BY MAYA MARZOUK

In print | Published December 3, 2009

With finals coming up, fashion is hardly the foremost thing on anyone’s mind. However, just a few short weeks away is the start of our long-awaited winter break. And smack in the middle of that winter break is — you guessed it — Christmas. And Hannukah, and Kwanzaa, and other holidays that require us spending money on gifts for other people. But on a tight student budget, it’s sometimes hard to get that perfect gift for someone because of a price tag. However, with this nifty gift guide, you can get them gifts that seem much more high-end for the type of cost that you can cover.

Your best girlfriend might be coveting one of the colorful, huge, knit scarves that are so in this winter. Missoni Chevron makes a gorgeous berry-and-baby-pink one, but it’s $450 — quite a hefty chunk of cash to be spent on a scarf. Gap, however, makes some adorable cable-knit scarves for $24.50.

Another great gift idea for your female friends is one — or a few — of the headbands that have become a central piece to winter fashion. The high-end ones — by Jennifer Behr, for instance — can cost anywhere from $50-$800. However, you can scrounge around GirlProps (either the Internet site, or the store in NYC) for a cheaper alternative. Another great option for headbands is to search around your local J-Crew accessories-sale bin. You can snag a band that used to cost $20 for $5 or $6.

For the guy friends in your life, a wallet is always a good go-to gift. Valextra’s 6-credit-card wallet is divine in shades of supple leather, but costs $370. A similar-looking wallet from Fossil, however, is available for only $25.
Another popular guy’s gift is cologne. Colognes can be extremely expensive, however Diesel’s Fuel for Life cologne — my personal favorite on guys — is $52.50; Juicy Couture’s Dirty English retails for $20-$70, and also smells great.
Another option for a guy’s gift that’s truly on trend right now is a belt with a big flashy buckle. The crocodile bunny-buckle belt by Psycho Bunny costs $3,600: clearly unaffordable for a college student (and for most normal people). The death bunny belt buckle, available at www.dresscodeclothing.com, however, is only $15.21 and features the same bunny-head-and-crossbones design. Paired with the Boston Traveler Men’s Croc Finish Belt from www.overstock.com, you can create a similar-looking belt for less than 1/100th of the cost.

For Mom, nothing is classier than a Tiffany piece. The fairly new key collection, which includes a variety of old-fashioned-looking key charms in silvers and golds and platinums, ranges from $100 for a small heart key charm in silver to a $17,000 for a kaleidoscope key pendant in platinum inlaid with diamonds. However, there are tons of similar necklaces — just search Google’s shopping. My personal favorite is the Victorian Skeleton Key necklace by RockLove, $40, followed in close second by Justine’s Vintage Sterling Silver and CZ heart key necklace by Eve’s Addiction, $36.

Another great gift idea is a picture frame with an adorable picture of you and your mommy. Tiffany, again, makes a beautiful sterling silver one for $475 but a similar frame is only $12.95 by Hanson Ellis and comes with up to two lines of engraving.

For Dad, a tie is always a good, classic go-to gift. Stefano Ricci makes a gorgeous black silk tie studded with swirled Swarovski crystals for $1,105. However, you can get a similar version of a crystal swirl tie at www.zazzle.com for $29.95.

Another awesome gift idea for dad is a new watch: Fossil makes some great watches ranging from $55-$325 which all look great, featuring some in-style flair.

All in all, I hope the gift ideas here give you a head start on holiday shopping. Another great option — since you will be home with nothing to do — is checking out the sales racks/bins at high-end stores. Fifth Avenue is one of my favorites, even for window-shopping. For some frugal fun this holiday season, remember: snow is free, hot chocolate is cheap, and friends don’t cost a thing. Have an awesome winter break!

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