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From a Guy’s Perspective: Gift Ideas

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Iowa chapter.

 

            This will probably end up being my most unspecific “it depends on who the guy is…” type of article I write because there really is NO sure fire thing that you can get a guy that he will love. There are a few things that I think you could get a boyfriend that he would most likely enjoy, but the best kind of gifts follow a few rules.
            1. Be selfless when you get him a gift. I totally suck at this sometimes when I get people gifts, so I understand that it can be a tough rule to not break. For example, I’ll get someone a CD thinking, “Well I’d like to listen to that CD sometime too…”
            Where girls mess this up tends to be in clothing choice. A girl will buy a guy a shirt that she wants to see him wear without thinking, “Does he really want to wear this?” Chances are that if a guy wanted a shirt that was poofy and made him look like a pirate (like that episode of Seinfeld) that bad, he would own it already.
            Buy a shirt thinking, “HE WILL LOVE THIS!” Buy anything thinking that! We buy gifts for people because we care about them and we want them to know that we care about them, and nothing shows that off more than giving them something that they will love, showing you know them that well.
            2. Make them a gift. The majority of everything I have ever given to my mom is still around her house for two reasons. The first is because I’m an amazing artist (duh), but really it’s because I made it for her. Guys still like gifts made for them too. Whenever I write a letter to someone I tell them to send me a drawing. Not to get me a poster or to go out and buy a drawing that actually looks professional (some of my friends are very professional in their art [Katie Figueroa-Russell http://blaklace.deviantart.com/]), I want them to make me something because it takes time and dedication and shows a lot of love to make someone something.
            Unless you’re getting a gift for the douchiest, tooliest, least appreciative asshole on the planet, they will love whatever you make them.
            … Okay so knitting someone a bright pink and purple scarf might break this rule. I mean they’ll like it; they just will be less likely to show it off by wearing it outside ever.
            Some of the best stuff I’ve had made for me are the kinds of things I can look at a lot. A lot are pictures and bracelets and stuff like that, but even having someone make a special cake is pretty awesome.
            3. Know the level of gift you should be getting someone. A gift that you would give someone for your one-year anniversary is different from something you get someone that you just started dating for his birthday.
            It can be pretty awkward to a gold chain from a girl that you just started dating. You have to be able to judge the level of commitment and relationship that you have going on.
            All of this adds up to making a gift that you selflessly think that he will love is a good thing. If something else comes up that you think is a great gift, go for it. Don’t even think about my rules, just go for it.
 
             As far as what to get a guy exactly here are a few things guys like (by that I mean I like and other guys probably would too:
            –Silk boxers: totally awesome and comfortable.
            –Subway/Mesa/Buffalo Wild Wings gift card: I may not have talked about how cool useful gifts are but come on… we’re in college.
            –Funny t-shirts: guys wear them to feel awesome.
            –Dance for him: just being honest…

Peter Frankman is an underclassman at the University of Iowa from Burbank, California. He has a few addictions in his life: writing, reading, heavy metal, Adult Swim, and any movie with zombies. He joined The University of Iowa's Her Campus team as the writer of the "From a Guy's Perspective" articles in January 2011 and hasn't looked back since (except to make sure he doesn't write the same article twice). Peter's a major in both Journalism and Creative Writing and hopes to become a writer in some way, shape or form after he graduates. That or the President of the United States, he hasn't really focused too much to say anything decisive yet... or maybe he has, we're not quite sure. If he had to choose a night of guilty pleasures it would include the Beastie Boys, Monster Import: Light, Zebra Cakes, and a marathon of subpar movies that he thinks are amazing (Blade, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Fast and the Furious, etc).
Nicole Lumbreras is a junior at University of Iowa, class of 2012, studying Journalism and Sociology. Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Nicole loves to explore new restaurants, see live music and attend sporting events. Nicole loves to travel, dance, write in her blog and takes pleasure in the art of photography. Nicole loves to spend time with her friends and family, and when time allows she will get her fill of Bad Girls Club, Glee, So You Think You Can Dance, and Grey's Anatomy. Nicole recently got foot surgery and rediscovered running; her goal is to run a half marathon before she is 25. After college she plans to move into the city (Chicago) with a American bulldog, attend graduate school at night and hopefully write for Chicago Magazine or another fun and upcoming project.