Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large
Self-gifting is a fancy marketeers phrase for "spending the money you intended to spend on others on yourself". It's sort of like the post-recession version of maxing out your credit card where instead of simply spending more money you re-allocate the funds you'd initially meant to go towards your Grandad's new slippers/ your Mum's pyjamas on, oops, on a new pair of shoes. In the US, self-gifting is expected to account for 20% of festive season spending, rising to 35-40% on Black Friday and the following weekend.
Perhaps calling it self-gifting is one of those delusory tactics which makes us feel a bit better about what is essentially splashing out on one of the many, many tempting things shops cram themselves with at this time of year and which we are supposed to buy for our nearest and dearest, rather than ourselves. Part of the 'problem' is that
you are so easy to buy for. This morning, Kate Brindley, Liberty's Head of Marketing and Communications, tweeted about the forthcoming Nicholas Kirkwood sample sale:
Kate Brindley @Liberty_KateB8h Nicholas Kirkwood sample sale coming soon! Perfect for self gifting!
@NKirkwoodLondon @StarworksGroup pic.twitter.com/5mz1UXtRgA