Each year brings new perspective to me as a dad. This year, it’s the perspective of what having two kids is like (the best. But also, exhausting. This year’s guide includes a massage and a home bar set). With that new perspective comes appreciation for different things, and that always comes out in these little gift guides I make each year for Father’s Day. Buying a gift for a guy who’s into menswear (since this is indeed a menswear blog) can be challenging, since they often have developed specific tastes and may be particular when it comes to details. So I start the guide, as always, with three general principles of gift giving; then some specific examples of principle 3; then get into the guide itself. Read on for the 2021 Father’s Day gift guide.
Principle 1: Give them something you know they want but wouldn’t buy for themselves
I call this The Rule of Giving Gifts. This is my universal gift-giving principle because we all have stuff we want and buy for ourselves—and then there are the luxuries, the things we would totally buy if money were no object, and opportunity cost wasn’t a thing. Receiving one of those things is always the best.
Principle 2: Don’t be afraid to get a gift card to a specific shop you know they like.
If the guy has really specific taste that you feel makes it impossible to shop for him, don’t be afraid to do this. This is exactly how I am, and my wife says it makes shopping for me fraught. Thankfully in her case, my brother and I are both on similar wavelengths, so she’s able to talk to him for gift ideas when she buys me stuff, otherwise she’d have no idea! It’d be like me trying to buy her something for our home decor, like a rug or throw—I think I could choose something good, but the risk is high I’d screw it up.
Principle 3: Get something you know the father in question loves, but make it one step up in quality
It’s said that all you need to really enjoy a bottle of wine is to buy something in the next price tier above what you normally drink (so get a $20 bottle if you normally buy $10 bottles). In the same vein, if you know he gets a lot of enjoyment out of a fine dress shirt, get him a shirt that’s a step up in quality, make and fabric.
If he likes… —> consider as an upgrade…
Dress shirts
Banana Republic —> Hugo Boss or Canali
If he has trouble finding shirts that fit well —> a custom shirt from Proper Cloth or Spier & Mackay
Pocket squares and ties:
The Tie Bar —> Brooks Brothers squares and ties
Brooks Brothers —> Polo Ralph Lauren
Jeans he can wear with a tailored jacket
American Eagle, Abercrombie or Uniqlo —> Polo Ralph Lauren
Levi’s, Gap or J.Crew —> Sid Mashburn
Leather dress shoes:
Johnston & Murphy —> Allen Edmonds
Allen Edmonds —> Alden, Brooks Brothers’ Peal & Co., or a sleek European maker like Crockett & Jones.
Combining this advice with the principle that it’s okay to say “Here, I got you a $150 gift card to Drake’s so you can buy a sweet tie” means that you can put great thought into your purchase, even if he’s got very specific taste.
Things for fathers who like nice things—menswear, accessories, watches, and the like.
- Beckett Simonon shoes / gift card for shoes. They’re made to order, meaning they take 6-8 weeks to make. But if you give him a gift card, he can use that to pick the pair he likes. I personally love and recommend the Durant, the penny loafers, and the Chelsea boots in suede.
- Suede belt. Many guys aren’t sure how to match their shoes to their belt, so a suede belt might feel intimidating. But no matter, a snuff suede belt can be worn with essentially everything. I wear mine almost every single day, with both calf and suede shoes. It’s an ideal dress up or dress down item.
- Nice leather weekend bag, briefcase or other cool accessory from Beckett Simonon’s lineup.
- Beachbody subscription. I’ve done home workouts for years (recently I’ve gone back to the original Insanity workouts to kick myself back into shape), and I personally like that it saves time and money over a gym membership. I know many guys relish going to the gym, but I never have, so if the father you’re shopping for is like me in that way, this is for him.
- Tuesday made cocktail accoutrements. My wife loves Sarah at Room for Tuesday for her decor and interior design tips. She’s recently launched a line of home goods, too, and the cocktail accoutrements she has are tastefully curated. I personally got the cocktail stirring spoon and love it.
- A NATO strap or five. If he’s a watch lover, one little secret is to change out straps and it keeps things fresh. It’s like a fresh coat of paint on the walls—almost makes it feel like new.
- Ripa Ripa swim and lounge wear. Summertime is for linen, swim trunks, and espadrilles. And Ripa Ripa does all those things with that pitch perfect Italian attitude we all wish we had more of. I personally love the Righe shirt, but their trunks look perfect too.
- Flusser’s book “Dressing the Man.” All the basics are here. Sure it was written 30+ years ago but the info it contains is literally timeless. We’re talking how to combine patterns, how to use color, what different fabrics are for, and more. A truly excellent resource for someone who wants to up their style game by understanding the foundational topics that allow them to build on.
- A Man and His Watch book. Matt Hranek has made a name for himself as a photographer, writer, great party thrower and Negroni obsessive. His first book, this features gorgeous close up photos of beautiful well loved watches with some background from their owners. I recently got it as a gift for my brother and it’s a worthwhile book even if just for the gorgeous photos.
- Leather card wallet from La Portegna. I was given a card wallet a few years ago and would never go back. For me personally, it’s rare that I have cash, and I have no need to store every person’s business card whom I meet. It’s slim in the jacket or pants pocket. I love the colorful leather and the angled pockets, which would make it easy to grab your cards.
- A massage. I would love a massage. Am I ever going to spend the money to book one myself? Never. But if someone paid for one for me, I’d love it.
Nicely written and considered.