What To Get Him For Christmas: The Music-Lover

"AH! It's 4 days until Christmas and I still have no idea what to get this guy! Men are SO hard to shop for!"

I always swore to myself that I would never be this person--scampering around aimlessly mere minutes before Christmas morning still clueless as to what to purchase for my wishlist of individuals with utterly perplexing hobbies and interests.  Yet, here I am, like perhaps many of you, less than four days out scouring over Amazon in hopes of finding some brilliantly inspired gift with which to take advantage of my procrastination-induced subscription to Amazon Prime and its accompanying 2-day shipping.  Only minutes remain on that happy little banner reading, "Want it by Christmas Eve?"  I'm tempted to scream at the absurdity of such a question.

But while my final gifting endeavors threaten to fall into the unthoughtful and unoriginal wasteland that is the iTunes gift card,  I would like to summon all my remaining Christmas spirit to perhaps help some of you fellow last-minuters with one of the most difficult gentleman in the universe to buy for--the Music Lover.  (Just make sure at this point you've got some serious cash for 1-day shipping or a drive to Chicago)

1. Don't Forget the Obvious

El Camino by the Black Keys-Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay

Ok, let's be honest, long gone are the days when you could just buy someone a few CD's from the Music section in Best Buy and call it a day.  Piracy, iTunes, and digital media in general have essentially slaughtered that gifting notion.  That said, don't be afraid of the gift of music, they are "-lovers" after all--times merely call for you to get creative.  If your gentleman giftee is a collector, try picking up a vinyl copy of one of their favorite albums or a classic like Led Zeppelin or the Beatles. Or if by some cosmic phenomenon as a "music lover" they've managed to somehow NOT add the two incredible albums above to their collection, get creative like my friend--who made me a giant sandwich-board sized Mylo Xyloto cover and gave me some music on a flash drive.  Brilliant.

2. "If Ya' her dat Boom-Bap"

A true music lover knows there's no substitute for high-definition, quality, bass-so-bumpin-it-gets-yo-heart-pumpin sound. So this Christmas, give them a musically-induced head implosion with some of the premier headphones modern acoustics have brought us.  While these are certainly not for those content with the $10 pair of Wal-Mart earbuds (as these will set you back around $200 dollars each) they're sure to give your gentleman music lover the eardrum-tickling experience of a lifetime.
Beats by Dr. Dre
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones

3. For the All-Out Tune Spinner

If the music lover on your list has surpassed the normal affinity for music and blossomed into an all-out music fanatic, try something that'll keep them occupied straight until next Christmas.  This wicked cool DJ Software Controller for iPad or iPod is perfect for the guy who likes to remix his entire iTunes library for all his apartment neighbors to hear.  Of course, if your musical gent is missing either of the aforementioned Apple devices, you might just want to stick with a mind-blowingly cool sound system or some concert tickets.

And with that, my dear readers, I leave you to your own devices.  I wish you godspeed should you decide to venture out to the hellish world of retail at any point in the next week (especially the 23rd or 24th) and hope your gifting dreams all come true.  As this will most likely be my last post for this year, I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and thank you for a wonderful first year of this blog.  Cheers and God Bless you all.

How To Talk To Girls

Take some dating pointers from the amazingly insightful, Alec Greven--this century's Prepubescent Gentleman Gandhi:

What to Get Him for Christmas #1: The Dandy

"I have NO IDEA what to get him for Christmas! Guys are so hard to shop for!"

Sound familiar? If you're like me, you've undoubtedly heard this sentiment repeated more times than Christina Aguilera's abominable version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas on a department store radio.  And I'll admit (to a certain degree) that we gents can often be challenging to buy for, especially if we have slightly more of a personality than to be ecstatic at a Dallas Cowboys jersey and accompanying bean dip football under the tree every year.  Let's face it, the gentleman on your list deserves something specially tailored to his character, something that embodies who he is and simultaneously who he wishes to become, all the while bringing you (the gift bestower) immense satisfaction at the realization that you nailed the perfect gift for your special dude (husband, boyfriend, brother, father, what have you.) 

So it is with these goals in mind (along with a personal mission to ensure Christmas stays alive and joyful despite the drudgery and frustration that can result from gift shopping) that I present to you readers the far from definitive guide to shopping for men of all types.  And as this is a style guide written at the hand of a sartorially-inclined, mid-twenties educator, our first type of guy will be that of which I claim to know the most about--the Dandy.   

Now for this list we will broaden the usual definition of "dandy" to include any male who generally gives a rat's behind about the way he presents himself--the shirt and tie type of guy, the business man, the artsy student, or (I don't know...) the teacher.

1. The Grown Man's Backpack

If the guy on your Christmas list is an office (or classroom) type of guy and he's still tossing all of his belongings into that tattered old Jan Sport from college every morning, it's time to help him upgrade.  Scroll through some of these to get more of an idea what will really fit his tastes and personality.  Vintage? Black or Brown?  It's up to you.  Just keep it modern and less hard, square and drug-deal-ish.

2. Swanky Stocking-Stuffers

What dandy gentleman could resist a stocking filled with delightfully sharp cufflinks and pocket squares in place of socks and that M&M's Candy Cane tube? (which, I'm not gonna lie, I actually do enjoy finding and devouring....the candy, not the socks) Check out some of these brilliant sites for some easily-bought swagger with a price you won't still be paying off next Fall.

3. The Finishing Touch

One of the absolute best gift ideas for any gentleman is something that they've never thought to buy themselves but soon wonder how they lived without it.  A slick pair of brown leather gloves is one of those gifts.  And if your dandy gentleman is also a film fanatic, he'll definitely love these near copies of Mr. Gosling's from Drive (bullett and hammer not included). A wool scarf, an exceptional timepiece, or even one of those hideously charming holiday Cosby sweaters are all guarantees of your spot in the gift-giver hall of fame; as well as in the mind of your very happy dandy gentleman each time he gets a compliment on your exceptional and thoughtful Yuletide swagger-booster.

Check back soon for more Christmas gift advice for gentleman of all types, including the Music Lover, the Jock, and possibly more if I find myself with extra time!  Cheers!