We’re counting down the days here at Tortue – not just for Christmas but also to the end of the season for our current collection AND the super exciting launch of our new Spring/Summer collection that a few of the team have been out to France to see! (I did ask if they could pack me in the suitcase next time but apparently I’d be “excess weight”!!

There is always so much to do in the run up to Christmas that every year I find myself saying the same thing – “next year I’m going to be more organised!” Does this sound like you?

This year I was feeling a bit more ‘in control’ after sitting up beyond 2am for the last three nights in a row wrapping presents (having two teenagers in the house who don’t go to bed until around 11 … and then reappear to raid the fridge and snack cupboard after midnight makes it a bit harder to keep the element of surprise than when they were toddlers!).! 

I always have good intentions and start off well, but quickly get swamped with just normal day to day life that all my good intentions go out of the window and I end up running around like a headless chicken unlike some of my friends who seem to have it all in hand and now seem to have plenty of time for fun and fizz without the pressure of still shopping for gifts!

So, with a bit of fun in mind, check out our list of festive shoppers below to see which ones(s) suit how you approach your gift shopping and find out how can we help you shop with a little less fret and have time for a bit more fizz!

The Savvy Shopper – shopped the January sales specifically searching for Christmas Gifts to put away for the following year to eliminate the shopping stress and hopefully bag a fab gift at a bargain price!

We recommend shopping our 50% off sale now! Accessories like scarves, belts or bags are always a great idea for all ages and you can reallocate your savings into a bottle of fizz to celebrate with. Use code Tortue50 at checkout in our website shop.

This black reversible padded bag is the ultimate “IT” bag oozing designer style but at the fraction of the price! Wear as a single strap bag crossbody style or adjust the metallic chain strap to become a

two strap handbag that can be carried or worn on one shoulder. Clever hey? It is also made from faux leather so suitable for any vegan gift recipients on your shopping list too!

Alternatively our Palms Scarf offers so much versatitility. Its large size is perfect worn for warmth or decorative effect to enhance your outfit but it’s the gift that keeps on giving as it is the perfect size to wear as a sarong at the beach in Summer too! The khaki, navy and white colour tones mix with most colour palettes to suit most people. You may even want to pop this one away as a birthday gift for a friend instead.

The “saw this and thought of you” shopper – buying ‘bang on the nail’ appropriate gifts for people and sometimes for those who probably were not on the original gift list to start with!

Our clothes are designed for confidence, style and comfort with versatile styling. We recommend that you keep your eyes peeled throughout the year and you ‘buy it when you see it’. Look out for special offers or seasonal discounts for savvy shopping, then stash it away in a box under your bed until you need it.

The “buy them experiences rather than things” shopper – a really good solution for that hard to buy for person too!

We recommend buying a Personal Styling Session from Tortue.  We love helping and advising on making the most of your wardrobe!  For £25 this books your gift recipient a “Pretty Woman”esque personal styling session online or in person 1:1 with the value of the session redeemable in full against any purchase they may decide to make.

The “leave it until Christmas Eve” panic shopper trying to juggle the demands of daily life when there simply aren’t enough hours in a day – even when its not nearly Christmas!

We recommend buying a Tortue gift voucher – it appears in email format so means its one less thing to gift wrap, no need to queue up to post it at the Post Office and the voucher is valid for 6 months so your gift recipient can choose to use it in our sale or save for the new season collection launch to revitalise their wardrobe for Spring.

The “eco-conscious” gift shopper looking after the planet as well as the gift recipient!

We recommend searching on our Tortue website for gifts that are part of our Planet Tortue eco-friendly range or buying a Tortue gift voucher that can be emailed to your recipient saving the gift wrap whilst shopping in the comfort of your own home too!  Our timeless clothing is designed to flatter with everyday French fashion sophisitication!

The “support a charity” at the same time as sourcing a gift shopper.

We recommend getting one step ahead for next year and book a fundraising pop up with one of our Tortue Consultants.  Our friendly personal styling pop ups are a sustainable way to shop with clothing for plus sizes as well as petites so book your date in the diary now and get one step ahead!  Maybe you have a local charity that you like to support or maybe you prefer to support a national charity who has popular fundraising months like Limbpower ‘Ampu-tea’ in February, Macmillan Coffee Morning in September or Breast Cancer Now in October.  You may choose to donate your host discount to a charity of your choice and your consultant will be able to provide more ideas of how to raise funds for your chosen charity at your event too!

The Menopausal Early Bird Shopper – started the gift shopping in June, already bought for everyone on the list, wrapped it, put it under the tree, but forgotten what is in the package or whether they had bought that person anything at all in the first place so still looking for the perfect present…...!

Ok – so this one is a bit more tricky!!  We recommend keeping a gift list in your phone, list who you want to buy for and update it with what you have bought.  Any of the recommendations above could work here but definitely keep your gift list purchases together and update the notes in your phone about where you have put them so that you know where to find them when the time comes!!!! 

We hope this guide has brought a smile to what can be a stressful time of year and that it helps you in the countdown to Christmas.  As always, our fabulous team of Tortue Style Consultants are on hand to help so do please get in touch with us if we can help you out.   If you don’t have a Style Consultant already, you can find details about us all in the ‘Meet Our Consultants’ section on our website or use the pop up chat box to ask us to help as you browse our collection online.

I’m off to find those gifts that I know I bought but have forgotten where I put them……

Merry Christmas!

Angela x