HAPPY HOLIDAYS ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

I’ve enjoyed sharing with you during this past year my ideas on cooking, working out, music, and of course fashion!

Cooking certainly gets a large number of comments…followed up in close second by my fashion blogs.

Now, I’d like to ask you to think about your upcoming Holiday Gift Giving needs…your own personal wish list also if you are a guy who shops with me…

Here are some gift ideas for this year’s Holiday season with some hopefully helpful tips:

Most guys have their favorite jeans.  Whether that be Levi’s, Agavi, Citizens of Humanity, or Alberti…my favorite.  You need to know if your guy wants a very trim-fitting leg…a regular fitting leg…or a looser leg.  Your favorite sales person should be able to help you make the right choice!  Dark navy seems to be the color of choice.  Most guys don’t have a pair of black dress jeans…and love them when they get them…don’t be afraid of indigo…almost black jeans for your guy!

Alberto dress black jeans...perfect fit!

Top coats this year are either the traditional full-length shown on the left…or a hipper, shorter version as on the right.  Here, I’ll tell you that finding the coat on the right may be troublesome…you’ll probably be able to find shorter coats known as “car coats”…but if your guy wants a trimmer, smaller lapel version…ask your sales person to have someone in the store try on the garment.  See how wide the lapels are…if larger than 3 1/8”, the coat is a little more conservative. …ask your salesperson to measure the lapel for you.  Also note how trim the garment fits on the model…and try to compare his build to the person for whom the gift is being considered.

Black is, once again, the best-selling color.  Charcoal is a close second.  The fashion color this year is a “brolive”…or brown/olive combination.

Custom top coats in luxurious wools and cashmere blends!

Many guys are throwing out their wallets!  Most of my customers no longer use wallets, preferring to only carry one or two credit cards with their cash in their front pocket.  A money clip is a perfect gift for this guy!  M-Clip makes the best money clip I’ve ever found!  Google them and seek out a store near you!

The best money clip money can buy! Customizable too!

If you have a younger person looking for a suit, consider a three-piece suit…i.e. one with a vest.  The lapel should not be larger than 3 1/4″ nor smaller than 3″.  A smaller lapel will be pretty trendy…and is OK if you are looking for an extremely trendy outfit…but for work…look for a lapel between 3″ and 3 1/4″.  Flat front trousers are the most popular today and should be the norm.  You should be able to find a few vested options in your favorite men’s store if you shop early!

The look is classic elegance with a twist this season…so perhaps it’s a bold stripe as shown below with a vest…dark charcoal or navy worn with brown shoes!  Flip through GQ online for some fashion ideas!

Updated three piece suit with a vest

A great gift idea for the guy who has his suits “covered” is a simple sport coat for those “business casual” office days, as well as those Holiday Parties where the attire is a little better than jeans and shirt.  I advise the KISS formula…keep it simple sam!  Solid fabrics or “non-solid solids”…i.e. small patterns that when viewed from aback look solid.

Custom sport coat...a fitting gift!

For that well-suited guy, there are always cuff links, custom shirts, and beautiful silk ties.  Knit ties are very popular this season as are wovens.  See my Fall 2011 Shirt Guide for a discussion on this season’s shirt styles.   Type in Shirt Guide in the “search” box in the upper right corner of this blog to find it!

A woven tie is one where the pattern is actually woven into the tie itself vs. a “print” tie where the pattern is screened onto a flat piece of silk.  There are plenty of beautiful ties in each version.  Fancier stripes, paisleys and smaller geometric-patterned ties are popular.

Cuff links, custom shirts, beautiful silk ties...

And…lastly…but not leastly…a Gift Certificate from your favorite men’s store is always a safe alternative if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for.

If all else fails...a gift certificate from your favorite men's store!