2012 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,500 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Gifts that Keep on Giving

Well, it is that time of year again.  I am the biggest ba humbug on the planet.  As mentioned in a previous post I can’t stand holidays.  But on the contrary I love giving gifts.  I like to think of myself as a gift whisperer.  Some people don’t possess the gift of great gift giving. And when it comes to gifts for men or men buying gifts there is always a challenge. Maybe you are a man getting your dad, brother, uncle, boss, best friend, or lover a gift.  Or perhaps you need to advise someone on what gift to get for a man close to you.  Either way the holidays are a good time to get guys…

FASHIONABLE GIFTS

First let me go over which items should never be given as a gift for a man.

• Sunglasses- men must make sure they look right themselves. See former blog post titled “Shades”
• Anything too personal- which means clothes from the waist down. Unless the guy is so clueless then in that case: dare to do it but be conservative, don’t go get a chilled out guy an expensive pair of jeans with a lightning bolt on the crotch.
• Cologne- This is a personal choice every man has to make for himself, I don’t care if you get him the hottest new scent and he tells you he loves it, I promise it will either collect dust or be re-gifted.
• Cheap Crap- Nothing is worse than a cheap gift, you are better off saying you couldn’t swing a gift for everyone this year than insulting someone with a gift you had to put on K-Mart lay away.
• A fancy overcoat, he should have one already and that’s a different post.  If he doesn’t own one then he has big problems and isn’t a grown up.
• Anything red or green/holiday colors.  People will know your Aunt Hildegard got this festive gift for you and put it under a tree not to mention these colors limit the times of year they can be worn.

One thing men get year after year is either gloves or a wallet.  These are nice gifts but tread carefully before giving them.  Find out if these are items a guy really needs.  Maybe go with a cashmere scarf instead.  Men always look like a million dollars in them but usually will not buy one for them self.  It is definitely a gift that keeps on giving.

A few more fashion friendly suggestions:

1. Appropriate workout clothes or cold weather gear for running. This way the gift receiver doesn’t look like Rocky chasing a chicken when he is out jogging in his high school sweats. Also, it will motivate to exercise if he doesn’t already.
2. A Puma gym bag, because stuffing your sneaks and/or racquet in your briefcase until after work is not cute.
3. An appropriate brief case is an excellent gift as well because a man going to work in his suit and back pack from his study abroad program is also not cute…ever.
4. Ties, belts, and cufflinks are the type of gifts that men (who wear suits) can’t get enough off.  Just stick to simple, sleek and sexy design as to not impose your taste on anyone.

Check out a few more fun ideas by clicking on the below links

Ernest Alexander Flask Set

Shaving kits from The Art of Shaving

The Working Man’s Hygiene Kit

Coach Gloves

Elliot Dopp Kit _ Men always need these bags

Artsy Cufflinks

Cashmere Burberry Scarf– a little pricey but worth every penny

Pocket Squares– You can purchase less expensive ones at a department store but I love Mr. Porter

Unique Umbrellas

Super fun eyeglass holder

Turkish Bathrobe – ahhh Heaven!

A masculine apron by Hedley & Bennett (every man I know cooks these days and all the best chefs are men. )

Just keep in mind when shopping for a gift for a man, get them something they want not something they need. Don’t condone their bad habits by for example getting them a video game, and electronics are always a cold cop-out of a gift.  And if you can get something that they will like but would never get for themself, you truly will get bonus points.

Happy Shopping & Ba Humbug!

The Velcro Jungle

Photo Credit: raoco.net

Fashion mistakes can jump out at me at any given time, even when I least expect it.  I strolled down my block earlier this evening to get some dinner at one of my favorite take out places.  As I was waiting in line I noticed a rather handsome man standing in front of me.  Of course I could not say hi and turn on the flirt because I was not looking my best but that is a whole other story.  Just as I was admiring his chic leather shoes and crisp fall jacket, he pulled out of his pocket a…

VELCRO WALLET

My jaw dropped in disbelief.  What was this guy thinking?  His one fashion faux pas ruined my positive impression of him.  I swear I almost said something.  Doesn’t he have a girlfriend or a partner of some kind to show him the way?  And by show him the way I mean out of the Velcro jungle and into the grown up world of chic sophistication.  I was so amazed that he was sporting a Velcro wallet I didn’t even catch the design on it, but let’s face it, the design may as well of been Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.   Guys, please read carefully here.  If you are on a date or anywhere for that matter and you pull out a Velcro wallet you may as well be wearing a sign that says “my mom still does my laundry, I play World of Warcraft and I’ve never been laid.”  After the age of 10 you should never own a Velcro wallet again.  Even those corny yet durable Mighty Wallets are superior to a Velcro number.   My best suggestion if you are in the market for a new wallet is to get over to a Coach store.  I love their wallets and have given them as gifts to several of my boyfriends.  I promise you, the Coach wallet is a hit every time. To sum up what I am talking about with a pop culture video reference, watch this funny clip from Crazy Stupid Love.   

Quick Aside: My talented literary agent emailed me an article today written about men’s “Must Haves” for fall. It is definitely worth a read so check it out at Refinery29.