Fortnum & Mason cup and saucer set £35

Tea isn’t really tea unless you’re drinking it from a very thin cup. These rather nice Fortnum & Mason tea cups are really very thin indeed, with a design that neatly addresses the key "sweet old lady" and "ironic fashionista" demographics. The bonus, of course, is that if the gift is a success there’s a whole service you can buy bit by bit so the recurrent birthday and Christmas dilemmas become but a distant memory.

Anya Hindmarch 'Charlie' bag £575

Simultaneously plain enough to be used every day and distinctive enough to guarantee at least one full-blown swank per day, this admittedly rather pricey bag more than pays for itself by allowing the lucky recipient the additional pleasure of pointing out that her husband bought it for her, thus identifying her as a keen judge of manflesh among her envious friends.

How to wrap the perfect present: regular shapes

Learn how to present your Christmas gifts like an expert. The first of our two videos shows you how to wrap a box-shaped gift

• How to wrap the perfect present: regular shapes

• How to wrap the perfect present: difficult shapes

The 10 best presents for men

Fathers, husbands and the more mature type of son can be hellishly tricky to buy for. Let us take the stress out of the season with ten foolproof suggestions that are sure to please.

BACKGROUND

• The 10 best christmas presents for kids

• The ten best gadget gifts this Christmas

• Perfect presents under £30

Related Links

• 21 beauty presents: from budget to blowout

People Tree slouchy beret £16

With our winters of ever more arbitrary length and bitterness a nice warm hat that’s both stylish and resistant to being crammed into a handbag is essential. This is that hat. The additional fair-trade angle can only add to your seasonal tally of brownie points.

Joanna Wood picnic rug £64

One of those classic items that everyone needs, but only thinks about a few hours before the picnic. This is a gift that guarantees the giver more than one long hot summer of picnic invitations. Who could ask for more?

Satin Rose overnight bag £55

A luxurious portmanteau that promises wicked weekends away but will serve just as well to store those once-a-year lingerie items on top of her wardrobe.

Plumo Chihuahua soaps £10

A little too small to be tucked underneath Paris Hilton’s arm but still retaining that all-important celebrity flibbertigibbet factor, these tiny perfumed pooches are ideal to secrete in a Christmas stocking or between layers of giftwrap for that wrapped-with-love feeling.

On the Horizon gloves £18.34

Luxury lambswool and angora gloves that are glamorous enough to draw admiring glances when she arrives at the New Year's Eve party and still cosy enough to make a snowball fight on the way home a realistic possibility.

My Single Friend gift membership £18

Clearly not something one should buy for a wife or girlfriend, but if you know a young, single woman this comparatively inexpensive gift should ensure that she will at least have a date for next New Year’s Eve.

Bouf floral Cushion £70

Few men know where the cushions in their house came from. They’re just one of those mysterious things that women bring with them. Surprise her with one of these fat, squashy treasures and you will be seen as a sensitive and thoughtful poet of the soft furnishings department.

Neal’s Yard Box £48

A box of bath stuff is the default present for a female relative that’s hard to buy for. If you absolutely have to buy a box of smelly bath stuff, this is the one to get. A selection of rose-scented soaps and creams with a candle to burn in the bathroom for a classic indulgent Boxing Day soak.

Need more present ideas? Try:

Gifts ideas for children

Gifts ideas for men

Gadget gifts ideas

Presents under £30