THE JOURNAL
Don’t run out of time – MR PORTER delivers right up to Christmas Eve .
It’s only a handful of days before Christmas and you’ve not had a second to think about shopping, what with all those Christmas parties to attend and Christmas-party hangovers to deal with. But we’re not here to judge. While you’ve been rockin’ around the Christmas tree, the elves at MR PORTER have been working overtime to ease your pain – after all, the difficulty is all in the choosing. Below, however, you can find some failsafe last-minute options that will put a smile on every face come 25 December. What’s more, we can deliver them to your door up to and including Christmas Eve (with same-day delivery on 24 December in London and New York) – Click here to see the last Christmas delivery dates based on where you live.
So don’t bother fighting your way through the crowds. Dial up the Ms Darlene Love, whip up some eggnog, and blitz through your present list by snapping up some of these.
Anyone who’s into fitness (read: everyone) loves a new pair of sneakers to replace the scuffed and pongy pair languishing in their gym bag. These Nike Air Zoom Terra Kiger 3s are as suitable for half-marathon runners as they are for yoga addicts – but work especially well for trail running. Fitted with shock-absorbing rubber soles and lightweight mesh uppers for comfort and breathability, these ones in military green (a top colour this season) will help him reach his personal best looking his, well, personal best.
The Oxford shirt is one staple no man should be without. Versatile and timeless, it can dress up a pair of jeans and sneakers and dress down a blazer (no tie). This one by Thom Browne comes in a universally flattering shade of sky-blue with a rounded, button-down collar. The brand’s tricolore grosgrain trim at the placket adds a neat flourish. It can be worn under a blazer for work or dressed down with sweatpants at the weekend. A shirt for all seasons.
The man who means business needs the right tie to match. It’s also one of the few accessories, along with cufflinks and socks, with a licence to inject a little character into a corporate uniform. Remember, in the complex language of style, the type of tie a man wears speaks volumes, and this two-tone one by Berluti, which is knitted in lustrous slate grey and burgundy silk, shouts loud and clear that its wearer is a man of impeccable taste.
Mondaine is the original purveyor of modern, minimal elegance. Its watches, based on the train station clocks in Switzerland, are fuss-free and enormously appealing to the man who doesn’t like anything too showy but appreciates a classic design. The Helvetica No1 Light watch has been crafted from durable stainless steel and fitted with an ultra-accurate quartz movement, sapphire glass lens and a stylish Milanese bracelet that’ll compliment every outfit. Like a pair of Common Project Achilles, you can’t go wrong with this one.
It’s only right that a business traveller carries his essential grooming minis in a wash bag of equal calibre. So, give him an upgrade with Common Projects’ cross-grain leather wash bag that complies with all hand-luggage requirements. Lined with pouches and zipped pocket, it’ll fit everything from Byredo fragrances to La Mer elixirs. If you’re feeling extra generous, why not throw in a MR PORTER grooming kit for good measure.
There are as many haute headphone brands these days as there are members of Band Aid, but few look as good as they sound. These wireless over-ear headphones in lamb leather and matte silver aluminium have been calibrated to offer a rich bass and a warm treble, and using innovative noise-cancellation technology, they will block out the screaming child on the plane and the drunks on the subway.
The scent of a well-crafted candle has the ability to take you to a rainforest or up a mountain, without ever leaving the house. OK, we exaggerate, but give someone Diptyque’s Green Figuier scented candle and you can guarantee they’ll come over all #tbt, with their thoughts turning to balmy summer nights in the Med as the sweet notes of fig and fruit mingle with the woodier bark and fresh forest leaves. Cased in a sleek, hand-blown glass votive, it’ll take pride of place on their mantelpiece, long after it’s all burnt down.