This one’s for the bloke in your life: Manland August 2010

Dad. Daddy. Stepdad. Legalised male parental guardian. Old man. Mate. The relationship between a father and his children comes has many different titles, but always comes with a special bond.

As a parent you have obvious responsibilities to your children. To love them, teach them right from wrong, to be respectful and to treat others how they would like to be treated themselves.

But as a father to three great kids (two of whom are step-children) I think you also have an important responsibility to have a bit of fun with them too. To show your kids that life doesn’t always have to be about sticking to the rules … and behaving. That as long as no one gets hurt, it’s ok to let go a bit, sing loudly the wrong words to songs, splash each other in surf (even when it’s cold), make fart jokes and still be having a laugh just before bedtime! Because as a son, I know some of the fondest memories I have from growing are the funny and silly things my father I did together as he taught me how to live life and be a great dad.

And so to Father’s Day. That one day of the year, outside of his birthday, when supposedly it’s all about showing your father he is loved. For me I hope that involves a bit of time in the morning for a surf, a nice late breakfast with the stylist and the kids and a clean sweep of victories for the various sporting teams I support.

Gift wise, I’m easily pleased. There are so many awesome things you could give to show your man how much he means to you.

Here are a few ideas from the newest product ranges on the market.

Red Zebra Designs – cufflinks priced from $20 up to $49 plus postage

A nice set of cufflinks provide the perfect opportunity to put your own stamp of personality on an otherwise straight up and down white collar uniform. And having been a devoted Lego kid for as long as I can remember, I was immediately taken with these little beauties, produced by Robyn Woodrow, creator of Sunshine Coast-based Red Zebra Designs. Available in blue, yellow, black, white, red and the not so standard purple, the cufflinks are adorned with the classic four block, one of the true staples of any old school Lego creation.

At $20 the Lego cufflinks are an absolute steal as a Father’s Day gift for any dad still young at heart. Other creations in the range include beautifully detailed watch cufflinks, with moving parts, Scrabble pieces, for the wordsmiths, keyboard letters, for the tech heads, and guitar picks for the rock stars. Cufflink sets are presented in a gift box and are available online.

Butcher’s Hook Tee Shirts $29.95

I love t-shirts. There’s nothing simpler, more comfortable and, when worn right, more casually effective than a nice tee, partnered with a pair of jeans or shorts. Reminiscent of their meat loving namesake, Australian brand Butcher’s Hook reckon everything about their products, from the superior cuts to the premium silicon washed cotton, means they have come up with the perfect fitting tee. After a month of road testing, I’ve got to agree. The crew neck neither strangles nor slouches and the V-neck has enough ‘V’ without straying into dangerous man cleavage zone.

And the packaging is really cool too. Each tee comes in a custom vacuum sealed casing, clearly labelled with style and size so you can pick up the right Butcher’s Hook tee as easily as picking the right T bone steak. The range is available in easy to wear colours and three choices of quality cotton; organic, premium and lean. The Butcher’s Hook range is stocked nationally at Glue and David Jones stores, or call (02) 9699 2118 for your nearest stockist.

 

Elle Bache Men’s Espresso skincare range, Maximum Anti-fatigue Moisturiser 50ml $85. Anti-fatigue Roll-on Eye Gel 15ml $75.

Like many of you, I struggle to really get going in the morning without pouring a coffee into me. Especially on weekdays! With the new range from Elle Bache I’ve been using the power of the bean to energise me in a different way with the Men’s Espresso skincare range. The range is ‘eco-certified’ (99% natural) and uses a combination of more than 50 vital nutrients and vitamins extracted from green coffee and barley seedlings to work like a ‘green fuel’ and get the zing back in your face.

So do these products smell like a freshly brewed flat white? No. But do the products leave your face feeling refreshed and energised? For sure. The Anti-Fatigue Roll-on Eye Gel is great. The roller ball allows for easy application and the gel instantly makes your eye bags feel and look a whole lot happier. The Anti-Fatigue moisturiser is enriched with Elle Bache trademark, Aquaxyl, Ginseng and Guarana to invigorate your face morning and night. The men’s Espresso range is available at all Ella Baché salons and David Jones stores nationally.

 

Dr. LeWinn’s MEN Shaving Cream $19.95

I’ve always been susceptible to shaving rash, but have really enjoyed using the Dr LeWinn’s MEN shaving cream, which is part of a range of products designed and tested in Australia. The shaving cream contains pure aloe vera, which creates a thick, creamy covering and moisturises and refreshes your skin while you go about scraping off the stubble. The Dr LeWinn’s skincare range is available at selected Myer, David Jones, Priceline and Pharmacy Stores.

 

Remmington USB Facial Trimmer $63.95 

I do a bit of inter-state travel for work. Nowhere near as much as many execs, but enough to know that keeping your techno gadgets sufficiently charged while on the road can be frustrating and require a heap of different cables. The new USB Beard Trimmer from Remmington provides a great solution for men on the go. Not only is the trimmer a versatile beast, with several different speed and length settings to help you keep your mane under control, but the charger is a multifunctional cable compatible with all other Micro USB devices, so you can charge everything from your mobile phone to your MP3 player while on the go. When fully charged, the has up to 40 minutes of cordless usage. Other features include titanium coated blades, nine-stage comb length adjuster and pop-up trimmer for precision cutting. The trimmer also features new eco-friendly Speed Tune Technology, which allows you to ramp up the power for full stubble control or turn it down to quiet mode when only a light trim is required. The trimmer is washable and comes with a two-year warranty. Remington products are available from leading electrical retailers.

Lydia Jewels Chained To Me Men’s collection Dogtags and Onyx cross necklace $88 www.lydiajewels.com 

 

Holeproof 2 Stripes underwear range. $16.95, Trunks $12.94, Box Cut $24.95 and Boxer $24.95. Available at Myer, David Jones, Big W, Harris Scarfe  and Lowes. 

 

BONDS Originals, Brief ($18.95), Trunk and Boxer ($24.95). Available at Myer, David Jones, Kmart, Big W and independent stores nationally. 

 

Clarins Men Gift Set (Active Face Wash 125ml, Active Face Scrub 15ml, Total Shampoo for hair and body 30ml, Moisture Balm 50ml, Skin Difference 2x3ml, Wet Pack. $68 (value $109). Available at Myer and David Jones. 

 

Thierry Mugler A* Men fragrance City Cube Gift Set (50ml rubber flask, hair & body shampoo 50ml, toiletry bag) $85 (value $100). Available at retail specialists nationally. 

 

 

Azzaro Chrome Sport fragrance. 50ml $65, 100ml $85. Available at leading department stores, select retail specialists and pharmacies nationally. 

 

… and of course I’m hoping for some iTunes vouchers  

Song of the Month

The Wombats – Tokyo (Vampies & Wolves). It was pretty tough choosing song of the month, mainly because there is so much bloody good music around at the moment. Despite having a shortlist of about 10 songs, I’ve settled on the new single from Brit group the Wombats, Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves. If you haven’t heard it already, one listen is all you’ll need to become a fan. Expect to be singing it for the rest of the day.

So, over to you, what’s on your Father’s Day wishlist … or what will you be buying your old man?  

*Kester Hubbard, 32, lives at Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He divides his time between representative duties as husband to Nikki, the resident styling queen, providing alternative life skill guidance to three children and working in the field of communications, now for a major Australian utilities provider based in Brisbane and formerly as a journalist at for Sunshine Coast Newspapers. His coast/city lifestyle overflows into his fashion and grooming sense, where he likes to pick and choose from the best of what is on offer to create an overall look.