Whether
you’re a gentleman or a lady, chances are there’s at least one woman in your
life expecting the perfect gift from you. The usual rap is that women are
“impossible” to shop for. Ok, true; we may
require a bit of extra thought. But
it’s only mission impossible if you lack the proper information. So today,
MelodySusie will give you a few dos and don’ts for finding great gifts for women.
1. Do: Find out what she needs
2.
Don’t: Buy gifts that depend heavily on personal taste
“It’s the thought that
counts,” they say. Well, that’s true, but style is pretty darn important too
when it comes to apparel gifts.
Most women think of their
style as uniquely their own. That fashion sense you may take for granted in
your female friend is more likely the result of hours, nay, years of careful consideration. Now that
she’s achieved (for now) that delicate balance between myriad colors, patterns,
fabrics, styles, and brands that she absolutely loves, the last thing she needs is for the whole thing to be upset
by a gift piece that she absolutely hates.
Basic human decency means
that she will probably smile and thank you warmly when she receives that
Lorelei-inspired hat-and-scarf
combo you
bought her because you remembered she “likes” Gilmore Girls, but the truth is that
her seemingly-sincere smile is probably masking some serious gift resentment.
If you insist on buying an apparel or cosmetics gift for a woman, make sure that it’s either simple and versatile enough to not clash with her usual wardrobe or that you have a deep understanding of her personal style. Otherwise, what you thought was the perfect gift may end up as kindling in this year’s Christmas Eve fire.
3. Do:
Choose something inexpensive yet thoughtful
In 2013, gift
cards and money collectively made up about
70% of all Christmas gifts. While this trend shows little sign of stopping, we
argue that it takes a great deal of the warmth and personal touch out of
gift-giving.
Most people have the habit
of removing price tags from gifts before giving them. The general belief is
that cost should not be factored into the gift and that the focus should be on why instead of what. Gift cards and cash are the complete disintegration of this
idea.
Sure, everyone likes money. And yes, she will certainly use and appreciate that gift card you purchased from her absolute favorite store, or Amazon if you really didn’t want to put any thought into it (hey, no shame…we all do it). But with more and more people going this route, we are increasingly left in the awkward situation of just giving each other gift cards.
What’s even more awkward
is when the amounts differ, which they often do. What happens when you give her
$150 and she only give you $100, or vice versa? Is it better or worse when you
each give the exact same amount to one another? Wouldn’t you both have just
been better off keeping the money for yourselves? Have we really reduced
Christmas down to a financial transaction?
Instead of worrying about
cost or grand gestures, try to choose a gift that is inexpensive yet
thoughtful. Time is money, right? So utilize the monetary savings from buying a
more modest gift by investing more time in the selection process.
4. Don’t: Choose gifts that have a size
In case #2 didn’t convince
you, here’s another reason to avoid apparel gifts.
Imagine that, by some stroke of luck or brilliance, you manage to pick out a dress that melds perfectly with her sense of style. Bravo! Then, she goes to try it on, and after a few minutes of frustrated grunting and what sounds like a quiet tearing sound, she calls out sheepishly, “Did you keep the receipt?”
Imagine that, by some stroke of luck or brilliance, you manage to pick out a dress that melds perfectly with her sense of style. Bravo! Then, she goes to try it on, and after a few minutes of frustrated grunting and what sounds like a quiet tearing sound, she calls out sheepishly, “Did you keep the receipt?”
As with style, unless you
are 100% sure of her correct size, it’s better to stay on the safe side and
avoid size-specific gifts. While she might be able to exchange items later, her
first impression of your gift won’t be too favorable if it means she has to
take a trip to the mall before she can even enjoy it.
5. Do: Wrap the gift beautifully
Yes,
you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But the fact is that we all do to some
extent. That’s why covers have art, after all. Giftwrapping is no different. It
sets the stage for the actual gift and helps shape the gift receiver’s first
impression. It’s the prologue. The prelude. The hors d'oeuvre. Imagine sitting down for a nice squid ravioli in a
lemon grass broth with goat cheese profiteroles and being offered a choice
between chicken fingers and nachos for an appetizer.
Even a stellar main course can be overshadowed by a lame starter, and by the same token, even an amazing gift can be tarnished by a boring or sloppy wrapping job.
If
you are willing to put in the effort, there are a lot of elaborate and creative ideas available on the
Internet. Even if you want to keep things simple at least make sure you choose
a classy paper design and wrap the gift properly.
Conclusion
We hope these quick tips
give you some fresh perspective on shopping for women. If you need further
advice, feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook.
A final bonus tip:
functional gifts are usually a hit. We would like to introduce our Home
Manicure Gift Box as an example. It
allows women to easily apply salon-quality gel nail color from the comfort of
home.
The box includes:
The lamp can fully cure most
brands of gel polish in as little as 30 seconds. Portable, beautiful, and easy
to use.
Some
prefer to wear UV protection gloves when using nail dryers, so we have included
a pair of our MelodySusie gloves in white, black, or purple (color randomly
selected).
Our 2016 limited-run gift box also includes a MelodySusie Christmas tree ornament and a thank you card (with a discount code!). Best of all, it’s exquisitely packaged and ready to wrap immediately.
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