When I was just a wee lad (as you say in England, no?) my family would take yearly summer vacations to various locales. These were always wonderful little trips, filled with the textbook family joy and pleasant stories for the grandkids, with the exception of one recurrent event: my mother’s shopping expeditions. Mummy Dawn, in an effort to save time and effort throughout the rest of her year, saved all her shopping for the summer and she would take us with her to help carry bags. The very first impressions, therefore, I ever had of men and shopping were of my own pained feet and my father’s dour expressions. Even after Daddy David wizened up and began to craft some ingenious excuses to avoid having to go shopping (“I don’t want to go.”), I would still see on other men who had been trapped by their wives or girlfriends that same forlorn frown and weary look in their eyes.
My Dad during a shopping trip
Strangely enough, I think my Dad would be in the minority at Bicester Village. Of course there’s still the odd son or husband walking around who’s been suckered into becoming a pack mule for the day, but most of the Village’s male shoppers seem just as eager to outfit themselves as their better halves. Now, in this modern rebirth of male grooming (or even… vanity?), you’re likely to see as many men in the Oswald Boateng’s checkout line as women in Agent Provocateur’s. This would be a perfect time to segue into my…
Father’s Day Gift List
Needless to say, the Village is the ideal spot to pick something up for Dad, or even for yourself if you want to celebrate how good of a father you are. These are my top picks.
1) For the Sporty Dad: Puma Speed Cats (Was £60, Now £40). Sleek, simple and too cool (or old?) for school.
Puma Speed Cats
2) For the Trendy Dad: Jacket, Shirt and Tie from Paul Smith (£560à £375, £110 à £70, £65 à £25). I love the colour coordination. He can stand out from the crowd… subtly.
Paul Smtih ensemble
3) For the Techno Dad: Bose SoundDock Portable Music System (£349 à £279). You would not believe the quality of sound that this little piece of machinery generates.
Bose SoundDock
4) For the Accessorized Dad: Diesel Sunglasses from David Clulow (£100 à £66). They speak for themselves.
Diesel Sunglasses
To the credit of my own father, however, let it never be said that he is inconsistent in his convictions. If you even so much as bring an empty shopping bag near him then you best be ready for a fist fight.
Cheers ye ole blokes.
P.S. Happy Father’s Day Dad!
[Oscar the Grouch Photo Credit: Runs With Scissors, under Creative Commons License]
Tags: Bose, Diesel, Paul Smith, Puma
