Gifts for the Fashion Forward Guy Who Has it All

A gift often reveals what we think about someone. Not merely that we admire or like them, but how we understand who they are. We generally give gifts for two reasons: we want the other person to have something or we think they want something they don’t have. The first one is an expression of affection or appreciation. The second is a sense of wanting to fill a need or desire in their lives. 

Both reasons are appropriate and should be considered when buying gifts. Some people seem to eliminate the second category, however, by having everything, hence the expression the gift for the man who has everything. For these men, it is sensible to do something custom, heartfelt and meaningful, but don’t give up too easily. They often have needs which can be unearthed with a little digging. That effort will also be noticed. Whichever category you choose to operate in, here are some gift ideas for the fashion forward guy who has it all. 

Liquor doesn’t mean just another bottle of booze. Anyone can give anybody such a gift. A fashion forward man isn’t interested in stocking his shelf with an additional bottle of Jack Daniel’s. However, no man, no matter how rich, has enough Pappy Van Winkle bourbon or Dalmore scotch. 

A good bottle of liquor is not only a great gift for the man with everything, it creates a social opportunity. He will probably share some with you and you can enjoy a moment. This can also be an opportunity to give him a custom accessory, like an engraved flask or a set of glasses. By themselves, these items are underwhelming, but coupled with a quality bottle and you’ve hit homerun. 

According to Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias, “What separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” This classic line couples well with the fashion forward man’s need to accessorize well with their outfits. Wearing a great suit becomes meaningless if you wear the wrong shoes or a bad belt, cufflinks or braces (not suspenders, look it up). 

Even things like fashionable sunglasses and phone covers are now essential to the ensemble and are considered accessories. These items are very important from a fashion standpoint.

Custom made stuff can be tricky. On one hand, it is always considered thoughtful, which makes it good. On the other hand, if the quality of the gift is substandard, it can have the opposite effect as intended. However, if you are skilled at making something meaningful and valuable, nothing is better. 

It doesn’t always have to require tremendous skill. For example, a photo album compiled of pictures that trigger fond memories can be priceless. Be careful of trying to knit a sweater unless you are a pro, though. 

Some men wear sports apparel in an oafish manner that looks sloppy.  However, many fashion forward men also love sports and enjoy repping their alma mater or favorite team’s colors. The key here is to keep the apparel fashionable, well fitted and high quality. Sometimes the team’s apparel includes highly fashionable items, but they are priced in a way that they aren’t common. 

Those are the items to get. This is also a good way to leverage nostalgia. We often associate good times with our college experiences or times we went to games. The sports apparel can be a way to open those memories up and become more than merely a fashionable statement about his team. 

One thing that is certain: technology changes fast. It is almost impossible to stay cutting edge with technology. Not only is it expensive to constantly swap out your phone every few months, it is a hassle. People don’t like changing their technology as fast as technology changes. 

However, the fashion forward guy does like being on the cutting edge once that decision has been made to upgrade. This creates an opportunity. Sometimes the tech itself can be a great gift. Other times, it is the accessories for the newly acquired tech. Both are welcome and appreciated. 

We all enjoy doing something out of character from time to time. The problem is, it’s out of character, so we don’t prepare for it. Therefore, buying a fashion forward man a loud paisley shirt that he would never buy for himself, or a funky hat or socks with cartoon characters could secretly become favorites, even if reserved for special occasions. But this doesn’t have to be reserved for a once a year occasion. 

It is always fun to give someone a gift they appreciate. And some people are hard to discern what they would love. For those men, particularly the fashion forward guy, the above list is a good start in figuring out how to give to them. Even if they are always gracious, by doing the little things that show you know them makes their gift worth giving. And after all, isn’t that what we want?