Make your father’s day

Not all dads are the pipe-smoking, slipperswearing type, so why not get yours something he really wants this year? By Lee Holmes

Commercial nonsense it may well be, but this week finds most children – no matter their age – racking their brains about what to buy their dads for this Sunday’s Father’s Day. Power tools aside, the obvious choices are chocolate or, if cholesterol levels dictate otherwise, a favourite aftershave. Alternatively, if your pater is one of those rare men who’s able to recognise the difference between his Tom Ford and his Thom Browne, then why not help him update his look for the coming summer?

To do this, the best rule of thumb is to keep your sartorial choices simple yet polished. His style needs to look effortless and not as though he’s trying too hard. So, with that in mind, the season’s obvious trends should be given a wide berth – camouflage will make him look like he’s taken his Territorial Army duties far too seriously.

Instead, a good waterproof jacket is always a sound investment, especially with the unpredictablity of the British so-called summer. Alternatively, a jazzy print on a shirt is spot-on for when he jets off to sunnier climes, working well with what he endearingly likes to describe as his “holiday wardrobe”. If you want to invest in high-style accessories, try a designer key ring or notebook. And a decent set of headphones will always be welcome, if only to drown out the din of family life.

Ties can be a contentious issue. Your father has probably seen enough bad neckwear to last him a lifetime, so buying yet another one screams last-minute panic buy. Socks are an almost definite no-no too. Who really enjoys watching their dad feign pleasure as he opens another pair of novelty socks? A masochist, that’s who. A masochist who’s fully aware that last year’s pair is probably still languishing unworn at the back of a sock drawer. Shame on you.

Don’t really stress over any of this though. You could, if the thought of shopping sets you edge, give to charity instead. Why not save the whales? For that personal touch, name one after your dad.