If you’re still trying to figure out what to get the men in your life, an etiquette expert suggests a few you should avoid at all costs. Thomas P. Farley, known as Mister Manners, warns that some common presents can actually be insulting to the fellas on your gift list, so you’re better off buying something else instead.
So, what’s on the “do not buy” list for guys this year?
- Anything strictly utilitarian, unless the person specifically asks for it - “Let’s face it, regardless of gender, does anyone really want a mop or a bottle of dish detergent,” Mr. Manners points out.
- Grooming products - You don’t want to offend him by giving a man who’s going gray some hair dye or a product like Minoxidil, which helps with hair loss, to a guy who’s thinning on top.
- Home repair tools or a gift that suggests he should finish that DIY project - “There’s no reason to give five gallons of primer for him to kickstart the house-painting he promised to do.
- Self-help books - Even if you’re giving it to be encouraging, this expert says it’s “best to avoid anything that has an underlying message of disapproval or disdain.”
- Other presents that could fall into that category include something that implies their home isn’t tidy, like a gift card to a cleaning service.
- Also avoid anything that implies he looks old, like wrinkle cream.
- Mister Manners says some gifts are never appropriate to give a man, like a Speedo, a gift certificate for a will-writing website, or a shirt with a message like, “Age is Just a Number … a Really Big One in My Case.”
- And he offers some advice for those giving something that could be considered inappropriate … do it in private. “If the gift could potentially bring embarrassment to the man, it should be saved for a time when he can open it in private - without the shock, scorn or laughter of a peanut gallery.”
Source: Daily Mail
