Permanent Style reader, this is not for you. This is intended for your wife/husband/partner/child/dog, in an attempt to help source a Christmas present for someone who, let’s face it, is very fussy in general but particularly about clothing.
So print it out, hand it over, share to their relevant social account, and do not read on. After all, you want it to be a surprise don’t you?
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Hello, loved one of a PS reader. I know, I know, what are they like? Nothing is ever good enough. Or some things are, but they’re so expensive!
Hopefully this list will help find something that satisfies and perhaps even surprises them. With luck it might manage to be relatively inexpensive too, although I use the word ‘relatively’ very advisedly.
If you have any questions, please do ask in the comments below. Good luck. (Oh, and remember that while we never include Permanent Style products, there are some great hats and scarves and books in there too.)
£185
So, I’d say the easiest way to get your guy a present they’ll definitely like is to find something they already own, and get the next colour. You know that belt they always wear? Look on the inside, find the brand and size, and get one in black rather than brown.
It doesn’t have to be a Rubato belt - it might be any brand - but I mention it here as an example of how finicky they can be. The belt has to be one-inch wide; it has to have a solid brass buckle; the suede/leather has to be a certain quality - which let’s face it, you’re never going to pick out (along with the rest of humanity). So as a safe bet go with the same one, just different.
Various prices
A watch strap falls into the same category. There will usually be a brand on the inside too, and the nice thing about a watch strap is that most men never buy a different colour. This means it will be more of a surprise than the belt, and it will almost look like a new watch, for a fraction of the price.
If you need to find a seller, I use Jean Rousseau in London’s Piccadilly Arcade, but readers mentioned a few others in this article: GLC straps, Hirsch, Strap Tailor. Doubtless they will now leave suggestions in the comments below too.
€38
OK, let’s change tack now. Another way to get him an impressive present is to buy something that seems so indulgent, he’d never buy it for himself. This sounds very expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.
Black silk socks, for example, are something you only ever wear with black tie. If he does wear black tie, chances are it’s not that often, so this will be a very indulgent thing to own. Have a check whether he has some, and if he doesn’t, get a nice pair from somewhere like Mes Chaussettes Rouges. I bet he’s never worn skin-tight silk either.
£58
A book can be a good option because it’s something you can easily check on the bookshelf for, and there are lots of options out there. There’s no way he’ll have all of them. There are classics he’ll always enjoy, from the likes of Alan Flusser and Bruce Boyer, and. I’d put something like The Rebel’s Wardrobe in the same category for casual clothing.
But something like this on the designer Massimo Osti (image below) will probably have him looking at menswear in a whole new way. The background, the fabric innovation, the discussion of style, it’s a really stimulating read.
5 Miles, Chet, Ralph, & Charlie
£24
I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy this book, which is a history of The Andover Shop presented as a series of quotes from different people, in sort-of conversation. But actually the stories are so good that it works - it might be George Frazier getting obsessed with the idea of ‘duende’ and who had it or not (musicians or clothes horses) or which Andover Shop trousers are in different museums, but it all hangs together.
Permanent Style readers (I know you’re still reading) this is a fun one to get if it doesn’t end up under the Christmas tree.
6 Connolly ‘Grain 1001’ candle
£55
While I’ve got you, this is a beautiful candle and smells very menswear, if that can be a thing. It smells of old leather and the nice type of cigar, but in a subtle way. It’s the kind of thing you might even be able to get away with giving to your loved one, and enjoying the smell around the house.
There's also the option of a carry case, which sounds insane but I took my little one on holiday recently and it does make any hotel room immediately feel like home.
£65
Perfumer H is, of course, my favourite perfume house (they’ve just opened a shop on Clifford Street, which is wonderfully convenient). And if anyone’s looking for stationery gifts, I’d recommend the collaboration they did this year with Choosing Keeping - the notebook in particular, with its Italian marbling and linen binding.
Choosing Keeping itself is also recommended, particularly now they’ve moved more centrally, to a lovely corner shop in Covent Garden.
$30
Combining the subject of stationery with the theme of small, beautiful things, how about a set of perfect pencils? I was given this set from Blackwing last year and they’ve been sitting on my desk ever since, slowly being used, sharpened and worn down. It might seem like a lot for pencils, but I’ve gone through one-and-a-bit in a year, so there’s a long way to go.
9 West African handloomed scarves
£85
Blackhorse Lane just started offering these - selecting the best from what can often be pretty cheap quality in African markets, and then also meticulously repairing and reinforcing them. I have a couple of vintage ones, but it’s nice to see a new option readily available, as the indigo is beautiful (pictured below).
10 Trunk or Budd gloves
£135 or up to £650
And last of all, I realise gloves fall into the same category as the first two items we mentioned on this list, with the added bonus that they’re very seasonal. Chances are that after Christmas you’ll have the busiest time for actually wearing them.
I’ll do a bigger piece on gloves soon, but in the meantime I’d recommend Trunk’s selection (probably my favourite thing from their expanding own-brand line) and the more luxurious range available at Budd. They represent the value and the top-end quite well.
