HOLIDAY SHOPPING Gifts ideas will please those with real style

You needn't break the bank when buying presents.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
You've made your list and checked it at least twice. Mom is easy; she's been dying for one of those professional mixers. Dad has dropped more than a few hints about wanting a DVD player.
Then there's that sister who lives for fashion. She's a tough buy, so it looks like another gift certificate in her Christmas future.
Finding gifts for those with an eye for style can be a daunting task. These folks can be irritatingly particular, not to mention very expensive.
But for many pricey dream gifts, there are less costly alternatives that are grounded in reality.
Let's say she wants to wants Santa baby to hurry down the chimney with a luxurious fur jacket. Chances are she is one of many clotheshorses with fur fever, and more than a few merchandisers have the cure.
"Fur adds perceived value to garments," said Maria Catalanotti, a fur buyer for upscale merchandiser Saks Fifth Avenue. "This is especially important these days when shoppers are hesitant to spend on big-ticket items like expensive suits and dresses. When they see a garment trimmed in fur, they believe its value is greater, and of course fur is so fashionable now."
So think outside the bank balance and compromise.
Look for a piece in a less expensive pelt or go for a fur-trimmed item. Fur-accented denim jackets are quite popular.
Less expensive
Still too pricey? Try smaller items like collars and cuffs. They can add richness to a suit or coat. Fur-accented gloves and scarves also make a statement.
Want even more bang for the buck? Go faux. Manufacturers are turning out some great pretenders.
A perfect complement to the fur is jewelry, particularly diamonds. Visions of these sparkling stones dance through many women's head the night before Christmas.
Stud-style earrings are always on someone's wish list, and chances are the studs she wants aren't microscopic chips.
A fine-quality two-carat pair (one carat each ear) can easily run you nearly $6,000. Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but men also have a close relationship with food, clothing and shelter.
One way to save money is to opt for a cluster, which gives a lot of look with less carat weight. Manmade cubic zirconia offers another avenue.
If you can't decorate her ears with diamonds, intoxicate her with them. Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds scent is a perennial favorite.
The right time
Timepieces often make an appearance under the tree. While diamonds make many women's looks sparkle, multiple dials give an ultra-functional edge to men's styles.
According to the Jewelry Information Center, chronographs, which track various intervals of time, feature such functions as pulsimeters (measure the body's pulse), tachymeters (measures speed) and telemeters (measures distance).
One of Tag Heuer's latest chronographs, the Steve McQueen, is a re-creation of a watch the company tooled in 1969. In 1970, McQueen made the piece his lucky watch during the filming of "Le Mans." The latest incarnation clocks in at about $3,000.
Other makers, such as Fossil and Seiko, have more reasonable chronographic watches in the $85-to-$500 range.
Accessories also make nice gifts. Among the most-wanted are status handbags.
Consider Hermes' Birkin. In a recent episode of "Sex and the City," temptress Samantha Jones did a little name-dropping to avoid a five-year wait for the bag, which can range from $5,000 (leather) to $10,000 (ostrich).
If you want a Birkin before your child graduates from college, get a Birkin-type design. There are several look-alikes out there, most of them in the $200-$300 range.
Merry shopping.