Holiday Gifts for Men.

This is probably my most-requested gift guide this year: what to buy for the men in our lives! Below, sharing a roundup of my top picks for holiday gifts for the gents, most under $100.

+Cape Hatteras Oysters. Note the watermen who run this business (a father-son team!) sell by the 100, so this might be a good gift for NYE with your entire family indulging. You can also buy excellent oysters in smaller quantities from Mook Sea Farm. We sent them to my in-laws last holiday season and they were a huge hit.

+Chess Set. Is anyone else binge-watching “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix? I have a feeling chess is about to come back into vogue. I also like this elegant traditional set and this architectural marble set.

+New Balance Heat Loft Pullover. A great gift for a fellow runner. I own a quilted heat loft jacket from NB myself that I LOVE. It is exceptional at regulating temperature! Currently 25% off.

+Everlane Waffle Knit Henleys. I always like to tuck a couple of elevated basics into Mr. Magpie’s haul at the holidays. Everlane boasts unfussy styling, decent quality, and reasonable pricepoints.

+PWR Supply Portable Charger. Is anyone else’s husband always hovering around a 5-10% iPhone battery charge?

+Sid Mashburn Oyster Belt Buckle. I gave this to Mr. Magpie a few years ago and have featured it a few times in gift guides since — but it is such an interesting, special gift for a well-dressed, bivalve-loving man, and he earns compliments on it constantly.

+Sleek Desk Chair. Mr. Magpie and I are currently in the market for a proper desk chair in our “home office” (ahem, right flank of our bedroom) as the decorative one we have was not intended for the serious use it is garnering in 2020 and we are constantly complaining about our backs. This desk chair is the most attractive one I’ve found (and gots solid reviews all around), though the two most commonly recommended ones for overall comfort, adjustability, etc are by Steelcase (not particularly aesthetically pleasing) and Herman Miller ($$$).

+Outdoor Voices Hoodie and/or Joggers. Mr. Magpie loves the soft knit and sleek styling of this collection.

+Momofuku Chili Crunch and David Chang’s Eat a Peach. A fantastic combo for a food-lover. The memoir is deceptively easy-to-read: there is a lot of meat on the bone.

+Bean Boots. Both handsome and functional. Love them in the heritage green.

+LL Bean x Todd Snyder Heritage Crewneck Sweater. The color! The bean boot! It’s too good.

+Sonos Sound Bar. Your man will die over the sound upgrade. This is a good pick for any dude — but if your guy is an acoustics snob (like Mr. Magpie), Kef is la creme de la creme…but then I probably wouldn’t mess around with buying speakers for him if he’s that particular.

+Calm Subscription. Mr. Magpie has been very into this app, which helps you meditate, relax, and sleep better.

+Marmot PreCip Rain Pants. You know the adage I occasionally throw around, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing”? These rain pants were an eye opener for Mr. Magpie, who now wears them when walking Tilly or taking mini to school in torrential rain (they can be layered over jeans/sweats). Great also for an outdoorsman. We also both have and love the Marmot PreCip raincoat. Great for running or hiking in inclement or windy weather.

+Ralph Lauren Corduroy Bomber. I almost gasped when I saw this coat with its black watch tartan lining — an instant classic, as handsome on a boy of 20 as it would be on a gentleman of 80.

+Nice Laundry Lounge Shorts. If we’re going to be living with athleisure for the forseeable future, we might as well have the Rolls Royce of gym shorts. (People love these shorts.)

+Maison Kitsune Sweatshirt. For the fashion-conscious gentleman. I love this sweatshirt because it’s sleek enough to be worn over a button-down and cheeky enough to seem cool.

+The world’s best flashlight. This $30 gadget is just the kind of geeky utility item several men in my life would love. It’s super-bright, magnetic, and small. Just think of all the uses (tinkering around beneath a dimly-lit sink, flipping a tripped fuse in the circuit breaker, telling scary stories to children, etc.)

+Alex Mill Corduroy Field Cap. A more sophisticated alternative to one bearing his favorite sport’s team logo.

+Chantecaille CBD Cream. If your man suffers from persistent aches and pains (Mr. Magpie destroyed his knees playing baseball in his teens and is currently in physical therapy for them!), many swear by the benefits of CBD cream.

+Apple AirPods Pro. Have written fairly extensively about these, but Mr. Magpie is full-on in love with these and I’d venture to guess that most guys will concur.

+Korin Honesuki Knife. These exquisitely crafted knives are designed specifically for boning poultry, and are best gifted to serious home cooks. (Mr. Magpie no longer buys chicken parts — he exclusively buys entire birds, breaks them down, uses what he needs for a recipe, and keeps the rest for chicken stock. As a result, he breaks down a lot of chickens and has spent a nontrivial amount of time researching the best poultry boning knife. This is it. The brand is no joke and has a range of other knife types, including yanagi for sushi and fruit knives. Delightfully recherche.)

+Onitsuka Tiger Sneakers. For the man who wants to stand out in a crowd of Veja.

+Felix Gray Blue Light Glasses. We are all behind screens a lot more these days…

+Spyder Tailored Ski Pants. I remember when Mr. Magpie first took me skiing, I showed up in a pair of poofy bibs and was embarrassed at all the sleek snow pants I saw on the slopes. I hadn’t realized there were aesthetics to contend with. This pair is tailored, slekk, and comes in fantastic colors.

+Winco Fish Spatula and either Paul Johnson’s Fish Forever Book or Jasper White’s The Summer Shack Cookbook, all three of which find heavy use in our seafood-loving home.

+Granite Ware Lobster and Clam Steamer Pots. These bring such joy to Mr. Magpie’s life. If you grew up in the mid-Atlantic, you know that these are essential to blue crab feasts. We also use them when steaming lobsters and clams.

+Nomad Fishing Nets, if you have an angler on your hands.

+Filson Beanie or Lands End Beanie. I think every man looks great in a beanie.

Some of the items in my earlier post on gifts for loved ones would also work for men, and don’t forget the stocking stuffers!

P.S. Moondance.

P.P.S. I also shared some love for good neighbors this morning.

P.P.P.S. How has COVID19 changed your fall/winter bucket list?