With just a few shopping days left until Christmas, we offer some inspiration for last-minute gifts.

So you’ve got all your holiday shopping sorted? Yes, we thought not. The fact is, however meticulously you may plan ahead to ensure the recommended level of seasonal glee among your loved ones come 25 December, there tends to be one (or more) things that get forgotten in the general jolly mess of it all. That uncle that you hadn’t realised is coming for dinner on Christmas Eve. Your sister’s fiancée whom you overlooked because, let’s face it, he’s only been around for six months (and you don’t like the smug way he pats her bum). Then there are other unexpected catastrophes to consider, chiefly the realisation that your brother/ father/ partner has got you something far more impressive than the microphone-shaped soap you thought would do for them. Or the sad fact that, yes, you left one of your carefully picked gifts in the cab home, because you were shopping while under the influence. Ah, isn’t yuletide fun?

For all the above reasons, here is MR PORTER’s friendly reminder that, if you have any gifts left to cross off your list (and you want them to be of the stylish variety), now is the time to act. In fact, unless you live in London and New York and are eligible for MR PORTER’s Premier same-day delivery service (the cut-off for which is 10.00am on 24 December), you might only have a matter of days left to get your hands on our enviable selection of clothing, shoes, accessories and more in time for Christmas Day. So, first things first, make sure to read our Christmas Delivery page to find out when’s the latest you can order your gifts, depending on where you live in the world. Then, if you’re dithering because of a lack of inspiration, read on, for a run-down of foolproof last-minute gifts that could be arriving on your doorstep (or even in your inbox), imminently.

There are many reasons watches make brilliant gifts. Oh, OK, let’s list them. (01) They’re adjustable and fit most wrist sizes. (02) They tell the time, which is always useful to know. (03) He might already have one, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t quite like another. (04) They’re an easy way for a conservative dresser to add some panache to his outfit. (05) They’re pretty much suitable for men of any age. (06) They’re small enough to pack in your carry-on, if you’re going away for the holidays. (07) They come at prices to suit all budgets, from the likes of Mondaine (roughly the same cost as a good leather wallet) to Swiss brand Zenith (more of a hefty investment, but one he will thank you for). Really, the above is all you need to know – watches were made to be given, so why not give one? After all, we’re on a schedule here…

Often the best gifts fall under the category of things-he-never-knew-he-wanted. Or even things-he-never-knew-existed. For example, the above item, a copper-plated cafetiere from maverick London-based product designer Tom Dixon (which can be augmented with a matching tray and set of espresso cups, if you so wish). Now, not everyone spends their days wondering how to upgrade their everyday Bodum, but therein lies the appeal of such items – you can catch him by surprise, even if he’s the kind of man that seems to have everything. The fun continues in MR PORTER’s holiday selection of home and lifestyle gifts, encompassing everything from the latest Nordic cookbooks (perfect if he’s an aspiring Mr Magnus Nilsson) to stylish cameras from Leica and Hasselblad, and heirloom-worthy versions of classic games including Scrabble, backgammon and – if you fancy making Christmas Day a bit more Dr. No – Hector Saxe’s wonderful tabletop roulette set.

Anyone who makes it to December with the triumvirate of gloves, hat and scarf intact from the previous year (ie, without a single element being lost/ blown away/ stolen by a friend) deserves to be awarded superhuman status. Actually, scratch that, we don’t believe this person exists, which means that warm winter accessories is a category that provides ample opportunity for gifting. The best strategy here is to opt for items that he will be a little more careful about retaining in 2016, such as a pair of intricately woven leather gloves (in the house’s signature intrecciato texture) from Bottega Veneta. He’s not going to leave them at the hotel in a hurry. If what he really needs is a bit of colour, we can recommend a brightly coloured hat and scarf set from Scottish cashmere brand William Lockie. But if everything, down to the last button, has to be at the forefront of contemporary style, New York designer Thom Browne also does a rather attractive set of his own, featuring hat, gloves and scarf, all in cable-knit cashmere and embellished with the brand’s signature, schoolboy-ish white stripes.

There are a lot of emotions flying around in December: warm fuzzy family feelings; gratitude and reflection; excitement at the year to come; remorse about the year just gone. In short, it’s a time when he will feel both like planning ahead and, well, expressing himself. Facilitate both urges (and secure an almost unilaterally tasteful and acceptable gift in the process) by scooping one or more items from MR PORTER’s selection of stationery gifts. If he’s on the busy side, a Smythson Panama diary will help him get sorted for 2016. If he’s a more artsy type, a surreal notebook from deconstructionist style brand Maison Margiela (presumably intended for jotting down thought-provoking ideas) should do the trick. Of course, either would be wisely accompanied by a smart pen – this holiday we are particularly enamoured with the warm, metallic examples on offer from Taiwanese brand ystudio. But, yes, something from Montblanc is likely to go down well, too.

Here’s a holiday appeal from MR PORTER: if any of your male acquaintances have spent 2015 sporting huge, bushy beards, please use this magical season to convince them to sort it out. At one point in time, such hirsuteness was a countercultural statement. Now it just feels like ZZ Top are everywhere we look, and frankly, it’s terrifying. A good way to broach this sensitive subject is to gift the man and/ or men in question with some wonderful grooming products that are hard to say “no” to. Present him with a D R Harris four-piece shaving set, for example, perhaps with a shaving kit from Blind Barber, and just see how long he can resist hacking away at the growth on his face. Beard or no beard, a good eye cream, such as Erno Laszlo’s antioxidant complex for eyes, offers a zingy kickstart to a year that will almost certainly begin with a pair of somewhat bleary peepers. Tom Ford Beauty’s citrussy Neroli Portofino fragrance (which we offer in forms including body moisturiser, spray or shower gel) will have a similar invigorating effect.

So here you are, on the evening of 24 December, in serious trouble. With just hours to go, you still have nothing for him, and the only shop you can get to that’s still open is the local newsagent’s. And they’re about to close up. However many Mars bars you throw onto the counter in the next three minutes, you get the feeling he won’t be impressed. But do not despair. There is a much more elegant way to get your last-minute gifts, chiefly by training your browser towards MR PORTER.com and clicking on that helpful “Gift Cards” link under our “Gifts” heading. Of course, if you manage to get your act together early enough, we will post a gift card for your chosen amount out to you in physical form, and you will get to appreciate MR PORTER’s fine-tuned and guaranteed tasteful signature packaging. But, if like most of us, you are a flawed human being, and shopping well beyond the eleventh hour, a gift card can also be delivered to your intended recipient in digital form, via email. You could even do this on the morning of 25 December if you want. It might actually be a nice surprise amid all the “Happy Christmas from Britestar Double Glazing”-type emails that, these days, tend to cram the festive inbox.