1. You can’t go wrong with a bag
Rule number one of buying fashion presents is make it an ‘add on’ that doesn’t require you to get the size right. Rule two is make it special. The bags that tick the special box this year are the luxury desirable sort, or the whacky treat. Of the luxey desirables you can’t go wrong with a smart tote and Marks & Spencer‘s leather top-handle shoulder tote is bang on the money (£100, marksandspencer.com) – smooth, well cut and it looks like it cost double.
For the fun bag, this year’s fashion bullseye is furry with attitude. I like Zara’s faux fur half moon bag with a chunky metal handle (£29.99, zara.com) and Zara’s glam nod-to-Chanel, faux fur shoulder bag with a half metal chain strap (£49.99). But top of my list, if you want to go for luxey classic plus fun, is Accessorize’s cowprint rough hair hobo bag – that shoulder bag style you can tuck under your arm – in a print that’s top of the fashion charts and just different enough to impress (£70, marksandspencer.com). Ideal for the fashion forward woman who likes plain tailoring.
2. Fashion classic jewellery
There is jewellery and there are modern classics that the wearer will keep coming back to and score ‘in the know’ points. Top of my list for the modern woman who likes to keep things minimal would be M&S’s 14 carat gold plated irregular sculptural drop earrings (£20). They look as if they cost three figures and have the solid asymmetric look of Phoebe Philo’s jewellery.
For a softer, more party look, Arket’s rhinestone bar earrings are glamorous and fun (£29, arket.com) and for the traditionalists, a freshwater pearl on a gold hoop is still going strong especially if they’re the perfect size, from Arket again (£35).
Rings are a little harder – the size being an issue – but worth a punt for a ring lover. Autograph for M&S’s cubic zirconia twist ring is a bit like a readymade stack of rings and a bargain (£25). And if you want to score points for brand awareness Tilly Sveaas is the name. Her signature heavy chains with T bar pendants cost getting on for a thousand pounds, but a mini gold T bar on a trace chain (£80, tillysveaas.co.uk) is the lighter, more affordable version and will definitely hit the ‘how did you know?’ spot.
3. Nothing says special quite like cashmere
I know, cashmere is the most expensive knitwear money can buy, but that’s what makes it such a great present if you can find the bargains. You thought a scarf was a boring, anonymous present – not if it’s cashmere and scarlet (£53.10, johnlewis.com). Or how about a sweater that costs less than a fifth of one of luxury brand Toteme’s? M&S has a delicious pure cashmere roll neck on offer (£76) in several colours including nutmeg (for the woman who loves her neutrals) and lipstick red, for a splash of that very hot colour that goes with everything. With a cashmere sweater pick one size up from her usual and you can’t go wrong.
4. Luxury nightwear
Undies are not going to score you points with Fifty Plusers and you’ll never get the right size. But pyjamas, that’s a different matter. Sadly the Olivia Von Halle X Marks & Spencer collaboration was back in the Spring, but it coincided with a new interest in sleek chic pyjamas and now any grown up would be happy to receive a smart pair, providing you stick to good looking classics.
Essential details include: contrast piping; cotton or silk (not jersey); a chic colour (no cute prints). Try Hush for smart striped sets (£75, hush-uk.com) or M&S for classy midnight blue with white piping (£32).
5. The curve ball
Zara has a great puffball furry hat (£25.99) that might remind you of Claudia Cardinale in the Pink Panther. Or it might just be something different, at the right price.
