Carey Mulligan in the Dec '14 issue of Harper's Bazaar UK.
Originally posted in The CLOSET
She's wonderful. You adore her. And she's a nightmare to shop for. I mean, total nightmare. And since you want to give her something she's going to love, it's a perennial struggle to figure out what to buy for the woman who's already got it all.
This season, my shopping M.O. is all about giving her exactly what she wants. And while you're never going to get it perfect every time, I've got three tricks that I rely on to please any picky giftee, without having to resort to gift cards: keep it luxe, keep it festive, and always include a gift receipt.
Luxe gifts work because the stylish woman is naturally snobby; she can't help herself. Whether it's an HBC stripe, Prada sunglasses, or a bottle of Tom Ford on her bathroom counter, luxe labels serve as daily inspiration to her fashion-fuelled aesthetic. And luxe doesn't always have to mean expensive - a tiny gift from a respected label means more to the stylish woman than loads of little random gifts. If you want to splurge on a larger purchase but can't make it work for your budget, call on friends and family and go in as a group for a bigger buy.
Another fail-proof way to shop for the style maven is to keep it festive. The holidays are all about a little impracticality which means yes to shine, yes to sparkles and definitely yes to that perfect Christmas red. Whether she wears it all year or not, she'll love being able to bust out that gold lame snood every year when the snow starts to fall. What's a snood? Exactly.
And, of course, be sure to ALWAYS include a gift receipt. This small gesture means you've taken the time to go out and pick something for her (which is always appreciated), while still giving her an exit strategy in case the gift doesn't fit/she already owns it/she had her eye on something else.
Still not sure what to get her? Scroll through the thumbnails below for 50 stylish gift ideas...