12th December 2015
Hello, it’s me. With Christmas quickly approaching – like, seriously, I swear it was Halloween last week – I thought today I’d share with you some gift ideas for the men in your life; whether that be friends, fathers, uncles, brothers or significant others – this is my 2015 Christmas Gift Guide for Men. Guys are typically very difficult to buy for, so I thought a little bit of inspiration certainly wouldn’t go amiss. The items in this guide completely vary in taste, size, interest and – most importantly – price, so hopefully there’s something here to satiate even the pickiest of customers! Also, don’t forget to stay tuned right until the end for a funky giveaway with River Island exclusively for The Jack Experience readers!
Don’t Look Like a Mug This Christmas
You simply cannot go wrong with a mug, so it’s definitely the top of my list. This is something that looks great but is also extremely practical in every day life for any tea, coffee or hot chocolate lover; you never can have enough! This particular mug from Paperchase has a really funky TFL London Underground map print which any guy will love; it’s simple but so effective. You could possibly team this present with a nice box of teabags or some luxury hot chocolate. Check out the Paperchase website for more fantastic Christmas gifts!
View Quest Radios are the View Best… I Tried
If you haven’t clicked off of this page after reading that awful pun then either you have fantastic patience, or – more likely – you just want to find out more about this piece of beauty. View Quest kindly sent me this b-e-a-yootiful Hepburn radio and I absolutely love it; the sound quality is excellent and the design is simply stunning. Everything arrived nicely packaged and the radio itself looks great sitting atop my shelf with great pride. Besides its physical aesthetical pleasure, the Hepburn also produces an incredible sound. If this one doesn't tickle your pickle then head over to the View Quest website for more colours, styles and price ranges.
Harrods Bauble
Two things which absolutely scream Christmas are Harrods and Christmas tree baubles; put them both together, and you’ve got the perfect present! This could be used as a nifty little stocking filler for just about anyone, although the brand name and design just scream chic style. Harrods baubles come packaged beautifully in a square box, making them much easier to wrap! While we’re at it, take a cheeky gander at my Harrods Christmas blog post for more festive ideas…
Sweater Weather at River Island
One fundamental winter essential is a nice, cosy sweater to wrap up in on a chilly day. River Island have a fantastic selection of warm jumpers on their website, in a variety of colours and styles to suit any man. They are extremely versatile and can be dressed up or down; on their own, under a thick winter coat or over a crisp white shirt, for example. Layering is very important, both in a practical and a stylish sense, and a plain jumper should be a staple item in any guy’s wardrobe. You really can’t go wrong! Check out my giveaway at the bottom of the page to win one for yourself!
Just Beats It
When Beats aren’t busy being promoted by all of the biggest artists in the world (yes, I’m looking at you Selena Gomez, we’ve all seen that advert), they’re producing fantastic sound quality and making us average-joes look awesome. Beats headphones are extremely comfortable and come in a variety of colours, perfect for any guy who loves gaming or music. They're certainly not the cheapest option in the headphone market but they're definitely worth the money!
Make It Personal with Oliver Bonas
Oliver Bonas is one of my current favourite designers, producing really awesome personalised gifts which would make the perfect Christmas gift. These wire designs are intricately sculpted and expertly designed in the shape of every letter in the alphabet. Priced at just £10 each, this is a unique present which won’t blow the budget. I think they’d look great in any room of the house – particularly the bedroom – and can add a personal touch to your gift-giving this festive season. I’d definitely recommend!
Beer Pong – You Can’t Go Wrong!
The perfect Secret Santa for any guy who likes a drinking game, this is a classic party essential! The set comes complete with 12 classic and re-usable red-solo-cups and two ping-pong balls… all you need is a bit of beer and you’re ready to go. I picked this up from the gift section at Topman for just £5. Drink responsibly, or don’t, whatever.
The Part Where I Pretend to Understand Smells
This fragrance is the Paul Smith Man Number Two aftershave which has an expressive and confident woody scent. It is exceedingly fresh and aromatic, with fruity undertones, as well as being incredibly long-lasting. That's the pretentious-pretending-to-understand-smells bit over - you can't say I didn't warn ya. This has been my go-to scent over the Autumn and Winter after receiving it as a gift myself. It’s incredibly versatile and can be worn both formally and casually. Every guy needs a signature scent so I’d definitely recommend Paul Smith as a leader of the men’s fragrance industry.
Topman Socking Fillers
Socks are the ultimate stocking fillers, but you’ve got to get it right. In my humble opinion, Topman always have the best variety of men’s novelty socks in store, and with 3 for just £7 why not fill your boots? Or your stocking? Whether you’re looking for funky, festive or funny – Topman socks are always on point. This is a sock-stocking filler they certainly won’t be disappointed by.
Tiger Stocking Fillers
Again, if you’re looking for cheap but high-quality stocking fillers then Tiger should definitely be your first stop. With a selection of both novelty and practical gifts, Tiger is always my go-to shop for just about anything. While the prices are absolutely fantastic (with everything in the picture to the right priced £2 or under), don’t be fooled to think that the quality will suffer as a result. Every product I’ve bought from there – and, trust me, there’s been a lot – has been brilliantly durable. Tiger is especially perfect for stationary so if you’re shopping for the creative type, the student or the desk-worker then you’ve come to the right place!
642 Things to Write About
This book is perfect for any aspiring writer, providing six-hundred and forty-two, yes SIX-HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO, different topics to write about. This is so perfect when you’re suffering a creative block or just want to get lost in a totally fictional world. The book has actually inspired loads of my creative writing, so I can’t praise it enough. There’s an incredibly diverse range of subjects to pick from and I’m almost certain I’ll never run out. I found my copy in Urban Outfitters!
The North Star Leads to… Primark?
We all know the classic nativity tale of the shepherds following the North Star to baby Jesus, but maybe this year you should follow it to your local shopping mall. This light has featured in the background of my YouTube videos and I’ve had so many questions as to where it’s from. My answer may surprise you: it’s from Primark! The star-light would be a great gift for someone to present in their bedroom, with a unique and stylish design. Emulative of many ludicrously expensive products available elsewhere, this particular star light is available for just £10 and is battery operated. It looks really quite expensive and is fantastic value for money, not to mention that it looks great on display in my bedroom!
Make ‘Em Shake Like a Polaroid Picture
For every creative person or photography lover, this is the perfect present. Instax polaroid cameras are a really fun way of encapsulating memories. Something about having an instantly tangible copy of your photograph makes it even more special, and every shot comes out different which is really interesting. I can’t recommend this enough, although it’s important to take the time to learn how to use the camera. Funnily enough, I’ve composed a guide as to how to do just that! Make them shake with excitement like a polaroid picture this Christmas.
River Island Winter Accessories
Last but certainly not least, I present to you the essential River Island accessories. Everyone needs to keep warm, but that doesn’t mean risking your style. River Island restore this “street-cred” (yes, I just said street-cred) with their effortlessly effective winter accessories. This tartan scarf (pictured) is my personal favourite and just screams Christmas to me. It looks great under a thick jacket and will be the perfect winter warmer for my skiing trip later this month! Check out their fantastic range of winter accessories on the River Island website here. Want to win your own? River Island have kindly sent me one to give to one lucky reader as part of my gift bundle giveaway below…
I'm collaborating with the lovely folk over at River Island to give away a Christmas gift bundle including a cosy winter knit and tartan scarf (pictured above) to one lucky reader! This competition is exclusive to The Jack Experience readers, so enter now for your chance to win! It seriously couldn't be easier...
And that concludes my 2015 Christmas Gift Guide for Men! I’d like to say a massive thank you to River Island for helping me out with my Christmas competition and to Harrods, View Quest and Paperchase for sending me samples of their products so that I could share them with you! These products will make someone very happy this Christmas. Finally, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and, until next time, goodbye!
By Jack Edwards