Looking for a clothing gift for a woman who has everything can be daunting
It’s easier for a women to buy clothing for another woman.
Women tend to be very comfortable buying clothing for a woman in their life. They can look at the item and pretty well decide if it will fit. They don’t stress over whether she will, or will not, like the item. They don’t over think it. If it looks good to them they are likely to think it would look good to the recipient. The majority of the time they are right. If their not, no big deal they can exchange it.
It is a very different story when it comes to men. Men are generally uncomfortable buying clothing as a gift for the woman in their life.
A little story. I managed a retail store for a number of years and something I will always remember is the look of fear in men’s eyes when shopping for clothes for their wife, or girlfriend, in the final hours just before closing for Christmas. They had no idea what size they were. I would ask if she was my size and I would get a soft response of “sort of”. I would gather a few of my staff and ask him if any of them looked like her size. If I could get the height out of him we could work on the size. I would say “a bit smaller?” and he would respond usually with “sort of”. You get the idea.
If you are the kind of guy, who when driving in your car in a strange place, won’t ask for directions even though you are hopelessly lost, you fall into the “sort of” category. Most cars today have a GPS, so think of me as your shopping GPS.
I’m about to give you some good pointers that will help you shop for clothing for her with ease.
What About Size?
You never have to guess her size when you are out shopping if you have a look in her closet and take note of her size. Check a dress, skirt, or jacket.. Although this may sound very straight forward, most men don’t think to do this. You won’t be invading her privacy, what you will be doing is making a list of what each item is and what size it is, that you can take with you. This is not 100% fool proof but you are more than likely to get it right it you do this, as opposed to not doing it.
What About Color?
This can be a bit trickier, but again the closet is helpful. Not only look for what colors you see but also the colors you don’t so – those will be the one she probably hates. The color may also depend on the season. For example, she may wear yellow in the summer but you won’t see her in yellow in the winter. You can also check fashion magazines. When you see her reading one sit down with her and watch what she says she likes.
If you’re rolling you eyes and saying to yourself ‘this is exactly why I don’t buy her clothing’ don’t give up. Stay with me.
Just think of the season when it comes to color. So in spring and summer you would be looking for lighter colors and not black or navy. The warmer it is the lighter the color. The colder it is the darker the color so black, navy, dark brown is more likely, usually with a brighter accent color (like a black skirt with a red sweater). However, (oh I can hear you saying ‘I knew there was a but’) some do wear what is called ‘winter white’ so check out her closet and see if that is the case for her. As well, some woman really don’t care what season it is, they will wear the color they like. So also pay attention to what she wears.
What Style Is Right?
Again the closet is a good indication of what type of clothing she likes. You can also observe her a bit more closely. For example, does she wear skirts that are straight up and down and tight fitting, or does she wear skirts that are more lose fitting and flowing. Does she wear dresses that have a round neck or a dress that has more of a plunging neckline.
It’s also important to look at what she wears outside of work to get a sense of her preferred style if you are planning to get her something for her off hours (which I am sure she would appreciate more). Women may be in positions at work where they have to wear more subdued office attire the same as men who have to wear suits and ties in certain positions.
Don’t forget, you can also check fashion magazines. When you see her reading one sit down with her and watch what she says she likes.
Sometimes finding clothing for the woman who has everything means shopping for something that is trendy, new, exciting, different.
Most online retailers have a ‘what’s new’ page, others show their newest styles right at the beginning. You can also do a ‘search by’ and select new. These items are what is up to the minute fashionable. Ok, here is the ‘but’ some clothing companies only carry ‘traditional’ clothing, so you would want to look at more trendy type clothing sites
Some sites actually have celebrity style pages which shows you the latest outfits celebs are wearing. Don’t be afraid to find something a bit out of your purchase comfort zone. When you look a the piece of clothing try to imagine her in it.
Still Note Sure?
She will no doubt give you hints of what she really wants. Have you heard her say something like “I love that leather coat”, or “I want a cashmere sweater”? She is actually give you her wish list hoping that you will hear it. So sometimes it is just a matter of taking some down time and thinking of what she has said to you.
When it comes to buying a clothing present for the woman who has everything the best that can happen is that she will love it. The worst is she will exchange it. Trust me, she will love that you put such an effort into it no matter which way it goes.
