Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Threads

Gift cards are always in vogue

And given with a book, you can tailor the gift to the recipient's fashion sense.

By SHARON FINK
Published December 17, 2005

	[Times photo illustration]
	Don’t know the right size? No problem! Try a thoughtfully layered ensemble.

When it comes to fashion gifts, there is only one perfect idea: a gift card.

Don't try to guess someone's size. Or their taste. And don't dismiss a gift card as impersonal; as with fashion itself, it's all in how you present it.

Try giving a gift card tucked in a book that appeals to the recipient's fashion sense (or desire to acquire one). Here are some suggestions:

Full Frontal Fashion, Plume Paperbacks, 2005; $18

This offshoot of the same-named WE network TV show is perfect for the person who wants style in her life but doesn't have a natural aptitude for it. With input from designers, stylists, store owners and editors, the book covers the basics, including how to shop for clothes.

Tuck in: A gift card from a major department store, where the broad selection of mainstream brands makes easing into the strange new world less stressful.

Wrap it: In a patterned scarf with a note that says: "Put this away until you get to Page 84."

Before You Put That On by Lloyd Boston, Atria Books, 2005; $27.50

The subtitle of the book by Boston, a celebrity stylist who appears on TV shows including Today and Full Frontal Fashion, is 365 daily style tips for her. Coming up with that many is a stretch, but overall, Boston has advice that, depending on the day, works for beginners ("No panty hose with open toes") and fashionistas (dressing for different kinds of special events in 10 minutes).

Tuck in: For a book with something-for-everyone appeal, give a something-for-everyone gift card from a credit card company, such as American Express, MasterCard or Visa. Generally, these cards can be used at any store that accepts the credit card they were bought with. Check with your bank or americanexpress.com/cards, mastercard.com/us or usa.visa.com. Wrap it: In a ribbon with fresh flowers (see July 25).

Fashion From the 18th to the 20th Century by the Kyoto Costume Institute, Taschen, 2004; $9.95

This is a coffee table book for history lovers. Along with descriptions of fashion's evolution are detail-capturing color pictures of clothing, shoes, hats, fans and even undergarments that defined their eras. (See what a bustle looks like!)

Tuck in: Broaden their horizons even more with a gift card from a store your recipient normally doesn't shop, such as Neiman Marcus for the budget-conscious or eBay for the auction-wary.

Wrap it: In a basic white T-shirt with holes cut in it (Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, "the beauty of conscious destitution," fall 1982, pages 174-175).

A Guide to Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, HarperCollins, 2003; $14.95

Dariaux, a Frenchwoman who owned a fashion house and went on to direct designer Nina Ricci's, covers topics from Accessories to Zoology (the best clothing for dog owners and their dogs). And she does it all with great French-itude: "A woman who is utterly stupid will always find it extremely difficult to become truly elegant." "A man who looks like a fashionplate is unbearable." If the recipient worships Audrey Hepburn, Dariaux can be very helpful; if she doesn't take style too seriously, Dariaux can be very funny.

Tuck in: To balance all this Frenchness, go with that most American of gift cards: one to a mall. Check with the mall's customer service desk, Web site or at mall merchants.

Wrap it: In evening gloves for the Hepburn acolyte (Page 64), in a black dog leash for the person with a sense of humor (Page 222).

Alligators, Old Mink & New Money by Alison Houtte and Melissa Houtte, William Morrow, 2005; $23.95.

This is the story of a life viewed through fashion: that of Alison Houtte (pronounced Hoot), a model and the owner and chief clothes finder for the Brooklyn, N.Y., vintage store Hootie Couture. But it could be the story of anyone who loves fashion. Through her saga, Alison (and co-writer/sister Melissa) connects with all of us for whom clothes are the ties that bind and break (the bank account); are the creator of our best and worst memories, and arethe way to boost and burst our self-esteem.

Tuck in: A gift certificate from your favorite local vintage store. If you don't have one, we suggest Ybor City's venerable La France.

Wrap it up: In a vintage scarf or hankie.

- Sharon Fink can be reached at 727 893-8525 and fink@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 16, 2005, 10:25:05]