Richard To The Rescue - Christmas Shopping
A question comes from Mr Elliot Cosgrove.
“Any tips for Christmas present shopping, Richard? I find it a terrible bind and I tend to get it horribly wrong.”
Straight to Richard, who we found busy at work in the Savile Row store (right):
“I can’t think of many worse things than putting people through the awful act of thanking you, quite possibly in front of an audience, for something they neither like or need. And then, if the present isn’t right, you’re obliged to put yourself through the very boring process of returning it and getting something else. Or, worse still, they, the recipient, offers to return the present, so you have to give them the receipt, which – if you haven’t already lost it… – means you end up revealing how much you’ve spent on them…
“So, for that reason, I tend to play it safe when it comes to Christmas present giving. I think of classic, non size-specific – returning something that doesn’t fit is another bore for everyone concerned – practical items. Not what you might expect from me, I know, but there you go… Think scarves, beanies, wallets, card holdersor, indeed, cufflinks. Or, of course, if you’re pushing the boat out, you could – to mix and match my euphemisms – take a slightly different tack and buy someone a bespoke suit. We can cut a suit to fit anyone and in my mind there’s nothing quite a as special and wholly personal as a Richard James Bespoke suit.
“I mentioned cufflinks, because I’m giving these here (right) from the Bespoke store to a very good friend this Christmas. They’re made of solid silver and pearls, so are as simple and understated as they are special. Button cuffs are far more popular these days, but you still need a pair of cufflinks to wear with evening wear to add that extra little bit of polish. They meet the criteria of being classic, non size-specific and practical. There will be trouble if he doesn’t like them.”