No. I don’t mean clothes for the blonde in the picture – that was only to get your attention!

Do you always choose flowers and chocolates for your wife or girlfriend as a safe bet? Do you buy her gift vouchers as the easy way out?  Maybe you buy her jewellery every year, thinking that she’ll happily have jewellery, so you’ll just spend the money and get the ‘chore’ out of the way quickly. Do you always avoid buying her clothing as a gift because you’re afraid of making a huge blunder and Christmas becoming a disaster?

Fear not – it’s not so difficult.  Buying her clothes she will love to wear is personal, shows that you are in touch with your woman, her personality and her tastes.  It shows her that much time, thought and effort has gone into choosing her something nice to wear.  If you’re prepared pluck up the courage to do something different this year and buy her clothing, the following tips will give you the confidence to buy her clothes that she will love to wear:

Don’t Stuff Up at the first hurdle – Get her Size Right!

The easiest way to get this right is to check the size of the clothes in her wardrobe.  Pay particular attention to the clothes she wears most often – these are the clothes she’s most comfortable with, so these are the sizes you want.

Be careful to note the sizes of tops and bottoms separately – women often wear different size clothes for tops and bottoms.  You may get away with less specific sizes  when choosing loose fitting clothing, for example a cool cotton kaftan or a baggy cashmere sweater in which she can relax, where the only size choice may be small, medium or large.

The most important point here is you must get the size right.  Get her something too large and she will be offended that you see her larger than she really is.  Get her something too small and she will be embarrassed that she really is larger than you thought she was!  Either way you’ve stuffed up!

Choose Style she’ll be comfortable with!

I’m sure all men have fantasies about the clothes in which they would like to see their woman! But let’s be practical here – we’re trying to choose clothes to please her not ourselves. So back to her wardrobe to check out the styles she likes most. Women like to wear styles that make them look slimmer, so pay particular attention to the clothes she wears most often –these are the styles she’s comfortable with. Pay attention to hints and remarks she makes, when she sees people wearing the clothes she likes on the telly, in magazines and elsewhere.

Decide the purpose for which you’re going to buy her clothes as her styles will differ for different occasions. For example a smart suit and shirt or blouse for work, classy but casual skirt, trousers or designer jeans and fashionable top for the theatre or a posh restaurant, sporty gear for working out, casual bottoms or jeans and loose tops or baggy sweaters in which to go shopping or simply relax etc

The important point here is to choose a style she will be comfortable wearing.  By all means choose styles in which you think she will look cool and sexy, but stay firmly within her comfort zone!  If, for example, you buy her clothes which are too revealing or fitting – which she’s not comfortable to go out in, they will collect dust until the next wardrobe clearout for charity.  Your opportunity to buy her clothes which are more revealing or which you want her to wear will come when you buy her intimate lingerie – but be patient – that’s the subject of another post!

Be Creative with Colours!

OK, so you’ve done your research in her wardrobe – checked out the correct sizes for tops and bottoms and got a good idea of the kind of styles she likes.  You’ve even noted the colours she like to wear – colours she feels comfortable with and which reflect her own personality.

But what do you think?  Do you think lighter or brighter colours bring out the tones of her healthy complexion?  Do you feel certain shades emphasise the colour of her eyes?  If you really know your woman well, this is your chance to be a little creative and buy her clothes in a colour she doesn’t already possess.  Visualise how good she will look in a different colour. If you’re still unsure, buy her clothes in a colour she already loves wearing – but in a different, unique or unusual shade!

Other areas where you can be creative with colours are when matching clothes.  For example, if you buy her a dark coloured smart suit for work or a dark coloured smart jacket for evening wear, then you can comfortably buy her a bright coloured shirt or blouse. Also, keep your eyes open and note the colours that are in fashion this season – if you’re still not sure, flip through some fashion magazines at your local newsagent!

Accessorize!

So you’ve chosen clothes you want to buy, but the constraints placed on you to stay within her comfort zone for the right size, style, colour and so on, may sometimes make your gift seem – well not special enough.  Accessories are a great way to make up this perceived deficiency.

Use you imagination! A classy silk scarf or a soft wollen scarf,  for example, can perk up your gift’s appearance..  It’s both useful in the chilly Christmas season and will look and feel good.  Leather belts, purses, jewellery, perfume etc are other items you can buy to add to her gift.  The good thing about accessories is that there is a huge range of stuff you can choose from.  You can get something in a a neutral colour which she can use with any outfit and you don’t always have to worry about the right size!

Get this things right and you will surprise and delight her with your resourcefulness and – if you’re lucky – she may even thank you in a way that shows she really means it!

Where to Buy Clothes and Accessories