15 Holiday Gifts for Today’s Gentleman (UPDATED)
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‘Tis the season of giving and receiving the texts from family and friends about what you want for the holidays. You’ve been a good boy, calling your aunts and uncles, grandparents, and cousin’s, schmoozing them until they can’t do anything but love you dearly and want to get you something nice for the holiday (hence the previously mentioned texts). Finally, your year of seemingly endless flattery and one liners like “you know you're my favorite” have paid off and they will ask you what they’re favorite nephew/grandson/cousin wants this year. Deep down, we all want to request our true desires like new suits, gas money, a new phone, or luggage (for the road warriors out there). In reality, they are most likely looking for something in a more moderate price range. Something perhaps cheaper than the new iPhone, and more sentimental than a check. We have encountered this same dilemma, so we decided to get together and come up with our list of 15 Holiday Gifts for Today’s Gentleman. So if you are in the ever revolving “I don’t know what I want aunt Susan” conversation, here are some options you could use as inspiration.
1) Würkin Stiffs — $40
These collar-stays are amazing little pieces of metal that will make your shirts look forever new and give you a polished look with or without a jacket. These stays come in pack of six as well as a variety of lengths to match any collar size.
2) Tie Bar/Pocket Square — $8-15
We recently did a piece on tie bars and their subtle yet profound impact on a gentleman’s image. A full spectrum of different tie bars and pocket squares can be found at a great price on tiebar.com or other online retailers like Amazon.
3) Cufflinks
A set of cufflinks can be highly customized for the recipient, which makes them a great personal gift. They come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and colors. If you’re new to the men’s fashion realm and look to build a solid base of accessories, try going for a polished or brushed silver finish with a simple shape. Just make sure you own a shirt with french cuffs or else these will be useless.
4) Portable Wireless Speaker
Check out our piece on Portable Speakers for a great analysis on this season’s top choices.
These critical bar pieces are a great gift for the scotch/bourbon whiskey drinker. There are plenty of creatively designed tumblers out there, from ones without a standard flat base to those with uneven openings to give them a handmade touch. Our favorites are those that can be personalized by etching a name, phrase, or meaningful picture.
6) Fisheye Phone Lens — $20
For the gentleman that’s not shutter-shy, this Fisheye/Wide Angle Attachable Lens for the iPhone can add a whole new depth and perspective to photos, providing a wider range for shots.
7) Timex Weekender Watch — $36-46
For the casual watch wearer, this is the cat’s pajamas. With interchangeable bands and a low profile casing, this watch can be manipulated to work with any color of casual outfit. Watches can be found from $36 - $46, while extra straps are anywhere from $5-20
8) Portable Battery Chargers — $39-79
Depending on your charging needs, we have two recommendations to choose from:
If you are the traditional businessman, the NomadPlus is the portable charger for you. This nifty device upgrades your existing Apple USB wall plug, transforming it into a multifunctional wall charger capable of charging your phone and packing enough power to fully charge your phone again on the go.
If you are more of the adventurer, the Cobra CPP 300 SP is calling your name. This solar powered charging station is perfect for the gentleman who enjoys spending his free time outdoors. It allows you to charge up to three devices at once through USB outputs, all while being kind to Mother Earth.
9) Cast Iron Cookware — $125-195
The value of a cast iron skillet has been reviewed previously here. Based out of Portland, OR, Finex manufactures some of the highest quality, not to mention best looking, cast iron cookware around. Their handcrafted skillets boast creative, yet functional features such as an easy to grip, quick-cooling handle, as well as an octagonal shape for pouring in multiple directions.
10) Travelers Jeans — $118-140
Built for the man on the go, Banana Republic Travelers jeans bring fashion and function together. We like to think they are the male version of jeggings, or at least as close as we are going to get.
11) iGrill — $99
The iGrill provides incomparable insight into how well-prepared any meat can be on the grill. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and provides you with real-time temperature readings for your meat as well as alerts when they have reached the optimal temperature.
12) Clear Ice Molds — $80
Ever notice that the crystal clear cubes in your drink at a nice cocktail bar? Well now you can make your own right at home. The Neat Ice Kit comes with two ice molds, a chisel, muddler, and Lewis bag to create a variety of ice types, each tailored to a specific drink or cocktail.
13) Classic Shaving Kit —$65
Check out our piece on the “Keys to a Comfortable Shave” and pick up this kit including a high quality shaving dish, shaving soap, and a shaving brush.
14) Bond 50: The Complete 23 Film Collection Set —$198
All 23 Bond films, including Skyfall? Yes, please. Available in both Blu-ray and DVD, this set would make an excellent gift for any self-respecting gentleman and Bond fan. Right now this set is on sale and can be had for an excellent price.
15) Allen Edmonds Leather Shoe Care Kit — $95
Help your gentleman protect his investment by getting him this quality shoe care kit. From the masters themselves, this shoe kit includes all the essentials. Two wood-backed horsehair shine brushes, horse hair polish applicators, cotton polishing cloths, leather cleaner/conditioner, and two tins of carnauba shoe polish (black & brown).
