This is almost comical, sitting down to write a gift guide for men, when I struggle with these gifts the most! Joe’s birthday is in December, so I am on the line for TWO manly gifts every year. You’d think that would make me a pro by now, but men still baffle me. I dug into my memory of past gifts and bugged Joe for input to come up with a few suggestions…
For the Sports Fan Who Likes Comfy Clothes
Homage – I’m not going to do a ton of clothing items in this post, just because styles vary so drastically, but Homage is one of my go-to places for the comfy stuff. It was started in Ohio, so Buckeye gear is their bread and butter, but they’ve expanded a TON to a lot of other sport teams. They’re clothes are beyond comfortable, and Joe has never been disappointed with something I’ve gotten him from here. It started out as mainly t-shirts ($32), but they’ve expanded to doing sweatshirts ($50-60), sweatpants ($60), hats, scarves, etc. They even have a great assortment of pop culture tees. Including another thing Ohio is proud of… Budweiser.
Tailgate – I don’t have actual experience with this brand, but Joe tells me it’s another good place to go for sport team/comfy clothes. It was apparently bought out by Aerie recently, so it’s part of their website (linked again here). The tees look to start around $30, and the sweatshirts closer to $70.
For Someone Who Likes to Workout
We’re big fans of Under Armour clothing around here, and their amazing workout gear. Here is the link to their basic workout line. If you’re looking to spend a little bit more, there are other lines that use more recovery technology, like their Rush line. Another great idea is something like a Fitbit (or Apple Watch). We did this for Joe a couple years ago, but they come out with something new so often, I figured it’s best to just link you to their homepage.
I hear people talking about Hydro Flask for water bottles all the time, so Christmas is a good opportunity to grab one of these as a gift. I have yet to try one, but it’s on our list! Joe also told me that this muscle treatment device is currently a big thing with workout fanatics. It’s a device that helps with muscle recovery. It seems like A LOT to spend on something like that, but I wanted to share just in case the man you’re shopping for would enjoy.
Travel/Luggage
Wallet – I used to think a wallet was a “boring” gift. Now watching Joe’s wallet abuse, I realize this is a total necessity. Currently, I have my eye on Andar Wallets. They are made of leather and have a wide variety of options ranging from $15 to about $50. We haven’t tried them yet, but this will be our next wallet purchase!
Keychain – This keychain was also on my sentimental gift list, but worth mentioning here too. We got this for Joe last year, and he LOVED it.
Luggage – When I told Joe I was going to include Herschel on this list, he informed me that the new trend in luggage is a company called Away. It looks expensive to me, but if the person you’re shopping for travels a ton, this might be worth it. I still think Herschel is a huge win, for all kinds of bags. Their duffles range from about $60-$100. Another place I’ve noticed that has super nice bags is J.Crew. Their duffle bags are literally everything I love in a bag… minus the price tag.
Alcohol
I have no idea if this is an odd gift idea or not, but this was a huge go-to for me for a long time. If you have a man in your life who enjoys nice liquor, there are a lot of fun ideas out there, at every single price point. It can be as simple as just getting a bottle of whichever is their favorite. (The liquor stores will help you with this selection, you just tell them what you have in mind and want to spend). You can get the bottle engraved, and in some cases, websites like Johnnie Walker will have engraving as an option right on their site. I just looked, and they even have a Game of Thrones themed bottle!
As a celebrity-lover myself, another fun way to shop liquor is by who created it… George Clooney has Casamigos Tequila, Justin Timberlake has Sauza 901 Tequila, Ryan Reynolds has Aviation Gin, and the Breaking Bad duo has Dos Hombres, to name a few. You can also check out the website, Drinks by the Dram for some creative gift ideas. Since Joe’s bday is at the beginning of December, I used to get him a whiskey Advent calendar every year for his bday. They have a bunch of different tasting sets on there too.
This category is not just for liquor! You can do this gift the same way with beer and wine. Especially if you have a brewery or winery you’ve visited and loved. If you don’t want to get the actual alcohol as a gift, accessories are even more fun… You can get a nice decanter, engraved or not, nice glasses that go well with their favorite drink, or unique ice cube molds like these.
For the Man Who Loves to Eat
Does it get anymore manly than meat?? Joe has been bringing up Butcher Box for a long time now. We haven’t taken the leap yet, but the more I learn about it, the better it sounds. Before Butcher Box was created, I would sometimes get food from Omaha Steaks, and we could do a gourmet steakhouse dinner date at home.
If they aren’t big meat eaters, you can get a lot of other favorites delivered from all over the country these days. For example, deep dish pizza from Chicago’s Giordano’s or New York Cheesecake from Junior’s… I’m so hungry just writing this.
Events/Activities
Some of my favorite gift ideas haven’t been actual items. If you can find tickets to a sporting event or show they’re interested in, it can turn into a really fun activity to do together! And if you aren’t into the same stuff, you could always give him tickets to use with a friend. Since most tickets are electronic these days, I’ve even made my own little paper tickets to be unwrapped… Literally kid crafting style.
Which reminds me of another gift idea that we’ve done in the past… do people do coupon books anymore?? I can only think of Joey in “Friends” giving out coupons for “Joey Love” haha.
For the Golf Lover
Other than family, I don’ think there’s anything Joe loves more than golf. Joe got Superspeed Golf a couple years ago, which is some sort of golf training system. Golf clubs themselves are super nice (so nice, you probably have to do one at a time), or you can get golf lessons or pay for a round of golf. If you really want to win brownie points, you could actually go along to play the round of golf. The golf cart is fun to drive!
If He Likes the Outdoors
I feel like the amount of camping gear is never ending. There are the necessities like tents, sleeping bags, and cots, but there are also some fun and creative ideas in this category. One of my favorite brands is Yeti, and they have a million ideas on their site… Anything from cups to coolers to chairs. Definitely on the more expensive end, which is why I think of this brand for gifting… They’re things that people don’t usually buy for themselves.
Technology
I think this category should really be the longest one, but technology is NOT my thing… and that’s an understatement. I asked Joe for suggestions, and he said Sonos Speakers. This category is one that I’ve always relied on Joe pretty much just telling me what he wants.
That’s all I’ve got for now, but I will update if I think of more! Happy shopping!