What women want

Whether she’s the woman in your life or just the one in your office, this time of year can be tricky when it comes to picking out presents that will make her happy. After all, few men have a hotline straight into just what it is that will make a woman coo.

Fortunately, we do. Set amidst rows of supremely savvy ladies, we in the my-wardrobe menswear team have one of the most expert sounding boards in the business when it comes to finding out just what will exact the gratitude of those luxe loving sophisticates.

We’ve divvied up hundreds of potential gifts by type, designed to appeal to current trends and lifestyles – because the best gift is one she can actually use.

So here’s a guide to the guide: see more

Grade A college wear

Collegiate styled menswear for autumn 11 from Polo Ralph Lauren to Burberry Brit

Harking to Oxbridge and Ivy League traditions, the collegiate look is still a lynchpin of modern menswear. The key to wearing it right for winter is making it season-appropriate, by subbing-in thicker textures and autumn ready colourways. Blend your sporty and bookish sides with a clash of tweeds and sweats, which update your look and make you come across as a bit of an all-rounder.

Pile on the layers with collared rugby and polo tops under your gilets, sweaters and Varsity cardies or go for preppy Oxford style shirts in stripes, gingham and check. Shirt, rubgy and jacket is a great layering, as is polo, sweater and gilet. However you team it up, add in chinos see more

The style safe house

Classic menswear from Nudie, Burberry Brit, Joseph, Nicole Farhi and Grenson

This winter there is undoubtedly more adventure in the world of menswear. Patterned knits, glossy nylons and even coloured soles – they would have been considered a little bit ‘out there’ just a winter or two ago. But now it’s all got a bit more peacockish. And while we would actively cheer the dandy and laud the fop, it’s also totally fair enough that not everybody is happy going for the extra colour.

The good news is that menswear is, and always will be, anchored to key categories. A well cut blazer. Quality blue jeans. Leather brogues. The details are going to change – that’s a natural part of the evolution of style – but the core template will remain, making certain items see more

Smythson: style with substance

When Frank Smythson opened his Bond Street store in 1887, his business card read “First class stationery, leather goods and cabinet work.”

That reads like an understatement now (though we’re not sure about the cabinet bit). As the holder of a trio of Royal Warrants for the Queen, her consort and the Prince of Wales, the brand has been courted by some of history’s highest profile shoppers. We’re talking Grace Kelly, Princess Diana, John F Kennedy, Katherine Hepburn. You get the idea – it’s esteemed by the very highest profile people, not just the bubblegum celebrity of contemporary culture. That’s not to say it hasn’t kept up with the times.

Fact is, that’s what we like most about it. The marriage see more

In Time

It’s one of the ironies of winter and the holiday season alike that at the exact same time that we are gearing up for more nights out, we are bound to spend more hours indoors, huddling up against the cold, entertaining guests, prepping the food (and, hopefully, the bar), wrapping presents, watching Christmas movies and generally staying warm and cosy.

So, whether it’s designer PJs and robes from Paul Smith or the essential T-shirt undies from the heritage cotton house of Sunspel (good enough for the Daniel Craig incarnation of 007), there’s no reason why you should deny yourself the quality you demand when you’re indoors, particularly as you are going to be spending a little more time there. Not that you can lounge around in your bedclothes all day. Nope, you can see more

Party: from tux to redux

Tis the season to be dapper. With Christmas parties and work dos galore coming your way it’s time to exercise your most refined sartorial skills. And for once you can invest with confidence. Because the classic ingredients of the eveningwear recipe can now each be taken individally to work in different contexts. A bow tie here, a tux jacket there. You don’t have to wear them just for velvet rope events you know.

Still, it’s good form to start with the classic version. It’s a century and a half since the dinner suit was invented – famously by a Savile Row tailor for Edward VII, and while it was then a dress-down alternative, it is now the most formal red carpetwear. D&G’s slick ensemble epitomises the mood while updating the template with slim lines. Nowadays see more

Winter Style file

There’s no need to abandon your own sense of style just because the weather has changed. By thickening up your textures and tweaking your colorways you can create a Winter-ready look that is in tune with the way you roll. Or rock, of course.

1. Preppy

Upgrade your polo with the long sleeved rugby shirt for increased preppiness. For extra style points, go for a boozy winter tone.

2. Country

Thicken up from your regular country chinos with cords. Just think of them in the same way and wear them either smart or casual. see more

iPad and iPhone holders from Burberry Brit and Smythson

Geeks bearing gifts

It is now possible to marry tradition with technology. Thanks to the heritage of Burberry Brit and Smythson, whose combined existence adds up to 279 years of design (that’s 155 years for Burberry and 124 for Smythson) and a whole slew of Royal Warrants, you can save those screens from scratches with croc and lizard print and patterned leather cases in smoked checks and pebble textures. Go for ultimate luxury with super soft calf interiors and the sort of tech-savvy detailing that means camera lenses remain exposed and buttons line up perfectly. Set your iPhone and iPad apart from the herd (and it is a herd these days…) with a sleek design and luxe finish. see more

Winter 11: The Style List

Men’s designer winter footwear

Tricker’s: Take Care

From traditional brogues to hiking boots, duck boots and bikers, strong and authentic leather footwear will keep you stylish, sturdy and warm no matter what the weather brings. But if they are to look after you properly, you’ll also have to look after them, just a little bit.

Based in Northampton, Tricker’s is the doyen of tradition in terms of quality leathers rendered in the classic brogue styles and so we thought, who better to tell us how to do just that.

Tricker’s director Barry Jones kindly shares a few simple hints and tip to help you keep your Tricker’s leather uppers looking their best during even the harshest months: see more