With Christmas fast approaching this is the time that many men are having to venture outside their comfort zone to buy suitable gifts for their wives or girlfriends. Buying suitable gifts really can be a minefield for the unprepared. If she is unwrapping an iron-board cover or a socket set then you can be pretty sure that you will be sleeping in the spare room until Easter.
Buying gifts for women is not rocket science, you just have to stop thinking like a bloke and think like they do. Lets not get stereotypical, but a lot of women (and yes, guys too) like fashion, and a hand-picked item of clothing in the right size can be a really thoughtful gift.
If you are going to be buying dresses, you are going to need to know what is what in terms of the terminology.
Micro Dress
This is a very, very short dress. Not especially practical, and very difficult to look good wearing without incredible legs. For the average woman these are unlikely to be in the least bit flattering. Even with good legs, these can tend to be a bit tacky – and its mostly a look best reserved for Vegas strippers.
Mini Dress
Still short, but more conservative than the micro-dress. Do you think the lady for has nice legs> Would you like to see a bit more of them? A mini dress is an acceptable gift to give in a way that a micro-dress rarely would be.
Maxi Dress
A Maxi Dress is a long, to-the-floor number. This is an incredibly popular style at the moment as it is quite versatile. Because a maxi dress can be suitable for occasions as well as day to day wear they are an important part of many women’s wardrobe.
Fitting
The hardest,but also one of the most important , things to get right when buying clothing as a gift is the sizing. Don’t leave this part to guesswork. Women’s dresses are sold by ‘dress size’ rather than by any kind of actual measurement that the uninitiated can take a tape measure to. Just straight out asking can be an indelicate thing to do, and besides may ruin the surprise. Just have a peek at some of the labels in the things that she wears.
One thing to be wary of regarding sizes is that they vary drastically from retailer to retailer. Many outlets can be guilty of offering ‘vanity sizing’ – with the garments being larger than advertised on the label. If the sizing is accurate then the size at which garments are classed as ‘plus size clothing‘ is quite low. It’s not like the ‘big and tall’ shops that you get for men, which are basically for freaks. So called ‘plus size dresses’ are actually a pretty average size.
The returns policy really is you best friend. Make sure to keep all receipts, then if it is not right for any reason you will be able to swap it or get your money back. It can be a good plan (especially considering the variations in sizing that exist) to buy the same garment in two or even three size, and then to keep the one that is the best fit.
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