THE ACL GIFT GUIDE 2022

posted by Michael Williams

It’s that time again — gift guide season. Considering my area of expertise it makes the most sense to do a gift guide for guys who have similar interests to me. My thought was to do a guide that could be sent to family and friends to help inspire gift ideas. Additionally, there are also some ideas for ladies and a few gift suggestions for children in the below.

With Black Friday sales expanding earlier and promotions expanding to the point where nearly everything is on sale, it makes sense to get this gift guide out into the world now when people can take advantage of the discounts.

As always, my goal is to highlight the well-made and go beyond the ordinary. Personally, I want a lot of the stuff here and I’m a nightmare to give gifts to — so that made me think this list is promising. Hope this helps and happy holidays.

📬If you want to send someone a gift subscription to ACL, here’s a special deal from me via this discounted link.

🏈 🍺 🍔 GARAGE DAD

⏱ WATCHES

⬆️ Over $2000:

⬆️ Over $1000: Serica GMT CHRONOMÈTRE

⬇️ Under $1000: Unimatic U1S Watch or the Unimatic UC1

⬇️ Under $500: Seiko 5 Sport Automatic Field Watch

⏳ Other watch ideas: straps, watch box or leather pouches.

STYLE DAD

🦖🤖 FOR THE KIDDOS

🚀 OBJECTS & FUN

☕️🍷LIFE ESSENTIALS FOR HAPPINESS

🏌️‍♂️ GOLF DAD

📸 GEAR & GADGETS

  • City Radio. A minimalist-designed radio that can pull up broadcasts from around the world with the press of a button.
  • OneClock Alarm Clock. Get your phone out of your bedroom. The OneClock is a way to wake up in a more relaxed way.
  • Tivoli Radio.Sometimes it’s nice to have the retro form factor of a radio. This is the perfect combination of classic and modern. Plus it looks good on your desk, shelf or bedside.
  • The Best Toaster in the World. These Japanese toasters have a way to add water to increate the humidity inside the toaster to ensure your toast is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.

🌺 A FEW IDEAS FOR LADIES

Instead of me struggling to make quasi-relevant gift suggestions for women I instead reached out to my fashion friend Laurie Trott who’s an expert. The below are her thoughtful suggestions.

  • Jil Sander Tangle Bag. Logos – eh, who needs ‘em? The beauty of a logo-less bag is that it never goes out of style. Jil Sander bags are really well made, beautiful leather, simple details and discreet. They’re super functional because they can be crossbody or just on one shoulder. They’re kind of genius because this size fits both a water bottle and a 13” laptop top. The thin, structured silhouette makes it so you can actually see what’s in your bag, and it slips easily into a larger tote for when you need to double bag on the plane.  
  • Costa Brazil Sun & Moon Body Oil Duo. Because we all want to look a little more Brazilian, kind of. From the former creative director of Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa, comes a body oil crafted from all natural, super-good smelling ingredients sourced from the Brazilian rainforest. Every product is sustainably sourced, environmentally responsible, vegan and free of all the things that are toxic and hard to pronounce (much less remember). This duo promises to give glowy skin while reducing the appearance of those fine lines only the user can see but will complain about endlessly to anyone who will listen. 
  • Marni Sweater. Sometimes you need to take a break from the tried and true classic camel cashmere crewneck and put on a really fun – like, extremely fun – sweater. The mohair knits that Francesco Risso of Marni has been churning out the past year are exactly this. Yes, it’s kind of pricey but it’s a total color party and so much fun to wear. 
  • A subscription to Becky Malinsky’s 5 Things You Should Buy. A newsletter focused on shopping from a former WSJ fashion director, delivered every Sunday to your inbox. Edited and thoughtful, the conversational tone and surprising selection of items each week are a welcome distraction from the barrage of promotional emails and news alerts. 
  • Salomon Hiking Shoes. Ditch the Peloton and enjoy the great outdoors while we still have them. A hiking shoe that works hard on the trail but is just as comfortable with flat, paved surfaces like a local farmer’s market. Because trekking to get that organically grown chard is a workout in its own right. 
  • Tory Sport Fleece Jacket. There are so many fleece jackets out there it seems difficult to whittle it down to which one is right. There’s no wrong answer (ok, well maybe a few) but this oversized one is equal parts sporty and chic and has got just the right amount of quirk with quilted patches and a contrast collar. 
  • Comme Si Boxer Brief. Let’s embrace these amazing boxer briefs that are such a refreshing alternative to the tired sweatpant. 
  • Sandoval Trio. Nothing says I don’t care about you quite like a candle. Nothing says I actually care about you, I respect your olfactory vision and I’ve thought about this quite like aromatic candles, mists and incense from Sandoval. These unisex scents are just woo-woo enough with palo santo, sandalwood, patchouli and you know, all the things. Bonus points because each product has a tiny crystal at the bottom, for extra healing energy. 
  • R Brow Brow Balm. A great stocking stuffer. This all-natural brow balm for perfect, glossy brows from a beauty world insider who knows what is what.
  • Emme Parsons Slippers. Chic, indoor-outdoor slides that you can wear year-round. 
  • Baller Bonus Round: Cartier Panthère Watch. Anyone who says they don’t want or need a Cartier Panthère Watch is either lying or already has one.