Holiday season is fast approaching. It’s likely the women in your life (whether it be your wife, girlfriend, mom, sister, etc.) already bought your present months ago. She might even have made a Pinterest board dedicated to gift ideas for you! She probably already wrapped it (and even curled the ribbon with scissors) and tucked it away in a secret place. But let me guess— you still haven’t gotten a present for her! If you’re not sure what to get her, read on… To an extent, gifts are about the gesture and intent. No matter what you end up actually giving her, you’re showing her you are thoughtful and generous! But if you can nail the actual gift it will show her that you pay attention and truly care. If it’s your girlfriend, she’ll be bragging about you in her group chat. If it’s your mom, she’ll feel like all the years of doing your laundry were worth it! The elves and I wrote up a Holiday Gifting Guide so you can have a happy holiday season.

Scarf

My first piece of advice in this Holiday Gifting guide is this– when buying clothes for the woman in your life, beware! Dresses, skirts, and pants can be tough. If you don’t know her exact size and style, it’s likely these items will be a bad fit. Do you want to be the guy who bought his girlfriend a large pair of pants when she’s really a size small? Do you want to be the guy who buys a black leather jacket for his country club mother-in-law? If you’re really gonna be the brave fellow who buys clothes for the woman in your life, make sure you ask the store about the return policy and get a gift receipt. The safest bet when it comes to clothes is a scarf. A scarf is an appropriate gift for all the women in your life.

You can snag a scarf in Philly at Free People (1625 Walnut Street), Madewell (1716 Walnut Street), and Open House (107 S 13th St).

Candle

    A candle is also a go-to gifting idea! Preferences when it comes to scents and fragrances vary from person to person. Even if your own personal favorite scent is a pungent tobacco cedarwood, it might not be a crowd pleaser. So don’t get too experimental and stick to the basics: grapefruit, lemon, vanilla, etc. A candle is another gift that is appropriate for all the women in your life. Voluspa and Capri Blue are the gold standard of candles, but you can also opt for a more affordable option. Also, candles are a perfect gift for people who you don’t know very well or haven’t met before. You can even stock up on a few candles and keep them in your apartment or house for a last-minute gift. Your office Christmas party is hosted at your boss’ house this year? Don’t show up empty handed— bring a candle. Your girlfriend finally invited you to meet her parents and you’re going to their house for the first time? Bring her mom a candle!

You can stock up on candles in Philly at Anthropologie (1801 Walnut Street), The Geisha House (149 N 3rd St), and Paper on Pine (115 S 13th St).

Henry A. Davidsen

Jewelry

Another good gifting idea is jewelry. Whereas when buying clothes, you have to know her taste and size, with jewelry you only have to know her taste (unless you’re buying her an engagement ring which is a WHOLE other story and then you need better advice than reading an article written by a stranger on the internet). Jewelry usually has a more serious and romantic connotation (especially necklaces), so keep that in mind and maybe save that for your wife or girlfriend. 

Good places in Philly to search for jewelry include Ritual Ritual (2003 Walut Street), DFTI Boutique (2026 Chestnut Street), and Moon + Arrow (742 S 4th St).

Experiences

A gifting idea that’s a little more out of the box is an experiential gift. What’s awesome about these kinds of gifts is that you and her will get to do something together. However, in order to nail this gift, you really have to know her well (and know her calendar well!) If you and your girlfriend’s first date was at a Passion Pit concert, it’d be cute to get two tickets to their next show. If your mom has been raving about Elaine Welteroth’s newest book, buy her tickets for you two to go the the Philadelphia stop on the book tour. If you and your sister grew up cheering on the Flyers, it’d be sweet to buy two tickets to the next game.

You can surf the web for upcoming events in Philadelphia on Visit Philadelphia and Philly Fun Guide and buy tickets on Ticketmaster and Stubhub. 

Conclusion

My final piece of advice in this Holiday Gifting Guide is to wrap the gift, or if you can’t figure out how to curl the ribbon with scissors, ask the sales associate. Most stores will do complimentary gift wrapping. And if you are close to the person receiving the gift, write a little hand-written note to her— it’ll go a long way!

These gift ideas range from generic to custom. A candle is such a basic gift that it’s an easy way to please all audiences. Especially if you don’t know the woman well or you’ve never met her before, a candle is the way to go. A scarf is a tad more specific than a candle, but still a pretty generic gift. Jewelry is definitely a more intimate and romantic gift where you can customize it to her taste. An experiential gift is another gift that’s more tailored to her personality and your relationship with her.

The more you really know her and have a strong relationship with her, your present can be more custom. Luckily at Henry A. Davidsen, we make it our business to learn about our clients’ tastes, body measurements, and lifestyle. This way, everything is custom-made for you!

Henry A. Davidsen