Not sure what to buy your man? Consider a few tips from GQ magazine's style editor Adam Rapoport, plus his list of the best presents for every type of guy.
Pay attention to what he saysIn the months leading up to the holidays, any time he says he thinks something is cool, make a mental note of it, send yourself an email and keep a list at work. When it's time to go shopping, you'll already know what to buy.
Guys like things that go vroomYou can never go wrong buying your guy power tools. But make sure you buy him the right kind tool. Ask a friend of his what he'd be into, or find a helpful sales person at Home Depot.Think about what he needsThere are plenty of things that guys like and need but never actually buy on their own. Like a cool scarf, a beautiful wallet, cufflinks, or grooming products.When in doubt, think sportsThere's not a guy out there who won't appreciate a dozen Titleist Pro V 1 golf balls in his stocking. Joggers always need new, cool, hi-tech wick-away-your-sweat running shirts and shorts and socks. Snowboarders want the newest, hippest gear from Burton. And so on and so forth.
And when you’re really in doubt... Buy him a nice bottle of single-malt Scotch. Adam’s list:
For the sporty guy:Nike + iPod sport kit (Transmitter, $30; 2gb iPod Nano, $150; Air Zoom Moire Nike shoes, $100.00)This is just about the coolest gift you can buy for an athletic-minded guy. The Apple chip fits into the sole of the Nike running shoe, keeping track of the runner's pace, his distance run, as well as a record of all the times and distances he's logged in months past.Eton FR300 Hand Crank Radio, $50If your man likes to camp, he needs one of these—a hand-cranked radio that will give him something to listen to by the campfire. And its weather band will let him know when it¹s time to pack it up and head home.Burton Gore-Tex mitt, $64.95; Smith phenom goggles, $155It’s not enough to snowboard well these days you need to look cool while doing so. These camouflage Gore-Tex mitts are super warm, come with liners and air vents and have great rubber-palmed grips. The goggles come with a lifetime warranty, have a sliding bar to control airflow and prevent fogging, and they come with an extra strap so they fit around a helmet. Your man does wear a helmet, doesn't he?For the handy guy:Black & Decker “alligator lopper," $100The biggest, baddest, meanest power tool on the market. Perfect for taking down branches and shrubs. Like scissors on steroids.Snap-on ratcheting screwdriver, $75A man doesn’t need a whole set of screwdriver. He needs one—this one. Its grippy handle stores the various bits and rotates to access hard-to-reach spots. Oh, and it looks really cool, too.Zircon laser ball, $20Ever try to hang a picture or install shelving without a level? You can’t. This orb-like tool sticks to the wall and emits a laser (an actual laser!)to let you know where exactly to hammer your nails.Klein canvas tool bag, $100Where does a guy store all his tools? In one of these old-school tool bags as stylish as it is functional.For the man who grooms:Calvin Klein robe, $125Every man needs a good terrycloth robe. You don’t want him hanging out in sweatpants and flip-flops on Christmas morning—you want him lounging in one of these.Baxter of California grooming products: Facial Scrub, $12; Vitamin E-D-A cleansing bars, $12; Daily Face Wash, $12.50; Skincare 1-2-3, $40
Baxter of California is a men's-only skincare line. The design is smart and masculine; the quality is excellent. A guy will never go out and buy this stuff on his own—at least not until you get him hooked on it.Accessories for any man:Me & Ro pendant, $120 It’s not easy getting the average guy to wear jewelry. This silver guitar-pick pendant, though, is something he can relate to. He’ll never think of it as a necklace, but simply as a cool thing he wears around his neck. Dart coat hooks, $32 (set of three)The best gifts for him are ones that you can use too like these clever stainless-steel dart coat hooks that screw directly into the wall.Tiffany money clip, $85; J.fold credit card holder, $45Most guys walk around with a wallet the size of a pastrami sandwich; they need to put it on a diet. Get rid of all the old receipts and video membership cards, and pare it down to six essential credit cards and IDs and put them in one of these sleek credit-card holders. And then keep their cash in an elegant and sophisticated money clip.Jack spade canvas bags, $110, $165, $375Guys are forever in search of a cool bag they can take to work with them.They don’t want a backpack, and they don’t want a dreaded “man bag”. They want one of these iconic, understated, masculine. Perfect with jeans or a suit.