By Kim Bui
It’s almost that time of the year again when the streets are decorated with festive lights and blow-up Santas and candy canes stand tall on front lawns and rooftops. The smell of sugar cookies and pine forest cling to the air in your home as your family starts decorating the Christmas tree with mismatched ornaments and old Christmas cards. Your job is to hang the Christmas garland on the stairs. As you do so, you begin thinking about how relaxed you’ll feel sitting by the fireplace on Christmas morning with “Jingle Bells” playing in the background. Your favourite part about watching your kids open their Christmas presents is seeing their eyes filled with excitement as they unwrap their gift and scream “thank you, thank you, thank you” over and over in joy.
But, before any of that can happen…
You’ll have to face the crowded holiday rush of everyone fighting to get the best gift for their loved ones. Running from one store to the next, with hundreds of others pushing and shoving. Their bodily sweat transferring onto you as you’re trying to squeeze past.
You feel as though you are in a human stampede.
To make matters worse, you’re mindlessly wandering around the mall because you don’t know what gift to get the men in your life! You were hoping that being at the mall would give you some inspiration, or (if you were lucky) you’ll spot “the perfect gift”, but after hours of searching, you’ve run out of luck, and frankly, out of patience.
This scenario has been your reality one too many times in the past. But not this year. This year, you’re determined to plan ahead and we’re here to help! We’ve searched far and wide on the interweb to find the best, must-have, and thoughtful gifts this holiday season for all the men in your life based on their interests. No more sad ties or socks that you hide in the back of the gift pile hoping they won’t see it. Your gift will be front and centre this year.
Gifts for The Gentleman
Starting off this holiday gift guide with the Gentleman. Now, to be fair, the gentleman isn’t an interest per say, it’s more of a lifestyle.
The gentleman is a man of good and courteous conduct. He values characteristics such as honesty, loyalty, integrity, and courage, both within himself, and the people around him. He doesn’t shy away from luxury goods, in fact, he relishes in luxury, not for vanity reasons, but because he worked hard to achieve it. Above all else, he is chivalrous.
If the gentleman sounds like someone in your life, then these 5 gift ideas will be a perfect match.
1. Romeo – Cashmere Sweater
Never underestimate the power of a minimalistic sweater. This timeless piece is simple enough to wear casually, but sleek enough to dress up, and cozy enough to wear all the time. The best part is that it is made from 100% recycled cashmere, so not only is it friendly to your skin, but it’s also environmentally friendly.
2. Gothica Australis No.4 Wide Belt
There’s not a closet in the world where a good ‘ol trustworthy, high-quality belt is not needed. The Gothica comes in a mahogany colour and the length is customizable based on his size and preference.
3. Premium Spirits
Spirits preference depends on the individual, but overall, nothing warms him up more than a good spirit on ice after a long week. Top spirits to gift the gentleman are bourbon’s, whiskey’s, or scotch’s.
4. Cologne
Like spirits, the cologne preference depends on the individual. Some like classic scents inspired by the ocean, while others like earthier scents. For the gentleman, we recommend the Maison Margiela Replica, Jazz Club. This cologne impersonates a rustic, dimly lit jazz club that smells like cigar smoke and leather chairs.
5. Smalandijs – Leather Cufflinks
A gentleman would not be a gentleman without his dress shirts and suits. Add a little flair and luxury to his wardrobe with cufflinks. But not just any cufflink will do. Personalized cufflinks say, “I’m thinking of you this holiday season.”
Gifts for Men Who Travel
Now that the pandemic is behind us and travelling is fully open for business, everyone is booking hotels and getting on flights at breakneck speed. Make his travels easy and painless this holiday season with gifts that are made with travel in mind.
1. Troubadour Pioneer Backpack
The name says it all, but in case you needed more convincing: The Troubadour Pioneer Backpack is rugged, refined, and raw in style. Created with both work and play in mind this backpack features a breathable back panel for long walks through airports, a separate shoe compartment, trolley sleeves to fit over suitcase handles, and so much more.
2. Haningeleden Travel Tag
From his head to his suitcase, he is dressed to the nines, so a travel tag is definitely not overlooked. Gift him a luxury and fashion-approved travel tag to add to his style.
3. Apple AirPods Max Wireless
The last thing anyone wants when getting on a flight is to be flying an 8hr red-eye flight, with a crying baby, and without noise-cancelling headphones. Trust me when I say, if he travels, he’ll need this.
4. Cashmere Care Kit
Stuffy wrinkled clothes in jam packed suitcases that also house his shoes, toiletries, and dirty undergarments, are not what you want him to be wearing to fancy dinners. Easily solve this problems with a travel friendly cashmere care kit that refreshes clothing in one to two spritz.
5. Dopp Kit
The Dopp Kit is a craftsman’s work at its finest. Expertly built from a vegetable tanned full-grain calf leather, the Dopp Kit is a must have for travel. It can house everything from toiletries to undergarments and accessories.
Gifts for The Cook
He might not care about materialistic items, and he might not have good fashion sense, but if he’s into cooking, then there’s one thing he definitely knows and that is good food. To find a gift for the men who likes to cook, all you must do is follow the 3 F’s: Functional, Fun, and Fabulous.
1. Luxury Food Items
Good food is always around the corner, but good ingredients are not. Sometimes you have to order the best ingredients, after all, you can’t expect to find good fish in the desert. Luxury food items like Fly by Jing’s Chili Crisp, Truff’s Original Hot Sauce, and Brightland’s The Duo Olive Oil are just some of the trendiest items on the market right now.
2. Le Creuset
And yes, we mean the entire brand, not just a single item. Le Creuset has been a coveted item by the home chef community for years now. From their Dutch ovens and frying pans, to their kitchen knives and water bottles, everything by this brand is a must buy, must use, must brag to all our friends that we have a Le Creuset.
3. Birka- Leather Coaster
If coasters could be high fashion, they’d be the Birka leather coasters. Handmade from vegetable-tanned full-grain leather that is ethically produced and of premium quality, these leather coasters are sleek and minimalistic, yet functional and durable for daily use.
4. Messermeister Chef’s Torch
Cooking is supposed to be fun, but is it really that fun if there isn’t a lot some danger involved? Give the gift of danger this holiday season! Your food loving men will enjoy being able to scorch tuna during sushi nights, caramelize desserts, and add delicious flavours to their veggies in the most dangerous way possible.
5. Balmuda the Toaster
We thought about putting an Airfryer on the list, but that was so last season. The new craze in the culinary world is the Balmuda Toaster. This revolutionary toaster uses steam technology to lock in moister while crisping up the exterior of your toast, pizza, and pastry. That’s right, no more overly dry bread for breakfast.
Gifts for The Businessman
Like the gentleman, a businessman isn’t an interest, it’s a lifestyle. Although, they would argue that making money is both a lifestyle and an interest. These men are the go-getters and over achievers of the world. They embody minimalistic professionalism as they conquer one boardroom meeting after the next with one expertly stated fact at a time.
Since they are always busy, they are looking for ways to streamline their life and make it more efficient. When looking for holiday gifts for the businessman, the best gifts are the tools that boast style, are high-quality, and absolutely functional in multiple aspects of his life.
1. Wayfaring Stranger-Pocket Card Wallets
Every man, regardless of generation, income, or profession, needs a reliable wallet. But a businessman needs a wallet that reflects him, and what is more premium than a handmade wallet made from a full-grain vegetable tanned leather?
2. Ember Mug 2
If coffee is the defining factor as to whether he has a good day or a bad day, it’s time to level up his coffee game. Gift him a temperature control mug that keeps his coffee steamy and hot the entire time to ensure that every day is a good day.
3. Larq Waterbottle
Larq has completely changed the game in the world of water bottles. They have created a self-cleaning water bottle that utilizes powerful PureVis technology. If he’s a busy man, he can now save 2 minutes every single day by having is water bottle clean itself.
4. Maggie May Belt
Effortlessly cool and unexpected, the Maggie May belt is an essential for everyday wear. These stylish handmade belts make the best gift for those with a timeless style.
5. Mother of Pearls Cufflinks
Add elegance and shine to his outfits by gifting him classic, yet beautiful cufflinks. The Mother of Pearls cufflinks have an iridescent appearance that brings out soft hues of pink and blue when the light hits the surface.
Gifts for The Reader
When buying a gift for a booklover, the first gift that pops into your head is most likely a book right? For novice booklovers, a new book to add to their small and undeveloped collection might be a good idea. But, for an established booklover, the chances of your gift sitting on their bookshelf next to all the other “probably will never read” books are very high.
Booklovers are extremely particular with their books. They pay attention to the style of writing, the tone of voice, the character developments, and even the punctuations in the book. If you’re buying for a booklover this season, it’s best to steer clear of books. Instead, buy gifts that cater to their essence — comfort and feelings.
1. Dickens, Shelley, or Keats – A5 Journals
Any dedicated booklover is also an amateur writer, or at the very least, a casual overthinker. He needs a place to jot down his brilliant thoughts and crazy ideas at the drop of a hat.
2. Cotton Loungewear Set
He likes to dress up to stay in, so treat his body with loungewear that feels sinfully soft against his body.
3. Bookmarks
Readers can never have too many bookmarks, and they can’t get enough of it either. It doesn’t matter whether he’s reading a fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, or even textbook, bookmarks are a must. We recommend gifting the FredFloris bookmarks that are 100% customizable to add that touch of personality.
4. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
In the literary world, e-readers can go one of two ways. Either you love them, or you hate them. But nobody can deny the convenience of having 10 books with you on a lightweight device wherever you go. The Amazon Kindle paperwhite has been top of the charts for e-readers for the past 5 years.
5. Carl-Gustaf Hard Glasses Case
Looking at pages with tiny words in the dark of the night, is every readers happy place. But, this is also the reason why every reader has a pair of reading glasses. Keep his glasses protected in the hard-tempered leather case, or alternatively in a soft case if that is his preference.