For clothes and accessories with longer shelf lives like handbags, sunglasses and lingerie, though, the design patent is a useful tool.

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Pope owns a maternity boutique on Madison Avenue in New York and makes a living designing clothes and accessories for mothers-to-be, consulting with celebrity clientele and coaching women to face the journey of pregnancy and motherhood with knowledge and confidence.

CNN: The mommy morning compromise

Edgy-to-luxe accessories and imaginative housewares mingle with cool clothes for adults and kids and fun finds like album cover jigsaw puzzles.

BBC: One-of-a-kind holiday shopping in NYC

This is especially the case for discretionary items like clothes and accessories.

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For frequent golf travelers who like to stuff extra clothes and accessories into their bags to minimize extra bag fees, pricier heavy-duty expandable travel bags like those made by ClubGlove are more useful.

WSJ: What to Get a Golfer for the Holidays | Golf Journal by John Paul Newport