Winning at Christmas: A guy's guide to gift shopping
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- So what do buy your sweetheart, the love of your life, for Christmas? The last thing you want to do is buy a thoughtless gift.
"My worst gift was a curling iron, because I have tons of them in my bathroom," shopper Josie Latimer told Eyewitness News.
Guys, before even stepping foot on the store floor, you've got to go undercover in order to avoid making that kind of rookie mistake.
MORE GIFTS: Gorgeous gifts that give back
"You really need to do some homework. Get in their closet and do some recon. Sizes vary tremendously from store to store, designer to designer. You really don't want to get that completely wrong, because that really does not make for a happy Christmas morning," personal shopper Rebecca Matthews advised.
Matthews said to stay away from size-specific clothes, like dresses and jeans. Instead, go for something they can use that comes in small, medium or large, like an overcoat or rain coat that covers her seat when sitting down at kids soccer or baseball games.
Then there's the shiny stuff -- the gifts nearly all woman love.
"You cannot go wrong with simple silver, simple gold or a pearl necklace. Those three things, short or long, always go with everything," Matthews said.
Still not sure? Try a nice jewelry box with a promise inside for a shopping date.
"This is just a beautiful presentation, that any girl I know would love. Because you can open it up and put a big fat gift card in here," Matthews said.
Many guys think they need to steer clear of any type of home appliance, but if your wife of girlfriend likes to cook up a storm, some items could be a hit.
"The best mixer ever made in the history of mixers is the KitchenAid. This is a great gift. I've had mine for 25 years," Matthews recommended.
If you haven't already, start the dialogue, do your recon and set a plan before you hit the stores.
"If you put some thought into it, you're going to have a great Christmas morning," Matthews added.
