What We Think Mom Wants

The malachite green alone will make her swoon. Oh so sophisticated. The clutch is made from 100 percent acrylic. Available in mini and small, $278 and $298, cultgaia.com.

For elegant lounging, what could be better than Olivia von Halle silk pjs with prancing zebras? $550, mytheresa.com.

Le Chapeau’s beach hat oozes personality. It will also shade faces from the sun’s harsh summer rays. $100, farfetch.com.

She needs to toss that old cosmetics bag and replace it with Lolo’s striped vinyl one with fun flamingo appliques. $45, neimanmarcus.com and Neiman’s at Tysons Galleria and Mazza Gallerie in D.C. and at the King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia.

For the trendy mom who wants sneakers that don’t hurt after wearing them for five minutes. Check. Taos’ soft leather sneakers have a comfy and removable foot bed with arch and heel support. $140, taosfootwear.com. See website for local outlets in D.C., Philly and Pittsburgh.

Surprise Mom with Serena & Lily’s Sydney cheerful, striped beach towels with playful tassels. Woven from Turkish cotton with jacquard on one side and soft terry on the other. $79 each at serenaandlily.com

These full-body self-tan towelettes solve the problem of unattractively tan-streaked arms and legs. $29, tantowel.com. Available at Bluemercury stores in D.C. and Philadelphia and at Schiller’s Drugstore in Pittsburgh.

Minimalist moms will coo over an enamel-coated steel pot from Dansk. Starting at $59 for the two-quart size. Available at food52.com.

So much handier than pulling out the ironing board. Shark Press & Refresh Fabric Steamer gets the wrinkles out without the fuss. $79, target.com.

A little bit of Dolce & Gabbana sass and insurance against losing that new iPhone 7. The leather Mambo print case is $185, farfetch.com.

This is one of the best-smelling candles ever. Love the soapstone lid, too. Red Currant Collection Hammered Stone, $34, votivo.com. Also available at Periwinkle in D.C., Contemporary Concepts in Pittsburgh and Toppers Spa in Philadelphia.

Sometimes you need to sit on the floor and feel comfortable. For those times, there’s Aday’s Turn It Up tapered trousers with elasticized waistband and cuff option. $115, thisisaday.com.

AT LEAST HALF the e-mails in our in-box these past few weeks have been ideas on what to get Mom for her big day this Sunday. My own mom was notoriously picky, so finding a gift that would elicit a smile wasn’t for the faint–hearted. Flowers bored her. She said she liked perfume but I never recall her landing on a scent that stayed around for any length of time. A dainty Emilio Pucci scarf in orange and pink I bought her nailed it as did a cunning but very inexpensive clutch I found in Rome light-years ago. She was also fond of the Swatch watches I found for her.  I can just hear her saying, “Good lines.”  Plus, it had a face big enough to actually read the time. I think her favorite clothing item was her Courrèges jacket.  She wouldn’t have appreciated anything as practical as a kitchen gadget/appliance (cooking wasn’t her thing). However, the design of a Nespresso may have caught her fancy. So, with the thought of Mom looking over my shoulder, I’ve picked out 12 items from the frivolous to the useful that would have won her heart (well, maybe).

—Janet Kelly