TIP JAR | How odd is it that the person you have known the longest (your mother), is one of the hardest people to shop for? Mother’s Day is two weeks away (or a little sooner if you are Mexican: May 10. My mom claims both!).

My solution the past few years has been to ask her exactly what she wants. When I was younger, that strategy yielded answers like, “Well, mija, what I really want are kids who will listen and do their chores….” Mom finally became realistic about her requests and comes up with lists. I’m expecting a call from her any day now during which she’ll say, “So, I’ve been thinking, I’d really need a ___.”

For those of you who can’t get your mothers to be that efficient, check out these sites for some inspiration:
• Gifts.com
• FindGift.com
• Rubylane.com (vintage gifts)

As with any holiday shopping opportunity, my advice is to spend wisely. Just because a holiday is cloaked in sentimentality doesn’t mean it’s okay to waste money on a pointless gift just to say, “No, I didn’t forget.” If you really can’t find a good gift item, go for the new standby: a giftcard.

BITS & PIECES | Here’s a sampling of some retail news from the week:

• I wrote a story this week about five Yardbird’s stores reopening under Home Depot management. The stores look modern and fancy (the bathroom showroom gave me the urge to renovate!), but don’t expect the same friendly and understated charm of the former Yardbirds. I miss the yellow bird logo, too. Home Depot, on the other hand, sees the move as it’s entree into mid-size stores.

• JCPenny plans to open 175 new stores in the next few years including it’s first location in Manhatten. Executives say additional stores will help it compete with Kohl’s. My take: Watch out Mervyns! To read more, click here.

• Items from Gap’s designer line made the May cover of Vogue. Wow! Khakis and polos can take a backseat as Gap finally gets in touch with fashion. Let’s see if shoppers like the designs as much as the media.

• Retailers are tapping into the trend of wearing green (not the color, the movement). Check out my piece from earlier this week.

SPOTLIGHT | You may not know Gola, but now you can! U.K.-based Gola is the world’s oldest (101 years old to be exact) sneaker brand, but in the U.S. it’s only known among select fashionistas.

The brand aims at being “boutique-y” but it is trying to gain some larger scale attention in America, where it entered the market 5 years ago.

What makes them unique: “Our heritage … you can’t make that up,” explains Steven Weinreb, who works on Gola’s North American distribution.

The company has teamed up with Bloomingdale’s to promote it’s brand and a photo exhibit that features other British centenarians (those age 100 or older).

The men’s department at Bloomingdale’s in San Francisco is lined with about 20 poster-size portraits of those centenarians accompanied by excerpts of interviews with them. The exhibit will be on display through Monday.

Gola makes bags and casual sneakers that are meant for fashion, not running, jumping or chasing balls of any sort. Prices run $60 - $120.

RETAIL DETAIL | Attention South Bayers: I won’t be able to diss your H&M deficiency anymore! H&M just signed a lease for a space on Santana Row in San Jose, which means the South Bay will finally get local access to low-priced, Swedish fast fashion. For more than a year now, I have insolently snubbed my nose at the South Bay for not having an H&M, but that will soon come to an end. Burn!

H&M is a much sought-after destination for out-towners, especially my friends and family from Seattle. They’ve stepped off the plane and immediately asked, “When are we going to H&M?” I would arrogantly reply, “Oh, H&M? No problem. We have our pick: San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Concord, Emeryville. Those poor losers in the South Bay have to come here or the city. Sucks to be them!” That was fun while it lasted.

Anyhow, back to the news at hand. H&M will open in Santana Row by the end of 2007, so I guess that means I can stretch my superiority complex out for a few more months.

Above: Me, looking smug in a purple H&M sweater

RETAIL DETAIL | Struggling retailer Gap Inc. has hired three “up-and-coming” designers, who recently one a design contest, to design new versions of the classic white button-up shirt. The designers are Doo.Ri, Rodarte and Thakoon – “three of the most celebrated, emerging American design labels in the industry today” according to Gap. The shirts will hit stores on April 17.

Gap put out a statement saying the company “has a rich history of celebrating creativity and offering consumers iconic American styles.” Yes, white shirts scream creativity. I think this is an interesting move for Gap, but they’ve failed at hiring designers before and picking nobodies from a magazine fashion contest is kind of lame.

I’m glad they are trying since this strategy has worked so well for Target and H&M. Target has highlighted some relatively unknown designers like Proenza Schouler in its GO boutiques while H&M has gone with high-powered names like Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld and now Madonna.

Gap is entering the designer partnership late and is doing so with some obscure names, so while it could be a great boost, it still reeks of caution and mediocrity — the very condition that has been plaguing this company for years.

FYI: Rodarte is from our own backyard! From Gap: Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy are the creative team behind Rodarte. After deciding to pursue fashion while attending the University of California, Berkeley, they produced their first collection for fall 2005. Raised in Northern California, surrounded by redwood trees, the relationship they witnessed between trees and shadows has greatly influenced their work today.

Photo: The new item at the Gap is the trapeze top by Rodarte ($68). Rodarte is designed by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy