LONDON — Harriet Sugarcookie delves into the touchy topic of holiday gift giving for men in her new article titled, "These Are the Worst Christmas Gifts to Give to Your Girlfriend.”
Sugarcookie wrote, "Buying presents for your girlfriend is always a tricky minefield to navigate. How do you know what's a yes and what's a major no?"
While men often reach for the convenient holiday gift sets, Sugarcookie warned, "Your girlfriend is special, so your gift needs to show her that you think she’s special. Anything low-effort that looks like you quickly pulled off a shelf in the 'Christmas Gifts!' section of the local drug store isn’t going to cut it. It screams that you didn’t care enough to think of something especially for her."
Another no-no, according to Sugarcookie, is clothing ("getting a dress from your partner that you don't like is terrible"), skincare products ("makeup you've got more leniency with"), gift cards (“vouchers are the cowardly way of giving money”) and "any gift that’s about something you like, but that she hasn’t actually shown any interest in."
Gift-giving boyfriends can also fall into the trap of buying sexist, or as Sugarcookie puts it, “clichéd woman' things.”
"If she’s never shown an interest in cooking, getting her a cookbook, or a blender or something is really stupid … at best, it comes across that you don’t know her at all,” she wrote. “At worst, it comes across as if you’re subtly telling her she should be in the kitchen.
“There is no way you can buy a girlfriend a gym membership without offending them … same goes for exercise equipment such as dumbbells, yoga mats or Fitbits,” Sugarcookie added. “If your girlfriend already goes to the gym however you can bypass the no-clothes rule and buy her some gym clothes."
Sugarcookie advises men to simply pay attention to what their girlfriends like, "Simply take her shopping one day, and surprise her by buying the item when she expresses her delight. Tease her by saying 'Of course, you can’t have it till Christmas!'”
To read the article in its entirety, click here. Sugarcookie can be followed on Facebook, as well as Twitter and Instagram.
