If you’re buying holiday gifts or a birthday gift for someone in your family who is a real fashion plate, it’s not always easy to know if what you’re buying is going to be up to their high fashion standards. Are you struggling for a last minute gift idea? How can you pick something that you know they’ll enjoy and be excited about instead of something they’ll take back or simply stuff into a drawer until it eventually makes its way to a charity shop?

Here are some tips:

•        Find out where they shop

•        Use the internet

•        It’s all about the accessories

•        Buy a gift card

•        Fashion magazines

•        Just ask!

Find out where they Shop

Casually ask your fashionista friend or relative where they prefer to shop for their favourite fashions. Then visit that shop and talk to the salesperson about what might be a hot trend for a gift. If you can describe the sorts of clothing that your fashionista friend or relative likes to wear, this will help the salesperson help you pick something that has a good chance of being well-received.

The Internet

The web is certainly a fashion hub of information. Check online for fashion blogs and online magazines. These sites will list some great fashion trends to give you some ideas of what might be a great gift to buy.

Accessories

Instead of trying to pick out a whole outfit that may or may not be well received (and that will probably cost you a small fortune!), why not go with some hot accessories? Most fashion-conscious people have a mantra that states that it’s all about the accessories, anyway. Good examples of accessory gifts could include things like: belts, stockings or funky tights, earrings, sunglasses, jewellery, hats, scarves, or a new bag. Hats, for example, are making a big comeback — as is the scarf. Or, if you’re feeling really ambitious and generous, buy them a great pair of boots or shoes.

Gift Card

If in total doubt about what they’d like  but you’ve already found out where they like to do their shopping, consider buying a gift card for the recipient’s favourite shop and let them choose.  This might seem a bit impersonal to some but your fashionista friend or family member probably loves to shop anyway so this might go over very well, particularly if they are very fussy about what they wear.

The Gift of Fashion All Year Long

What about buying a subscription to their favourite fashion magazine instead of purchasing fashions themselves? Options could include Glamour, In Style, Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, etcetera.

Ask

Some people are so fussy about their clothing that they’d prefer to not be surprised with a gift. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask for a few ideas on gifts.

Sharon Hurley Hall writes for by Pamela Mann who supply a wide variety of great stockings, leggings, and tights.