A Twenty Something’s Holiday Wish List: Gifts for Him

Since the holidays are coming, I am back at creating my list of possible things to get my boyfriend for whatever holiday we decide to celebrate this year (I’m a non religious Jew (100%) who loves Christmas… he’s a “I was Bar Mitzvah-ed” non-religious half-Jew who claims he is 100% Jew – but celebrates Christmas). You would probably assume we would do the whole “Chrismukkah” thing (Thank you Seth Cohen), but I just pretend these holidays are not religious and celebrate both the only way I know – PRESENT GIVING AND GETTING, duh.

As a female, I am by no means an expert at knowing what guys want (I’m not even sure guys are experts at knowing what they want). However, growing up with three metrosexual and athletic brothers has really given me great insight on what guys would love to get as presents. Thankfully, my boyfriend is very easy to please when it comes to gifts (most are compared to girls)… but I know he would prefer certain things over others. So when thinking about what to get your boyfriend, brother, dad, grandfather, uncle, “guy friend,” etc – choose from this list (prices: low- high):

A Hat: For some reason, guys love hats. Some are weird about hats and will wear only one until it literally falls apart… and others are even weirder and collect hats like girls collect shirts. If you know the guy you are buying for loves hats, then he would obviously be excited to have a new addition to his collection. Just think of you and your bags… there can never be too many. But if the guy you’re buying for ISN’T a hat collector, do not buy him a new hat just because his is gross, smelly, and falling apart. He may be upset and even worse – he may never wear it. Think of you and… well actually, nevermind. I can never have too much of anything! Anyway, if you’re afraid to get him a baseball hat, maybe try a winter hat. Don’t buy him a trendy cap, though… If he would ever wear one, he would buy it himself.

Sweats: Guys love sweats. Sweatshirts. Sweatpants. A nice under armour T to wear to the gym or lounge in. No matter what, this present never fails (unless it doesn’t fit) because guys always wear this sh*t. And unlike sweats for girls, men do not care what they look like… (Unless it’s for a football team they hate or something… But if this is for your BF and you have no idea what team he roots for, either 1. don’t buy anything sports related or 2. realize you’re not on the gift buying level yet – favorite sports teams are a fact to know prior to dating… For instance, I would never seriously date a Jets fan – sorry). Anyway, sweats are a great gift for a family member and are fantastic for a boyfriend – no matter how long you’ve been dating. The first gift I got my BF was a inexpensive Red Sox sweatshirt and he wears it all the time to this day. And if you’ve been dating for a while, you can score points with the newest, nicest Under Armour sweatshirt. NOTE: Buying sweats for a boyfriend means that you will most likely get to wear them too, so choose wisely.

Clothes: Most guys don’t like shopping, so if you don’t know what they want or you think that they already have “everything” (or you just want/need to completely revamp their wardrobe) clothes are a safe bet (Everyone needs clothes… You can’t just go roaming the streets naked. This isn’t a beach in France). Short sleeve polos are always nice because you can wear them all year round. Half zip sweaters and button down dress/casual shirts are also nice. If you think the guy you’re buying for isn’t in to wearing such clothes, it is most likely because he has no interest in shopping or spending money that he could be spending elsewhere.

Shoes (Timbs, slippers, etc): Shoes are a necessity. For the guys who live through an actual winter with cold weather and snow, work boots are great (even if they’re kinda ugly)… They are kind of pricey, though, so if a guy’s boots are wearing thin – or he just doesn’t have them at all – he would love to get a pair. Timberland is the only way to go though. Yes, guys can be label whores too. I mean they’re the only ones who still wear clothes with small animals sewed on shirts (cough polo cough). In addition to work boots, you can also get slippers. They are classy and comfy. Nice slippers are especially great for the guy who wears sweatpants in public… This comfortable dude would be most likely wear slippers in public too. Another idea – if you’re dating a shoe hoarder, you probably already know his shoe size and have been introduced to the collection far too many times. For this guy, one more pair of Nikes couldn’t hurt… right?

Sunglasses: Oddly enough, men love sunglasses. Oakleys are a must have for almost every guy – summer or winter. Some guys have better things to spend their money on, though, and others don’t know the first thing about buying sunglasses (even though they secretly want them). So of course, getting baller sunglasses as a gift is an awesome present. Try to find out what kind of sunglasses the guy has worn before (aviators, not aviators,?) before you buy so you have some sort of an idea what they would look good in. And if you don’t want to pick, get him a gift card. If you’re his girlfriend you can even do the honor of taking him to the store to pick out his new shades.

Tickets to a game: Well this is pretty obvious. There is a sport going on every season… whether it’s college or professional. SO if the guy you’re buying for is a big fan of a current sport get him tickets to his fave team’s game. Are you his girlfriend? Go with him! Don’t like the sport? Enjoy the experience anyway. A present that is an experience for both of you is the best present ever (unless it’s a Chanel bag, duh).

Dre Beats: My brother introduced me to these awesome headphones. Think of the music at the loudest club you have ever been to and imagine that music going deep into your ears – and having no one else around you hear it. Like the loudest headphones ever. Does the guy you’re buying for like music? Does he like working out to music? Dre Beats make headphones specifically for the gym (and I would recommend those since they’re “only” $170)… The big, “recording” headphones cost a couple hundo. So unless you’re dating or related to a recording artist – not worth it. The small, gym Dre Beats – very worth it. In fact, I want a pair myself.

iPod/iPod Touch: You might think that everyone has an iPod because, umm, who wouldn’t? But that’s not true. Sure, some people have never had one… and others just lost theirs (a few times). Some have really old iPods that barely work anymore… or mini ones that fit close to no music on them. And others don’t have the pleasure of having the iPhone, so an iPod Touch is the next best thing – equipped with internet access and words with friends. Score.

Watch: This is only an okay gift if it is expensive and nice. Most men do not wear jewelry at all… But an expensive, bold watch that makes a powerful statement? That would a dream come true – especially for the twenty something beginning their career trying to impress their coworkers. It’s going to be many years until they have any chance of scoring a work Rolex, so go to Nordstrom and talk to a professional about which watch you should buy. Unfortunately, I am not a professional men’s jewelry buyer – but I am a professional shopper and that is what I would do… so take my advice.

A Getaway: This is a great thing to get a boyfriend. He probably won’t ask for it OR be expecting it, so the probability of surprising him is high. As I said before, a gift that is an experience for both of you is much nicer than a material item for one of you. And when you’re spending all that money on him, no worries – you’re spending it on yourself too! You could get a hotel room for one or two nights somewhere nearby, a ski lounge, a city he has never been to but has always wanted to go to, or fun place you can drive/bus/train to. If you’re making a lot of money and plan to go all out this holiday season, a long weekend vaca somewhere warm would be great. Of course, there are cruises, islands, and Vegas – but these are things he should be getting you (yes, I said it) or you should be saving the vaca-gift for his birthday, your anniversary, or a few years – when you’ve been dating a really long time.

iPad: iPads are the new Tickle Me Elmos. People used to legit give others black eyes over the furry, talking stuffed animals. Now people beat others up (most often, virtually) over these black squares full of clouds and technology. Most people can do everything they would do on an iPad on their phone and on their computer… BUT the iPad is cool. And you’re not cool unless you have the COOLEST piece of technology. Plus lugging around a giant computer all the time is annoying as f*ck. The iPad is a pricey gift, so hopefully you pitched in with a few others for a friend or family member… OR if it’s for your boyfriend, I hope you’ve been dating a while and make a decent amount of money. There’s no sense in maxing out your credit card for something that you can’t even use (for instance, if the iPad was for you, that would be a different story)…

TV: Men love TVs. Girls do too… but not in the same way. The bigger a guy’s TV, the bigger his balls. Having a big TV means you have money, you can impress the ladies, you have lots of people who want to “hang out with you” (or your TV), and you can watch any game in HD. Have a 3D TV? You are like king of the world pretty much. Girls will want to be with you because they can watch the Kardashians in HD to have a better view of their flaws… and guys will want to be you because, well, you don’t even have to go to the game to make it seem like you are there. If the guy you’re buying for has a small TV or no TV at all (GASP) – and you’re willing to spend a lot a lot of money on him – get him a TV. You don’t have to get a 60 inch TV (unless he already has a 50)… but if he has a 19 inch, get him a 27… or if he has a 27, maybe look into 32s, 42s, or bigger! For a big gift from a big spender – this is always a great gift for a guy.

Guys – What do you want to get this holiday season? What was your favorite gift? Girls – What do you plan to get for the men in your life this month? What has been your most successful present?