UNDER THE TREE: Books, jewelry, fashion, hair care top gift trends for women | News

With Black Friday just a few days away, many local residents are thinking about what Christmas gifts they’ll be purchasing, and an array of new trends and items are adorning local retailers’ shelves.

Shopping for women, especially, doesn’t have to be a challenge, as local shop owners point out.

Meigs Jewelry owner Todd Mutzig said yellow gold is “super popular” and “very fashion forward” this season.

“Nothing speaks louder than a piece of jewelry that has personal meaning,” Mutzig said. “That what we try to do – we try to find a connection between the gift recipient and a piece of jewelry.”

While many consider jewelry a potentially expensive gift, Mutzig said a good piece of jewelry can be found at any price point.

“Jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive,” Mutzig said. “A quality piece of jewelry can be $50, or it can be $20,000. It’s about what you are comfortable spending.”

Among the most popular pieces of jewelry right now are bracelets, according to Mutzig.

“Stacking is the trend,” Mutzig said. “To wear three, four, five or six in a stack is very popular, if you look in fashion magazines.”

According to Mutzig, shopping locally is important because purchases go toward supporting local families. He said it’s a way of building a stronger community.

“Local businesses employ local people. They are the ones at our schools, going out to volunteer,” Mutzig said. “They are the community.”

For Salah Lobaugh, a retail associate at Vivid Salon and Boutique, shopping at the local level “supports your neighbor.”

“I don’t think a lot of people think about that; their purchases go into their neighbor’s pocketbooks when they choose to shop local,” Lobaugh said.

Purchasing several small items to create a personalized gift bag is a trend she seeing this season.

“People are getting a lot of little things, and putting small things together or purchasing ‘grab bags,’” Lobaugh said.

Lobaugh said items people tend to purchase for these bags include nail polish, face masks, hair care products, and key chains.

“Hair care products are always a big one,” Loubaugh said. “There is one thing every woman has that is her staple product.”

Threadz Consignment employee Summer Ackerman said individuals have been purchasing clothing, shoes, and handbags from the store this gift-giving season.

“I think our jackets, coats, and handbags have been popular, for sure,” Ackerman said. “We also have a lot of locally made glass jewelry as well.”

Straying from fashion and beauty products, Daniel Tye, a manager at Too Fond of Books said many women are looking for books this holiday season.

When it comes to shopping locally, Tye said purchases support more than the store’s employees. At Too Fond of Books, all profit is diverted to Joe’s Bookcase, a nonprofit dedicated to supplying books to rural schools in Cherokee County.

“Romance is really hot this season, as is fantasy,” Tye said. “We are also seeing lots of horror go off the shelves, which is unorthodox for the holiday season.”

What’s next

The next in this four-part series on holiday gifts will focus on items for men. The third part will be on children’s gift, and the last installment will be on last-minute gifts and stocking stuffers. These will be in the Tuesday editions.