The one trick
Look at the label inside something she already wears and loves. Photograph it. Brand, style name, size. That label tells us more than any guess about her size, because sizing differs between brands and a woman who's a 12 in one line is a 14 in another. If she wears Baba, FDJ, Jockey or any of our labels, we can match it exactly. If she wears something we don't carry, the label still tells us her size in that brand, and we can translate.
Safe to buy
- Sleepwear. Forgiving fit, always useful, and a good nightgown or pyjama set is a small luxury most women don't buy themselves. The safest thing in the shop.
- A robe. Same reason.
- A Baba jacket, if she already owns one. She'll want the next colour. If she doesn't own one, it's still a good bet: it's forgiving through the body and the only fit point is the shoulder.
- Jockey underwear, if that's what she wears. Photograph the package. A multi-pack in her style and size is one of the most useful things you can wrap.
- A scarf or a top from Papillon in a colour she wears. Colour is the easy part to get right: look at what's in her closet.
Harder to buy, but we can help
- Jeans and pants. Only with the label from a pair that fits. Then it's easy.
- A bra. Only with the label from one she wears and likes. A bra is the hardest thing to buy for someone else and the most appreciated when it's right. If you don't have the label, buy her a visit instead: bring her in, and we'll fit her.
- A dress. Don't, unless it is one she has already tried on here. Length and fit are too personal to guess at. Bring her in, or call us and we'll set a few aside for her to try.
For a hospital stay
Front-opening pyjamas or a front-opening nightgown, a lightweight robe with pockets, and slippers with a back. Short sleeves for a blood-pressure cuff. Ask us for front-opening styles; more in the sleepwear guide.
How to do it by phone
Call (905) 627-1150. Tell us who it's for, the occasion, roughly what she wears, and read us the label if you have one. We'll tell you what we have, hold it, and have it ready when you come in. If you're out of town and a family member is picking up, we'll put it aside under their name.
If it's wrong
Bring it back with her and we'll swap it for the right size or something she'd rather have. A gift she can exchange in a shop that knows her is better than a gift she has to mail back.