By Aoife McLoughlin

Gorgeous six inch Jimmy Choos and a slinky black dress might be your ideal look for the Christmas season but if it was a choice between comfort and chic, comfort always wins hands down for me.

As much as I love the glamorous look of a heel, besides giving me shin splints, (I lean forward when walking in them), they ruin my posture instead of making my legs look long. I also refuse to suffer from the cold in the name of fashion, so when it comes to it, keeping warm and upright are top of my list. So although I wouldn’t be seen dead out in a tracksuit, these factors can curtail my style hunting.

However, there are a few items I would like to see on my Christmas list – be it for our homegrown concept of “the Christmas day outfit” or for gift ideas for the practi-chicks (the practical yet chic chicks!) in your life – these will keep you looking both glam and comfortable over the Christmas season.

Gifts under €200

Snow boots, Sorel €145, The Great Outdoors and Fitzpatricks

Foxford Wool and mohair throw, €89.95, Kilkenny Shop  – to snuggle under for the winter nights ahead

Gifts for under €50

Jessie J watch for Swatch €50, Swatch shop Grafton St or Arnotts

Cashmere Lounge pants £22/€29.50 (for hanging around watching all those movies over Christmas), River Island

Cross body bag £25, River Island (handy for all my bits with a baby on board)

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I do like the gift of clothes, and often like to choose these myself so here are my “big ticket” Christmas pressie choices for this year:

Ankle Boots

Obviously with a lower heel or a flat, ankle boots can look great casually or dressed up. Paired with a shift dress and leggings, this is a great day-to-night outfit. For a total night time look, put on a pair of black opaque tights (or patterned /coloured if you’re feeling adventurous) and add a Christmas sparkly number and you’ve a modern, funky take on your traditional Christmas outfit.

Ankle boots are also great for casual wear. Team with leggings or skinny jeans and they are a practical and cool look – especially for those rainy days where the ends of your boot cut jeans always get soaked. New Look Biker ankle Boots (£119)  are good for a day look and are very comfortable while still showing off the legs in leggings or a dress.

Black leather biker jacket / black blazer

Ok, it’s cheating – two different items under the one heading. But both serve the same function – keeping the heat in! I’d like one or the other.

Sometimes when you first hit a party or pub, you don’t want to bare the whole outfit until the evening has warmed up a little and so a short jacket or blazer is a great way of feeling comfortable yet chic. You can throw off the jacket later on when you hit the dancefloor.

There are some great leather jackets styles available on the high street at the moment in both real and imitation leather. I’m a huge fan of clothing items that have multi functions such as day and night looks. This faux leather one from H&M €149 can be worn both casually with a simple t-shirt / loose blouse or glammed up for a more night look with a dress.

The same can be said for the simple blazer. Although the blazer is heavily influenced by 1980s trend at the moment, there are still plenty of styles to choose from and it is one wardrobe staple that never goes out of fashion. Why not combine the two and get a leather blazer?

A jacket or blazer is also a great way to hide any lumps or bumps you don’t want to draw too much attention to.

And now if someone could please somehow slip this list to Santy for me, you’d make me a very happy practi-chic-chick!

By Linda Gallagher

As we move festively along our guided path of gifts this week, we suspect today’s muse—Charitable Ciara—receives a great deal of favourable attention every year, in fact, if we try hard enough, there’s one of her in all of us.

Christmas is the season for giving and a time to remember those less fortunate than ourselves…so if you can’t think of anything “worthy” enough to give the girl who has everything; consider the following gifts that are not only fashionable but also support worthwhile causes.

EJF Designer T-Shirts

Luella Bartley, Zandra Rhodes and Alice Temperley have each designed a T-shirt for the Environmental Justice Foundation, to raise awareness of the issues of forced child labour and the ecological effects of cotton production.

Made from fair trade cotton and using organic inks, these unique tees come in small, medium and large and are available for €35 from Chica Boutique, Westbury Mall, Dublin 2 or www.chicaboutiqueonline.com . All the proceeds go towards EJF’s campaign to find solutions to environmental and human rights crimes.

Designer Luella (Bartley) ceased trading last month, so this is an ideal opportunity to snap up one of her creations at a bargain price and help the charity at the same time.

Covet, Top Floor, Powerscourt Centre, Dublin 2

Covet features fashion and accessories from the world’s leading designers, select up and coming talent and exquisite vintage collectibles, all for rent at just a fraction of the retail price.

On Thursday 17 December, should you make any two rental bookings on the day, the entire value of one will be donated to a charity of your choice. The offer also includes Covet gift cards.

If that’s not enough to lure you there, champagne and cupcakes will be served all day between 9am and 8pm. Prices start at €85 per rental, so it’s a very decent gesture to charity and personalised too, as you get to choose where the money goes!

So remember, being a Charitable Ciara these days = good karma=presents for you too!

By Siobhan Lam

Christmas is my favourite time of the year.  I don’t understand these people that claim they hate it – how can you hate twinkling fairy lights and mulled wine, the smell of cinnamon…did I mention mulled wine?

Having said that, I can understand the stress that goes with Christmas – all the present buying and  the increasing amounts of money we spend each year and this year in particular, we’ll be wisely watching every cent we spend.  Which is why I have compiled the fool proof recessionista’s Christmas gift guide especially for you…

Under €100

Disney Couture necklace, Asos, €73

At this magical time, I find my myself reverting back to my childish ways with gusto which may explain my fascination with the new ‘Disney Couture’ range particularly the “The Secret World of Pixie Hollow” necklace (€73, ASOS.com). The longline necklace is the perfect length and interspersed with tiny leaves and sits just below the bust where the vintage-looking book charm opens to reveal a detailed paper map interior. This is a wonderfully whimsical gift that any lady would be delighted with  but if you don’t think your older sister wouldn’t necessarily get it, then your favourite niece certainly would.

Marc Jacobs Bag, A New Space, €65

However if you are still looking out for the ‘big’ gift (boyfriends of the land, this means you!), never fear – I have found it. I stumbled upon a quirky new shop called A New Space in 6 Chatham Street, Dublin 2 recently and it has some great alternative gift ideas.

The best one is the Marc by Marc Jacobs evening mirror bag. It’s the perfect size for all your night-out essentials and comes in an array of gorgeous shiny colours (namely red, black, navy and silver) with Jacobs signature chain for a shoulder strap.  The bag would compliment any dressy outfit and at €65 its practically free! Honestly, you will not find a cuter bag from such a relevant designer at such a great price anywhere, so start dropping those non-to-subtle hints!

Under €50

Sequin Cardigan, Awear, €50

For a gift slightly more practical and one that the sister would definitely appreciate, head to Awear. It’s always a good idea to have something sparkly about your person at this time of the year and if tinsel as a scarf replacement isn’t going to work for you, that’s where Awear steps in.

The Precious Range has some stunning pieces at the moment – the best being its sequin embellished cardigan (€50). As we all know, sequins are a tricky trend – too much can look trashy and too few can make an outfit  terribly ‘safe’, as Goldilocks would say this little sequin cardigan is “just right“. Team with simple basics such as little black dress for night out or a t-shirt and jeans for a casual-smart look on Christmas Day.

Smythson notebook, Brown Thomas, €45

The next gift on my list is the ultimate luxury gift – a Smythson notebook. The name Smythson brings with it connotations of exclusivity and extravagance which is exactly what you want your gift receiver to think when they open your present but luckily you don’t have to spend all your savings to give it. The leather pocket notebook is divine, comes in a multitude of bright colours – and only costs €45 (available in Brown Thomas). They even have a fabulous hot pink notebook with RECESSIONISTA embossed in silver on the front. Ideal for jotting down the endless list of clothes absolutely needed in the sales!

However if you or your gift receiver would rather not have a daily reminder of our country’s economic status, there are oodles more titles to chose from and Smythson also have a service where you can personalise the notebooks with your own message.

Under €30

Antique Brooch, Dolls Boutique, €28

If you want a gift that is a little more unique, then head to Dolls Boutique on Clarendon Street, Dublin 2. Here you’ll find some fabulous lines including Vivienne Westwood and Elizabeth Lau but – don’t let the idea of expensive designers scare you away – there are affordable treasures to be found too.

Dolls’ accessories are all impossibly cute but my absolute favourite at the moment are the mirrored letter brooches. Each letter has a stencilled motif overlay giving an antique feel to the brooch, these would look beautiful on a dark winter coat or beret and at €28 are perfect small but personal gifts to give at this time of year.

Happy Shopping Ladies!

P.S If all else fails, buy online (make sure they can deliver before Crimbo! This wonderful place has everything all under one roof: http://www.peoplelovepresents.com) .

Today is the first instalment of our Christmas-shopping handbook for all the special people in your lives.

What to buy for your BFF, sister or work colleague who has had a baby and entered the new realms of motherhood? This doesn’t mean that she deserves boring, bland, or so-called “mammy “presents (yes you should buy for her, as everyone else is buying for the new baby and forgetting about her!), so why not treat the yum mum to some trendy and fun treats?

Mothers can be trendsetters too, they just don’t have as much time now to put into their outfits, which, is where you, their thoughtful friend, come in handy come Christmas and birthday time!

Ditch maternity type clothes and think cashmere cardis, glamorous sunglasses, and fabulous flats.  Today’s Christmas Gift Guide offers you some of that, plus other glorious goodies handpicked with the Yummy Mummy in mind.

Figleaves, Loungewear Waterfall Wrap Cardigan, (£60, €67)

Perfect for the layered look which is both comfy and practical for new mums on the run, this wrap cardi from Figleaves is cosy too as it’s part cashmere. The long length means that you can wear it long, loose or knotted.  For more options on the versatility of wrap cardigans, read our  recent feature on Top 5 Wrap Cardigans.

Yoga Mat, Adidas by Stella McCartney  (€24 – €123)

The solitude of a pilates or yoga class is a haven for many new young mums, so with this is mind, we wanted to find her the perfect mat for today’s gift guide. Stella McCartney’s collaboration with Adidas goes back to 2008 and is no longer for sale in retail outlets but there are one or two still selling on EBay – bid for it now and you will surely make her quiet time even more special and her look the envy of the rest of the class!

Groove Pant R, Lululemon ($98)

On the same note, we’ve found THE most comfortable, flattering and slimming tracksuit pants in the world, and, coincidentally, they happen to be by the person who made yoga pants trendy. Not available in Ireland yet, Lululemons come in lots of colours (including black), so make sure they are on everyone-you-know’s-next-trip-to-the-States-list! Whichever way you get your hands on them, they are worth every penny of the exclusiveness, comfort and style. You’ll never wear “normal” trakkie bottoms again!

Tom Ford Brown Simone Sunglasses, (€220.80)

Every YM is in need of top notch pair of sunnies to conceal tired eyes from all those sleepless nights. This Tom Ford pair will most definitely do the trick.

If all else fails on the gift search, I’m sure the offer of babysitting and some free time for her will be a most welcome gift and surely earn you major brownie points this festive season.

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