James Haskell’s Christmas Gift Guide
By JAMES HASKELL
Well here we are again! Just over a week before Christmas and nearly another year has flown by – it seems like only yesterday that I was making my 2013 gift recommendations for The Sloaney. Men are notoriously hard to buy for, so I’ve scoured around again this year to find my top suggestions for you Husband, Father, Son or Partner. If you are anything like me, you won’t have even made a start on your shopping yet so hopefully these suggestions can take some of the pressure off!
Estados Card Holder – £32.39
For a while now I have been looking for an evening wallet; something slim and stylish which I can keep a couple of cards in for a night out, and replace my larger wallet that I have to carry around day to day. I hate going out with a large, bulbous wallet in my pocket – its uncomfortable and ruins the line of a suit. I found a perfect solution in the Estados card holder. Handmade from premium leather and suede, they hold a number of cards and look very smart too. I went for dark brown and Burgundy as its more of a fun look but they do other styles too. Check out the different options here: http://www.estados.co.uk
Dada Underwear – £18.00
The next item on my list is Dada’s Bamboo Underwear. In the best possible way, my underwear takes a bit of a hammering. Not because I’ve got some weird hygiene problem but because I’m consistently playing rugby, and training, so there is quite a high amount of wear and tear! I’m therefore always looking for good quality underwear which look and feel good. Dada are unique in being made form 60% soft bamboo fibers. This means that they are ethically produced and also very comfortable. They have a different number of styles available, some with “profile enhancing pouches”…not that I need that of course! Men are generally pretty bad at picking underwear for themselves, so take the plunge and kit out the man in your life with something a bit more stylish! To see the full range visit their website here: http://www.dadaunderwear.com
Saville Rouge Scarf – £59.99
The winter months are obviously upon us and it’s starting to get really cold. If you are a sports fan or a rugby fan then this next item is for you. The guys at Saville Rogue very kindly sent me my very own custom Wasps scarf. They’re a great company. They do a variety of scarfs for all the premiership and rugby league teams. They’re extremely smart and come in a really nice gift box too. They’re not covered in any logos or branding so you can show your support in a somewhat more subtle and stylish way than the usual team garb. For more options visit the site: http://www.savile-rogue.com
TOM FORD Grooming Beard Oil with beard comb – £46.00
My next item is a bit left field but something which I have got a lot of use out of recently. With the rise of the hipster, more and more men are rocking a beard; some more successfully than others! The key to making a beard look good is careful grooming. This conditioning oil should be used daily to keep the hair soft and manageable. The provided comb helps to smooth and shape the beard so producing a smart but masculine look. This is a really luxury present that any man with a beard would really appreciate – it would also be the perfect way to hint to your man that they should start growing one! For more information visit the site: http://www.tomford.com
TomTom Runnder Cardio GPS Watch – £219.99
The final item on my list is a little bit of technology. Obviously I write about health and fitness for the pages of The Sloaney and I’m always looking for gadgets and technology to really help people. Lately I have been testing out the TomTom GPS Watch, which I have found to be a really great workout tool. You can obviously customise it to what kind of session and program you’re doing. You can get an instant heart rate without having to wear a clunky belt, which often is not ideal and turns people off wearing heart rate monitors. It tracks your movements and progress and then links to your computer so you can get a report of how hard you trained. There are many products available that do this kind of thing but the ease of use is the reason that it really appeals to me. For more info please visit: http://www.tomtom.com
