Fashionable Christmas Gifts – Part 1 – Accessories

As Christmas rolls around next week I thought I could do a little article on true “fashionable” Christmas gifts. You may be looking for inspiration for your Dad, Brother, Mates or even Boyfriend. So we want to get them something special, but at the same time something that is practical and they can wear/use over and over again. The key to buying great fashion presents is to stay away from clothes and trends. If they specifically ask you for a piece of clothing then you have Christmas all wrapped up and only need to get their size right. But if not you are going to have to think a little harder. This is where I can help.

Today I am going to throw some items out there in specific sections that you can browse through and see if anything jumps out at you. I will try and mix the price points so there is something for everyone but generally we want to concentrate on quality. I say stay away from trends because they come and go and soon that great shirt you bought this year is in the charity shop bag next. If you invested in a great wallet though it would be something they use every single day for years. It makes you feel great and them too.

So without further ado.

Wallets and Cardholders

These are perfect for Christmas gifts. If your loved one has had their wallet a while and it is looking a bit tatty, then upgrade it for them. A Wallet is an item that many males will leave and leave because they have other priorities to spend their money on and so never get round to splashing out £50+ on a new one. You can now upgrade this item for them and it is definitely something they will use over and over again for years – and until someone else chooses to replace it for them! ;) A great leather wallet is also a great fashion accessory that adds a little class to any outfit. I would recommend a bi-fold (folds in half) wallet as tri-fold wallet can cause bulging in trouser pockets which is not a good look!

Cardholders are like wallets but just made to hold a few credit cards and maybe even some cash notes. Perfect for business men who have slim trousers and definitely do not want an unsightly bulge. Also great for a night out or going for dinner.

There are so many colours and brands who produce leather wallets but stick to traditional colours like blacks, brown and tan in order to have them coordinate with most outfits.

Bags

So what would also get some good use each and everyday by the modern fashionable male? Well as our writer Luke pointed out, the man-bag is a fashion essential. Read about our bag round-up earlier in the year HERE or read what Luke had to say about what to keep in your man bag HERE. Most males who have a professional job will now need to take a bag with them for work; whether to hold documents, gym kit or a spare change of clothes for going out afterwards. Go for a leather version as it is timeless and will only look better and better over time. You can pick a holdall, shopper, satchel or messenger bag – each will look great with most new formal or casual outfits.

Have a look below for some of the best around right now at each price point:

Umbrellas

An umbrella is practical and stylish. For the modern male, there is no reason to not carry one in bad weather, and it will preserve the quality of your formal wear and knitwear during these horrible winter months. Swims make amazing umbrellas and Oki-Ni have just taken stock of the compact and standard versions of these great umbrellas in multiple colour ways. Perfect for a Christmas Gift and will get plenty of use over here in Britain!

Workwear

Now you might think that workwear accessories would be quite boring and a bit uninspired, but you couldn’t be more wrong. If you buy a quality tie or pair of cufflinks then they will get a lot of use out of them each and everyday in the 9-5. Invest a bit of money into quality items and they will last a long time and look as good each and everytime they are put on. Would you rather buy them a couple of t-shirts they wear once and gather dust in the wardrobe, or a quality tie that they put on at least once a week for work for the next 2 years? Traditional monochrome colours work well for ties, but bold stripes, spots or colour blocking will look great when paired with a crisp white shirt.

Slim leather belts are also a great choice for a present. They work with trousers and jeans which means that they will get a lot of use each and every day. As before with the wallets, stick to what you know when buying for someone else and reach for the blacks, browns and tan varieties.

Gloves

We have done a post recently on the latest gloves to be released and you can find it HERE. However, for Christmas again we will be looking at quality pairs in leather, wool and even textured fabrics like tweed. You may have to spend a bit more again but like with everything else on this list, they will get a lot of use (have you been outside recently? Exactly!). They are a perfect item to have in the man bag for cold days, and can bring a touch of class to your casual or formal outfits.

And More…

So this was a quick guide to get you thinking about what you could buy the men in your life this Christmas. There are so many items and accessories that you can get your hands on but the emphasis should be on QUALITY pieces that are TIMELESS. Do not pick up trend items as they fall out of favour as quickly as they come in. You want to invest your hard earned money in something they will get good use out of, whilst still looking great. Practical items I think are the way forward when gift buying and if you are not sure then black, brown and tan colour ways are always classics that never fall out of favour with the fashion elite. I know a lot of the items above might be out of the price range for a lot of the younger readers, but you can still pick up great leather items and high quality workwear from places like Topman and River Island.

Other items you could purchase would be: Watches, Jewellery, Grooming Accessories, Underwear, Loungewear, Scarves etc. I will try and feature all of these over the coming week to give you some ideas about what to look out for.