Whether for the holidays, a birthday, or high school graduation, what to do when the intended recipient is an eighteen year old girl and you haven't a clue what to give.
Step 1
Admit to yourself that if you must consult this guide, you don't know the recipient well enough to give a gift that will be both personal and appreciated. This is okay, and not meant in any way as an affront to you, the gift-giver.
Step 2
Assume that the best possible solution is to give a gift that the recipient will enjoy and appreciate, at the possible cost of intimacy.
Step 3
Consider the recipient's general interests. Does she like books, music, makeup, or fashion? If you can say with certainty that she is somewhat interested in any of these things, you have already won half the battle.
Step 4
Pick one of the above listed fields (or come up with one of your own, but try to stick to a broad general category).
Step 5
Buy a gift certificate in whatever amount you deem appropriate from a retailer in said field.
Step 6
Enclose the gift certificate in a nice greeting card upon which you have written a personal message in addition to the one provided by the card. It shows you care.
Tips
- A gift subscription to a magazine like Cosmo, Glamour, Elle, etc. is really cool, just ask her parents first if a) she has a subscription already and b) if she ever reads a certain type of magazine. Jane is a really great magazine for cool young hipsters!
- Clothing, as a general category in which to purchase a gift certificate, is a bit trickier than the other categories mentioned. If you decide to purchase a gift certificate from a clothing retailer, stick with a retailer that sells a broad variety of simple styles... American Apparel and Urban Outfitters are two suggestions.
- Make sure the gift certificate is of a substantial enough amount to afford a purchase of at least one item from said retailer (i.e., a $10 gift certificate to Banana Republic will not cut the proverbial mustard).
- If none of the above suggestions satisfy you, you can always buy her an iPod.
- Money is never tacky unless it's dollar bills.
Warnings
- Avoid stuffed animals of any kind. She's 18, not 8.
- Every teenage girl in America has already received, by age eighteen, enough candles, journals, incense, and body splash to last her a lifetime. Nothing is intrinsically wrong with these items, but unless the recipient is a known and avid collector, they scream "insipid gift."
- Cheap toiletries wreak havoc for sensitive skin, smell awful and clutter up a teen's bathroom. Especially don't buy weird unbranded toiletries that come in a bundle or basket.
- Your teen may lose your trust if you say "I'll choose".
