The holiday season is wrapidly approaching, and trying to choose a perfect gift for your perfect guy is a challenging task. Small gifts say a lot, which means you have to carefully plot a meaning to convey. This can vary depending on how long you have been dating, if you are dating at all. The more important factor is whether or not the gift suits his personality. Successfully shopping for guys is nowhere as easy as shopping for girls. Let’s admit it; we are all suckers for chocolates, flowers, and jewels. Unfortunately, there is no one set of presents that fits every guy. So here is a comprehensive list of personalities – the guy who has everything, the nice guys, the stylely-challenged, the gadget guru, the jock, andthe music lover – and what kind of gift will give him a happy holiday regardless of the duration of your relationship, and will guarantee you kisses beyond the mistletoe.
The Guy Who Has Everything
The most difficult guy to shop for is the guy who you feel literally has everything. Some guys always get what they want, which is why he has you of course, amongst his vast sneaker, hat, and video game collection and every other item known to man. So instead of adding to his junk pile, give him tickets to a concert of his favorite artist, or possibly to a fun show like “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark,” before the show is finally cancelled. This way you guys can make memories together and have a fun time without having to worry, “Does he already have this?” or “Would he like that?” Buy tickets in advance to get a reasonable price, and always call the box office to see if Student Rush discount tickets are available, if you are conscious about a budget! Tickets to concerts, plays, sporting events, or maybe even museums is always a nice and thoughtful gesture, that will lead to great experience for you both.
The Nice Guy
The nice guy, is a guy who is always giving and is not really concerned with material items. A homemade gift is something perfect for a guy like this, because he will genuinely appreciate all the effort you put into making the gift more so than a new iPod. Create a scrapbook with pictures of you together and list the reasons why you love him. For the more artistically-inclined, knit him a scarf or sweater to wrap him up in the warmth of your love. Making things by hand for a boy you know will appreciate it, shows him how unique and special he is to you.
The Style-Challenged
A big pet-peeve of Fordham fashionistas is how incompetent boys can be when it comes to their choice of garb. For many boys clothes are used to show off their favorite teams colors and mascots, or display what they ate for lunch last week via stains. However, help your boyfriend out and buy him a practical piece of apparel that you know will spruce up his style.
A perfect piece is a cardigan. At first, going all Mr. Rogers on him may cause some concern. However, guys are easily persuaded. Show him a picture of his man crush rocking a cardigan and he will want to wear one too. A good cardigan is very versatile and can be worn with almost any basic outfit in your boyfriends closet. Make sure it’s cozy, as an incentive for him to want to put it on. Urban Outfitters make great, soft cardigans that a guy can wear with a tee shirt and straight legged jeans and look pretty darn spiffy.
Another great option is replacing his ratty old running shoes with some cute Sperry Topsiders or Clark Dessert Boots. These are classic and timeless pieces that will suit your boyfriend whether he be hipsterly or preppy. Buy your boyfriend in what you want to see him in, but be reasonable. Do not buy him a pink bomber jacket and expect to see him in it everyday, or ever for that matter.
The Gadget Guru
So, maybe your guy is a bit of nerd and has a desks filled with peculiar gadgets and gizmos. For this holiday season get him something quirky to add to this collection. The website ThinkGeek has pages and pages of unique gifts that will wow your guy. Get hims a watch with a hidden USB or a SpyCam Video Camera. I am sure there are plenty of gifts on this website that he does not even know he needs just yet!
The Jock
If your man is a mega sports fan, he should be pretty easy to please. Maybe instead of getting him a cliché jersey, get him a basket full goodies with a poster and accessories like a knit hat and gloves for those football games he enjoys in the dead of winter. If he is a true fan, anything of his favorite team will put a smile on his face. Include a calendar, but not one with the plastic cheerleaders, but rather one with the different players for each month, and has the game schedule printed on it. For a “big ticket item” maybe get him a pair of tickets for the two of you to a game…but make sure he doesn’t already have season passes!
For the jock, there are so many options. If he likes playing sports just as much as he likes watching them. Then maybe even some Under Armour apparel would be wise. Those compression shirts and shorts look pretty hot on guys. Maybe, if he isn’t exactly in shape, the new gear will motivate him. With a macho sports guy, shopping for him will be fairly simple.
The Music Lover
If your guy is a huge music fan it may seem sometime that he loves his music more than he loves you. A really fun and unique gift is the Wired Series Hoodie. You can connect your music device in the pocket and listen to the music though headphones disguised as draw strings. Available are cute hoodies and raincaots. It is even machine washable! This tangle free alternative to headphones is pretty cool. With so many thefts in the Bronx, this is a nice way to keep your music devices discrete, to avoid someone snatching it from you as soon as they see the infamous white headphones. Drawstrings in your ears may look a little crazy, but looking crazy in itself is a crime deterrent. Regardless of the safety appeal, this hoodie is a great accessory to add to your guys closet. Like Beiber and his purple hoodie, this jacket will come to define him. Best part is, every time he wears it he will think of you!
Ultimately, go with your gut and get what will you show your guy that you care about his interests, even if they aren’t the same as yours. I believe the cliché goes “It’s the thought that counts!” Feel free to comment below with more ideas. On that note, happy holiday hunting!