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Although is it October and many sensible people have bought their Christmas presents there are still large numbers of us who have still to get the majority of our shopping. Whether present requests range from modern electronics, gadgets, clothing, fine jewellery or toys and play things we all like to get a good deal on what we buy. It may be a bit too late in the year to start any major savings schemes or plans for this year, but we will be wiser and better prepared next year, it is still possible to make really good savings on our Christmas gifts.

The key to saving money at Christmas is preparation and information. We need to inform ourselves of all the various sources from where we can make our purchases from shops, markets, fairs, and the internet to catalogues, product parties or even auction sites or house. Although it is too late to save money into an account for spending it is not too late to take some practical steps to make savings. Such steps should include:

Firstly, make a list. Lists are underrated but it is essential to know who we have to buy for; then set a budget, it is much easier to decide what to buy when we know how much we have to spend, then decide what to buy and for whom. Only buy some presents, perhaps agree with other relatives that each family will buy for a specified person. Some friends or relatives may prefer a visit from you rather than a present. Research the items, uses price comparison sites and look for the best deals, both locally in shops and more widely on line.

Look for deals such as 3 for 2, or buy 1 get 1 free/half price. When buying locally use cash, it is easier to stick to a budget when you can see the cash being spent, it is very easy to present a credit card and not monitor the spending, keep an eye out for local sales. If you are shopping online, use a debit card rather than a credit card, unless it’s for larger purchases where a credit card will offer better consumer protection.

Not all presents need to be bought, consider making presents, these could be knitted items such as scarves or gloves, or even bake Christmas shortcake or mince pies and hand deliver them. Although it is perhaps a bit risky, it could be very fruitful to leave buying presents to the very last minute. Many shops start their January sales on Christmas Eve or in the immediate days before Christmas.

Christmas shopping can be very stressful but if we are prepared it makes it a whole lot easier.

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The best fashion accessories are those that compliment an outfit. You have to think about colouring. For example if you had a cute white top with some black skinny jeans you wouldn’t want to wear white, or even silver really. because it doesn’t stand out enough. the best colour to wear would be balck, like big roundbeaded necklace.
Or if you have gone for a neutral toned outfit, go for some metallic golds and browns or even a bright funky colour. When looking for accesories, chunky is good right now. Chunky bangles just accentuate an outfit more than you think. Chunky necklaces and rings, but not so much earings.
When looking for accessories go big and bold for a stand-out look thats not too over the top. Many people get this wrong and add too much colour or just too many accessories, and this makes an outfit look overdone. Although big and bold is really in right now, for more sophisticated looks try and understated ring or small necklace and square diamond earings. these look so classy and provide that hint of glamour in any outfit.

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Show me the woman without a wardrobe full of handbags and they’re either possessed of an iron will, or they have a wardrobe full of shoes, instead!
The ultimate fashion accessory these days has to be the handbag. No longer somewhere to stow your purse, keys and a lipstick, they’re full on fashion in their own right.
This year’s trend for the oversized bag shows no sign of abating, and with every major fashion house launching their own range of accessories, often including luggage to match, handbags have never been bigger - in every sense!
Pages in magazines are devoted to the arm candy carried by film stars and celebrities, and as bags are no longer confined to boring old black or brown, very often the first item to leap out at you from the photo is the star’s handbag.
A good bag can make or break an outfit, but if the classic handbag isn’t … well … your bag,  this year’s fun fashion includes bags in the shape of cherries, lips, buckets and even flower pots!

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Well fashion accessories to me come in two different categories; there are practical accessories and what I would call, vanity accessories.

Practical accessories include, sunglasses, handbags, umbrella, scarf, gloves, and purse. Vanity would include; cosmetics, hats, belts, jewellery and the mobile phone although this crosses over into practical as well.

So which are best, it’s quite tough to decide because many women and many man included, insist they can’t do without a comb or hairbrush and that trusty mirror to be sure they look their best at all times.

Accessories are necessary for most of the population, it is impossible to choose just one, often one accessory is connected to another and it becomes routine, for instance, in a woman’s handbag everyone knows there will be make up, a purse, and often an umbrella.

Most people do co ordinate their accessories with what they are wearing, leading to many people having quite a large accessory collection in their attire.

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Pearl jewellery is never old fashioned! It’s stood the test of time, and pearls are as popular now as they’ve ever been.
Banish the image of a county lady or even Margaret Thatcher with her ever present string of pearls coupled with a pastel cashmere twinset - these days pearls come in a massive range of designs to suit all tastes and budgets.
While the natural pearl may still be beyond the pocket of most people, cultured pearls [where a tiny bead is introduced into an oyster’s shell to encourage it to produce nacre] are a lot more affordable.
Freshwater pearls should never be overlooked, either. Available in a huge range of colours, as well as the natural cream colour, they can lift any outfit. I’ve been wearing freshwater pearls for over twenty years, after discovering their beauty on a trip to Hong Kong, and they’ve never lost their lustre.
In fact, pearls improve with age - they should never be saved for best - their gleam is enhanced by contact with the natural oils in the skin and they just get better and better.

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Fine jewellery has been around for hundreds of years but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s old fashioned. Pearl jewellery is still very popular and has recently been making a comeback. It has been seen recently on celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss.

The type of pearl jewellery that has been making a comeback has been the necklace and the bracelet. Both provide a simple and effortlessly classy look if combined with the right outfit. Probably one of the most recognised wearer of pearls was Marilyn Monroe and wearing pearls today can give you that classic look.

A cultured pearl is one which has been created by a pearl farmer. More than 99% of pearls sold today are cultured pearls which have been grown with a helping human hand, ie By actually inserting a foreign object into the tissue of an oyster or mollusc, pearl farmers can encourage the creation of a pearl. Natural pearls are created when this happens, you guessed it, naturally!

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Natural pearls are pearls that happen on their own in nature, whereas cultured pearls are aided by humans. Natural pearls tend to be all sizes, colours and shapes, whereas cultured pearls have similar forms. The majority of pearls sold nowadays are cultured pearls.

Although pearl jewellery can be classed as old-fashioned, it is still extremely popular and fashionable. Many brides incorporate pearls into their wedding jewellery, whether it is a necklace or bracelet or part of their tiara.

The designs of pearl jewellery has grown rapidly from the simple pearl row necklace. Many people will consider the cream coloured pearls, however, pearls are available in many colours that can compliment any outfit. They are also affordable.

A very flexible item of pearl jewellery is a long strand necklace. This can be worn as is, or wrapped around the neck a couple of times. It can even be worn as a bracelet.

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Internet shopping is all well and good, with its quick convenience. But you always run the risk of the hassle of repackaging up your goods and sending them back to where they came from, following a three month wait to be reimbursed with the packaging costs. This is when you find out that the pair of shoes that you ordered are slightly more salmony pink than you thought, and find your new jeans fall to your ankles every time you stand up.

My advice is to browse online and then pay a visit to the shops. You can never be sure exactly how a product will look and fit when you just see it on screen, but having an idea of what you’re looking for and what shops appeal to you is a useful thing to have under your belt when you go out shopping. It can cut the length of your trip by hours!

Emergency shopping is also WAY too risky to leave to the Internet. Go to the shops to make sure that gown fits for that evening, and you shall go to the ball!

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A lot of women I know these days have taken to buying the majority of their clothes online. It is a quick and easy way to shop, there is no trawling through the rails in the shops, you can navigate your way through to finding exactly what you are looking for and there is none of the fitting room depression and queueing.

I for one do like a good shopping trip but these days it has become increasingly stressful with shops at weekends being overcrowded and other shoppers being rude and obnoxious. With the preferred alternative of visiting a website from the comfort of my own home while in my pyjamas is a tempting alternative.

A few years ago some clothing retailer’s websites were basic and hard to browse with inadequate pictures but now with 3D viewing and good quality websites to visit it makes the whole online shopping experience very easy and enjoyable. Not to mention the little buzz of receiving a nice parcel in the post which is always nice!

Obviously there is the downside of having to return unsuitable items and with some websites charging for returns this can be annoying and costly but in general if you are shopping from a good site and know what to look for and what you want then online shopping is heaven sent.

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Buying fashion online is the latest big thing! Choose from a range of fashions, normally at a substantial discount and get them delivered to your door - perfect! But, there is one big problem with buying fashion online; you don’t get to try it on!

With todays market meaning that different companies have so many different sizes it can be very difficult to determine what size you actually are. Even with size guides this can be tricky.

Having said that, most shops will allow you to order multiple sizes and to send the inappropriate one back to them. This is a handy function but can be a pain which defeats the object of the convenience of buying online.

Fashion purchases online can be extremely useful where you know it will fit you and you have a reasonable idea of quality. In these cases, an online shop can really help you to bag a bargain!

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