The 20 items every man needs

Scandi knits from Arket, leather headphones and utility jackets. Stephen Doig rounds up the ultimate Christmas wishlist

ALONGSIDE questions about what to wear and how, the other questions I get asked as men’s style editor of these parts is the best places to shop. Which, in the run-up to Christmas, as you eye what to put on your list (or indeed, treat ‘im indoors to), becomes ever more pertinent.

The idea of the hand-to-hand combat that is a jostle along Oxford Street fills me with fresh horror, and – despite the job description and Zoolander connotations – fashion types rarely dress in head-to-toe catwalk ensembles (not unless a Christmas bonus is on the way, Telegraph Towers?).

So where to head for a middle ground, somewhere that’s not as soulless as an airport duty free and without the price of a small car?

And which brands craft clothes and accessories in a way that appeals to men’s geekery about where and how things are made? While many of the stores for the brands here are Londoncentric, most have online retail presences too.

This season, From soaps from historical barbershops to tailoring from off-the-beaten-track enclaves, it pays to venture beyond the path familiar.

1 Oliver Spencer jackets

This British designer specialises in “workwear” – utilitarian, everyday pieces, but beyond the fashion parlance that just means great, easy clothes. His suiting is unstructured and distinctly non-corporate, and his jackets and coats come in rich, nuanced shades.

2 Luca Faloni hoodies

Italian cashmere that, while expensive, isn’t in the stratospheric region of some brands. Their version of a hoodie in the sumptuous fabric elevates the sportswear item (and is particularly pleasing on long haul flights).

3 Arket knits

A new Scandinavian high street brand that does minimalist, sleek basics extremely well, alongside sharp, off-the-peg suits in contemporary cuts. See also Cos; there isn’t a fashion editor worth their salt scrub that doesn’t rely on Cos.

4 Drake’s scarves

An independent gentlemanly men’s accessories outfit in Mayfair making exquisite scarves, ties and pocket squares in richly patterned designs (their Indian-inspired silk scarves are particularly elegant), all of it handcrafted in London’s Old Street. Drake’s also makes pin sharp white shirts (and offers vouchers if you’d like to arrange for someone to have one made).

5 Geo F Trumpers soaps

The oldest and possibly most handsome men’s grooming emporium in the world, this British institution has been making shaving brushes, princely razor stands and soaps in wooden bowls (and illustrated packaging) since the 19th-century. A reassuringly old school approach to men’s grooming that’s a world apart from the preened Love Island demographic

6 James Smith & Sons brollies

This London institution has created the kind of upright umbrellas your grandfather would approve of since 1830, and its Holborn emporium erupts with umbrellas with different kinds of hand-whittled handles – bark ash or congo chestnut, for example – like a sartorial florist bursting with glossy black bouquets.

7 Bremont watches

The big Swiss watch brands you’ve undoubtedly heard of, but Bremont’s story is one with charm alongside the prerequisite watchmaking skill. Founded by two brothers with a passion for aviation, with the watches handcrafted as much as possible from their Henley HQ, Bremont’s elegant timepieces are inspired by swashbuckling aviation adventures.

8 Alice Made This cufflinks

Designer Alice Walsh employs the best in British craft to create cufflinks and men’s hardware accessories – including elegant lapel pins, rings and shirt studs – that don’t conform to type. Her sleek designs come in gleaming silvers, brass and coppers, as well as unusual hand-painted patinas. Cufflinks for men who think the accessory is a dated antiquity relegated to their grandfather’s bottom drawer.

9 Favourbrook jackets

The aforementioned Oliver Spencer’s other guise is evening wear outfitter Favourbrook, and is a Pall Mall go-to for sumptuous velvet tuxedos, richly decorative jackets and morning suits. Gifting your other half a velvet tuxedo, which the store will nip and tuck to his spec, is an experience he won’t forget.

10 Creed scents

This historic fragrance house is a masterclass in sophisticated scents. The prices aren’t exactly “stocking filler”, but the experience is a world away from the acrid Duty Free stenches and standard woody aromas that dominate men’s cologne. The scents are original – Green Irish Tweed is inspired by tailoring and features lemon and verbena to evoke grass – and the packaging is suitably regal on your bathroom shelf.

11 Sunspel T-shirts

My stout Scottish fisherman ancestors might balk at the idea of a simple white T-shirt costing £65, but what if it’s the only white T-shirt you’ll have to buy for years? Sunspel, quite simply, makes the best T-shirts (and underwear), with their factory in the Midlands handcrafting every element of each one. If it’s good enough for Daniel Craig’s Bond…

12 Trunk Clothiers tops

The dashing Swede Mats Klingberg, founder of this menswear emporium, may bill his business as a “cosy neighbourhood shop”, but it’s the only one that blends niche Italian labels with best of British brands like Crockett & Jones instead of milk and