My mission this Christmas is to shop locally and in as many independent businesses as I can. The real challenge though, is what to get for the men on my list.

So I teamed up with Nick Fotache (a fellow entrepreneur at Platform 302, the coworking office on Cumberland Avenue in Hamilton) to get a guy’s perspective on ideas for gifts.

We chose Newman’s Menswear on King East – it’s one of those classic fixtures in Hamilton that you always hear about, but I’d never been before. It’s absolutely beautiful inside, restored hardwood floors, tin ceilings, and repurposed furniture like an antique post office table displaying socks in the mail slots.

Nick was instantly adamant that any item from Newman’s would be an appreciated gift. Everything is so unique and unlike what you would find in a mall or department store.

We agreed on our top 3 gift ideas:

SOCKS:

Okay, seems like a super boring idea, but you gotta check these socks out – they are the coolest.

With the recent trend of skinny jeans, shorter hems, and rolled cuffs, cool socks are a must for guys, and you won’t find anything like these anywhere else.

AVIATORS:

These are always classic, and look great on every guy no matter the age or profession.

And who doesn’t want to look like Maverick from Top Gun?

TIES:

Not a ho-hum gift idea, but a bow tie is a little more unique and has become popular again recently. The gorgeous quality of the ties at Newman’s instantly make it a special gift, and you’ll have fun trying to choose from all the amazing patterns.

Aaron Newman, the third generation owner of Newman’s, is the guy who appears in their print ads, and he’s very generous with his fashion knowledge and gave us lots of great advice. He also told us all about his effort to source his inventory from North America, and if that’s not possible, from Italy and Germany.

Choosing to support a business in your own community instead of a big box or franchise is a small decision that makes a huge impact in growing our local economy! You can find Newman’s Menwear at 773 King Street East in Hamilton.

-Suzanne