ShareThisFrom kindergarten to law school, June's the month for graduation parties and gift-giving.While autograph books are great for the middle-schooler and dorm supplies work well for the high-schooler, it's the enigmatic college grad who can be a little harder to shop for. Some are ready for the corporate world while others just want to take a long vacation. Here are some ideas on how to inject a little sophistication into the recent grad's life.Classic Grad: Ever since I attended the pre-eminent fashion trade show, "Magic," where designers unveiled the trend of more dressed-up menswear, I've seen old-fashioned tie bars and pocket squares gracing stylish men about town as well as the pages of GQ. Don't let your grad be left out of the fray. Thetiebar.com has a range of tie bars for $15 and pocket squares starting at $8.Chic Grad: For many women, graduation means trading in a ponytail for a sleeker new do and jeans for more grown-up attire. This season I really like blouses with attached scarves. They range from short, retro-stewardess looks to longer, ultra-feminine ties. Anntaylor.com has a really pretty and sophisticated silk halter top with a contrasting tie at the neck for $68.Corporate Grad: To help your grad move from the spiral notebook to something a little more upscale, consider an engraved leather portfolio that he or she can use to carry resumes to interviews and, once getting the job, important papers to business meetings. I like the ones at personalizationmall.com for $52.95.Traveling Grad: If the lucky grad in your life is about to embark on the first of hopefully many adventures, equip him or her with a classy pebbled leather passport wallet. In addition to the obvious passport, it holds plane tickets, boarding passes, traveler's checks and other important things ($50 at www.cross.com).With great buys like these, your grad is sure to shoot to the head of the class in the real-world school of sophistication.(Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, an E.W. Scripps company, and the largest comparison shopping search engine on the Web. E-mail Helen at askhelen(at)shopzilla.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.net.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Gifts for grown-up graduates
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