No matter how fat or thin your wallet is, chances are you want to be able to give some of the most sought-after gifts of the season. Consider the following presents for all types of budgets:
Clothing
Sweater dresses came back from the 80s last year and nearly every woman's designer now has their own version. They're versatile, comfortable and functional, and look great paired with tights and boots.
Isaac Mizrahi sweater dress (available at Target.com only; $44.99): Roomy turtleneck and generous long sleeves for a cozy feel and complete silhouette, with subtle pleating at the empire waist to add a flattering shape. Made of 100% Mercerized Wool.
DVF sweater dress (shopbop.com; $425 on sale for $297.50): Manca Cashmere Dress. Ultra-luxe, curve-enhancing, and cozy? This dress is incredible. Cashmere, turtleneck dress with knit pleat detail at bust. Slight puff at shoulders. 3/4, bell sleeves.
Sweater vests are a way for men to do the vintage trend without going overboard, especially when worn with a skinny tie and fitted button up shirt.
Jos A. Bank traveler cashmere vest sweater (josbank.com; $275): The finest Mongolian two-ply cashmere yarns are finished by hand and are fully fashioned for better fit and comfort.
Thick black belts and patent leather are both hot trends of the season, so why not marry them? These belts are worn high on the waist, and add style to an outfit without looking too trendy. They work well with tunics, also popular this year.
Avignon patent belt (Bloomingdales.com, $128): Genuine Italian patent leather belt with covered buckle. Sizes S - XL. Available in Black, Cherry Red, Denim Blue and Chocolate.
JC Penney patent leather belt (jcpenney.com; $28): A fashionable twist to the classic black belt. Vinyl. Imported. Covered buckle. Sizes S - XL.
ElectronicsCDs are out and iPods are in. That means most people store their music on a computer these days, but if you have a desktop, you're often confined to listening in one room. With these portable iPod speaker systems, you can move your music with you where ever you go.
I.Sound 4x Glow Universal (isound.net; $69.99): Sleek iPod compatible speaker system and docking station. 4 speakers. Works with all docking iPods.
Bose soundock portable digital music system (bose.com; $399): Portable, works with iPod® models and also plays music with iPhone.
Guitar Hero III is the game of the season. Stores are already selling out, and it's on most of the top toy lists for Christmas. Also, there aren't any new game consoles to overshadow it like there were last year with PS3 and Wii.
Pottery Barn Teen Camo guitar, amp and bag (pbteen.com; GUITAR $179, AMP $69, BAG $39): Designed after American originals, an ash wood body, rosewood fret. Two tone dials and a slider. Add the 10W amp and turn up the volume.
Guitar Hero III with Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller (bestbuy.com, $99): Available for Play Station 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Play Station 2. Features more than 70 rock anthems, dual color fret buttons; an elongated strum bar, and improved battery life.
Portable GPS receivers made a lot of the top tech gift guides this year, including CIO, PC World and CNET.
Intellinav 3 GPS (bestbuy.com; MSRP $299.99): Portable, features include Traffic Pattern, Safety and Convenience Options, and 6 Million Extended POI, pedestrian mode, itinerary with trip computer, text-to-speech to pronounce street names, clear 3-D and 2-D views, simple touch-screen operation, and MP3 playback and photo viewer.
Garmin Nuvi 770 GPS Receiver (bestbuy.com, MSRP $964.27): Preloaded maps for North America and Europe, navigation features, a widescreen display, FM transmitter, hands-free calling, traffic alerts, route planning and locator, street maps and points of interest, Bluetooth wireless technology with microphone and speaker for hands-free calling.
CharitiesWe all have someone on our list who already has everything they could possibly ask for. So why not give a gift to charity instead? But instead of the standard donation in their name, give something that will make a difference for years, like an animal from these organizations.
Heifer International Full Milk Menagerie (heifer.org; $1,000): Quality-breed heifer, two goats and water buffalo - four milk-producing animals for hardworking families hoping to provide a better life for their children. With training for recipient families, each animal will produce gallon after gallon of milk. And as families "pass on the gift" of offspring to neighbors in need, over time will end hunger one child, one family and one village at a time.
World Vision Share of a Dairy Cow (WORLDVISION.ORG; $50): Help boost a family's protein and calcium intake by giving them their very own dairy cow. Capable of producing 120,000 glasses of milk in its lifetime, a cow is a gold mine of health for parents and children alike. You'll also help a family earn money at the local market by selling extra dairy products. The cow's offspring can be sold for extra income, too - or shared with other families, extending the impact of your gift!
Magic
Criss Angel, Hans Klok, even Pamela Anderson is getting in on the act. Magic is widely popular again, largely due to the success of shows like MIndFreak.
Restoration Hardware Ultimate Magic Collection (restorationhardware.com; $69): Props and instructions for 50 tricks, including turning a rope into silk; the classic linking rings; cups and balls; amazing card tricks; teleporting a coin into a glass and many more. Included DVD demonstrates many of the tricks.
Target Instant Magic 100 Tricks Set (target.com; $17.99): 100 amazing tricks of traditional and unique magic especially for kids. Includes magic wand and instruction booklet. For ages 7 and up.
Wine
Wine never goes out of style, and now you can find good, quality bottles for every budget. It's a good idea to have a few on hand so you're prepared for a last minute party invitation.
2005 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours Syrah (andrewmurrayvineyards.com; $16): It is an eternal best buy in the likes of the Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator and the San Francisco Chronicle recently gave it 3 stars..beating out a bunch of Syrah bottlings in the $25-$40 range.
2005 Alban Wineyards Reva Syrah (albanvineyards.com; $74): Named for John Alban's mother, is a very dark dense wine full of blackberry fruit, smoke, and roasted meat with a long rich texture.
Men's grooming productsMen are no longer confined to the aisles of a drug store when it comes to grooming products. This year, the selection of shaving and skincare products for men is close to rivaling what's available for women.
John Allan's Leather Roll Up (johnallans.com/shop; $245): Everything you need for a one night or one week trip. Genuine leather with a protective nylon lining. 2 oz travel size essentials: shampoo, body wash cleanser, exfoliant, shave cream, face moisturizer.
Bath and Body Works/C.O Bigelow Barber the Perfect Shave kit (BATH AND BODY WORKS; $42.50): Includes Skin Prep Scrub, Pre-Shave Oil For Sensitive Skin, Foaming Shave Gel, After-Shave Balm.
Going greenAnything green is hot, and organic has never been more popular. Swap the traditional fruit basket for an assortment of organic snacks.
Ecoexpress Great Organic Crate (ecoexpress.com; $172.99): Organic fruit and goodies. Includes nuts, soft fruit candies, caramel pecan clusters, chocolate covered cherries, trail mix, chocolate almonds, dried mango, butter toffee, sparkling cider, tea, honey stix, chocolate bars, pears, apples and oranges.
Organic Bouquet Sweet and Savory gift basket (organicbouquet.com, $44.95): This gift basket combines mixed dried organic fruit with organic cashews, organic chocolate-covered almonds, organic Asian crackers and organic nutty trail mix. 4 oz of everything.
Toys
Hasbro Furreal Friends Pony (hasbrotoyshop.com; msrp $299.99): Pony stands over three feet tall, and really "comes alive" as she moves and responds to your loving care! Touch or talk to your pony and her head moves! As you continue to interact with her, watch her ears wiggle and her eyes blink! "Feed" her the carrot and groom her with her brush. Watch her swish her tail back and forth! She even whinnies and snorts, and will sniff your hand! Sit on your pony for a pretend ride and she makes walking sounds. Comes with carrot, brush, halter and special adoption certificate. Ages 4 and up.
Dayla Baby Tango (daylababy.com; $109): Interactive Ride-On Horse. Pet Tango's head and he'll snort, pull his reigns for a ween, and give him a pat on his rump for a gallop and trot. Ages 3 and up.
Jean Chatzky is an editor-at-large at “Money” magazine and serves as AOL’s official Money Coach. She is the personal finance editor for NBC’s “Today” show and is also a columnist for “Life” magazine. She is the author of four books, including “Pay It Down! From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day” (Portfolio, 2004). To find out more, visit her Web site, .