Gifts For The Man in Your Life From the Montreal Souk
Souk 2013. Photo Laurence Philomene.
‘Tis the season to go shopping, tra la la la la, la la, la, la. Finding that perfect gift, or even an imperfect one, can be as much fun as bad egg nog. While some men are super easy to buy gifts for (hello, new video game for consul, six pack, and a pair of socks to not-quite-replace the ones with holes), others are nearly impossible. While some people think “exciting challenge” others think “horrid nightmare.” At least what usually works is a gift that is unique, understated, and guaranteed to garner admiration/jealousy from friends and colleagues. Curated, basically. If money were no object, go big and bold with a 12 day safari in Nambia or for the fashion king, a monthly membership of the Trunk Club. Both are likely out of budget and there’s nothing fun about buying gifts online. Instead, here is a list of things to buy made in Montreal available at this weekend’s SAT Souk that are probably within budget and are not likely to be found anywhere else (except the internet — most of these companies have on-line websites).
The Man Who Appreciates A Fine Drink: Tonic for the Best G&T
Tonic Maison. Tonic 3/4
Some men love whiskey, some men love beer, some men love a G&T. Food editor Esther Szeben sampled 3/4 Tonic’s Tonic Maison and reported back that it turned the most humble of Bombays into a proper drink. Also, no one likes to drink a G&T alone.
A Man without an Oxford is like a…
Oxford Shirt. Bon Vivant.
Bon Vivant clothing specializes in menswear of high quality and subtle branding. Think Steve Jobs-style, and you’ve got the right idea. This 100% cotton Oxford shirt caught my eye with its classic styling, well spaced buttons, button down collar, clean chest pocket, and timeless chambray in light blue. If you know a man who doesn’t have an Oxford shirt in his wardrobe, now is the time to class up.
A Cheek as Smooth Like a Baby’s Butt
clark and james shave kit
Razor burn and ingrown hairs aren’t on anyone’s list, but a perfectly shaved cheek might be on yours. Clark and James put together their shaving kit for men in an olive-coloured zippered kit bag. This is a proper set of shaving goods: a tin of soap in either unscented or mint, a safety razor with a blade, and a horsehair shave brush. The soap is made out of ingredients you can name: kaolin clay, coconut oil and vitamin e and the tin contains enough soap for 150 + shaves.
The Name is Bond, and this is my Watch
division furtive watch
Division Furtive kickstarter-funded their limited edition watches and raised well past their initial goal. The resulting watch is a light operated that syncs with a smart phone and uses touch screen technology. Only 1000 units of each watch were made, and with 6 billion people on the planet, that makes each one almost one of a kind. In addition to telling the time and syncing with your on-line calendar, it can track the moon phase. The watches also function as decent flashlights, chronometers, and mercifully handy when it comes to dealing with a time zone change.
Toetags Electronics
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