Gifts Under $50

Gifts by What She Is Into

The easiest way to pick at this price is to start from how she spends her week. For school and weekends, sherpa and fleece zip-up jackets, pullover hoodies and matching sweatpants cover the cold months. For parties and photos, velvet long-sleeve dresses, sequin dresses with bow straps and knit maxi dresses handle the dressier days. For dance, there are tutu skirts, ballet dresses and leotards that go straight into class in January.

Picking a Size for Someone Else's Child

Apparel here runs XS (4/5) to XXL (14/15) and dancewear starts at XXS (2/3). Age ranges in the size names are a guide, not a rule, so if you are between two, the larger one buys another season. Jackets, hoodies and tutu skirts are the most forgiving; fitted leotards and dresses are the least.

Gifts That Last Past December

A sequin dress gets worn twice in December and then waits for the next party. A fleece jacket, a pair of joggers or a leotard gets worn weekly through winter. If you want the gift still in rotation by spring, the everyday pieces are the better bet, and they are the ones that tend to come back for a second size.