Gifts for her - general rules
I’m going to start off with some simple essentials rules for buying gifts for gals. Of course, there are a million options I could give you, but I have to start somewhere! And perhaps the basics are a good place!
In general, if it’s one gift you’re buying, make it special. Sparkly or meaningful or beautiful. If you get more than one thing, you can toss in things you know she wants but that may not be as “special”, like flannel pjs ;)
In general, go for these crowd pleasers:
- scarves. anything cashmere goes over well.
- jewelry. long chunky flowing bead necklaces are hot right now. earrings are a safe shot.
- sweaters. they can be somewhat baggy if thicker, but in general most girls are going for a tighter fit. Check her sweater tags for sizing (and clues on stores she likes!).
- pjs. for girlfriends or wives, go with satin or silk, not clunky cotton ones (even though we love them).
- perfume. what is she wearing and is the bottle low? don’t try for anything new unless you know she wants it.
Always get a gift receipt! It is indeed the thought that counts. If the clothes are the wrong size, who cares? You picked it out and changing the size is a moot point.
Things to avoid:
- pants or skirts. Way more about a personal fit.
- candles. unless you get her something else, candles (or bath products) can say “I don’t know you well enough to get something personal”
- socks or anything like that
- anything to do with cleaning
Of course, every girl is different. Over the next couple of days I’ll share some of the things I love, and hopefully inspire you with some ideas.
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POSTED IN: Stuff for her, Women & Dating
10 opinions for Gifts for her - general rules
Alvin
Dec 6, 2005 at 4:32 am
Thanks Arieanna! I could really use this advice this season :)
By the way, how about a gift for a special someone who isn’t yet a special someone? Any thoughts?
Jesse
Dec 6, 2005 at 7:53 am
jewelry. long chunky flowing bead necklaces are hot right now. earrings are a safe shot.
That’s dangerous territory, IMHO…of course, I’ve only done that a few times,and that was for my sister, and she returned it…then again, I have really crappy taste for stuff like that. Clothes/colors stuff like that I’m good with, but not jewelry
Meg
Dec 6, 2005 at 2:37 pm
All of this stuff is pretty dependent on how well you understand your girl’s personal style. And what about wool sweaters? And how do you know she wasn’t just DYING to finish off that perfume? And are her ears even pierced?
I know plenty of girls who wouldn’t want any of this stuff and, in fact, would find it a little dubious that their boyfriends picked it out when they’d never seen them wear anything remotely like this stuff. And I don’t actually know any women who get much use out of girly silk sweaters. For one, you have to dry clean them, and that’s an absolute pain!
Don’t buy into stereotypes! Women are not predictable fashion slaves.
A book by an author she loves accompanied by concert tickets. A beautiful watch for dressing up, or a cool techy one for when she runs. A piece of art you saw in a museum together. A season’s pass to something she loves to do but can’t afford. A spa giftcert for a massage (not girly, but essential!). A weekend getaway at a B and B.
Be creative. Women appreciate that way more than sucking up.
Arieanna
Dec 6, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Hey all, thanks for commenting. Jesse, I’ll pass on some recommendations for sure!
Meg, I totally agree. If you can get personal and know your girl, then go for it. It’s just the honest truth that sometimes some help is better than none at all!
I’d never recommend silk sweaters. I hate dry cleaning too! This preliminary list was just to pass on ideas, but totally it’s all about ‘watching’ - does she like to cook? Listen to music? Get her nails done? Obvious clues, just as you point out.
For those clueless guys who miss all subtle or even obvious clues (like my, ahem, fiance), some advice is direly needed!
Meg
Dec 6, 2005 at 4:43 pm
I totally misread, sorry, Arieanna! But I still think unique is best:-). But I think you’ve continued on beautifully. Thanks.
Meg
Dec 6, 2005 at 4:44 pm
(And I really have to stop repeating words like a parrot in comments. But! But!)
Alvin
Dec 7, 2005 at 9:34 pm
Hmm Meg has some really good ideas. A piece of art sounds interesting.
Alvin
Dec 8, 2005 at 7:37 am
I got your email, and even though something is wrong with my email server right now, I just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I’m generally not that good at knowing what girls want (I’ve heard it’s an epidemic that strikes the male population), so I treasure any insight I can get.
amateur interpreter
Dec 10, 2005 at 3:25 am
Meg is definitely right that where you can get something personal it will be a great gift, but at the same time there are plenty of hopeless guys out there who don’t pick up on these things and need the basic assistance being given here.
I bought my partner baking trays as part of a birthday present once, but that’s only because I know she loves to bake. Woe betide the man who bought baking trays for a woman who wasn’t into cooking!!
Alvin
Dec 13, 2005 at 4:11 am
Yep, I was one of those hopeless guys who had no clue. I needed the help of an ex who waked me up one day by telling me a gift would either show how much I paid attention to her or how much I didn’t. Before that I had no idea how much a gift could convey, after that I realized I had to learn to pay more attention.
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