Gift Guide: For the man in your life
Because if I see one more men's gift guide that's just whiskey stones and wallets I will gauge my eyes out
Hello shoppers!
It’s officially December which means it’s the countdown to the holidays. Men are notoriously hard to shop for and the existing men’s gift guides leave so… so much to be desired. Unless you’re shopping for a man whose life consists entirely of drinking whiskey and watching team sports, you’re probably at a loss for what to buy your dad, your boyfriend, your brother, or any other man in your life. Luckily, I’m a certified man-expert; I work as a menswear stylist, and I’ve interviewed countless celebs and costume designers about menswear and accessories. I also have a dad who does not watch sports, who does not drink fancy liquor, who does not have a man cave, and who I have never seen in a full suit! So I have roughly two decades of non traditional gifting for men under my belt.
Now that I’ve gotten my credentials out of the way, let’s get down to what you’re really here for, the only gift guide for men that you’ll need this holiday season.
My Father’s Day Gift Guide: Before I bring out some new options — I’ll direct you all to my Father’s Day gift guide with a ton of items that absolutely double as perfect holiday gifts.
A high end version of his favorite eating experience: One trick to gifting for men, in my opinion, is to think about the things they do everyday and invest in something that makes it more exciting or enjoyable. Men are, largely, simple creatures, and if you’re enhancing something that’s already part of their daily routine or activities, it’s a surefire way to make him happy. Think about this idea like a more evolved version of those god awful whiskey stones that haunt every men’s gift guide. My dad, for example, loves his daily cheese — he goes to the supermarket all the time and picks out a new cheese and gets very excited telling us where it’s from etc., so this year for Xmas I bought him a set of extra nice cheese knives with different kinds of knives for different kinds of cheese. This works for other kinds of food too — if he loves pasta, a pasta maker; if he loves baking, a Kitchen-Aid; if he loves pizza, a pizza stone; if he loves Asian cuisine, a hand crafted pair of chopsticks; if he loves coffee, a well made French press or set of coffee mugs; if he loves meat, an expensive set of carving knives — you get the idea!
A high end version of his favorite cleaning tool: Another gift along those lines - think about your dad for a minute, or your boyfriend. He has a chore around the house that he likes most, doesn’t he? For my dad, it’s vacuuming. Ever since I was a kid he has always been investing in new gadgets and gizmos to make vacuuming more efficient; I literally remember him buying a Shark handheld vacuum off an infomercial when we were kids in the pre online shopping era. This year for his birthday, my sister and I split buying him a fancy schmancy Dyson and for Xmas we’re getting him a slew of attachments to make his vacuuming experience even more lux. (And if any of you come for me saying it’s not nice to gift someone an item that is used for domestic chores I implore you to consider women have been getting kitchen tools for what is probably centuries now.)
Eberjey Pajamas: Ok onto a more specific and simple gifting idea, Eberjey makes really soft and comfortable men’s pajama sets in every color and style imaginable. Lots of them double as loungewear too, perfect for cozy winter days around the house.
A travel steamer: If the man in your life travels for work, a sleek travel steamer is the kind of gift that he will use as much as he loves.
Roxanne Assoulin Bracelet: This it-girl jewelry brand is not actually just for the girlies, and for the guy who is into a little jewelry, I love their men’s line. The colors are neutral and they can be stacked or worn solo.
His favorite artwork, framed: This is a gift my mom got for my dad years ago and it still hangs proudly in their bedroom. If the guy you’re gifting for isn’t an art guy try tracking down a rare copy of their favorite book.
A leather charging pad: Another gift that’s approved by my own dad, charging stations are honestly a pretty basic gift idea (albeit very functional) so a leather one like this gives it a little more luxury and is likely something a guy wouldn’t splurge on for himself.
British Candy: This one is specific to men who either grew up in the UK and adjacent islands or who maybe have immediate family there; my dad is the first member of his family not born in Scotland and a year or so ago my sister bought him roughly $200 worth the candy from Cadbury (but the actual version from the UK, not the version that’s distributed to the US) and it kept him happy for months.
Binoculars: Now, I was torn on this one because part of my feels like we should not get the statistically creepier gender anything that gives them access to see more but I trust that if you’re reading my newsletter you’re gifting for a man who will use these responsibly. If you’ve spent any time with a man you know that they loooove staring out windows, over balconies, at mountains or seascapes — you name it. There are entire TikToks dedicated to men just staring wistfully out windows like they’re waiting for their sea captain spouse to come home from war and a nice pair of binoculars will keep a man entertained for hours on a trip to the coast or a hike.
Book on FIFA Corruption: Now, while I don’t support gifting men sports-specific items, I’ll make an exception for books because it forces them to read which enriches their man brains. I’ve heard this book is phenomenal and as I write this the World Cup is being watched by practically every man I know so this feels like a reasonable option for the sports-minded man.
Swatch Watch: A lot of men’s gift guides includes trendy watches from brands like Shinola; in my opinion these watches with minimal faces and neutral leather bands might be in style now but in a matter of years they’ll look dated. Swatch, on the other hand, has been around forever and will be in style forever. They’re well priced, they have a ton of different styles for all kinds of aesthetics, and they double as collectors items!