5 Thoughtful Gift Ideas for Guys

What to give, what to get? Modern Fellows has some ideas.  From helping to brave the colder weather to providing a little escape from the everyday, here are five great gift options for guys.

Think about giving a gift for —

1. Braving the cold weather

It’s getting cold out there. Refresh someone’s cold weather hat and glove options. Club Monaco has beautifully textured Donegal and Leather Gloves and  light grey speckled Herringbone Gloves on offer this year.

2. A new year of work

Are shirt and ties unoriginal? Not if you take some time and find something unique. Try an American-made organic cotton shirt from Tuckerman & Company, a precision-fit option from Stantt, a company co-founded by two former brand managers of Johnson & Johnson that offers 75 sizes based on 3 simple measurements and which rocked a Kickstarter launch a while back, or one of the many great finds from Richmond-based Ledbury, which is celebrating six years online. To go with that shirt, Paris-based House of Ties has a variety of options including terrific grenadines and polka dot patterns, like this simple navy tie with large polka dots.

Shoes may be a bit challenging to gift, but if you’re game, startups like Paul Drish, which crafts its shoes in a Manhattan loft, Cobbler Union, and Spain’s Meermin are intriguing options.

3. Nailing those finishing touches

Online direct-to-consumer retailer Everlane has found success with its “radical transparency” pricing model, and it carries a range of finishing touches from wallets to weekenders to dopp kits — but their San Francisco-made, Italian leather belt stands out in its catalog.  Jay Butler — run by longtime style aficionado-turned-entrepreneur Justin Jeffers of the Fine Young Gentleman — has curated a unique selection of men’s accessories in addition to casual footwear, including what look to be wild, supremely comfortable driving shoes.  And you can never have too many socks, particularly when companies like Unsimply Stitched and Nice Laundry are churning out so many attractive new pairs.

4. A little escapism

Here in DC, the Washington Post just released its annual list of the best books of the year.  Skip the non-fiction — it’s kind of depressing to unwrap a book about ISIS on Christmas morning — in favor of some escapism.  Among the Post’s picks: Purity: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen and “the most unsettling, must-read novel this year” by Geronimo Johnson, Welcome to Braggsville.

5. Lounging around

There’s nothing like slipping on a pair of lounge pants at the end of a long day.  Feel even better about it when you buy from startup Sudara, which earlier this year introduced a new line of men and boys jammies.  The socially-conscious company provides training and jobs for the women in India who make them and offers a fresh start and a place to heal from abuse.  Pair those bottoms with a comfortable shawl sweater from Bonobos, Truemaker, this melange cabin shawl collar option from Nordstrom, or Banana Republic’s nice-looking moonless night textured cardigan.