You did it again. It’s less than a week before Christmas and you still don’t have a gift for your wife. Other guys in the office are settling for cliched, even horrible gift ideas (i.e., treadmills and gym memberships), but that’s not your style.
You’re a gentleman who takes a vested interest in helping your wife enjoy life. The intention to get her the perfect gift is there, but the results are not. What you need is a checklist to evaluate gift ideas. Welcome to the Gentleman’s Guide to choosing a great Christmas gift for your wife…
- Has she specifically mentioned something she wants lately?
Our wives know that even though we’re gentlemen, we’re still men: sometimes we need details to be painfully obvious. Has your wife said anything along the lines of:
- “I could really use a…”
- “My friend Kristina just got a new Remy Leather jacket from Savile Row and it is stunning.” (Copycat gifting is acceptable at times.)
- “My old _________ broke.” (Curling iron, handbag, running shoes, iPad, etc.)
If she’s giving you hints, write them down and make that gift your target this year. Find the exact make, model, or type that she wants and move heaven and earth to get the most important woman in your life what she really wants.
- Think beyond a traditional gift.
Now, what if your wife says something along the lines of “I could really use a vacation.” or “I could go for a nap.” That means she needs rest and time away from the demands of life. If you have children, chances are your wife is constantly on the clock helping your kids grow and succeed. If she runs a business or a large team at the office, she’s probably exhausted from work.
Spoiler alert: she’s not a single parent for a reason, so make sure you’re pulling your weight. You can create a set of coupons for her to “redeem at any time,” such as:
- One afternoon without children to do whatever you want.
- A bottle of your favorite wine with a good book.
- You don’t have to do any household chores this week.
- I will watch (and pay attention to) any movie that you want with you, even a Hallmark movie.
Your wife will appreciate your creativity and the intangible gift may mean more to her than any gift you find.
- No matter what gift you choose, make it meaningful to her.
A jewelry box can be a nice gift, but a jewelry box with your names and anniversary date engraved on top is priceless. Having her initials embroidered on a suede handbag elevates a gift for anyone to become a gift for the one. It doesn’t take much thinking to personalize your gifts, so think: how can I make it obvious to the world that this belongs to my wife?
Now, if you’re still at a loss what your wife wants, we can help you get started. Savile Row is now offering holiday gift certificates. A gift certificate?! Yes, a gift certificate sounds like a cop-out for the love of your life, so dress it up a bit.
If you know she’s wanting a new Remy Leather coat, write a note that tells her you want her to find the perfect coat she wants and this will help her get started. You can even add in that you want to make it a date: come to Savile Row, pick out the coat she wants, and then take her to a nice dinner downtown so she can show off her new coat.
You, my friend, just won the day. Here’s to your gift shopping success.
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