What's a real treat and exciting to open?

Father’s Day is on the horizon and with it comes the constant dilemma of what to get for the men in your life.

I personally struggle when it comes to buying gifts for men and often my dad will end up with garden centre vouchers or petrol vouchers, all perfectly acceptable gifts but occasionally you’ll want to present someone with a gift that’s less practical and more beautifully gift wrapped object. Something that’s a real treat and is exciting to open. I think clothing makes a really lovely gift especially if the person likes to look good but might not necessarily want to spend much time shopping.

With this in mind, it got me thinking of menswear and current menswear trends and one of the things I love about menswear is that it’s so easy to style if you get the basics right and when it comes to trends, there are generally such subtle changes that it makes buying investment pieces quite simple. There are a couple of things that are investment pieces that also make great gifts, and some are very pocket friendly: a fab baseball hat, the perfect pair of sunnies, a backpack, a utility jacket and luxury socks to name but a few and most of these will elevate your styling on any outfit.

You may scoff at the sheer cliché of gifting socks to your dad but do not underestimate the power of a great pair of socks to add a certain something to your outfit.

There are so many cool colours and printed socks out there that look great just peeking out from under your trousers. Bare ankles are not the sartorial vibe we want. Foxford men’s walking socks are comfortable and made from 100% wool and ideal for the outdoor enthusiast. A baseball hat is another practical gift but one that is also great for easy styling. Again, you can easily add colour and print to your outfits with a baseball hat and my go to for something a little bit more special is a baseball hat from Tommy Hilfiger. The quality means that this hat will last for so many seasons to come and in fact will look even better with age.

If budget allows, I also think a jacket makes a fabulous gift.

Now the dream would be a Barbour jacket and with quality and function combined this is a real investment piece. Especially for an Irish wardrobe that considers our adverse weather conditions. This sort of utility jacket will be reached for time and time again but if you want something a little more budget friendly you can pick up some quality jackets with a designer feel in H&M and River Island.

If you have a little bit more of a fashion forward dad, then you can look at bomber styles which are a huge trend at the moment. I’ve spotted a stunning green, collegiate style bomber jacket in Tommy Hilfiger that would be so easy to style with a basic jeans and white tee shirt.

Lastly backpacks and sunglasses make for great Father’s Day gifts and are also undeniably practical.

Take inspiration from Scandi labels like Rains to ensure your Dad is making his commute in style and add a pair of Raybans to complete the effortlessly chic look. If all else fails a spot of lunch and spending quality time together never goes out of style.