Welcome to crunch time. Christmas Eve is Saturday, and if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re running out of time to find something for your pal, brother, boyfriend, or husband. The good news is that it’s not too late, even if you’re shopping for a guy who’s got tastes that are a little more honed in compared to the general dude-public. All picks & suggestions below should be easy-ish to source locally (barring living in the middle of nowhere) or, should ship fast enough to get to you, in time, for a quick wrapping before Sunday. Happy Holidays, and good luck!
Gift certificates to get his shoes shined
Got a cobbler in your city? Drop in and see if they offer gift certificates for shoe shines. Sure, plenty of guys actually like the process of shining their own shoes (it’s a bit like washing a nice car), but every so often it’s nice to just hand em’ over to the pros.
The Target Sourced Timex: $30 – $60ish
- Weekender Chrono with Leather or Nylon Slip Through Band – $55 – $60
- Brass Case Field Chrono – $45
- Weekender Slip Thru Gray/Blue – $40
- Originals Black Case Tan Leather Strap – $38
Almost everyone has a Target near them, and thanks to Target’s website, you can choose the “pickup” option and not have to stand in line at a regular register. Just give em’ a couple of hours to dig up that watch, then duck inside and hit the customer service desk. Avoiding the regular crush of humanity is key, and many of their great looking (yet super affordable) Timex’s are marked down.
The Slightly Unexpected Bottle of Booze
Ah yes. A trip to the liquor store. Sorta feels like a cop-out, but if you’ve got an imbiber on your list, it’s always appreciated. Especially if you go off the beaten path just a bit. If he drinks gin? Try gifting a bottle of Old Tom style gin by Ransom. If he drinks Scotch? Look for something that’s aged a bit differently (say, in rum casks). If he’s a whiskey guy, try gifting a bottle of perfect-for-the-season Canadian, like Pendleton’s 1910. A little sweet, a little spicy, it fits in perfect around the holidays. Just go in, poke around a bit, and ask questions. Got someone who doesn’t drink alcohol on your list? Try a sixer of good ginger beer. Perfect for parties when you don’t want to be sipping on a coke.
A few months of a subscription service of some sort
There’s only about 8.5 trillion of these things around now, and many of them are targeted towards guys who appreciate style and actually put some effort into their appearance. The google shall help you, but it’s tough to go wrong with Bespoke Post. They’re (obviously) a favorite around these parts, and he can opt out if whatever is offered that particular month doesn’t flip his skirt.
A quality shave and/or haircut
“Pamper” and “guys” don’t really go all that well together. But this is about as close as we get. Heritage inspired barber shops are popping up all over the place. So if he doesn’t have a regular barber, or, if he does and said person doesn’t offer shaves, get him a gift certificate to send him to a place that does just that. Ask around though. Last thing you want is to send the recipient to a place that’ll hack his face to bits.
The Amazon sourced Watch that Ships Fast & Free
- Orient Ray II Automatic Diver – $189
- Seiko Beige Dial Chrono – $99.99
- Armogan Spirit of St. Louis Chronograph – $232
- Timex Blue Dial/Brown Strap Intelligent Quartz – $121.39
Amazon is a hive of busy, busy bees this year. Just make sure that the watch is being fulfilled by Amazon (not some 3rd party without the dependability of Amazon’s shipping apparatus) and the shipping speed you select (if you don’t have prime) gets it to you before the holiday. Meanwhile… who knew Amazon was fulfilling Armogan these days??
A stylish movie
- From Russia w/ Love
- The Thomas Crown Affair w/ Steve Mcqueen
- Casablanca
- The Bank Job
- North by Northwest
- To Catch a Thief
- The Original Ocean’s 11 or, the Clooney Remake
- Inception
Great for those who live together, but can also be gifted (I think?) across the interwebs depending on the platform. Unless you’re knee deep in family obligations, Christmas day can start to be a bit of a yawner by mid-afternoon. So… get him a movie. Make some cocktails. Curl up on the couch and soak it up. All picks above are available for purchase through Amazon’s video service. Prices vary by title. If it streams for free? All the better. Wrap up some favorite cocktail fixings and a bag of popcorn and hit the couch that evening.
A vintage book or two
What’s his favorite genre? Does he have a favorite set of movies (like the Bond flicks) based on books? Does he have any particular interests (politics, playing the guitar, basketball) that have been written about by legends? Hit your local used book shop, and try to dig up a classic that would fit his tastes. Books are functional art. They look great on the shelf, and re-reading a favorite during these cold and dark months is one hell of a pleasure.
For the couples: Dinner out, with you wearing that thing he likes
Go get a gift certificate for dinner out at his favorite spot. Doesn’t have to be something super fancy, just his favorite place that also allows him to wear some of his favorite clothes. Meanwhile, if you’re so inclined, take a selfie of yourself wearing that outfit he’s complimented you on a million times (hint: that means he likes it when you wear that), and wrap those two things up. All too often there has to be a special occasion to get dressed up and head out for a fun night on the town. Doesn’t have to be his birthday or an anniversary this year. It’s just a well thought out Christmas gift, and he can cash it in at a later date.
Need more ideas and want to test the limits of shipping speeds this time of year? Here’s a few more gift guides from us, with more options: