Gifting the Bridal Boss

Dear H, 

My boss is getting married next week, and I need to get her a present from the whole team. I want it to be something more fun than her registry (flatware and steak knives are boring), but it should be at least slightly work-appropriate.  She's pretty classy, loves to drink, and everything that involves eating. I actually have some budget for this since it's coming from the whole team, and I need to get something soon. Ideas??

Berzerk at Work

Berzerk,

If the bride is changing her last name, stationery is a fabulous gift that is classy and work-appropriate.  When a good friend of mine got married last summer, my gift to her was a set of personal calling cards:  her first with her new name.  I worked with Felix Doolittle, a stationer out of Newton, Mass., and they did a great job accommodating my needs.   Felix Doolittle has a variety of personalized stationery that you can customize with various motifs, such as food or flowers.  I also love their personalized bakers' labels, which might be great for your boss if she's good in the kitchen:

Felix Doolittle Personalized Bakers' Labels, $40 for a set of 25

Speaking of the kitchen, if you think stationery is still too traditional of a bridal gift, another option might be to gift the bride with a set of cooking classes.  These will certainly come in handy;  home cooking has become so sophisticated of late that even an expert chef would enjoy picking up some advanced tips, and her new spouse will certainly appreciate her for it! There is likely to be a culinary school, caterer, or chef in your area that offers personal classes in a test kitchen or in the bride's home.  If not, kitchen retailers such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table offer in-store classes, and they may be able to point you toward other local options. 

Do you take these suggestions to be your gift idea?

I do,

H*

Readers, have you ever gone off the registry? Leave a comment.

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Getting Ironed Out

Dear H,

I've been doing a lot of traveling for work recently and my suits always get wrinkled when packed in my suitcase. Please tell me there's some way to avoid this -- I hate having to iron them once I get to the hotel!

Thanks!

Weary of Wrinkles

 

Wrinkles,

The way I see it, you have three options.

Option #1:  Invest in a Garment Bag

Garment bags are designed to transport suits, and also make you look more professional when traveling for work.  Also, they work well as carry-on bags so you don’t have to worry about checking your bag (and possibly losing your suit!)

You can pick up a garment bag at any specialized luggage shop or department store, but I usually buy my luggage from a discount store like Marshall’s, where they sell designer luggage for discount prices.  I got a great Kipling suitcase from Marshall’s last year, though buyer beware:  those stores can be hit-or-miss.

 

Option #2:  Pack Like You Buy

If you absolutely must pack your suit in a suitcase, keep in mind the way clothes are packaged when you buy them; at many stores, they are wrapped in tissue or placed in a plastic garment bag.  Do the same when packing your suit:  use tissue paper as padding when folding your suit, or put the suit on a hanger in a dry cleaning bag before packing. 

 

Option #3:  Wear It

The most foolproof option is to wear your suit on the plane.  Don’t want to look all-business?  Pack the pants and wear the suitcoat with jeans.  The coat is the more difficult piece to de-wrinkle; the pants you can simply iron when you get to your hotel. 

If it were me, I’d pick my battles:  pair the blazer with jeans for the trip, and settle with having to iron the pants.

 

Troubleshooting: Still Left with a Wrinkled Suit?

If you've followed my sage advice, but still have some wrinkles, create a makeshift steamer with the hotel iron.  Hang the suitcoat on a hanger and fill the iron with water.  Holding the iron a few inches from the coat, press the steam button to release wrinkles without applying pressure.  Never put the iron directly on the suit!

 

Hope this saves a wrinkle in time,

H*

 

Readers, what are your wrinkle-free tips? Leave a comment.

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