By Matthew Longcore
Christmas is my favorite holiday for so many reasons, not the least of which is the music. As a lifelong Anglophile, I have always had an affinity for English Christmas carols. “Good King Wenceslas” is my all-time favorite, and I especially love the Celtic folk version from Loreena McKennitt on her 1995 album A Winter Garden. I also enjoy “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “I Saw Three Ships.” A more rarified favorite is “Suo Gân” – the traditional Welsh lullaby which featured prominently in the 1987 film Empire of the Sun.
St. John’s College Choir, Cambridge has a wonderful album titled Christmas Weekend which has all four of these classics plus a fifth song that seems entirely apropos for a season of gift-giving: “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” While the lyrics of this carol date from the 18th century, the best-known melody is derived from a 1909 arrangement by English composer Frederic Austin. Each of the twelve verses describes a gift given by one’s “true love” on one of the twelve days of Christmas.
In honor of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” here is a holiday gift guide with a curated selection of items for the ivy style men in your life.
Men’s Ivy Gift Guide
The perfect curation of gifts for the Ivy man.
- The Andover Shop Royal Stewart Plaid Viyella Shawl Collar Robe
A jacket and tie are not required to be well-dressed. Sleepwear can be stylish too.
- St. John’s Holiday Cologne Gift Set – 3 Mini Travel Sprays
Timeless style deserves a classic fragrance.
- Jay Butler Cromwell Penny Loafer
Shoes are the most important wardrobe item. These penny loafers are classic.
- Classic Fella Lightweight Button Down
Winter is the season for layering. This lightweight shirt looks great on its own or under a sweater.
- Duck Head Bradbury Wide-Wale Corduroy Chino Khaki Embroidered Ducks
The duck motif is timeless and naturally no one does it better than Duck Head.
- Timeless Tartans Bow Tie
Give the loyal alumnus a gift that celebrates his affiliation with his alma mater. The Yale bow tie is shown here.
- J. Press Wool Tartan Tie – Baird
There are few things more Ivy than a wool tartan tie and this one is the nicest.
- Chipp Neckwear Bernese Mountain Dog Cosmetic Bag
Chipp is known for neckties, but they also have fine cosmetic bags for gentlemen.
- Caswell-Massey Cologne Discovery Set – Newport | Greenbriar | Woodgrain
These three gentlemanly fragrances each offer something distinct. Here is way to try them all.
- Mercer & Sons Classic Navy/Green/White Tattersall Broadcloth
You simply can’t find a finer dress shirt anywhere, and tattersall is the epitome of elegance.
- Fish Creek Brands Christmas Ornaments
Who doesn’t love needlepoint? Fish Creek makes great custom belts and these festive ornaments too.
- Lilly Pulitzer Tie and Pocket Square Set
Lilly Pulitzer is getting back to menswear as I discovered on recent visit to Splash of Pink in Westport.
The robe would pair nicely with Drambuie and a fire. Could one pair the tartan tie with the tattersall shirt? The colors work, maybe too well, but pattern matching is a challenge for me. Would it be too busy?
I had the exact same thought. I like patterns, and matching them is just fine in my book. It would make a nice pairing, tartan and tattersall.
Looking for the pics of the Mercer & Sons shirts, I see that they have succumbed to the urge to update their website. I do love their shirts.
And now I see a new sponsor, Timeless Tartans. My Alma Mater has no tartan, nor a crest, (as she has Methodist roots, not Presbyterian or Anglican/Episcopalian), and I’m not one to willy-nilly appropriate one. Maybe it’s time for me to offer up my services. I remember, back in the day, seeing the University seal on some merchandise. Meanwhile, I guess it’s time to ask Santa for Ben Silver blazer buttons. A bit pricey, though.
My wife was just asking me for Christmas recommendations, and I see that Kamakura has reopened their New York store next to Grand Central. Has anyone here been by to check them out?
Hi Kaaterskill,
I’ve used Kamakura back from when they had two Manhattan locations, then after the closures for their MTM visits in New York and Washington, and now to their “shop” in NY. One important note – the new shop isn’t really a retail store in that you can take merchandise away but rather an order salon where you order product and pick up later. Not an issue for me, but wanted to make sure that you knew the details – no instant shopping gratification here – for now!
Looking for quality cotton knit shirts. Lacoste shirts are so flimsy.
J. Press and The Andover Shop each offer hjgh quality 100% cotton pique polo shirts.
https://jpressonline.com/products/solid-pique-button-down-polo-navy
https://www.theandovershop.com/products/pique-knit-polo