Holiday gift guide: the best gift ideas for women over 40

With the holidays fast approaching, your husbands, kids and friends may need some ideas on what to give you. Perhaps you are looking for gifts for your girlfriends or buy something special for yourself.

Here is my updated guide on some of the best gift ideas for women over 40. This list includes suggestions you’ve left for me in the comments from previous years.

Just pass this link on to your loved ones as a subtle hint if you agree with my recommendations! I am sure that all your loved ones would love to get some great tips and actually get you presents that you love!

This gift guide is mostly about fashion and items of style. I believe that every woman loves to receive gifts that make her feel more beautiful in many ways.

Here are my suggestions for gifts for women over 40:

A tote

If you’re like me you like your bags big! A tote is both stylish and practical in every season to carry all the stuff that you need. I often carry it when I want to take my big and heavy DSLR camera places! You can find a great selection of totes from Nordstrom here.

My recommended pick is this leather tote bag from Tory Burch. It’s timeless, so easy to combine with many outfits, yet the subtle color will make any outfit more special.

Recommended brand: Tory Burch

Contemporary jewelry

I strongly believe in the power of modern, contemporary jewelry to really lift up an outfit and make the wearer look modern, fresh and youthful. And my love for bold, contemporary jewelry is on trend right now. Great jewelry is featured in all the latest runways.

Recommended brand Boden. This is Boden’s glass pearl pendant necklace.

Here is another piece I love. It mixes several kind of metals and is great contemporary necklace that will make every outfit special.

Etsy also has some great options. Here are some of my favorite Etsy stores.

A good book

A good book is always a good idea and the 4 book series, commonly known as the Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante was one of my favorite reads this year. It all starts with the first book My Brilliant Friend.

Luxurious pajamas

Pajamas are one of those gifts which can either be boring or beautiful. It goes without saying that you should go for a beautiful option. There’s no better feeling than slipping into a stylish pair of pajamas and relaxing with a glass of wine, or a herbal tea, and a book before bedtime.

I love these poppy print pajamas by Kate Spade. There’s also plenty of inspiration in this piece on the most stylish pajamas for women over 40.

Kate Spade poppy print pajamas

Packing Cubes

Is the person whom you are buying a gift for a notorious overpacker? You amy like to gift her these packing cubes. All of them fit in a carry on suitcase and you can organise your clothes by destination, family member or function. These are made by my friend Alex and I own these myself so can vouch for their quality.

A great pair of gloves

I don’t know about you, but I love to wear leather gloves in winter. These leather gloves come in many different colors. With its very affordable price, there is no reason you shouldn’t get a pair for each outfit!

A make-up set

It can be tricky to buy the woman in your life a specific lipstick or mascara unless you know exactly what she usually uses. I love receiving a make-up palette such as this one from Charlotte Tilbury as there are so many different color options and, not only is a palette great for traveling, but I also get to try new looks.

Leggings

Leggings are a woman’s best friend during cold winter months and if you follow our guidelines on how to wear leggings, you will look fabulous in them too. These leggings are super soft, opaque and have a waist (which is great for flattening and hiding your belly!). They have more than 2500 (!) reviews on Amazon too so these ones will not let you down.

Yoga wear

Does your loved one do Yoga or Pilates, or go to the gym? I’m sure she’d love to look more stylish while exercising. I find if I look good while heading to exercise class, I feel more motivated.

I’m a fan of Lululemon and like this top; they make yoga and working-out clothes fun and comfortable!

Personalized art

What do you buy the woman who has everything material she could want? How about a way to cherish her memories. You could get a canvas or print of her favorite photos like this one from Canvas on Demand. After all, how often do we actually print out our photos in these days of snapping images on our smartphones?

You could opt for a recent image, a vintage photo or pictures of children or grandchildren.

Perfumes

Ok, this present is not super original but you can’t really go wrong gifting the most popular perfume. Chanel no 5 is still the most popular or choose one of the other most famous perfumes.

If your loved one already has a favorite perfume and you want to play it safe, while still choosing something a little different, have a look to see if there is a new version of that scent available. Chanel no 5, for example, has recently been reinterpreted into a new perfume called Chanel no 5 L’eau.

Scarves

Is the woman you want to surprise too fond of her boring black coat? Give her a great scarf to break up the all-black. A colorful scarf is great or go for this floral option which is chic and timeless, yet adds interest to your overall look.

Recommended shop: Nordstrom

Shoes

It’s true! Women love shoes.We want them in all kinds of colors, heights and styles. Sneaker style shoes especially are very popular this season, and are always a great option, as are silver or gold flats and brogues.

This fall and winter, burgundy is a major shoe trend so you may wish to opt for a pair in this hue. This burgundy pair from Ecco are on-trend and have good reviews.

Ecco is one of the most popular brands of our list of the best shoes with arch support, but if you want to check out other popular arch support shoe brands be sure to check our list.

Would you like to see your woman in a particular kind of shoe? This is your chance to really surprise her. You know her size, so just order some fabulous shoes online.

If you’re looking for some inspiration before making your gift choice, you might want to check out this piece on the top shoe trends for this season.

Recommended shop: Zappos

A sweater

Part of Oprah’s picks this sweater will cover you in luxury with 2 favorite materials: silk and cashmere. What woman doesn’t like that!

Crossbody Bag

Every season, bags have a new shape trend. This time, the biggest trend is the saddle bag. This bag from AllSaints has a clean styling and classic versatility that is perfect to partner with any look.

Recommended shop: Nordstrom or Forzieri

A planner

Maybe you’ve noticed, people are living longer.

But living longer, doesn’t always mean living your best life.  You may know older relatives who are less active, who are forgetful–maybe even isolated, lonely and depressed.   It doesn’t have to be that way, but it does require commitment and consistent behavior to avoid the traps of growing older.

And that’s where Five for Life, and the Five for Life Planner© come in which will help you take  five daily actions that will help you live happier for longer.

I’m in the habit to write in my journal every day now, and a planner like this can be really helpful to start your day right. (Want to know about this planner and creator and the business behind it, then check out my podcast with Molly at 40+entrepreneur).

A mirror

One item I use almost every day is this mirror. They are not cheap but will save you so much frustration each day as the light is a lot brighter than on most mirrors and you can actually SEE those nasty little hairs that you need to remove.  As my eyes have deteriorated quite badly over the last few years, I have found it increasingly difficult to apply eye makeup or maintain my eyebrows. This mirror makes that so much easier!A mirror

I bought the mini Simplehuman mirror which magnifies 10 times! Also available on amazon. You can buy the bigger one at Nordstrom. The bigger version is great for applying makeup but does not magnify as much as the smaller one.

iPad cases

If you love your iPad as much as I do, you need a good case. And why settle for boring when you can have fun with a print instead. This is the love tree design but there are many other designs to choose from.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are an easy way to instantly add lots of style to your look. Not too mention that you can easily hide your dark circles after a long night. These black and white ones from Kate Spade will add instant chic to your look!

Recommended brand: Kate Spade

 Glasses case

Most of us wear glasses of some sort and we need to take them anywhere. This is one accessory that will get a lot of use. And if you want to keep them in one piece this stylish multicolor case will come in very handy.

Selfie stick with tripod

If you want to take better selfies for your outfit photos to upload to your social networks or in my private community, you will need this very affordable selfie stick with tripod. It’s the one I use for many of my videos and photos. Just pop it on a table and use the remote or the self timer on your phone for the perfect full outfit photograph!

Phone cases

I definitely need a new iphone case. And although I’m tempted by all the colorful covers, for my phone I prefer something more practical. I like a flip cover that always keeps my phone protected. These ones are both stylish and practical.

Cape or poncho

I love the feeling of cashmere and find a poncho such a versatile item to wear in winter. So easy to take with you for extra warmth in case you get cold too. This tan cashmere poncho from Halogen can be worn several ways and I love the asymmetric feel of this item.

Recommended shop Nordstrom or Yoox 

Style & coffee table books

Inspirational biographies or celebrations of style are eye candy to many a stylish woman and can inspire her even more. I have already created a comprehensive list of style books to choose from. The Gio_graphy book by style icon Giovanna Bataglia is already on the wishlist of some of our style members.

A colourful wallet

This accordion wallet from AllSaint is shaped from calfskin suede that features colourful flowers that tumble across the of-the-moment leopard print. It has a detachable chain sling so you can wear it like a bag also!

A gadget

If you’re like me you love your gadgets. I love my Ipad pro which had an attached keyboard and replaces my laptop often as my work tool.

I also use the Ipad as my kindle reader and love reading new books on it. I also use it to read all my favorite blogs using the feedly app (you are already subscribed to 40+Style right?). The lightest version of the Kindle is a great gadget for the avid reader who can’t live without books.

Another fun gizmo, which has just been released by Amazon is the Echo Look, which helps you to keep a track of your outfits, and gives you advice about which ones look best.

TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller

I use this roller every single day.  It greatly helps with keeping your muscles subtle and massages my legs, back and shoulder. I also use it to open up my shoulders. If you’re interested, I can do a demonstration at a future date on how I use it.

This roller also helps with cellulite as it evens out the fascia which will help smooth your legs and upper thighs.

It’s my perfect tool to keep injuries at bay, my back and shoulders in check and my legs smooth. Highly recommended!

Date night of her choice

Another great idea from my readers is to give her a date night of her choice. Experiences and time spent together are usually the best gifts to give and receive. You can actually be very creative as to how you present this gift!

Donate for her favorite cause

Why not donate your gift for a good cause? Buy an animal for World Vision, sponsor a child, donate to the Red Cross or provide some micro loans through Kiva. It would greatly help others and isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

I hope I have given you some good ideas.

Want even more ideas? I listed my favorite style books here.

Like always, I would be happy to hear your feedback and get your gift ideas for women over 40 as well! What would you like to receive as a gift this year?

Like this post? Share this post on Pinterest!

This article contains affiliate links

Want to get more articles from 40+style in your inbox, subscribe here.

You can also connect with 40+style on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

Support 40+style by using the links in our articles to shop. We receive a small commission (at no cost to you) which enables us to keep creating amazing free content for you. Thanks!