South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
What’s with myriad ‘gift guides’?
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Now that the holidays have passed, I just want your opinion of the hundreds — or is it thousands?
— of “gift guides” that have proliferated in the past few years. It seems every fashion magazine intern has one (with some insanely expensive items like a Prada skirt for over $1,000). And they break down the categories so much: For the Dad Who Never Gets Off the Couch; For Your Mean, Fussy Sister-in-Law. I literally have spent hours pouring over them! And I’ve never bought a thing they recommend. Any guidance for next year? .
Dear Pamela: Not all these people and their lists are grabbing your attention just because they feel like sharing. In some cases they get a portion of the cost of the item, which is why they put those links in their lists that cue the vendor to kick back some money. It’s big business.
That said, I have used a couple of those lists for ideas. I, too, have been reeled in and wasted too much time hoping to find the perfect present. If you really want to trim down the time you spend on finding the very best gift, the lists I’ve found especially useful are New York magazine’s The Strategist (nymag.com/strategist/) and The New York Times’ Wirecutter (nytimes.com/ wirecutter/).
They’re not infallible though. Years back I bought a coffee maker based on Wirecutter’s top pick and it almost required an engineering degree to get it to make a simple cup of coffee. I went to Target and replaced it with a Mr. Coffee for $29.99 that works just fine. Which is why I recommend checking the return policies before you press “buy.”
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I was dining out with my partner at a high-end restaurant during the pre-Christmas frenzy. In came a party of six and they all were dressed appropriately. Except the guy with the red bow tie. And his gym shoes fashioned to look like Santa’s boots. Plus a necklace of blinking holiday lights. When is dressing for the holidays too much?
— Pamela J
— Robert B.
Dear Robert: You’re sounding a bit Grinchy. Some people are just Christmas Freaks who take Dec. 25 as an occasion to go wild with all things Christmas, including clothes and adornments. Clearly you are in the Bah Humbug camp and that’s OK.
But, with respect to fellow diners or anybody else whose outfit is over the top: Let them have their fun. Although, if the outfits make a big racket — say, noisy giant jingle bells — I’d say that is too much, at least for a restaurant. All this Santa/reindeer stuff will be gone by, hmmmm, Valentine’s Day (and bring on the heart-related, Cupid outfits)!
Angelic readers Laraine M. writes: “I was meeting a very stylish cousin from out of town at a new art museum. We were going to view the new artwork and have lunch at the museum. Imagine my surprise when she came out of her cab wearing a nice pair of jeans and jean jacket. I wore a nice pants outfit that I had worn to work. From that time on, I was always aware that I could wear jeans except, of course, to a formal event. As time goes on, I predict fashion designers will make a full line of fancy denim to style into the high end of formal wear.”
(From Ellen: It’s already happening! Google “denim formal gowns” and there are hundreds to chose from, some more than $1,000.)
Reader rant
George P. gets it off his chest: “Not long ago you did an article on unisex clothing and it got me thinking about a beef that I have. In many catalogs like L.L.Bean, Lands’ End, etc., garments for women (let’s say winter jackets) are offered in some rich, vibrant colors, while the very same item for men is offered only in drab, uninteresting colors. I’d order the women’s version, but the tailoring would be wrong for me.”
Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail. com.