NEW YORK — Considering that we are three days into the traditional holiday shopping season with 27 to go until Christmas, it’s a little too late to shop à la Candy Pratts Price. In June, the executive fashion director of Style.com started ordering her perennially favorite gifts: monogrammed versions of everyday items — cocktail napkins, coasters, playing cards — that have become hits with friends like George Malkemus and Manolo Blahnik. “We looooove monograms,” says Pratts Price. “But you need the time to say, ‘Okay, for Janis Savitt, I’m going to do pink with a silver JS and that looks kind of cool.’ I even used to do it for [Stephen] Sprouse in Day-Glo orange.”
Pratts Price is a gift enthusiast, to say the least. “I love gifts — I love to receive, I love to give,” she says. Even her regular feature on Style.com, The Shopper, is currently renamed Holiday Shopper, showcasing presents at every price level — from less than $100 to “the sky’s the limit.”
The commercial side of the holiday season tends to split people into two camps: those who adore trawling antique shops, flea markets, the Internet and tiny, tucked-away boutiques for gift perfection, and those who, in a word, don’t. Nevertheless, no matter how annoying the first group may be to the second, their habits are quite revelatory.
While few start as early as Pratts Price, many shoppers still spread out the work, snapping up choice tidbits here and there as they find them throughout the year. Helen Schifter usually begins chipping away at her list at the first of three annual Mulford Farm Antiques shows in East Hampton, N.Y., which this year fell on June 25. “I just buy things that catch my eye without even a specific person in mind,” she says. “Then I put the stuff away and match it up with the person later.” Model Gail Elliott, who designs a line of lingerie and clothes under the Little Joe label, does the same while she travels between London, New York and her native Sydney.
But there are no guarantees. Marjorie Raein, for instance, starts her shopping in the summer, but still often finds herself running into Saks Fifth Avenue at the 11th hour to grab something off the first-floor tables. Shopping too early also can be risky. As Bettina Zilkha points out, the iPod Nano she plans to buy for her 18-year-old niece didn’t exist in July. Others say there’s a chance they’d forget about that great buy if they made it months earlier. But Kate Spade says she just loves “the hoopla” that surrounds last-minute shopping, when the jingling holiday spirit is thick in the air. “I’m probably one of the few people who adore shopping when it’s crazy,” says Spade. “Everyone’s happy, and the stores are hopping. It just feels so festive that I wouldn’t want to look for gifts in July.”
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Regardless of when they start, all great gift-givers seem to cultivate lesser-known stores that don’t get the boundlessly abundant foot-traffic of, say, Macy’s or Neiman Marcus. Lucy Sykes, for one, swears by the West Village boutique Auto for Missoni towels and dressing gowns; she recently bought designer Thom Browne a colorful Tivoli radio there. Spade says she always checks out the wares at downtown spots Paula Rubinstein, John Derian and Ted Muehling, while Pratts Price counts on Hadley Antiques on the Upper East Side for that special something.
ABC Carpet & Home’s Madeline Weinrib’s winning gift idea? Vintage Pucci handbags and clutches that she unearths at What Goes Around Comes Around in SoHo. Of course Weinrib, the daughter of ABC Carpet & Home owner Jerome Weinrob, can also shop the family store, including her own in-store atelier that she fills with pillows and carpets of her own design, as well as other items picked up while globe-trotting. And Raein’s secret weapon is T. Anthony for last-minute gifts that don’t look last-minute, since the luxury leather goods store will monogram its wares while you wait.
Some gift-givers, however, dispense with the romantic notion of casually — and endlessly — searching, in favor of more targeted, strategic shopping. Each year, Louis Boston owner Debi Greenberg chooses a theme, such as candles or gloves, and then buys for everyone on her list. For Behnaz Sarafpour, it’s one-stop shopping at the SoHo design store Moss. “I’ve discovered what works for me and the people in my life, and that is Moss,” Sarafpour says. “You can buy kitchen things, jewelry, books. There are things with a modernist edge, and then they have really pretty Austrian porcelain that looks like it could be from Christie’s.” Sarafpour even goes so far as to say, only half-jokingly, “It sounds horrible, but if there is not one thing that somebody likes at Moss, then I can’t even be friends with that person.”
Zilkha, on the other hand, has a few time-tested tactics. She knocks out the majority of her list with fruit from Harry & David, gifts from the God’s Love We Deliver catalogue and a call to the personal shopper at Toys ‘R’ Us for children’s gifts. “I always just ask her, ‘What is the most popular toy for a child that age?'” she explains.
When it comes to the gift card — perhaps the easiest present of all — strong opinions abound. Most deem gift certificates for luxury spa services acceptable, but the option is otherwise considered a bit of a snooze, although Lucky Magazine creative director Andrea Linett still gives a thumbs-up to certificates to slightly less-expected spots such as eBay, the Apple store (which can be used to purchase songs on iTunes) and even movie theaters. “I got an $150 certificate from someone for Loews theaters that you can use for tickets and popcorn and it was always in my wallet, so I’d just be like, ‘Yeah, let’s go to the movies,’ and then I’d treat people,” Linett says.
Such restrictions don’t apply when buying for teenagers. “[Gift cards] give them the freedom that they don’t usually have,” says Greenberg. “It’s always them asking you, ‘May I? May I?’ And [forget] trying to buy them something cool. Quite frankly, because of your age, you are so not cool.”
While it’s hard to forget the story of the woman trampled at a Florida Wal-Mart two years ago by a crowd in hysterical pursuit of DVD players priced at $29.97, most stores actually do their best to soothe, not stoke, the frenzy. To hear Barneys New York’s executive vice president of store operations, Michael Celestino, tell it, the shopping season requires a near military approach. “Honestly, [the planning] pretty much starts right now for next year,” explains Celestino. “Post-Thanksgiving, we start keeping a diary [of the store’s operations]. Then we take a look at that formally sometime in January, and continue to refer back to it.” The department store hires 150 additional staff members for its 13 nationwide stores; they generally begin working as early as October for some crucial hands-on training before the madness ensues. Managers at most smaller stores say they do the same, finding that supplementing the staff makes the whole machine run more smoothly. Jeffrey Kalinsky, however, prefers to rely on his full-time staff at both his Jeffrey New York and Atlanta stores. “I don’t think my client wants someone who’s working for six weeks to help them,” he says.
Even though stores typically reach a fever pitch as the gifting hour nears, many shoppers say they prefer the tangible brick-and-mortar route over the click of a mouse. But with six kids to shop for and a burgeoning fashion empire to manage, time-starved Tory Burch finds the Internet indispensible. “What’s great is that you can [shop] at any time of night,” she says. “I do a lot after the boys go to bed.” Other Internet-savvy types say that a well-run Web site can make the whole process a veritable breeze. The online boutique Shopbop.com, for instance, boasts a customer service staff of 35 — all of them are well-informed about Shopbop’s wide range of goods, from Diane von Furstenberg frocks to Loeffler Randall shoes to all sorts of jeans. Another can’t-miss stop on the Web is Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti’s Vivre.com, which this year has an entirely separate gift section with a lavish array of ideas. Among the varied range: “The Chronicles of Narnia” boxed set ($45), colorful Brazilian agate bowls ($60), an Adrienne Landau cashmere and fox beaded stole ($995) and a rainbow of NASA-grade Swiss Army pens ($50), which can write upside-down and also have all the accoutrements of the classic knife.
Finally, for those still averse to the idea of shopping or for people who simply don’t have time, there is always the personal-shopper option. Though she loves the DIY route, Raein has had to resort to some professional help in the past at Saks Fifth Avenue. “It was so efficient,” she says. “They take care of the wrapping and make it look beautiful. And they send it all over to your house — I’d highly recommend it.”
The shoppers themselves are like the Zen warriors of the retail world. “I have to calm people down all the time,” says Barneys New York personal shopper Sharyn Soleimani. “So many people are busy. There are just so many commitments.” Saks Fifth Avenue’s Sharon Weil, who oversees the store’s Signature Services department, has had clients call with their to-give lists as early as Labor Day and as late as 5 p.m. on Christmas eve. But she, too, claims the patience of a saint. “How do I deal with the last-minute shopper on an adrenaline rush who needs 23 gifts in two hours?” she asks. “I fulfill the request.”
But in the end, the best shopping advice is to keep it all in perspective and not let stress get the better of you. “It’s like when you feel pressured about what you’re going to wear to a wedding,” says Linett. “You’re obsessed about it, and when you get there, you realize it doesn’t matter. It’s just really nice to give a gift.”
A Shopper’s Guide:
Do
- Make a list and check it twice: It pays to be organized and to know just how much work you have ahead of you. If you’re feeling really ambitious (or cash-poor), try adding some numbers and make a budget.
- Browse online: Bettina Zilhka surfs Jandr.com, Circuitcity.com and Pcrichard.com for electronics. Heiji Choy, the owner of the hip Chicago boutique Hejfina, goes to museum Web sites such as Moma.com and Mcachicago.com for great design gifts. She also checks out the beauty site Sephora.com for holiday deals.
- Pay attention: Scoop’s Stefani Greenfield takes note when a friend compliments her on a shoe or bag and then buys the same item for her, while Kate Spade says she plays Sherlock Holmes with her friends and family, picking up hints about what they might want.
- Throw the book at them: According to the the gift pros, everyone loves a book. For an intimate shopping experience, check out Spade’s favorite spot, Ursus Books on Madison Avenue. ABC Carpet & Home’s Madeline Weinrib prefers Glenn Horowitz Booksellers, located on the Upper East Side and in East Hampton, for rare volumes and first editions.
- Give small luxuries: Helen Schifter recently bought an elaborate 18-inch glass and stainless steel pot of tupelo honey for Paul Wilmot, complete with a long wooden dipper from East Hampton store Turpan. The verdict? “He loved it.”
- Practice empathy: “Buy them something they want, not that you would like them to have,” says Jeffrey Kalinsky. Greenfield has bought her husband race car-driving lessons. Now that’s love.
- Get creative: Schifter and her daughter, Storey, pack up boxes of homemade brownies, and once whipped up pheasant pies. They’ve even put together their own gift baskets, stuffed with interesting wines, biscuits and caviar.
Don’t
- Give perfume or clothes: Unless you’re absolutely sure of size and taste. Or, if you must go the clothing route, buy nonsized items.
- Recycle gifts: Re-gifting is a serious offense, particularly when the present in question is disguised as a thoughtful, first-time offering.
- Go tacky: “Silk flowers — not a good gift,” says Candy Pratts Price. “I would never give wrinkle cream or control-top panty hose,” adds Choy.
- Treat it like a chore: It’s hard, but try adding a little joy. “If it’s a chore, it makes your relationship seem like a chore,” says Louis Boston’s Debi Greenberg. “Everybody talks about commercialization, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
- Be afraid to ask for suggestions: Even if you’re not going the personal-shopper route, some retailers recommend calling a sales associate you know and telling him or her you’re coming in. “We’re happy to be the gift editor for you,” says Neiman Marcus spokesperson Ken Downing.
- Wait until the last minute: “If you wait, you’re going to have an anxiety attack,” says Greenfield. “No good can come of it.”