Having a romantic reminder like Valentine’s Day during the year helps us all remember to inject a little more love into our lives. Get something cool for your man the Feb 14 – check out our 5 tips for romance with style.
There’s always a lot of unnecessary pressure around Valentine’s Day. Christina and I tend to treat it just as a gentle reminder to do something fun together.
It doesn’t have to be – and shouldn’t be – overly extravagant, expensive or complicated; even if it’s simply taking a moment to acknowledge each other.
And if you want to give each other gifts, sure chocolates and flowers are great, but with a bit more thought you can come up with some really cool ideas that will mean a lot more than a generic gift would.
So what’s the bottom line?
Well, I always need help with my fashion sense and love it when Christina gives me things that do just that. I trust her taste, so when she buys me style gifts, I know they’ll fit my ‘look’ perfectly.
We’ve put together a quick list of 5 gift ideas that would be perfect for guys this Valentine’s Day.
These are relatively inexpensive, are easily available and aren’t too big a statement that’ll make him feel uncomfortable if his gift to you isn’t a 5-star holiday to the Seychelles.
5 fashion gift ideas for him this Valentine’s Day
1. Wallet
The rule of thumb I’ve heard about wallets is that they should always be gifts; you never buy one for yourself. Trouble is I’m really picky when it comes to wallets.
I don’t like a bulky wallet or one with a zip that’ll make my pocket all lumpy. The Bari Wallet from Buckle 1922 is perfect. It’s got 2 large compartments for cash and receipts at the back, 4 card slots at the front and a bigger section for business cards etc on the left.
Plus it’s called the Bari, and you probably know how much we love that town in Puglia, Italy!
Shop Bari Wallet here: $59.00 from Buckle 1922
2. Pocket square
I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of wearing a pocket square in my suit and blazer jackets. I wore one for the first time at our wedding and really enjoyed the experience (and the wedding!).
Pocket squares really add an extra level of detail and colour without much effort.
And if you want to add even more detail to your jacket, check out their range of lapel pins like this Carnation Red pin.
Shop my Cross Pocket Square here: $29.00 from Buckle 1922
And for other men’s accessories from Buckle 1922 here.
3. Socks
When you think of socks as presents, it sounds like you’ve run out of ideas for Father’s Day or Christmas, not giving a romantic gesture. But if your man has a favourite designer, see if they also make things like socks.
Christina knows how much I love Paul Smith clothes, so she buys me socks from there from time to time. They’re great quality and very comfy, they look awesome and they’re from one of my favourite labels.
When you put thought into a present like this, you’ll always be onto a winner in the romance stakes.
Shop Paul Smith socks here: $37.62 from East Dane
4. Glasses
If your man’s a whisky drinker, he’ll love a new glass to sip his favourite dram from. I used to think my Reidel O Series whisky glass was a bit thin and that tumblers should be big thick bulky chunks of crystal.
But this is such a beautiful glass to drink whisky from.
Shop the Reidel O Series whisky tumbler set here: $34.00 from Peter’s of Kensington
However, if he prefers a drop of wine or beer instead of whisky, Reidel have all types of drink-specific glasses and decanters.
5. Skin therapy
Gone are the days (or so they should be) when men were embarrassed about moisturising and taking care of their skin. Bringing your fella something to keep his complexion perfect is 100% acceptable.
I actually think it’s a kind of romantic thing to do together: pop on a face mask together, watch some telly and drink a little wine.
Recently, Christina gave me a new face mask to try and I’m totally hooked. The Algenist Perfect Clarifying Pore Corrector mask is actually amazing.
Plus it’s bright red and makes you feel like you’ve just come from some kind of crazy Braveheart Medieval battle or something. Very manly.
Shop Algenist Perfect Clarifying Pore Corrector mask here: $55.00 from Sephora
There are so many ways to show the special person in your life that you still care about them. It doesn’t have to be with gifts (especially if that’s not their Love Language), but it’s a good place to start.
And romance doesn’t have to happen only on Valentine’s Day either, but there’s nothing wrong with having something to blame it on, is there?
Now, tell us: do you have any Valentine’s Day tips? What’s the most romantic day of the year in your calendar? Tell us in the comments below!