Tired of not getting what you want for Christmas? Try being a bit more specific – with a little help from our gifting guife for every budget.

“Ask, and it shall be given to you” The Gospel of Matthew, 7:7

Don’t be shy this festive season. We’re not talking about whether or not to make a lunge at that girl from accounts at the office party; we’re talking about answering honestly when asked what you want for Christmas. Making clear demands can seem charmless, but as long as you consider how much the donor is likely to want to spend, it’s genuinely helpful. The people who know and love us want to give us something that we’d really like, so everyone wins when we’re clear about our wishes. Receiving unwanted gifts is an unhappy experience for both donor and recipient, but it can easily be avoided. Here are some ideas that can be passed on to parents or partners, and among them are items that we rarely buy for ourselves but would be very happy to receive.

There are few garments that give more pleasure than high-quality underwear, in the form of socks, T-shirts and boxer shorts. They can be worn every day (not the same pair you understand), they represent great value for money as a result, and work on a psychological level as well as an aesthetic one. Three great pairs of socks will put a spring in your step, while one beautifully made snow-white T-shirt will bring a touch of luxury to your underwear drawer. Alternatively, three fresh pairs of boxer shorts will allow you to chuck out lesser examples of the same.

Every one of us could benefit from a new white shirt. In our Mad Men-inspired fantasy life we always have a spare one, still in its cellophane wrapper, in the bottom drawer of our desk (just next to the whisky bottle). The white shirt’s greatest virtue is its versatility; it looks appropriate whether you’re wearing denim or a dinner jacket, and at any time of day. The problem is that the ubiquity of white shirts mean we can overlook them in our excitement to buy more eye-catching items (like Burberry’s amazing cream piped silk-twill shirt, or Brunello Cucinelli’s bib-fronted chambray shirt). So why not ask someone to buy one for you this year?

We have now stepped beyond the realms of luxurious basics and into the world of real luxury. However, one thing remains the same, and that is to ask for something that’s easily understood. So don’t request that striped Kapital souvenir jacket (buy it yourself instead), but do ask for a blue cashmere sweater. It’s a garment that’s timeless rather than ephemeral, so you can be sure you’ll get lots of wear out of it, and it’s sufficiently classic that its donor will immediately understand why you want it (and is unlikely to get it wrong). Just remember that, as when you were young, it will be much appreciated if you wear it when you next see the person who buys it.