by Stephen Roberts

Created on: August 26, 2008

How many times have you thought, I'd love to get him this, but you thought he'd never wear it. You fall back on the why bother- it's not his taste.
Its true many men are very particular what they like, after all there's a machismo to maintain, and the last thing one wants is to be fingered as "a softy". Again and again, women ask what could I get him to wear which is tasteful, and not destroy the man as a man. Most men want to have something to show his masculinity and his attention to detail.

Men have two basic principles: 1) it's got to look good and 2) it's got to be simple. They want a piece of jewelry which is going to speak about them. Many wear only a few pieces; a watch, a ring, a necklace or various combinations of the three. Taste comes with their personality and each of the selections should be reflective of his personality and not strictly your tastes. I've been in the business for over twenty years from retail to manufacturer, from a salesman on the floor, to customer service manager for an Italian gold company. It doesn't have to be expensive to be tasteful and for a man, it's probably good to keep the cost down, unless of course you have money to burn.
I'm going to break it down by personality types and social circles to determine taste, because what one views as taste is determined by the crowd he keeps. A good way to determine what a man likes is by the drink he has. If he drinks Scotch, there's sophistication about him- he's complicated, intelligent and wants to be seen as such. I'd suggest a high end timepiece, something with some diamonds, but not too ostentatious; something which will attract attention and compliment a suit. Gin and Vodka also have sophistication but depending on the drink will determine his taste- martinis are chic and stylish, while Stoli on the rocks represents a sturdy decision maker- a very particular and picky type of guy. Beer represents a down to earth guy who will not necessarily want a piece of jewelry, but will wear one if it's nice and simple.
If you want to play it safe, a watch is a good bet. Every man likes to have a watch and every guy is happy with several for different occasions. The sporty type for every day wear, or the gorgeous dress up watch for a romantic evening on the town or corporate function; Nothing impresses other guys like the sight of a fine watch. It's most likely going to start a conversation, or even a simple- "Wow, that's a great watch". Necklaces, rings, and bracelets are second best and defined again by their personality. I'd suggest you look to see what they wear regularly and observe when they dress up, if they wear something or not. Take note of what they consider "going out" and use that as a foundation for what it is you pick as a gift. If you want it casual, look at how he dresses and what he wears because if you want him to be tasteful, you have to orchestrate a combination of styles which will coordinate his personality with his clothing. Taste is defined by how he's viewed by other's he wants to be part of, and not what others consider him outside of those groups.

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