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Top Gifts for
BY SHARON NAYLOR
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uying a gift for a teenager can be difficult since there’s such a difference between what a 13-year-old loves and what an 18-year-old loves. Teens can be very particular about which trends suit their style and which trends are “in” at their school. Luckily, there’s a free online tool to help you assess each of the teens on your gift list. Gifts.com’s Personality Profiler tool on its home page allows you to enter the teen’s name and answer some easy questions regarding the teen’s goals, hobbies and what she talks about at dinner. The site then delivers an array of gift suggestions. Take this quiz for each of the teens on your list and you’ll save time, and perhaps money, while finding the perfect, on-trend gifts. Gifts.com editors also place a banner on each of their top gift picks to help make finding the right gift easier. Here are the top trends in teen gifts for girls and guys:
Achiever Items Goal-oriented teen gifts include iPad covers in various designs, locker organizers with whiteboards and pockets, digital alarm clocks, USB sticks in themed designs and the Gifts.com editors’ pick of a digital scanner pen for taking better notes in class. Trendanista Items For teen girls who love their fashion designer labels, consider Kate Spade wallets, key chains or iPhone covers.
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Gifts.com editors’ picks for teen girls include manicure collections filled with pretty nail polishes in classic, trendy colors with sparkly options for teens of all ages. As an example of new nail polish artistry, the editors of Gifts.com showcase the Ciate Caviar Manicure set, a two-part nail art kit created in London, which they said brings “avant-garde catwalk nail styling to your fingertips.” Featuring pearlescent beads to create a 3-D effect, this kit helps teens produce attention-grabbing nail designs for $25. Trendanistas also love jewelry, and this season’s big look is the cuff bracelet—also a bargain buy at less than $30 for many styles of wider bracelets in silver, either simple or intricate. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with a gift card to the trendanista teen’s favorite store or website.
Technology Items Teens are extremely tech-savvy. They often own the top tools, such as iPhones, iPads, MP3 players and high-powered laptops and desktops. In order to get them excellent tech-oriented gifts, find out which kinds of tools they use right now so that you can give them accessories for those. It may be a wise idea to buy tech toys closer to the holidays, since teens upgrade their gadgets often—and you don’t want to give them a case that doesn’t work with their current phone, for example. Some choice picks: HEADPHONES. Yes, big headphones worn over the head are in again, with many featuring funky colors from designer collections. You’ll find basic black, island turquoise, vivid orange and [continued on 24]
November 2012 | Advertising Supplement to The Gazette
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