Searching for the ultimate classically-inspired holiday gift for a family member, friend, or the gentleman in your life? Or maybe it’s time to indulge yourself this holiday season? No matter who you’re shopping for, our expertly curated gift guide, organized by price point, is sure to have something you’ll absolutely adore!

Up to $50

The ideal gent’s

Stocking Stuffer

What makes an old pair of shoes look brand new without worrying about sizing or fit and at a fraction of the cost? New shoe and boot laces! A dash of unexpected color or unique texture from new laces can change your shoes or boots’ formality, appearance, and effect. And best of all? No sizing to worry about.

Just $9 per pair!

Gentleman Jon Alum Block ($10)

Necktie Travel Roll Case ($12)

Traveling with a necktie can be risky; they are easily squished or creased in luggage, and what’s the point of having a tie if not to look good? Check out this simple and inexpensive solution for frequent travelers: the necktie travel roll case. While we don’t recommend storing your ties rolled for longer than necessary, this is a great solution for getting from point A to B.

Available on Amazon!

Kent Wang Horn Collar Stays ($15)

Keep your shirt collars looking crisp and elegant with these horn collar stays from Kent Wang, sustainably sourced from water buffaloes. Each of these stays, which measure 2.5″ by 3/8″, vary in color from a warm brown to a deep tan, and thanks to the natural flexibility of the horn, they will offer years of service, keeping your shirt collar points from appearing lank or crumpled.

BUY NOW!

Vorspack Dopp Kit ($16)

Be ready to help your man look his best on his next trip, no matter where life takes him! This durable and attractive dopp kit is 10 x 5 x 5.5 inches: large enough to handle all you need but still easy to stow in carry-on luggage. The waterproof interior lining protects you and your clothes from accidental spills.

Anker PowerCore III Sense 10K ($20)

Here is what one of our writers, Elaisa, has to say about this power pack:

“I like my purchases to be worthwhile, so I always try to find the best brands that will satisfy these three considerations: cost, quality, and aesthetic (I know not everyone will agree with this, but let’s be honest, everything needs to look good these days). So I’ve been using this power bank for almost 2 years now (gifted this during Christmas Manito-Manita last year), and it has proven its worth. This has been dropped a few times, and I couldn’t see any scratches or cracks, although the back is prone to fingerprints—it’s not really a problem for me. The standout factor for me is how super lightweight it is, despite being able to charge my phone 3-4 times, plus it’s fast charging! Compare this with other options of the same charging capacity, which are heavy, bulky, and really add weight to your luggage or travel bag. This power bank, however, is travel-friendly and compact enough to fit in small bags. I also use this to charge my DJI Pocket 2, and it can charge it up to three times, allowing me to take videos of the beautiful places I visit. If you look at its textured cover, you’ll notice the cool, modern look of the surface details, and I love the effect  (I also love gray, so …). It’s the first thing others notice, too, often earning me compliments, so I’m really happy with this one.”

scented candles by

Lulu ($20+)

With dozens of different scents available, these long-lasting soy candles with cotton wicks will help you set any desired mood in any space in your home. One of our favorites is warm pipe tobacco!

Buy now!

Colorful Montblanc Ink Bottles ($26)

What do you give the fountain pen lover who has everything? How about a bottle of Montblanc ink in an exciting and unexpected color? From modena red to toffee brown and amethyst purple to Irish green, these unique shades help even the most accomplished writer stand out in the best possible way.

Crane & Co. Stationery ($28)

Could there be a better complement for your exceptional gift-giving than when they send you a “Thank You” note with the fine stationery that you bought for them? Crane & Co. offers a wide array of writing papers, envelopes, and cards: you can even create a custom set!

Air Tags / Galaxy Tags / Tile Trackers ($30+)

Are you constantly losing little items like your keys, the remote, or a commonplace book? Or are you afraid that your airlines might lose your luggage? Consider a discreet but extremely helpful tracking tag that allows you to hunt down those lost items wherever they might be hiding. Consider Airtags for optimization with Apple products, Galaxy Tags for Android phone users, or Tile trackers for a generic option.

Classic Vinyl Records ($30+)

Audiophiles often say that nothing compares to the pressed-in audio fidelity of a genuine vinyl record. We’re inclined to agree, and if anyone on your “Nice List” owns a turntable, consider expanding their LP collection with a few classic records. We suggest In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning by Frank Sinatra, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, and Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

You can find re-releases on Amazon or originals in your local record shop.

Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.

Smoky Trio ($33)

Enjoyed as a cooking ingredient, a crumble over salads, or by itself, tinned fish from The Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. is a delectable stocking stuffer that any fish-loving fellow will enjoy. Caught in Norway and smoked in the state of Washington, he will flip over this fantastic fish; we suggest starting with the Smoky Trio pack of salmon, mackerel, and rainbow trout.

Highball Wood Cocktail Muddler ($38)

Muddling cocktails helps to release the fragrant oils of citrus fruits and herbs. Some muddlers can be too narrow or slippery, which makes a simple Mojito far more work than it should be. This muddler is nearly as wide as a typical highball glass, offering a better grip and preventing the fruits and herbs from escaping being crushed. For the home cocktail enthusiast, a muddler is a tool that is as attractive as it is functional.

Bottoms up! Find it on Etsy!

Fort Belvedere Black Tie Accessories ($45+)

Black Tie elegance has never been easier (or more dapper!)

Fort Belvedere

Black Self-Tie Diamond Bow Tie in Silk Satin Sized with Pointed Ends

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Fort Belvedere

Dark Red Carnation Boutonniere Life Size Lapel Flower

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Fort Belvedere

Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Onyx Ball – 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated

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Fort Belvedere

White Linen Pocket Square with Handrolled Edges, Made in Italy

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Fort Belvedere

Finest Over The Calf Socks in Black Silk

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Fort Belvedere

Black Satin Evening Shoelaces

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When it comes to formal attire, every little detail matters. Help him get the details exactly right with these stunning Black Tie accessories from Fort Belvedere. Everything you need to make a smoking Le Smoking ensemble is here, from decadent silk dress socks to crisp bow ties that are individually sized and come with various bow styles to make your formal evening look all your own.

$50 to $100

J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist Art Book ($50)

Whether seeking out vintage style inspiration or a way to liven up a drab coffee table, J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist by Laurence S. Cutler and Judy Goffman Cutler chronicles the life and career of this remarkable illustrator with a fascinating narrative and countless high-quality, vibrantly transferred full-color photographs of his most famous and iconic works.

Luigi Bormioli "Veronese" Rocks Glasses ($60)

When your dad drinks, make sure that he drinks in style. Luigi Bormioli is one of our favorite producers of beautiful, functional, and practical barware. We especially like their “Veronese” line of rocks glasses because they have a lovely heft that feels great and keeps your drink in place while the thick glass prevents your hands from warming up cold beverages; the beautiful classic lines don’t hurt, either!

Bottoms Up! Buy them here!

Fort Belvedere Wool-Silk Pocket Squares ($60+)

Over 100 pocket squares are available at the Fort Belvedere website!

Fort Belvedere

Buff Rabbits on Navy Blue with Green Silk Wool Pocket Square

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Fort Belvedere

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

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Fort Belvedere

Purple, Orange, Green, Blue Silk Wool Pocket Square

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Fort Belvedere

Peruse Our Entire Collection

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During the colder days of the year, pocket squares in a wool-silk blend look particularly dapper because they are less shiny than their all-silk counterparts, and the colors are still vivid but a bit more subdued and, hence, perfectly fitting for the season.

Museum Membership ($60+)

Give the gift of culture and the arts this holiday season by surprising that special someone with a local art, history, or cultural museum membership. Whether for a connoisseur or a newbie, a museum membership is a gift that can be enjoyed the entire year. Our local art museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offers starting memberships at just $60.

Roberto Ugolini Fragrance Sampler Set ($70)

Can’t choose between all of the fabulous fragrances offered by Roberto Ugolini? Now you don’t have to! This sample pack gives you access to the entire line to wear and test each fragrance to find your perfect fit.

Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel 11 ⅞ Fry Pan ($70)

Raphael himself swears by this pan as a versatile option that doesn’t break the bank like other brands can. He has found that the 11 7/8″ size is ideal for most home chefs.

Want another tip? Raphael says: “Elevate your cooking experience with a Lodge silicone handle.”

Folio Society Classic Edition

Books ($75+)

For the dedicated reader, these handsomely bound and illustrated editions of favorite novels could be the perfect way to experience a beloved book again. We especially enjoy the James Bond books by Ian Fleming.

Shop the whole collection

Wireless Earbuds ($98+)

Wireless earbuds make it so easy to enjoy music discreetly, talk on the phone, or block out that outside noise! For best results, select a product that matches the make of the gift-receiver’s mobile phone. We suggest Sony WF-C500 Wireless Earbuds for Android phones and AirPods for iOS users.

$100 to $300

Annual Subscription to the Criterion Channel ($100)

Elevate their streaming experience with an annual subscription to The Criterion Channel this holiday season. An incredible repository of foreign, art, and classic films, The Criterion Channel features thousands of films that will keep the cinephile in your life busy until next Christmas!

Thrifty Traveller Premium Subscription ($100)

For the dad who loves to travel, consider a subscription to Thrifty Traveler! The Schneider family has been utilizing this program for years, and it has saved them thousands of dollars. It also allows them to upgrade to business class for international flights. Say “goodbye” to coach!

This program provides one-on-one personal credit card recommendations based on your spending behaviors, and they advise you on the best way to go about collecting miles so you can collect points and transfer them to all airlines. Even if you don’t collect miles, they have great cash deals domestically and internationally. The premium subscription gives you access tp their portal and email newsletter, where they send you deals from your home airport that you can then book, all with great step-by-step instructions.

Please note that this program currently only operates in the United States of America.

eReader ($105+)

This Gift is Preston-Approved!

A dedicated e-reader eliminates the distractions of other devices, allowing the user to focus fully on reading. When Preston was gifted an e-reader (in his specific case, an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite) by his wife, he was initially unsure whether or not he would get much use out of it; after all, he had considered himself someone who appreciates the tactile, experiential nature of paper books. While this remains true, Preston immediately realized the benefits of the e-reader when taking a trip to Sweden in the spring of 2024. Not only did he have a more engrossing way to occupy his non-conversational downtime at airport gates and on trains than simply scrolling on his phone, but he could choose from a far wider selection of books than if he had endeavored to bring physical copies along. Further, many e-readers support free e-book loans with a valid library card, so Preston was happily able to reengage with his local library. He reports with some pride that after going several years finishing one book or none at all annually, he has read five books and counting in 2024!

Genuine Balsamic Vinegar from Modena, Italy by Villa Ronzan ($110)

When we say “real” balsamic vinegar, we don’t mean the kind you buy at the grocery store or even on the shelves of your local Italian specialty store. Authentic balsamic vinegar is produced in a strictly regulated, time-intensive process carrying a D.O.P. stamp. One of our favorites is made by Villa Ronzan.

Find it on Amazon

Custom Portrait Illustration ($120+)

Give the gift of an unforgettable work of art! Online or locally, find an artist who will transform your photographs, like a portrait or treasured memory, into a unique piece of art.

At the 2023 Belvedere Bash in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we commissioned a local artist, Claire Ward, to create fashion-style illustrations of some of our guests’ fantastic ensembles.

Henckel Classic Set of Four

Steak Knives ($125)

Bon appétit! Every steak he eats will taste better thanks to these classic and elegant steak knives.

available on Amazon

Fort Belvedere 4-Cardholder Slim Wallet ($125+)

Give the gift of the slimmest, finest, most elegant card carrier wallet! The four study slots on this cardholder will allow him to carry all of his essential cards in a slim profile wallet that won’t ruin the lines or drape of his clothes. With nine colors and four leather varieties, we offer a slim wallet to suit every style, occasion, and type of gentleman in your life!

Fort Belvedere

Black Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Togo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Golden Brown Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Togo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Orange Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Togo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Boardroom Taupe Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Togo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Black Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Americana Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Vintage Gold Tan Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Americana Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Antique Mahogany Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Montecristo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Saddle Brown Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Montecristo Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Fort Belvedere

Saddle Brown Slim Card Carrier Wallet with Cash Pocket in Full-Grain Dumont Leather

Only Available from Fort Belvedere!

Piedaterre Venezia Velvet

Slippers ($135)

Throw the bunny slippers in the trash and help him upgrade his house shoe game with a gorgeous pair of velvet house shoes. Our writer Eb Daniels loves his emerald green pair from Piedaterre Venezia, and with dozens of decadent color choices, you can find a pair to suit any style or personality. They also carry slippers in other materials for warm weather and hotter climates.

It always pays to invest in items that keep you comfortable, and that’s doubly true for anything that also helps to keep you dry! A quality stick umbrella is a dapper tool that ensures you look great while avoiding the wet.

Fort Belvedere Pen Cases ($145)

Vintage Tan

Full-Grain Leather

Mahogany

Magnet Closure

Togo Black

Full Protection

Discover the ultimate in luxury and protection with our high-quality luxury pen pouches. Crafted with precision, these pouches feature folded edges and are made entirely from top-grade leather—no fabric, just pure elegance. The magnetic closure ensures easy access, allowing you to effortlessly retrieve your writing instrument whenever inspiration strikes.

These pen cases are designed to safeguard your treasured writing tools, whether it’s a fountain pen, ballpoint, or rollerball pen. Not only do they provide superior protection, but they also add a touch of sophistication to your everyday carry. Elevate your writing experience and make a statement with a pen pouch that reflects your refined taste. Choose our luxury pen pouches and protect your pens in style.

Don’t miss out on owning the finest accessory for your writing instruments. Act now and indulge in the elegance and functionality that only our pen pouches can offer!

World Poker Tour Clay Poker Set ($150)

When it is poker night at The Gentleman’s Gazette, we gather around the table and play with Raphael’s exceptional World Poker Tour clay chips. Looking for a pack of cards? We use Copag.

Fort Belvedere 4 Suits Poker Pocket Square with Embroidered Hearts, Spaces, Clubs, and Spades

Be ready for poker night with this fun 100% Italian linen pocket square from Fort Belvedere, embroidered with the four suits. We can’t guarantee it will bring you luck, but we can guarantee that it will help you look your very best!

Will Luck be a lady tonight?

Fort Belvedere

Watch Cases

Starting at just $175 for a single-capacity case and available in two- and three-watch capacities in four different Italian tannery-made leather finishes, these carriers are fully lined in grippy suede that naturally holds and protects your watch in place.

Luxury Watches need luxury cases

HORL Knife Sharpening Set ($189)

A good chef knows that his knives are only as good as their sharpness, because dull knives are ineffective and dangerous; but getting knives professionally sharpened is inconvenient and can be expensive. Enter the HORL Knife Sharpening Set, featuring all of the tools that you need to keep your fine knives in fine shape.

Raphael Schneider loves to cook, and he has derived considerable use and benefit from this set, so he highly recommends it. In fact, it is so easy and fun to use that Raphael almost looks forward to sharpening his knives, meaning that he is more regular in his care. This attentiveness drastically improves the lifespan of the expensive German and Japanese knives that the Schneiders own.

Shun Premier 8″ Chef’s Knife ($200)

We’ve tested numerous chef knives. There are many we like, such as the Wustoff knives from Germany and the Evercut Furtif from France, but the one we like the most is the Shun 8” Premier chef’s knife from Japan. It is lightweight, surgically sharp, easy to use, and comfortable for most hands. What makes it an especially stunning investment piece is how beautiful it looks on the counter with the gorgeous dark wood handle, its gold cap, and the layered Damascus cladding with a hammered tsuchime finish. 

Baturina Classic Dressing Gown ($215+)

Whether he’s bundled up against the cold or getting ready for an evening out, he will love doing it in a classic men’s dressing gown. We are particularly impressed with the offerings from Baturina. No matter your choice, it will look much better than a pair of sweatpants!

Audio-Technica Bluetooth Stereo

Turntable ($220)

Old favorites sound better on a turntable record player, and if he has a collection of records, he will love listening to them on this hi-fi record player outfitted with all the latest bells and whistles.

Find it on Amazon

Bose Portable Bluetooth

Speaker ($220)

Don’t let inferior speakers ruin your listening experience. These exceptional speakers from Bose connect wirelessly without compromising sound quality.

Available from Amazon

Roberto Ugolini Fragrances ($255+)

Give him the gift of an introduction into the rarefied world of luxurious niche fragrances with a beautiful flacon from Roberto Ugolini. These exceptional scents represent the pinnacle of olfactory excellence in the world of menswear. With an expanding collection from which to choose, find your and his new favorite scent today.

Full-Grain Leather Passport Holder ($260)

When traveling, focus on the experience, not on managing your flight credentials with bulky folders, multiple wallets, or crammed pockets. Introducing the Fort Belvedere Passport Holder, crafted from premium Italian full-grain leather and designed for frequent flyers. This passport protector and document carrier offers all the storage you need, including three passport pouches, seven card slots, and a full-sized central pouch. Elevate your travel experience with the Fort Belvedere Travel Document Holder today!

Available in Four Leather Finishes

Cotton Bathrobe by

Frette ($265)

Whether leaving the bath or leaving the pool, a quality and classic bathrobe keeps away the chill while layering on the class. Frette is an Italian company that has been manufacturing fine household products for decades and even holds an exclusive commission from some of the world’s finest luxury hotels; our writer Eb Daniels bought his from the Gritti Palace Hotel in Venice, Italy!

Fort Belvedere Leather Wallets ($270)

If he uses it daily, he should love it, so find a wallet he will love at Fort Belvedere!

We aimed to create a bifold wallet that combines spacious storage with a slim profile, using high-quality full-grain leather for durability. By precisely skiving the joining sections, we reduce thickness, and each material is chosen to ensure a sleek look without losing function or sturdiness. We redesigned the central pocket layout to make it slimmer without losing capacity.

This wallet offers eight or ten card slots and a divided main pocket, maintaining its slim profile even when fully loaded, thanks to our careful design choices. While other brands might achieve thinness with smaller card slots, tighter card placement, or synthetic linings, we focus on intentional design to keep the wallet thin and functional.

Saddle Brown

European Leather

Vintage Tan

Leather Dividers

Mahogany

Full Capacity

$300 to $500

Bossanova Kingsize Classic Hammock ($300)

Hammocks are a tradition in South America, and Raphael has enjoyed using one to relax since childhood with his Brazilian father. Unlike synthetic hammocks, this handmade Brazilian hammock is made from breathable, durable organic cotton, which keeps you cool and comfortable. 

Luxury Caviar from Paris

Kaviari ($305)

Served at some of the finest restaurants in the world, including Atlas in Atlanta, where our write Eb sampled some, this Kaviari Imperial Beluga Caviar is the ultimate luxury stocking-stuffer for the gormound in your life.

Get the toast Wedges!

Persol 649 Sunglasses ($342)

Classic rounded sunglasses not only flatter almost all faces but also have the unique ability to make young faces look more mature and more mature faces look more youthful. The iconic Persol 649-series sunglasses are rightfully famous in Classic Menswear as the epitome of stylish flair and charm and will make the ideal addition to any wardrobe. Thanks to their dark tortoiseshell coloring and combination of oversized, organically curved frames, these sunglasses will naturally suit the overwhelming majority of face shapes, meaning that no matter what your father’s face looks like, it will probably look awesome in a pair of these stylish Italian sunglasses.

Bowhill & Elliott Opera Pumps ($380+)

Let's Hear from Jack Collins!

“Am I biased because I live near Bowhill & Elliott? Perhaps. Am I biased because I’m a classic style enthusiast who loves his Bowhill & Elliott opera pumps? Absolutely. When it came to assembling my first black tie ensemble for my 30th birthday celebrations, I knew I wanted something that would be specific to an eveningwear outfit, so no high-shine oxfords for me; it had to be black patent leather. The beauty of the opera pump is that you can then also wear them with a white tie ensemble if ever given the chance, so you’re getting a surprisingly versatile shoe in one purchase. With an almost indestructible leather sole, the opera pumps from Bowhill & Elliott pair longevity with comfort, as the low vamp and quilted lining make them perhaps the most comfortable element of your eveningwear wardrobe. Plus, Mr. Sinatra found opera pumps to be so comfortable and stylish that he used to wear them for traveling. You can’t get a better endorsement than Frank.”

Riedel Wine Decanter ($400)

Decanting allows wine to breathe, which helps to release its aromas and flavors. This is especially beneficial for young red wines, which can be tight and closed off right out of the bottle. Riedel has been manufacturing luxury glassware for decades and remains a leader in the field, and our writer Eb receives nothing but compliments when he serves wine from this elegant decanter that also has the benefit of being very easy to clean.

Maglia Dark Maple Umbrella ($440)

Getting soaked in a sudden rainstorm is never a good look, so make sure the gent in your life is ready for any weather by arming him with a telescopic umbrella from Maglia, makers of fine umbrellas since 1854. Built to last, perfectly waterproof, and beautiful, too, these umbrellas are some of our favorites.

Take shelter under this umbrella now!

Baracuta G9 Harrington Jacket ($450)

When Raphael first reviewed the Baracuta G9 Harrington jacket, he didn’t think that he would like it. Imagine his surprise when it quickly became one of his favorite transitional jackets.

We’ll let his review speak for itself:

“First of all, it comes in a really large range of colors but it also has a very pleasing slim modern cut, even though it was designed in 1937. I’m really pleased with the length of the sleeves. On top of that, it’s a very functional jacket; I can wear it when it’s raining outside when I need to pick up some groceries or drop off my daughter somewhere.

If you consider the price per wear and you just wear it ten times during the spring and ten times during the fall for just ten years, that breaks down to $1.95 per wear which I think is totally worth it.”

$500 to $1000

Museum-Quality Replicas ($500+)

Make his desk or den the envy of any collector with a quality, large-sized reproduction of a beloved work of art. On a large scale, these replicas become one-of-a-kind decorative items themselves and will always make a monumental impression on anyone who sees them.

Check out these offerings from Design Toscano, the Getty Museum, and Museum Replicas.

Season Tickets to a Cultural Event ($550+)

During the season of giving, consider a gift that can be used year-around: tickets to a recurring cultural event, like a season of plays, musicals, or operas. While season tickets are available at many price points, for an unforgettable gift, why not splurge on prime orchestra or mezzanine seats? After all, who doesn’t love an excuse to get all dressed up?

Montblanc MB 01 Over-Ear Headphones ($600)

If the man you’re shopping for is an audiophile, he should never compromise when it comes to enjoying the beauty of sound; too often, headphones are made too small for men with larger ears, like Raphael. Whether he has large ears or not, he will never have to compromise with these classic over-the-ear style headphones from Montblanc. Made with high-quality aluminum, fine leather, and robust silicon, these headphones will last even when taken on the road or through the skies on long trips.

Nakata Valet Stand

“Giorno” ($650)

He will truly feel like the lord of the manor when aided in his dressing and undressing by this beechwood valet stand made in Japan by Nakata. The sturdy hangers keep his jacket and trousers handy and neat while the tidbit tray provides the perfect temporary storage for a wallet, keys, cufflinks, and similar small objects. This model even features an elevated shoe rack for airing shoes; Nakata has truly thought of everything.

Lello 4080 Musso Lussino Ice Cream Maker ($700)

We all scream for ice cream, and with this fun and easy ice cream maker, your dad can make it himself! With a 1 ½ quart capacity this industrious little machine can freeze up to three quarts of ice cream or sorbet per hour. Fully automatic, you only need to fill it with ingredients and then push two buttons with preconfigured settings for different frozen confections.

Raphael received this exact model as a gift from his family and making his own ice cream has quickly become one of his favorite hobbies. Every time Raphael makes ice cream for others he is inundated with compliments and after dessert he is happy to show off this handy gadget to his guests.

Tissot PRX ($725)

What does Chris Dummer have to say about this classic wristwatch?

“The Tissot PRX is an excellent holiday gift choice for those who appreciate timeless style blended with modern functionality. Its sleek, retro design nods to classic 1970s timepieces, offering a vintage charm that’s right on trend. This watch is versatile enough to be dressed up or down, making it suitable for any occasion and a perfect wardrobe staple. The Swiss craftsmanship ensures precision and durability, signaling a gift of quality. It’s a thoughtful present that speaks to one’s taste and the desire to offer something both luxurious and practical. For anyone looking to make a lasting impression, the Tissot PRX won’t disappoint.”

Classic Silk Pajama Set ($885)

Nothing will make the man in your life feel like a gentleman of leisure quite like a true silk pajama set. Traditional pajamas, composed of a button-down, notch-collar lapel shirt and matching drawstring bottoms, used to be a department store staple. Few men wear them anymore, so why not revisit them with this ultra-lux pair from Derek Rose made from 100% silk? You won’t be afraid to open the door for the UPS guy wearing these pajamas.

$1000+

iPad Pro 13-Inch with Keyboard and Stylus ($1250)

As a busy entrepeneur who seeks out the best technology, Raphael is never far from his iPad Pro. The 13-inch screen lets him see what he needs to see without affecting portability. And with a stylus and keyboard interface, he can utilize this tool in any way he needs to get things done, whether he’s at the office, commuting, or riding in an airplane.

Whether the lucky fellow who receives this gift uses it for business, pleasure, or both, we believe that the beautiful iPad Pro will make a welcome addition to his tech cadre; Raphael certainly can’t get enough of his!

Sony Alpha 6700 Camera ($1500)

Superlative cameras have never been cheaper, and when it comes to remarkable value at an attainable price point, the Sony Alpha 6700 leads the pack. With a 26 MP sensor, AI-based subject recognition, 16-50mm zoom, and the ability to shoot 4K video, he will put Man Ray to shame with this versatile little camera.

Jack, our senior content manager, has recently begun shooting more photographs for us and he prefers to use the Sony Alpha 6700.

Available on Amazon!

Belstaff Leather Jacket

Trialmaster ($1795)

Invest in his comfort and his style with a quality leather jacket like the Belstaff Trialmaster. The silhouette of the Panther jacket hasn’t changed in years, so you can be assured the look will remain relevant for years to come. The tumble-finished, hand-waxed cowhide leather also makes it a much sturdier leather jacket than most.

Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case ($2150)

As a regular luxury traveler, Raphael knows that there is no substitute for a quality suitcase. Recently, we partnered with Sterling Pacific to discuss their 40L cabin travel case. As part of that partnership, we carried out a thorough review of this luggage and found it to be an exceptional product.

Whether as a gift for yourself or for the jet-setter in your life, this suitcase could be a perfect addition to their travel trousseau and an ideal luggage option.

Cartier Tank Must ($3450)

Jack says: As an icon of not only horology, but also of design, the Cartier Tank has always been on my radar as a “grail watch”. The simple, elegant, and utterly timeless design pairs with so many varieties and combinations of clothing, making it an extremely versatile watch. The price is also an attractive factor, as many Tank Musts were produced in the 70s and 80s, meaning you can find an exquisite version on the vintage market for around $1500 – $3000. When compared to the price of similarly iconic watches, and when you consider how much wear you’ll get out of it, it’s a remarkably low investment AND cost-per-wear item that’s still valuable to treasure and eventually hand down as an heirloom piece. As a final thought, the quartz-powered Tank Must makes it a tremendous watch to travel with due to its reliability, and the almost silent movement (and lack of a seconds hand) means it feels and looks far more elegant. Invest in an additional strap to change out between light and dark colors for added bang-for-your-buck, or go with an expert-level forest green, oxblood, or gray strap for the ultimate “one-watch collection”.

Berkel Flywheel Slicer ($6600)

For the man who has everything and loves to eat,consider a manual flywheel meat slicer that adds a unique culinary twist to any kitchen space. Raphael enjoys this example from Berkel that offers several benefits that make it a standout choice for both home and professional kitchens.

Made with high-quality materials and attention to detail, these slicers are not only durable but also add a touch of elegance to any kitchen. Their vintage design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, making them a conversation piece.

Using a Berkel slicer can enhance the flavor and texture of the food. The sharp blade and precise slicing help maintain the integrity of the food, ensuring that each slice retains its natural juices and flavors. This results in a superior taste experience that is sure to impress guests and elevate any meal.

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Conclusion

We hope you’ve found something for every gentleman on your shopping list! If not, here is additional content that may help you on your holiday search!

Few things define a classic gentleman’s wardrobe like a carefully chosen piece of vintage tailoring. Today, we’re delving into two exciting finds from Victory Vintage—a Norfolk suit and a morning coat ensemble. Will they reveal rare details, unique stitches, or a forgotten chapter of sartorial history? Let’s unbox them together and find out!

Initial Impressions

I’m here at the Arterton Lounge in London and received a package that I’m quite excited about. I’m headed to Goodwood, and Jack Collins and our team recommended the site Victory Vintage. I found a really cool Norfolk suit and ordered it, along with a morning coat ensemble. Let’s open it up and see what we’ve got.

The Three-piece Norfolk suit

All right, opening it up, I see a full set of trousers. What I liked about the suit was that it came with trousers and breeks, all in the same pattern. Now, out of the box, I think the trousers might be able to accommodate my thighs. Of course, as I’m unpacking it, I’ll look at anything that might look weird or strange.

I can see here that I’ll probably go to my alterations tailor and have the trousers fixed a little bit. But overall, it looks pretty good; it’s in pretty good shape. Looking at the bottom, the hem protector is in perfect shape. I doubt this has been worn very frequently.

I also noticed it has about an inch of extra fabric, but not so much on the other side. The jacket has a nice pleat in the back—a center pleat. I can feel the shoulder padding with a nice weight to it. The smell is not so good. It could use a dry clean. I don’t know if I can do that in time for Goodwood, but we always have a good amount of Roberto Ugolini fragrances that will do the job.

Roberto Ugolini

Oxford Cologne

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Roberto Ugolini

Azzurro Cologne

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Roberto Ugolini

Loafer Cologne

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The waistcoat is pale yellow, not a buff waistcoat but a linen waistcoat with mother-of-pearl buttons, and is single-breasted. I may get some use out of the waistcoat, though I have a long torso, so it may not always work, but it was just part of the set as it was sold.

The Morning Coat

What I found really intriguing about the morning coat was that it was advertised as coming with trousers, and the trousers are not in the pack. I liked that the trousers had the exact measurements I needed for the trousers—inseam and waist. So, based on that, I’m like, well, if this is a morning coat ensemble with pants, waistcoat, and jacket, then I’m going to go with that. The jacket will likely also fit me around the waist, at least.

The morning coat is in pretty good shape overall. No labels inside, but you can see all the handmade details. The stitching in the back is all handmade, so it’s a tailored garment. The shoulder padding is on the stiffer side, but it feels nicely canvassed and has a nice gimp buttonhole, a boutonniere loop, and peak stitching.

This is all properly made. It’s not a former hire rental, which would be bad, but because the pants didn’t come with it, I’m going to double-check the listing to see what else was in there. I’ll reach back out to them and see what they can do.

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Trying on the Three-Piece Norfolk Suit

Time to try things on.

The Trousers/Pants

First up: the pants. The tweed is scratchy, but that’s part of the charm. The rise is not as high as I would like, but you have to make a few accommodations with a three-piece garment like this and be okay with it.

It’s really not bad for something straight out of the package. I would probably still go have the pants altered. I would take out things on the side, add darts on top, and make the waist tighter to hug me a little more snugly.

I’d also give myself more room in the seat and thigh so these vents don’t gap too much. That’s basically what I would do. Maybe I would look at the length, but the length actually seems quite good.

The Breeks

Let’s turn to the breeks, which I’m actually more excited about because they are rarer outfits. Considering the breeks are just coming off the rack, it’s pretty good. The breeks already have a little bit more fabric on the thighs.

The Norfolk Jacket

Now, the pièce de résistance, the Norfolk jacket. When I saw the jacket initially, it seemed to be in good shape, and it is. You can see the lining in the jacket—all good. The Norfolk jacket is quite heavy; you can literally sweat into it.

Now, I have really long arms, and I’m happy with the arm length of the jacket. I have room in my chest; I can move around, so it’s quite comfortable. The jacket is a little wider, but for a garment like this, it’s totally fine.

The belt gives a little bit of waist suppression. The belt has an odd buckle where it’s so tight it’s almost hard to get it through. The jacket is quite long; it covers my bum. The belt is slightly twisted on my back, but I’ll fix it soon. Overall, I think the Norfolk jacket is really nice. You look at the shoulder width—it looks good and natural. I move my arms, and the collar doesn’t move away. I’m very happy with it. I’m going to keep it for sure. It even has a working cuff button. Single cuff button. I could try to see if I can fix the button.

And in the winter, I’ll just have to make minor changes. Maybe I’ll get a little button here with a buttonhole sewn on, with another football button, to make it all look consistent. That’ll be it. I’m quite happy.

Price and Value

I paid £375 for this three-piece suit. It’s an unusual three-piece suit, but it is a three-piece suit. You just wear them together all the time. Shipping was £15, so a total of £390. It’s about 30% more roughly at current exchange rates, so we’re talking about $500, which is quite cool for a garment in that shape that is quite unique. If you go to eBay.com, you’ll pay more because it’s the Norfolk suit. That’s what people want; that’s what makes it special. The Norfolk suit has a pleat in the back, which makes it super comfortable to wear.

Trying on the Morning Coat

Waistcoat

Just looking at the waistcoat, you can see all the hand-stitched details. So, this is likewise a tailored garment. The waistcoat has nice buttonholes, and the lining is all handmade. It’s light in color, white and off-white. It’s not dirty, it’s not stained, and it has no sweat stains. I think, measurement-wise, the tailcoat was supposed to be a little tight.

Yes, the waistcoat is too tight. I can’t even wear it. The waistcoat can be tightened at the back with an old-style buckle with double teeth. But it’ll be hard to try it on. I won’t even use it. I just had an idea what the maximum size of this waistcoat is.

Looking through the waistcoat with a light, it’s possible to make it a little bigger if we had to. But frankly, I have morning waistcoats that I could wear with this. Even now, you can see it is tight, right? It feels tight in my chest as I’m flexing here, and I haven’t even buttoned it all the way up.

I could make it work with some alterations, but you can tell this is not how a waistcoat should fit. So, it’s a little tight. Knowing that, I wonder if the morning coat will fit at all, and if it doesn’t, we’ll just send it back. No harm was done about the pants.

Morning Coat

Morning coats are interesting because you can just wear them open. Sometimes, you have double buttons that you can add in, giving you a little more of an opening as you’re closing it. You have it like that. Morning coats are tricky because they’re technically body coats. So, they’re like an evening tailcoat.

… there’s a little wrinkling, which means it’s tight. It’s not ideal on my sleeve. There’s not enough room in the back, so maybe I could have that altered. That would be an option, but I also looked at the length; it is actually quite good.

I think the morning coat may be slightly on the long side. I like the opening cut of the quarters because it is unlike a regular jacket. The cut offers ample space for the belly or your front, accentuating the shortness, which impacts the overall look.

I had high hopes for this garment because the waist and inseam size were exactly the same as the pants I’m wearing today. But it’s too tight in the shoulders, too tight in the arms, and there’s not enough room in the chest. So, even though it’s a nice garment with a nice buttonhole and lapels, I’ll have to return the morning coat.

Plans for the Norfolk Suit, Breeks, and Pants

Apart from the alterations I’ll do to the breeks and pants, one thing that could be cool is to change the belt a little bit. We could maybe have two buttonholes with two small football buttons (or just one), and make it in a way that I could have it be a half-belted jacket if I wanted to, but also a full-belted jacket if I wear it. These are all considerations I can discuss with my alterations tailor.

For now, I will leave everything as is and enjoy the time at Goodwood.

Thanks for joining this unboxing series! Stay tuned for more vintage finds and sartorial tips.

When it comes to determining the quality of tweed, few signifiers are as highly regarded as those of the Harris Tweed Authority. But is this seal of approval really all it’s cracked up to be?

To start answering this question, let’s first dive into the history of Harris Tweed.

History of Harris Tweed

Harris Tweed isn’t actually a brand per se but rather a group of mills that banded together in the 20th century to establish a benchmark for quality tweed. True Harris Tweed is woven and finished by experienced weavers in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. In fact, the word “tweed” itself comes from Hawick, Scotland, around 1826, where bales of “tweels” (twill, woolen fabrics) were sold.

According to legend, a clerk for Scottish-born London importer James Locke misread the label on one of these tweels as “tweeds.” This is probably because the mills were close to the “River Tweed” in Scotland, and the name has stuck ever since. Soon, other makers were attempting to weave the style themselves with imported mill-spun yarn from the mainland.

Protecting the Harris Tweed Name

Merchants on the island of Lewis & Harris fought to register and protect the use of the term “tweed” as coming from just their island. However, the Scottish courts determined that all islands within the Outer Hebrides could use the term tweed. Still, the name Harris Tweed was chosen to protect all mills within the province in the year 1909. They’re protected under the Orb Trademark, featuring a globe topped by a Maltese Cross and 13 jewels. This, by the way, is said to be the United Kingdom’s oldest certification mark.

Following equipment modernization and a 1993 Act of Parliament, the former Harris Tweed Association Limited was rechristened the Harris Tweed Authority. Although there were 7 million yards of Harris Tweed produced in 1966, by the year 2006, that number was down to just 700,000. Despite its legal protections, Harris Tweed still had to compete in the marketplace.

  Harris Tweed Orb Trademark

A certification mark that guarantees the authenticity and quality of Harris Tweed fabric. This trademark is only awarded to tweed that is handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. It ensures that the fabric meets the high standards set by the Harris Tweed Authority, preserving the traditional methods and heritage of this iconic Scottish fabric.

Challenges and Changes in the Industry

A Shift in Production

In the winter of 2006, veteran textile merchant Brian Haggas purchased the Kenneth McKenzie Mill, which produced 95% of the Harris Tweed at that time. Haggas cut the number of patterns produced from over 8,000 to just 4, outsourcing some production elements to China with a primary focus on efficiency. He also implemented a “just-in-time” ordering system where he could supply any retailer with any size and quantity of Harris tweed jacket in a matter of a few hours.

However, these changes didn’t lead to the desired sales growth, and unfortunately, layoffs followed. During this period, two other key players entered the scene: New York real estate magnate Alan Bain and former British trade Minister Brian Wilson. Each of them purchased one of the remaining historical Harris Tweed mills. This resulted in a significant consolidation of the industry, leaving only two small mills to produce the world’s entire supply of authentic Harris Tweed – a mere 5% of what was produced before Haggas’s acquisition.

Meanwhile, traditional cloth vendors had scoured the countryside for small stashes of the most colorful tweeds.
A huge stash of many of the 8,000-odd variations, including experimental types, was found in one warehouse, discarded by Haggas’s order. This treasure trove of forgotten tweeds provided a valuable source of inspiration for the two surviving mills, allowing them to draw upon the rich heritage of Harris Tweed.

Harris Tweed’s Comeback

A marketing Renaissance also emerged, with the Harris Tweed Authority courting many fashion brands with the history, richness, and romantic appeal of their clothes. In 2019, Haggas passed the leadership of the Kenneth McKenzie Mill to managing director Alex Lockerby, who was locally born in Stornoway.

By this time, the mill had rebounded and was responsible for approximately 38% of Harris Tweed production, with the other two mills producing the remaining 62%. So, although the history of Harris Tweed was significantly altered in 2006, this storied cloth is still around for us to enjoy today!

How Is Harris Tweed Made

As it says on the label, Harris Tweed is “Handwoven in the Outer Hebrides from 100% wool,” with some other variations depending on the age of the garment. The tweed was also historically hand-spun, though technological advancements rendered this technique inefficient and, ultimately, obsolete. Various clothing manufacturers use this fabric as the material for their jackets and tailoring.

Types of Harris Tweed

Aside from the most popular spongy, dry, and hairy variations of tweed, there are also other types. This would include the thornproof tweed used for hunting and sporting. The wool for Harris Tweed is mainly harvested from the Cheviot and Scottish blackface types of sheep on the islands of the Outer Hebrides. Increased demand, though, has meant that 100% virgin wool from elsewhere in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand is also used today.

The Dyeing Process

The wool is dyed in various colors to be woven into complex color and pattern combinations. The dying process isn’t like most weaving, where the yarns are dyed, but instead, the fleece itself is dyed before being spun into yarns. Once finished, the wool is put into a giant spin and tumble dryer until all of the moisture has been removed. The wool is separated into 30 base colors, which serve as the “key ingredients” when patterns are created.

The most traditional tweed patterns are the so-called “estate tweeds.” Historically, these were the uniform patterns of the lords, ladies, and workers of a given estate, which the mill then trademarked. A fun fact for you: while tartans are for the entire clan or family line, these estate tweeds are just for the estates or the properties themselves.

How Harris Tweed Gets its Unique Hues

The 30 base colors are weighed out in different amounts to determine which color and pattern will be created. The strands are kneaded together so that no one color is dominant. This creates a unique color in and of itself, and it somewhat resembles a giant cake batter. When these different mixes are brought together, this is what gives tweeds their radiant color combinations. The needed fleece is dropped into a vacuum tube and broken up into smaller clumps, where it’s blown around by what is essentially a giant “leaf blower” until the colors are thoroughly mixed and incorporated. [Image credit: TartanKiltsByScotweb]

Hand-spun for Quality and Character

Toothed rollers then tense and mix the fabric for more incorporation and maximum durability. Then, the threads are spun seven to nine times to give them optimal strength. Tweed, unlike worsted wool, keeps both long and short fibers in the mix. This is what leads to that signature hairy feel, as well as those lively color combinations.

Meanwhile, worsteds just keep their long fibers and are combed for that soft, uniform texture. At this point, the yarns are put on a loom to be woven and inspected for defects or weak points. This process is done entirely by hand to be considered genuine Harris Tweed. Finally, the fabric is washed again to remove any remaining oils or impurities in the wool. [Image credit: TartanKiltsByScotweb]

Meeting the Harris Tweed Standard

Once the Tweed fabric is fully prepared, it’s then looked over by an inspector who gives “an accepted cloth” the official Harris Tweed seal of authority. The result is a sturdy and durable tweed fabric that can last for decades of wear and tear or one mixed with softer fibers to create a more contemporary, comfort-first appeal. [Image credit: TartanKiltsByScotweb]

Products Made from Harris Tweed

The Harris Tweed shop offers a variety of products on its website, and most are things that you would probably expect to see, like suits, sports coats, waistcoats, and casual jackets.

It is worth mentioning that today, these garments tend to have a more contemporary cut to them, featuring things like narrower lapels, more open quarters, and less padded shoulders, but at around $400 a jacket, it’s also likely that these are either half canvassed or fully fused garments.

The Harris Tweed shop also has some more vintage-inspired items available, like plus fours or eight-panel flat caps. The shop also offers gloves, dopp kits, pillows, home goods, and many other accessories that feature their signature Harris Tweed, as well as their seal. These items might be fun to consider if you’re a big fan of the rustic aesthetic that tweed creates, but they’re probably not going to give you quite as much mileage as more classic menswear garments would.

Of course, we have some different preferences for our gloves and accessories, but we might be a bit biased. As mentioned earlier, many other menswear manufacturers, be they large brands or small tailoring shops, also buy Harris Tweed fabric to construct their garments. This is true of a number of pieces in Raphael’s collection, as well as the jacket that I’m wearing today.

Outfit Rundown

Today, I’m wearing a jacket made from Harris Tweed—this one is vintage from the now-defunct British menswear store Hodges. The overall feel is of a medium taupe, but there are also tones of green, orange, yellow, brown, blue, and black, all in the barleycorn weave. The casual nature of the jacket is also accented by its brown football buttons, and each sleeve features just one button on the cuff.

This jacket is a brand new acquisition for my wardrobe at the time of filming this video, so I haven’t even had a chance to get it tailored yet. Under the jacket, I’m wearing a light blue Oxford cloth button-down shirt—this one is also vintage, and I inherited it from my late grandfather.

It features a relatively long spear point button-down collar, which provides an excellent frame for showing off the ascot I’m wearing today. This silk ascot from our brand, Fort Belvedere, features a large paisley pattern in tones of burgundy, red, blue, and green, with a somewhat purplish character in certain spots as well. These colors are also echoed in my linen pocket square, featuring tones of blue and burgundy. My trousers are plain brown, though they do feature a reddish undertone, which also harmonizes with the color palette.

My belt and shoes are both medium brown, and the shoes are wing-tipped brogue derbies that feature no medallion on the toe cap. Rounding things out today are my two-tone shadow striped socks in tan and navy blue and the fragrance I’m wearing today, which is Green Irish Tweed from Creed. This one, of course, seemed especially appropriate.

And, of course, I’m wearing one of my trusty short-brimmed fedoras, this one in mustard brown. Speaking of accessories, if you’re interested in the ascot, pocket square, and socks I’m wearing, as well as a wide variety of other classic men’s accessories, corduroy trousers, and fragrances from the Robert Ugolini collection, be sure to check out the Fort Belvedere shop here.

Fort Belvedere

Brown Paisley Silk Ascot

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Fort Belvedere

Blue X-Stitch Edge Burgundy Pocket Square

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Fort Belvedere

Navy & Yellow Shadow Stripe Cotton Socks

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Harris Tweed Beyond Traditional Menswear

It’s not just traditional menswear outfitters that use Harris Tweed, though. The fabric has also found a place in womenswear, and most contemporarily, the MLB has partnered with Harris Tweed for a line of wool baseball caps. If you’re looking for a somewhat more refined baseball cap, this might be a good choice for you, but of course, a flat cap or panel cap would be a more strictly classic choice.

Still, we do appreciate that classic brands are finding different ways to expand their reach, and if one of these baseball caps is what gets you into a fabric like Harris Tweed, and then from there, into classic menswear, then so much the better.

Overall, if construction methods are critical to you, then we’d suggest only buying from trusted makers who use Harris Tweed or buying the fabric directly and taking it to a trusted tailor yourself. This way, you can get exactly the style you want and also address elements like full canvassing if you so desire.

We believe that the Harris Tweed shop offers their smaller accessories for fair prices overall; however, some of the other materials they use, like leather, tend to be cheaper, so you might be better off finding dedicated accessories and small products from other retailers.

So, Is Harris Tweed Worth It?

Firstly, of course, it depends on what you’re looking for. With Harris Tweed, you’re typically going to be getting a fiber-dyed, heavier-weight garment that is good for the colder months of the year because of the processes used to make it. You’re going to get a rich color depth that not only looks good on its own but is also easier to pair with other colors elsewhere in your outfit.

Overall, if you see the Harris Tweed label, you can rest assured that you are buying what is, in general, a good product.

Vintage Harris Tweed Is Better

That being said, not all Harris Tweed is alike because modern Harris Tweed tends to be quite a bit different from vintage Harris Tweed. Any cloth produced under the auspices of the Harris Tweed Authority should be of high quality, especially if you’re buying from a pre-2006 vintage. So, in this way, the cloth is “worth it” generally. As mentioned before, buying the cloth directly and having it made into a garment by a trusted tailor will be your greatest guarantee of quality.

There is a robust supply of vintage Harris Tweed available, but as with anything else, be mindful of the styling conventions as there are plenty of secondhand Harris Tweed jackets out there, particularly from the 1980s and ’90s, that were cut in boxy styles with things like center vents. Meanwhile, a jacket with a half belt or shooting pleats will probably be a bit more difficult to find, and you’ll probably want to consider the odors from vintage tweed garments.

What to Look for When Buying Harris Tweed

Regarding manufactured garments, your mileage may vary. Whether they’re from the Harris Tweed shop or any other seller, you’ll need to assess the quality of their construction independently. In Raphael’s experience, for instance, he’s found that Harris Tweed is generally a good material for jackets like sports coats, Norfolk jackets, or hunting jackets with game pockets.

When to Choose (and Avoid) Harris Tweed

When it comes to hats or accessories, Harris Tweed will generally look the part but will probably wear out a bit faster, specifically for handheld or handled accessories as opposed to hats, than something made from high-quality leather, for instance.

harris tweed:

Durable yet not without limits

Even though it’s a hardy fabric, it will eventually wear out if you wear it hard. This is why so many jackets have elbow patches, after all. Generally, Harris Tweed also isn’t necessarily ideal for pants and trousers as its coarse and scratchy feel, as well as its heavy weight, won’t be particularly comfortable for some.

Of course, you certainly can get trousers in Harris Tweed, and you’ll probably even want them for a proper shooting suit, for instance, but just make sure that you have a proper lining put in.

Construction Matters

So, ultimately, this review is somewhat different than most of the other installments in this series, as we can really only speak to the essential quality of the Harris Tweed cloth itself. As with any purchase, the whole is made up of materials on one hand and construction on the other.

Phrasing this another way, gold is certainly a valuable material on its own, but given that it is malleable and soft, it would be a particularly poor choice to be made into a shovel. Keep in mind that different retailers are going to have differences in pricing, as well as use their own cuts and styles.

As a hearty, rugged cloth, Harris Tweed or any tweed will be better suited for cooler climates and harder wearing large garments instead of small accessories.

Final Verdict

To sum all of this up, you’re going to have to use your menswear knowledge to determine if a specific garment made from Harris Tweed is something that you want to add to your collection. But, in general, the Harris Tweed cloth itself is of high quality, and we find it to be worth it.

With that said, what are your experiences with Harris Tweed, either the cloth itself or garments made from it? Let us know in the comments!

If you prefer something less seasonal, we’ve previously discussed the best and worst 80s and ’90s fragrances.

Retro fragrances tend to offer great value because they are literally time-tested but don’t have the markups of the latest, newest, and trendiest fragrances. A quick note: We’re testing modern iterations of these fragrances that have usually been reformulated—sometimes several times—from their initial launch, as these are the formulations currently available in stores. With all that out of the way, let’s get started on our retro hot weather fragrance hot or not list.

Eau de Cologne by Hermes (1979)

This is our oldest fragrance, and it’s the only one on the list from the 1970s. This was released in its iconic green bottle in 1979 as Eau de Cologne Hermes and originally developed by Françoise Caron.

It was rebranded in 1997 as Eau d’Orange Verte and reformulated in 2009 by Jean-Claude Ellena. Its current iteration is a raw, vibrant, and fresh citrine fragrance, combining initial notes of bold orange with mint that cleanly transitions into a mossy base—resulting in a dry, invigorating, and woody sensation. A 3.4-oz flacon currently retails for $144. 

When smelling this, the citrus orange is probably the most prominent scent to me. The only real drastic development I noticed in this fragrance was the depth to the orange as I continued to smell, and some of the moss elements started to come through. I didn’t feel it harmonized completely with me and my personal smell, but it’s a very bold scent and it does harmonize on a certain level in a crisp and bright way during the day.

To me, this is definitely a warm-weather fragrance. The longevity appears quite bold at first when initially applied, and it begins to subtly fade throughout the day. Personally, I would wear this fragrance for a lunch out with friends. I enjoy the bold citrus elements of this fragrance but I don’t think I’d wear this fragrance very often. 

Tuscany per Uomo by Aramis (1984)

Rather like the bold musketeer after whom its brand is named, Tuscany per Uomo by Aramis is a very traditionally masculine and warm weather fragrance inspired by the citrine and aromatic scents of the Italian region for which it’s named.

A great scent for

Warm Weather

Prominent top notes of citrines like lemon, bergamot, and lime are tempered by floral lavender before descending to more herbaceous middle notes of anise, caraway, and tarragon, tinged with orange blossom. The base notes are very typical of men’s fragrances consisting of a blend of oak moss, basic patchouli, sandalwood, cinnamon, and tonka bean with a distinct leather typical of Aramis products. A 3.4-oz flacon is $74 directly from Estée Lauder.

Lemon, lavender, and orange are the most prominent notes to me in this scent. As the fragrance matured, I started to notice a bit of spice coming through, perhaps from the cinnamon.

Personally, I felt that this fragrance harmonized pretty well with my natural scent. I find this fragrance to be a warm weather and transitional fragrance. The longevity of this fragrance is low, but good for a few hours of wear while leaving a nice lasting scent. I would wear this fragrance out for coffee or even a business casual dinner. I personally like this scent and would probably recommend it to others.

Cool Water by Davidoff (1988)

Cool Water was designed by Pierre Bourdon, and it made quite a splash when it was released in 1988. Thanks to a massive advertising campaign, this fragrance was ubiquitous in the 90s and still remains quite popular today. A surprising variety of different scents are combined to create a fresh fragrance evocative of the ocean.

Top notes include a very prominent burst of seawater with mint, lavender, coriander, rosemary, and assorted green notes. This opening is somewhat reminiscent of Creed’s Green Irish Tweed, but these fragrances develop in very different ways. Middle notes include sharp neroli, jasmine, and geranium with mellow sandalwood and base notes of traditionally masculine cedar wood, musk, amber, and tobacco. Sold by a number of retailers, Cool Water is available for about $40 for 3.4-oz.

We’ve reviewed Cool Water before and found it to be a very versatile and unique summer fragrance.

Here’s what I think now: I found that mint, rosemary, and sandalwood happen to be the most prominent scents to me when smelling this fragrance. I really didn’t notice much of a shift in the maturity of the scent the more I continued to smell it. I felt it harmonized a little bit with me and my natural scent, but nothing as well as some of the other scents on this list. I found this to be more of a hybrid scent, something you could wear in hot or warm weather climates. I found the longevity on the scent to be low, but something that did give a nice effect for a few hours of wear. I would feel comfortable wearing this fragrance pretty much any time, especially for casual or even business casual settings. I definitely like this fragrance, and I can understand why it’s quite popular.

Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein (1990)

We’ve previously reviewed this fragrance as well, and, while not quite as famous as Obsession, also by Calvin Klein, Eternity for Men, developed by Carlos Benaim, took the 90s by storm thanks to its unique aromatic fougere components.

It opens very similarly to Tuscany by Aramis, with top notes including lavender, mandarin, orange, bergamot, and lemon, but its middle notes take a sharper turn with coriander, juniper berries, basil, and sage, with potent florals like lily, orange blossom, jasmine, lily of the valley, and geranium.

At the base, we have the usual suspects: sandalwood, musk, amber, and vetiver, but with the unexpected introduction of Brazilian rosewood. This fragrance is available directly from Calvin Klein for $109 for a 100-ml flacon.

I previously found this fragrance clean and unobjectionable, like a neighborhood barbershop. Here’s what I think now: I found the orange, lavender, and lemon to initially be the most prominent scents in this fragrance. As the fragrance matures, the sandalwood and musk start to become more noticeable. I feel this fragrance does start to harmonize with my natural scent in a soft and subtle way over time. I believe this is a great warm-weather fragrance. I believe the longevity is decent for an average day’s wear. I would wear this fragrance for an evening out, perhaps even a casual walk around town. I definitely enjoy and would recommend this scent.

JF by Floris (1992)

Floris is one of the hottest fragrance houses right now, and it was no different in 1992, when this woody aromatic scent was launched. Exotic citrines dominate the top notes, including bergamont, Amalfi lemon, mandarin orange, and lime with a coarse introduction of clary sage, coriander, and even wormwood. Middle notes are warm and fresh including cypress, peregrine, jasmine, and juniper berries; and earthy bass notes of musk, oak moss, virginia cedar, and amber.

A Summer Scent that’s

Effortlessly British

According to Floris, this fragrance is elegant, fresh, and effortlessly British. Lemon, lime, and orange tended to be the more prominent notes that I noticed in this fragrance initially. As this fragrance matures, the warmth of jasmine and oak moss starts to come through.

I feel this fragrance harmonized well with my natural scent with its bright citrus notes and woody base. I feel this fragrance is a great warm to transitional scent. I feel this fragrance lasts for a few hours—maybe great for a particular event, maybe not something I would expect to last all day long. I could see myself wearing this fragrance out for a brunch or even a casual meeting. I definitely like this scent.

Nautica by Nautica (1992)

Immensely popular thanks to its attainable price point in 1992, the original Nautica spawned two successors: Nautica Voyage and Nautica Blue. Nautica Classic is a woody chypre fragrance that leans heavily into botanicals.

Top notes include a veritable orchard of aldehydes, lime, lemon, bergamot, neroli, cypress, tarragon, clary sage, coriander, and cinnamon, followed by a flower garden of jasmine, rose, cyclamen, geranium, and caraway; and a final stand of sandalwood, cedar, oak moss, patchouli, amber, and musk for base notes. It is available from several retailers for about $20 for a 3.4-oz flacon.

I initially noticed the cypress, bergamot, and lemon the most. As I continued to smell, the fragrance did start to mature; it softened from something very nautical to a very clean, crisp, and almost relaxing scent. I felt it harmonized with my scent very well with a spice of cinnamon, floral notes, and woody base notes.

I find this is a great transitional into hot weather fragrance. The longevity on this scent was decent, but maybe not ideal for heavy strength if you’re expecting to wear this all day long. I feel comfortable wearing this scent pretty much anytime during the summer when out casually. I do like this scent.

Blue Jeans by Versace (1994)

Blue Jeans was developed by Jean-Pierre Bethouart, and it was launched in 1994. It has a range of natural top notes, including bergamot, juniper, anise, Brazilian rosewood, and basil, which quickly dried down to floral middle notes of lavender, rose, carnation, heliotrope, jasmine, geranium, and lily of the valley, as well as sage and fir.

Before a sweet and conventional finish with base notes of vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, amber, cedar, patchouli, and vetiver with an unexpected kick of iris. Versace markets this fragrance as a classic that—like a good pair of jeans—won’t let you down. It is available from several retailers for about $30 for 3.4-oz and comes in one of the more interesting cases and flacons that we’re discussing today.

Blue Jeans is more of

A sweet scent

I found vanilla to be one of the more prominent notes in this fragrance. I noticed an increase in sweetness and overall floral notes as the fragrance started to mature. I do not feel like this fragrance harmonized very well with my scent. This fragrance is best worn in hot weather.

Longevity is decent but not long-lasting. I don’t feel like I’d wear this fragrance in any setting, and I really don’t like this fragrance.

Millesime Imperial by Creed (1995)

Fragrances by Creed are some of the most sought-after in the menswear sphere today, and it was no different in 1995 when Oliver Creed and Pierre Bourdon debuted Millesime Imperial, which was launched to mark the house’s 150th anniversary and highlights Creed’s historic place in the imperial courts of Europe. This complicated fragrance blends marine accords with floral, citrine, and woody notes for a sparkling fresh sensation that is difficult to find in other fragrances.

Top notes include bergamot, black currant, and violet leaves, with middle notes including oros and marine accords before finishing with a base of cedarwood, musk, and sandalwood. Described as warm and romantic, Millesime Imperial is intended to conjure up the seaside of sunny Sicily.

A 100ml flacon will set you back $470, and this fragrance is by far the most expensive on today’s list. We previously ranked over $4,000 of Creed fragrances, and this fragrance snagged third place. How does it stack up today?

We found the notes in this fragrance to be herby, floral, citrus-based, and light, but almost borderline too light now. As this is a blended scent, there isn’t one strong note that dominates as the fragrance matures. This ties into our biggest criticism: despite being an eau de parfum, it doesn’t last very long, even though our team feels it could be a great daytime scent for warmer seasons for those who want something fresh and light—no matter the occasion, season, or time of day—making this a very approachable, elegant, and potentially unisex fragrance. All that to say, I like it for the relatively brief amount of time that I can smell it.

Discover the BEST and WORST luxury fragrances by Creed!

Burberry Weekend for Men (1997)

Three years before Y2K, Michel Almairac developed Weekend for Men by Burberry. Known for its light, clean, and citrine opening, it descends into warmer elements as the fragrance develops.

A Transitional scent For

Warm to hot weather

Top notes consist of prominent fruity aromas like lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, pineapple, mandarin orange, and melon with woody middle notes of ivy, oak moss, and sandalwood, and warming base notes of honey, musk, and amber. On paper, this fragrance features a definite radical transformation as it progresses. It is available from several retailers for about $40 for a 100ml flacon.

Lemon, grapefruit, orange, and amber were the notes that stood out the most to me in this fragrance. Personally, I didn’t notice a big transition as the fragrance matured. I do think that this fragrance harmonized well with my natural scent. I found this fragrance to be a great transitional scent that could be worn in both hot and warm weather. I found this fragrance to be subtle; something that lasts maybe for a few hours but not necessarily the strongest scent, and it’s probably not going to last you all day long. I could find myself wearing this pretty often in a daytime and casual setting, and I definitely like this scent and can see myself recommending this to others as well.

How Do These Retro Fragrances Stack Up?

From Best to Worst

So, how does my list compare to yours? Let us know in the comments! We’d also love to hear from viewers who wore these fragrances back in the day; please share some insight on how these fragrances might have changed.

Outfit Rundown

Today, I’m wearing a striped blue blazer that has elements of light blue and gold in the stripes with a tan shirt, a burgundy and blue pocket square with off-white kind of cream color jeans, brown dress shoes, and of course, Fort Belvedere socks with blue and burgundy stripes. And for the fragrance, I can’t forget Roberto Ugolini High Heel White. For accessories like these amazing socks that I’m wearing and some other incredible things that you can find to build your outfits out in a really amazing way, check out the Fort Belvedere shop.

Fort Belvedere

Midnight Blue and Burgundy Shadow Stripe Ribbed Socks Fil d'Ecosse Cotton

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Roberto Ugolini

Roberto Ugolini – High Heel White

VIEW PRODUCT

Video Transcript (Lightly Edited for Clarity):

[Raphael] Welcome back to the Gentleman’s Gazette. Today, I’m here with Antonio from Real Men Real Style and Scenteno, as well as Nate from Paragon Fragrances. Thanks for coming over, guys.

[Nate] Yeah, thank you for having us.

[Antonio] Thanks for having us.

[Raphael] We thought we’ll do a little fun thing here, and play some blind smelling and testing. And of course, we have our special guest, Professor Preston!

[Professor Preston] Hello, everybody! I will be adjudicating the test today. But the conversation will be up to these three.

[Raphael] Awesome! Well, let’s get started.

[Prof. Preston] All right! I will go prepare your first fragrance. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves in the meantime.

[Raphael] Yeah, so Paragon Fragrances, how did you start, Nate?

[Nate] I started about two years; I’m on my second year doing this. So, I just was collecting fragrances and I was like, I’m a production guy. So I, you know, I’m usually behind the camera. But, so, I just decided let’s make a fragrance channel and start talking about some of the fragrances. Because after you collect and collect and collect and you’re not making content, you’re like, “What am I collecting for?” and so you just want to start sharing with the world. So, that’s what I was doing. Doing video production, just making fragrance content. 

[Raphael] I mean, you went, in my mind above and beyond, the general like, “Oh, I smell a fragrance and I do stuff.” You really try to understand the fragrances. Tell us more about that.

[Nate] Yeah, I really wanted to provide as much value to my, you know, audience. If you’re clicking on a video, I want to provide as much value to you as possible. So, I try to keep my video short and I even got into actually crafting and making perfume like, you know, try to understand it. I’m not a master perfumer by any means, but I’m slowly understanding and, you know, developing my skills as a perfumer. 

[Raphael] All right! Preston’s back!

[Prof. Preston] Okay, fragrance number one. Here’s a tester for each of you.

1. CK One (Calvin Klein)

[Raphael] Definitely the lighter side. What do you think, Antonio?

[Antonio] Fresh. Clean

[Raphael] Synthetic? Natural?

[Antonio] I feel a bit synthetic, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

[Raphael] I mean, you know, what I think with synthetic, what you get is like the consistency, right? It’s like a Big Mac. You know, every time what you get versus you have orange oil, you know? I don’t know. It’s a little drier this season. The whole thing smells different.

[Antonio] I think there’s a misconception in fragrances that, somehow, if something is natural, it is better than synthetic, and it’s really it’s comparing… It’s just not a fair comparison when, you know, any of these; what we’re talking about are chemicals and, you know, the molecules; and the way that they’re… I mean, as we talked about, you know, there are actually exposure to too much. You know, it’s always a danger in the extreme. That being said, in small amounts, you know, it’s… I also love synthetics because, if you think about, with a lot of the natural compounds, they had to come from animals or we were destroying plants or, like you said, they were inconsistent in making them. And so, when something uses synthetics, we’re able to oftentimes produce it at a lower price, you’re able to maintain consistency, and you’re not doing any harm you know to the environment in that respect.

[Raphael] What do you think, Nate?

[Nate] It’s good. There’s a lot of floral stuff going on here like neroli or, you know, like some kind of nice, fresh, lively stuff going on in here.

[Raphael] All right. What do you think? Grading?

[Prof. Preston] Take a moment to write down your letter grades, any other thoughts or notes you have. If you have a guess about what the identity of the fragrance might be, go ahead and write that down; and when everybody is ready, I will collect all that data from you.

[Raphael] It smells like a darling fragrance, kind of. To me, it’s more of a mainstream thing.

[Nate] Yeah, it’s very light and airy.

[Raphael] It’s not offensive, you know, no one smells this and like, “urgh!”

[Nate] Touch of like a jasmine kind of going on in here.

[Raphael] Oh, that’s good! I wouldn’t have been able to identify that, but now that you say it, I smell it. 

[Nate] And then like, a bit of grain oil. Very, like, fresh and light.

[Antonio] You can tell who the expert is. I play an expert on videos, this guy is the real deal.

[Nate] But, it’s like it’s very like white floral-y kind of style with soft, clean, laundry musk in here. It’s nice, it’s really good.

[Antonio] I will not deny that your descriptions have affected how I am perceiving like, “Oh, yeah!” And that’s what’s interesting.

[Nate] It’s gonna look really bad if the fragrance on screen is like a spicy one. 

[Antonio] I don’t know which one this is because I naturally would never be drawn to these types of fragrances, so this would not be in my rotation. Also, I think the grades we’re assigning oftentimes are just our personal opinions. This may be the right fragrance for more of a guy maybe that goes for classic scents or it could be more feminine, but all fragrances are actually unisex. It’s just usually for marketing purposes, assigning them whether it’s for men or women. So, I’m guessing the house, I’m not going to guess the particular brand. But, I could see this house putting out this fragrance.

[Prof. Preston] All right, gents!

[Raphael] Alright.

[Antonio] So, I’m seeing the house of or I’m going with with Floris. I just like like something classic, something that, you know, was formulated 70 years ago, worn by, you know, a guy that’s dressed well but would not… I don’t know, it doesn’t smell masculine enough to me, and a B because I just wouldn’t keep it in my collection.

[Raphael] Good. I have no idea what this is. Good, alright.

[Prof. Preston] And everybody scores one more time just so that we get that verbally as well as on the boards.

[Nate] Oh, B+ or B minus.

[Raphael] B minus.

[Antonio] B, yeah.

[Prof. Preston] Very good! Next up, fragrance number two.

2. 4711

[Raphael] Alright, sample number two.

[Prof. Preston] Number two.

[All three guys smelling the fragrance]

[Raphael] What do you think?

[Nate] A lot of petitgrain oil in here. It’s coming … very Bergamot-heavy lemon.

[Raphael] To me, it smells very classic, a little like old-fashioned. It’s not something I would…

[Nate] Yeah, this is wear-class. This is real class, it’s summertime class .

[Raphael] Old school, right?

[Nate] It’s very similar to the other one, too.

[Raphael] It reminds me of childhood, you know, growing up in Germany. They hit like the 4711, and it has these vibes to me. 

[Raphael] Antonio, would you wear it?

[Antonio] No, not at all. In fact, I changed my grade from a C to a D.

[Nate] I think that this one is pricey, though. Because it does smell natural … like you can smell the bergamot, you can smell the citrus in here, the nice floral, and then a soft vetiver in here too.

[Raphael] I smell floral, but I don’t think it’s nice.

[Nate] Yeah, it’s a…

[Raphael] And now that you say bergamot, I’m like, yeah, it smells like, oak gray, that’s bergamot flavored, right? Good.

[Prof. Preston] Alright, let’s everybody present our whiteboards and see what we’ve got here. 

[Nate] C.

[Antonio] D.

[Prof. Preston] Alright. Not high marks for this one. Alright, number three.

3. Bleu de Chanel (Chanel)

[Nate] So, there’s a specific musk in here that they’re using, Tonalide. It comes across as this laundry detergent kind of style musk and they use it a lot in perfume, like modern day perfume, but just … I picked up that initially. It’s very um, classic. I’m trying to put the name to it because it’s so familiar, and it just needs a…

[Raphael] Well, and really like this is extremely hard to get it right because, I mean there’s, so many fragrances there’s no, you know, it’s like… unless you are just very familiar with something and you’re like… 

[Nate] Yeah, I am not going to… I’m not going to try to guess this, but it’s like a rich in Ambroxan. 

[Raphael] I’d wear this.

[Antonio] I’m going specific. It’s like the one in a 100 chance but I’m going to say I’ll…

[Raphael] Go for that. Call your shot.

[Antonio] Yep.

[Prof. Preston] Okay.

[Antonio] I’m going with a B+.

[Nate] A. A, yeah I think it’s really good, I like that Ambroxan kind of style smell. I really like that.

[Raphael] Tell me more about Ambroxan.

[Nate] Ambroxan is…

[Raphael] It’s Ambroxan?

[Nate] Yeah. So, it’s a synthetic version of ambergris, which is whale vomit, pretty much. It’s the… so whales used to, whales when they eat squid, squid would destroy their stomach. So, they would coat their stomachs in this, um, this like phlegm, or whatever it was, I don’t know.

[Antonio] Well, it’s the sperm whale when it eats the, uh, whatever the squid, squid have, uh the only hard part of them is going to be the teeth or the pincers, whatever it is, and so they can’t digest that it ends up getting encased, and then it is spit out, regurgitated, because it’s just not going out the other end. And that right there is then found on beaches and it has a has certain properties, but a big part of this that when you find, and it’s very valuable, when you find these, yeah uh they’re hardened and it basically projects fragrances. It helps to…

[Nate] And it lays on top of the ocean. So, it’s like oil on water. So, it just lays on top and then what they can do is they can harvest it. I don’t think that they do that anymore. I think it’s very regulated that’s why they came up with aAmbroxan, and to kind of recreate, um… 

[Antonio] Again, that’s where synthetics are great because we can recreate, although, again, this is where you’re an expert in molecule breakout, what we find is with compounds, with natural molecules, um, and some of you guys I know are scientists. So, you’re like, “Antonio you’re messing this up,” but basically, the chain is going to be really long on naturals but on synthetics, they realize that it can be relatively short and we can pick up for most, 98% of people, it’s going to smell the same but a small percentage and I’m sure you’re one of those people out there watching, you know, that you’ve a nose that you can pick up, “Oh, I can tell the difference between, you know that small between vanilla and Vanille.” The natural vanilla definitely has a long chain but Vanille, the synthetic note, is going to be much shorter, and it’s again, we can consistently produce it, so that’s why you see the synthetic pop-up.

[Prof. Preston] Very good. Thank you for that whale of a tale, gentlemen. I’ll go get fragrance number 5.

[Antonio] I like this guy.

[Raphael] Preston is our pun master so that’s his… that’s his jam.

[Nate] That was, that was… can I rate that? That was that was good 10 out of 10. Yes, for Preston.

[Raphael] Alright, are you ready to kind of cleanse your nose with coffee beans?

[Antonio] Alright, so do you want to jump, like…

[Nate] So, I’m not a nose scientist, and I’m not, you know, but from what I know, this just, it just causes more stress on the nose. When you’re resetting it, and my theory is, (conspiracy theory alert!), my conspiracy theory is coffee is very addictive. So, if you’re going to, like, say, a fragrance counter, like you know, a nice lady or nice gentleman is showing you some fragrances, and you spray something on your hand and smells good, but then they put something that you’re already addicted to under your nose, you’re like, “Hmm, this automatically smells a little bit better.” I don’t know. That’s my conspiracy.

[Antonio] So, the halo effect here?

[Nate] Yeah.

[Antonio] It can make you like something. So, apparently, there was a perfumer 50 years or 70 years ago, that was his thing, is that he kept coffee grounds, and he would say it would reset his nose, but the reality is that’s not the case. If you’ve got, and we’re talking about olfactory fatigue, the idea that you’re exposing yourself to so many smells, um, usually two to three perfumes, if you expose yourself to that, within a few minutes, you need to get out of that area and just go out for a walk; five minutes, fresh air and then you can probably start again but anyone that thinks they can smell 20 perfumes in an hour and be able to tell the difference, yeah, you’re fooling yourself.

[Prof. Preston] Well, good luck to you guys, then.

[Antonio] Yeah, exactly.

[Raphael] Thank you, Preston. 

[Prof. Preston] Number four.

4. Spice Bomb (Viktor & Rolf)

[Antonio] Alright, this is…

[Raphael] What’s the sweetness?

[Nate] So, heavy vanilla in here. 

[Raphael] But you know, with vanilla, I realized there’s, you can get real different vanilla. I started making ice cream, with the beans, and then there there is differences in the… what you get.

[Nate] There’s two different types of vanilla that I’m working with right now that that are vanillin, which is like a crystal vanilla, and then there’s ethyl vanillin, which is powdery and it smells almost like cake kind of vanilla. And so when you, like from my experience, when you overdose like ethanol vanillin, it smells like a thick cake, but when you when you um, dose in vanillin, it acts as much more of a crystal fixative, like, cumerin, um, that kind of thing.

[Nate] This is so familiar. It, it’s…

[Antonio] It is, yeah.

[Raphael] I mean you guys have a lot of fragrances, so even if you smell it once, it’s like… yeah

[Antonio] Well, the way I’m, is like literally, I’m going through the fragrances in my shelves, I’m thinking, “Okay, is it that one? Is it that one? Is it that one? So, I’m using the, uh, the memory here. 

[Antonio] It’s got a bit of a spice to it so

[Nate] Yeah, slight spice and, then…

[Antonio] I’m gonna, and, and because of that, I’ve gotta… I think I know what it is but because I know what it is, I’m going to give a little bit higher of a note. 

[Nate] Yeah it’s nice and it’s something that, like, it’s so familiar and it’s something that I would wear, so I most likely have this. My… I feel like I know what it is. I, yeah, I know what it is. 

[Antonio] You better not copy mine. Don’t don’t look here. I think I got this one. 

[Prof. Preston] Alright, gentlemen. Your grades and your guesses, please. 

[Raphael] C minus.

[Nate] B plus.

[Antonio] I’m going A minus if it’s what the one I think it is, um which I can’t believe we got to make you guys wait to the end of this video to find out if we’re right or not, but, uh, I think that this fragrance is perfect for the holidays, and that’s what it reminds me of. This is a great, you know, cold weather fragrance that you can put on. And again, when we’re smelling things on these fragrance strips, it’s not the same as actually smelling it on your skin, and that’s where it’s going to react differently for every person, but, uh, but yeah, as soon as we started talking spice (hint hint), that was like, I was like, okay, I know what this is.

[Nate] Yeah. 

[Prof. Preston] Alright, I will go prepare number five.

[Antonio] So, if you haven’t picked up, no fragrance is going to be universally loved by everybody.

[Nate] Oh, no, no. Yeah

[Antonio] Which is cool, which makes it enjoyable and I think gives us a lot to talk about and fragrance content.

[Raphael] It’s also like if, you know, sometimes, you can be unique with your clothes and you can be unique with your scent, like you can intentionally say, “I don’t want to smell like everyone out there. I want to be different,” or you’re like, “I just go with what I like or what my spouse, partner, husband, whatever likes.”

[Antonio] And fragrance is one of those things that it is, you know, it just plays right with clothing. I’m sorry, you’re about to…

[Nate] No, yeah, right to that point. Like, I find making fragrance content is tremendously difficult, too, because you’re recommending it to everyone and so like that’s where you have to have, you know, a strong opinion about what you like to wear. Because if somebody connects to you and if you don’t like it, they might not have the same taste. So, it’s a tricky thing to navigate, for sure

[Antonio] I purposely stay vague and confuse all of you who watch my videos, and you’re like, “What does he really mean by that?” And that’s my tactic.

[Prof. Preston] Number five. 

5. Aventus (Creed)

[Raphael] Smells more green to me. I don’t know if the fragrances can have colors, but to me, there’s something green there

[Nate] So, this also has a musk in here. A synthetic musk called helvetolide, which is a… It’s widely used in Sauvage-kind of style fragrances like that sharp Sauvage character, and it smells like it’s a top musk, so it has a high volatile rate on it, which, like, pushes off through the air. That’s where like evaporation rates come in and stuff, where, you know, the top, middle, and base. If something has a lower evaporation rate, it would be a base note and, if something has a high evaporation rate like bergamot, it only lasts for about two hours or one hour. 

[Raphael] So, you’re saying that this is the kind of fragrance that is, you know, you’ll notice in a room? It gives off a lot, but it also lasts for a long time?

[Nate] Yeah, this is like… I’m pretty sure I know what this is, but yeah, this is this has staying power.

[Raphael] It’s a bit… There’s a sweetness in there to me at the end.

[Nate] It’s really sweet, sweet bergamot like sweet citrus. I’m pretty sure I know what this is, but I could be wrong, and I could be totally wrong.

[Prof. Preston] All right! Go ahead. What are your scores and guesses here?

[Raphael] I have B and I say, like, Green Irish Tweed. Antonio, B.

[Nate] I can… It doesn’t… For me, [Green Irish Tweed] doesn’t smell like that on… It doesn’t smell like that on me, but I could I can…

[Antonio] Do you get a lemon, a bit in that?

[Nate] A little bit. I think it’s a Creed, the new Creed. Absolute Aventus or the Aventus Absolute. 

[Raphael] It has this kind of green.

[Antonio] Oh, I see that Creed is… Pretty much everyone’s like, it has a… And this is where, I think, we can talk about a house. Like, I think Creed, in general, a lot of their fragrances have that light, airy, fresh type of…

[Nate] They have a very signature style. Like, when you spray on a Creed; they have a bunch of different, you know, styles and different fragrances, but they all have that kind of same vibe to them, which is that high quality.

[Prof. Preston] You continue to discuss. I’ll go get fragrance number six.

[Antonio] I’m going to put the cologne, Creed cologne.

Here’s our honest review!

6. Eau de Soleil Blanc (Tom Ford)

[Prof. Preston] All right, this is number six. Initial thoughts here?

[Antonio] I like this one. Clean and soapy.

[Raphael] Soapy! That’s it! It’s soapy. Man, you’re good.

[Antonio] Which is usually going to be what? An Iris or a… What’s the?

[Nate] It could come, it could be like… I don’t know exactly the formulas and stuff to make it something like that because like I’m still…. 

[Antonio] Lavender and iris?

[Nate] Lavender usually… Lavender and this… If you mix a soft spicy, usually they can do it with frankincense. If you add a touch of frankincense and a few other things with some clean laundry detergent musk like tonalide or galaxolide, ethylene brassilate, those kind of things; you can get this like soap-like quality, but this is good. It’s very soapy and fresh.

[Raphael] It’s almost too much soap for me.

[Nate] I think this could benefit from some sweetness, but yeah, I like a little woody nuances in there, too.

[Raphael] Really?

[Antonio] I like soapy fragrances overall. Yeah, I’m going a little bit higher. I think that soapy fragrances are great for the office if you want something that’s not going to offend anybody, smells good and clean, and anything. I don’t know, lavender and iris.

[Nate] Yeah, I don’t know if there’s so much. Because it doesn’t come across powdery, but like a nice soap.

[Antonio] I’m going to throw out like Prada L’Homme. Yeah, Prada L’Homme. Or maybe the Intense, maybe. And, again, like smelling it on the stick—this is where you got to be careful—I would maybe not pick this up, but I know with Prada, I think those are great office fragrances. They use good ingredients and, yeah, that’s what I’m guessing.

[Raphael] What does your wife like?

[Antonio] I don’t care. I wear for myself, man. I’m like learning perfumery, I’m not like an expert yet, and I haven’t even released one yet; and you know, I’m just learning the process and falling in love with it. But, there was this process that I came across, and I told Antonio about it the other day, called “tinning,” and it’s a process that they use in wine creation or like winery. And when you’re making wine, there’s all this like particles that are floating around in the wine like pulp and that, those kinds of things; and from my brief knowledge about it, they use egg whites. They pour egg whites into the wine, and it acts as this glue substance to bring everything down to the base where then they can filter it. Why I bring this up is I made a big formula, a big batch of my fragrances and it was cloudy. And so I used this clay to do the same thing, this tinning process where I pour clay into the perfume, mix it around. It’s a natural clay, so it’s safe and they use it in a lot of cosmetics. But, like bentonite clay? Yeah, something like that, and then you mix it around. You put it in the freezer. Because it’s alcohol, it doesn’t freeze, and then you can, you know… It all seeps to the bottom and then you can filter it from there. But, I thought that was really interesting.

7. L’Eau D’Issey Pur Homme (Issey Miyake)

[Antonio] I get… I don’t know. For me, this is synthetic.

[Raphael] When I smell this, I think of chartreuse like the color. I don’t know why I have this association. 

[Prof. Preston] Synesthesia, perhaps?

[Nate] There’s a marine aspect in here.

[Antonio] Yeah, but for me, not really high-end marine. Again, I’m just guessing here. I know where I’m going with this.

[Nate] This is aquazone. 

[Antonio] If you think about it, how do they get a marine smell in to a fragrance? Because it’s not like you can take the ocean and squeeze it. Well, you could but, you know, what you’re going to get out is probably not… And marine smells are complicated because, yes, it’s the salt and it’s the air but there’s also, if you’re close to the shore, there’s decay, you know?

[Nate] So, most of the aqua notes that you find are 100% synthetic, and they have to do with a molecule called calone and then helional, which comes across as this, like, watery, almost like hay-like quality. And then, you have… 

[Antonio] With a bit of fruit as well? There’s a melon in…

[Nate] You add in some nuances on top of that to give that fruitiness in there. So, you’ll have accords that you add to the perfume to kind of like expand it out. But, yeah, it’s usually a very synthetic mix.

[Antonio] Got my guess.

[Nate] I’m not sure about this. My nose is getting beat up here.

[Prof. Preston] Yeah, well, we’re just about at the halfway mark here, gents.

[Nate] But, this is like very ozonic. Like a Light Blue, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue kind of thing.

[Antonio] It’s a Light Blue smoother. And there are certain houses out there that are kind of a little bit more well known for being synthetic, and they embrace it. Not that I feel that this one fits in there, but Park Avenue Bond is a great example. But with that synthetic, it’s usually for a younger crowd. They want something that’s going to pierce through the night, be able to draw people in. The area where I think this falls is going to be Azzaro. Another, it’s a great inexpensive brand that, I think they’ve got a wide variety of very easily accessible fragrances. That one of them in particular. What you’re going to find on those cheaper fragrances is they’re going to cut back on the oil as you guys probably know. When you hear like EDT, you hear EDP, parfum, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, usually it’s the concentration of the oil mixed in with the alcohol. And they mix with alcohol because, with the oil, they come together, it macerates and it’s easy to project onto the skin. But, more expensive like niche fragrances and the parfums and stuff, they’ll use a higher concentration of oil, and that oil then will allow the fragrance to last longer on the skin and project more, in theory. That doesn’t always happen.

[Raphael] The problem is it’s a bit like super numbers, right? Where it’s like, there is no like standard where we’re like, “Hey, eau de parfum means, you know, at least 10% oil concentration.” Like we don’t have that. So, it’s every house…

[Antonio] I created an infographic. I’m like, “Why doesn’t the world follow my infographic?”

[Raphael] Yeah, there you go. Antonio’s standardized…

[Antonio] I try to standardize things that people like, go like, “Why are you….”

[Prof. Preston] All right, I’m going to ask for your grades

[Raphael] B minus, C minus…

[Antonio] You are a tough critic, Raphael.

[Raphael] Well, you know in Germany, when I went to law school, you have these, like, grades, right? And you can get…

[Antonio] That sounds like a not a very happy place.

[Raphael] Yeah, it’s… no, it wasn’t a happy place for me, but you…

[Prof. Preston] You discuss, I’ll get number eight. 

[Antonio] Yeah.

[Raphael] There isn’t, and I forget, I think the great was, the highest score you could get was 18 points, and sometimes only the average is like four so they grade really hard.

[Nate] Yeah, I moved into, like on my fragrance channel, I moved into rating things from like one out of 10, but I do decimal points, so you know. 

[Raphael] 1.1?

[Nate] Yeah, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3. So, it kind of gives somebody a little bit better understanding of, like, where I would put it, because like a 7 out of 10 would be, you know, that could come across very… but if it’s a 7.4, it automatically, you see it kind of leans over to the, you know, six. A little bit more, so.

[Raphael] Do you find that on different days you’ll have a different grading? 

[Nate] Oh yeah, absolutely, and two, there’s fragrances that I love one month, and then as I wear them, wear them, wear them, I’m like, “Hmm, well this is not really great anymore,” and then I’ll let, you know, my audience know, like, “Hey, I don’t really like this one anymore. 

[Prof Preston] Alright, number eight.

8. 17 Rosso (Roberto Ugolini)

[Nate] This is classic.

[Raphael] It’s bold.

[Antonio] Uh-hm 

[Raphael] So, this is number 8?

[Prof. Preston] Number eight, correct. 

[Raphael] So Nate, when you, you know, having all these oils,  so do you just have these oils at home that you don’t combine, and do they go off when they’re not stabilized with with alcohol? 

[Nate] Yeah, so I have, like, I have a… I’ll order my raw materials in and then I’ll dilute them down in alcohol at 10% concentrations, and sometimes, like, 1% concentration. Some of the more volatile materials that, like, are so pungent that you only need just a drop. But yeah, I will, I’ll dilute them down, and then I’ll smell them from there because then you can smell them more accurately when you’re dosing them like really low. 

[Antonio] You got a grade for yours? 

[Raphael] Same as you.

[Antonio] Well, write it big, like… 

[Raphael] Alright.

[Antonio] Because this is… Oh, I love that. Bigger than mine. Okay.

[Raphael] A minus, A minus.

[Antonio] I like strong masculine fragrances, maybe I’m trying to compensate for something, but when I wear this stuff it’s just, uh…

[Nate] It smells like a like a really high quality fougère fragrance, like patchouli, frankincense in here, lavender, some green aspects in here, like a touch of a basil.

[Raphael] I think it’s the Roberto Ugolini 17 Rosso, but these are the fragrances I’m most familiar with, you know, I smell them a lot so I may be wrong. I may like you know like but…

Discover Roberto Ugolini Fragrances

[Antonio] I put the second cousin to Yves Saint Laurent Kouros so that could be right. 

[Prof Preston] Alright, gentlemen. We have reached the halfway point. How are your noses holding up?

[Antonio] Good, good. Let’s power through! 

[Prof. Preston] Great. Alright, with that, I’ll go get number nine. Alright, here is number nine.

9. Polo Green (Ralph Lauren)

[Nate] Stinky or skanky, I should say, not stinky. If anybody wears this, I’m sorry.

[Raphael] But are you really?

[Nate] No. If you wear this, don’t come near me. 

[Raphael] Yeah, what what is that? This thing I can’t tell but it’s like…

[Nate] It’s, um…

[Antonio] What’s the animal note, the, like, it’s not musk but it actually comes near the…

[Nate] It is a musk. It’s like near the butthole of the animal, it’s like literally there’s a gland that they used to extract this from, which again, why naturals are not always a great thing.

[Raphael] It’s always like, you know, who had the idea to go there to extract that, you know. Would that be from the civet musk? Is that… okay. 

[Antonio] Well, civet is the, actually, the note, one of the notes they call, there’s like three animal notes that I’ve heard 

[Nate] Yeah.

[Raphael] Thank you, Professor Preston.

[Prof. Preston] I do what I can.

[Antonio] Look at this the assist right there.

[Nate] Yeah, this is like heavy heavy patchouli, heavy castor, I think it’s castoreum, this is, like uh…

[Raphael Do you think this was popular?

[Nate] I hope not. 

[Antonio] Alright, let’s put our grades.

[Raphael] F, F, A.

[Antonio] I like wearing animalistic fragrances. It’s just…

[Raphael] What is it triggering you?

[Antonio] Sex. 

[Prof. Preston] Simple enough. Next up, number 10.

10. Gentleman (Givenchy)

[Antonio] Thank you.

[Nate] Picking almost a hemp note. 

[Raphael] I have no idea what hemp smells like.

[Nate] Like a… 

[Prof. Preston] Or so he claims. 

[Nate] Yeah, no.

[Nate] Got it?

[Antonio] Yeah, on this we can agree, Raphael.

[Raphael] Oh, D, D, F.

[Prof. Preston] Not high marks for this one.

[Antonio] I really didn’t pick up too much, and so that sometimes, people, a lot of people don’t like a fragrance simply because it doesn’t project or doesn’t have much, and when people spend money, especially someone getting into fragrances, they usually equate value with projection and power of the fragrance.

[Raphael] Like hitting it over your head kind of thing. 

[Antonio] So this one could be a great fragrance just not…

[Nate] It comes across very, like, sour patchouli kind of smell, and it has this subtle aquatic note in here that it, it just, I don’t know, it doesn’t really balance that well on the paper here.

[Raphael] What’s your experience, you know, sometimes  taking like the exact same formula, and having it like, you know, 20% oil, 10%, 5%, it does, it lead sometimes for you to say, “Oh, I like it, and I don’t?”

[Nate] That’s actually, so that’s a great point with, like, concentrations and stuff with people think that you know the eau de toilette, the eau de parfum, and the parfum, though you know that’s where you get better performance with the parfum, but that’s simply just not the case because it’s all the way that the perfume is constructed, and parfum, eau de parfum, it’s merely for branding purposes. Because you can, I mean, you can, the way that they’re crafted, you can, like with an Elixir you usually use denser materials, more base notes, but you know we see it nowadays with all these brands coming out with their new elixir–they don’t last, you know, terribly long, and they’re putting the elixir, you know, you know, branding on it but it comes down to… 

[Raphael] Elixir branding is supposedly something that lasts long. It’s like the… 

[Nate] It’s like the pure form of the oil, but usually, these elixirs are 20% oil concentration. So, uh, it usually comes down to fixative, which make fragrances last longer, fixatives are like ISO E supers, hedione.

[Raphael] Like stabilizers. 

[Nate] Yeah. They’re almost like their solid form at room temperature. So, ambroxan is a crystal when it’s in room temperature … but when it’s diluted down into, um… I just scared him out of the room.

[Antonio] I know.

[Prof. Preston] Alright. I didn’t want to interrupt your previous conversation but we are now on to fragrance number 11.

11. Old Spice Aftershave (Procter & Gamble)

[Raphael] It’s like a lighter… summery.

[Nate] Where are those coffee beans? Need those coffee beans.

[Nate] This is just like a clean suit, clean guy, soap qualities. 

[Raphael] It’s not very adventurous. It has less soap than the other one; the number six.

[Nate] This is the smell that, like wafts into your office, you know your boss is here, and you’re like trying to organize your desk really quickly. It’s like, “We’re in trouble now, boys.” 

[Raphael] So would you say it’s something classic like…

[Nate] I, my, my general thing is like I think this is like Eau Sauvage, eau de toilette kind of thing, um in that kind of general realm of things, like nice fougere. 

[Antonio] If it was like an eau fresh mixed with another 50% alcohol, it would be like… because this…

[Raphael] I lost Eau Sauvage, I had a bottle I think to spray it, just malfunctions, but yes you’re right, it is similar to that. 

[Nate] That like nice airy, citrusy light kind of stuff. 

[Prof. Preston] All right, are we ready for letter grades here? 

[Nate] Oh yeah, I got to erase this F here. Let me think… 

[Raphael] But this is also the fragrance that, in my experience, wouldn’t last very long; you put it on, and a few hours later it’s like you can’t tell anymore.

[Nate] Yeah, this is a spray before you leave, and then once you show, yeah, once you show up…

[Raphael] Reapply. 

[Nate] But very classe, nice and light. Let’s see…

[Antonio] C. 

[Nate] B; I’d probably wear it.

[Prof. Preston] Very good! Next up, number 12. 

[Raphael] So, Antonio, how did you get into fragrances. I mean, I’ve known you for a little while, and you’re an analytical guy, so what was that like? 

[Antonio] No, you know, I didn’t wear fragrance for the longest time. We obviously talked about style at Real Me Real Style. For me, growing up in the Midwest, Midland Texas, like nobody wore, like, fragrance. It just wasn’t seen as… Actually, I did receive, like when I was a kid, Stetson, and then Aspen, and some, I’m sure somebody’s dad had Drakkar, you know, Polo, you start to get in the Marine Corps, I noticed people start to wear fragrances.

[Raphael] Like Polo Green, you mean?

[Antonio] Polo Green, Polo Red…

[Raphael] There, the Blue one… 

[Antonio] That was pretty, yeah, those things were popular in the, you know, 2000s, around some of the guys, you know, and so you would see guys go out, spray something on, but I always stayed away from, I just thought if you’re showered and clean, you’re perfectly fine. But then I started hanging out, you know, got to know Jeremy Fragrance, I was in Germany, and he gave me, what was it? Acqua di Gio Profumo Special Blend. He had an extra one, he’s like, “Hey, check this out.” And I met up with him, Jeremy, again at Artisan Pure. We were at the Varvatos store I got a… so I started getting, Victor & Rolf sent me Spice Bomb, so I started having some of these laying around, and my son really got into them. And I started saying, “You know, this smells really good.” So, I think it was it was that… it was those fragrances that three right there that I started wearing and getting into, and I really did like them. And I’m maybe a little bit obsessive with things, so I’m like, “Okay, if I’m going to get into this, I just, justified that it’s it’s like a college education every time I would buy a fragrance.” I would go to the website Fragrantica and research it, and I just kept doing this. And, it was… The next thing I know, some of those fragrance videos on the channel did pretty good, and uh it, yeah, went from there went from three fragrances to 600 within a couple years. 

[Nate] That’s usually how it goes.

[Prof. Preston] Alright, number 12. 

12. Individuel (Mont Blanc)

[Raphael] What I found, though, is, you know, once they they reach air, right, once you start pumping, after a while, I remember, I had an old Polo Blue, for the longest time, and after a while, it just didn’t smell like it used to at all anymore. 

[Nate] So there’s a there’s a note in here it’s it’s a synthetic note called Dihydromyrcenol, and it’s heavily used in Cool Water, and Green Irish Tweed, that kind of thing that that it … it’s almost kind of like a lime, lavender, fresh airy kind of note.

[Raphael] Mmhm, I smell a lime. 

[Nate] But it comes across super clean and, uh, it’s, uh, they used it a lot in the ’90s, for all their fragrances in 90s.

[Raphael] Which is, you know, do, I mean stylistically, right? 90s are making a big comeback whether it’s like, you know, I don’t know, the Shaq Reebok shoes, or like the jackets do you see kind of a ’90s resurgence in the fragrance world?

[Nate] Yeah, with this kind of DNA, I do, like, this … this stuff kind of makes it come back a little bit. 

[Prof. Preston] Alright. Are we ready for grades here?

[Nate] A.

[Antonio gives a B-]

[Raphael] It’s, I say B+ here. It reminds me of, like a bit of the Montblanc Individuel. 

[Nate] Yeah.

[Prof. Preston] Alright, very good! we are entering the home stretch now; just four fragrances left to go. So I will go prepare number 13. 

[Antonio] So you think that, you think that was GIT?

[Nate] Yeah, it’s either GIT or Cool Water.

[Raphael] But the Cool Water, I mean, yeah, I, you know, when I remember when I smelled the Green Irish Tweed and the Cool Water, they smelled similar to me.

[Antonio] Yeah, they are. 

[Nate] I’m pretty sure, I could be wrong on this, but I’m pretty sure the perfumer, and I apologize, I forgot his name or her name, but the perfumer that put together Geen Irish Tweed was the same person that put together Cool Water because Davidoff hired the same perfumer ’cause they … they wanted that kind of fragrance, and then they … he reworked it specifically for Davidoff to meet their price, because perfume is… it’s all about price, you know, per kilogram. 

[Raphael] Per kilogram, which is a thousand grams.

[Nate] Yes, and some brands need a lower threshold or to stay within their budgets and stuff, but… 

[Raphael] Well and that’s how a lot of scents are, oftentimes, designed, right? It’s like you have a price goal, and then you go to your perfumer, “Here’s a price goal. Please do this.” And then they go for that. 

[Nate] But I could be I could be wrong if those are the two same perfumer so I’m not… 

[Raphael] Thank you. 

[Nate] We need a fact check. 

13. Blenheim Bouquet (Penhaligon’s)

[Raphael] That’s lighter.

[Nate] Yeah, very light.

[Raphael] To me, like that’s more of a, you know, like one of those, sometimes, these English scents of like lime or like something like this, you know.

[Nate] Heavy lemon in here.

[Raphael] Yeah, that kind of I often find them, you know, they’re all these what is it Floris, Penhaligon’s. All that stuff. They have these sometimes, I don’t want to say simple, but more straightforward. 

[Nate] A lot of it is coming this is not, like, a guess, ’cause I know this is not it, but like like a Dior L’Homme cologne like with that nice bright lemon.

[Antonio] They do a really good job with that. This, and with those brands you just mentioned, uh, I mean, they’ve got formulations, I mean, I don’t know if they’re using the exact same ones but they’ve been around for a hundred years or 150 years, and you know, fragrance at that point, when they started this stuff, it was pretty simple. It was, you know.

[Raphael] When you put it on your, like handkerchief, so when you walk through the street, and it smelled you had something that smelled better than…

[Antonio] No, Raphael, that’s what the peasants….

[Raphael] Look at this! We’re like almost the same. C minus, C.

[Prof. Preston] Who had the C minus?

[Nate] I did.

[Antonio] I don’t, I haven’t failed anybody so…

[Raphael] I always like the kind of the different aspects of it and you know learning, and … and just I’m impressed by your, to just say, you know, it’s this, right? ‘Cause ultimately, it’s like you … you practice, right, it’s like … there’s talent, and then there is practice. And even if you don’t have much talent, even with practice, you can get to a really high level, and then if you have talent, and then you know, but you need to smell it. 

[Nate] What I love about creating perfume is like, you’re never an expert, you’re never, you’re never at the top of your game like you’re always learning and even the top perfumers are always, always learning and always researching new materials. And I’m the same way. I always try to research, smell stuff, order samples in … of molecules and smell them, and it and it, I never want to try to come across. I know it might come across sometimes, but I never want to come across like I know it all, ’cause  I simply don’t, and it’s, it’s just memory, going off memory. 

14. Green Irish Tweed (Creed)

[Nate] This is Green Irish Tweed. 

[Antonio] No, I think it’s… I think that one to me is Cool Water. 

[Raphael] Now that, now that you say, that this is instant, like it’s like, my wife is like when I put this on, she’s like”Ohhh,” and now that you say that, I think you’re right. I said I think, I thought Green Irish Tweed was number five earlier, and I don’t think that anymore. I had … I had written that down, but you’re right. I even on the 12. I had, I said Mont Blanc Individuel, but potentially Green Irish Tweed. 

[Nate] Yeah, this is like very noticeable, but I said Green Irish Tweed for the other one, so I’m already failing. I am failing, but … and I could be wrong here too.

[Raphael] But now, but I … this … now did you say that…

[Nate] Yeah, very noticeable.

[Prof. Preston] The purpose of this video is to make all of you feel like failures. 

[Antonio] Yes, yes, that’s the purpose. 

[Nate] But yeah, it could be Cool Water, ’cause it is very pungent and potent. 

[Antonio] That’s, yeah, I just feel Green Irish Tweed. 

[Raphael] Personally, with the Green Irish Tweed, I don’t like the smell it and like, “Hmm, I love,” it but because Teresa loves it, I definitely wear it. 

[Prof. Preston] Alright, letter grades here. 

[Nate] B  

[Raphael] C

[Antonio] B plus. 

[Prof. Preston] Very good! 15 up next. 

[Raphael] How much do you think is the formula like getting something that no one is offended by and then the marketing behind it, and the brand in kind of pushing something. 

[Nate] I think what’s really interesting about perfume is it’s… I look at it as all marketing because nowadays, with a lot of formulas nowadays, are usually like, Sauvage is like 25% ISO E Super, usually 20% musk, and it’s hedione, too, and it gets you all the way up to about 80% all of these like ISO E Super, hedione, musks. Dihydromyrcenol is a very popular one with like Invictus style DNAs, like that nice fresh, sweet ’cause dihydromyrcenol is a very potent molecule, and so if you add that in with sweetness, you get this like pungent volatile…

[Raphael] But do you think Creed is doing that much marketing or is it, just have that strong brand that carries it?

[Nate] I don’t know, know what Creed is doing, to be honest, I … because I really don’t think I could be totally wrong here so if somebody from Creed is watching this and they get upset at me, I, this is just the take that I’ve noticed with my viewers and stuff, but a lot of Creed fragrances don’t perform that well. And if they listen to their audience and listen to the people that are wearing their fragrances, they want longer-lasting fragrances. They want… so readdressing that, and I don’t know, they could be doing that, I, just from a consumer point of view, I don’t see it, and from hosting a fragrance channel, I don’t see that they’re making strides for that.

15. Cool Water (Davidoff)

[Prof. Preston] All right, some thoughts on fragrance number 15 here before I ask you for your letter grades? Any impressions of this one?

[Antonio] No real Impressions on it, uhm…

[Nate] Smells a lot like the… 

[Raphael] Crowd-pleasing kind of to me.

[Nate] It’s yeah, Green… it almost has like a Green Irish Tweed kind of a thing going, but…

[Raphael] It’s lighter

[Nate] It’s lighter. It’s much lighter. 

[Antonio] We get any floral with that?

[Nate] Uhm, more Green aspects like, 

[Nate]  Yeah, yeah. I mean, I would not be shocked if there’s like a touch of a lily, lily of the valley.

[Prof. Preston] All right, letter grades.

[Raphael] B minus. C minus. B. Okay!

[Prof. Preston] Raphael, your grade was?

[Raphael] B minus. 

[Prof. Preston] All right! Okay, here we are the final fragrance number 16 coming up… All right, number 16.

16. Terre d’Hermes (Hermes)

[Raphael] That smells unusual to me.

[Nate] I’m not feeling this.

[Nate]  It is, I feel like that this last one is getting the end of our noses.

[Antonio] Yeah.

[Nate] Yeah, this is nice. It’s coming across, I don’t know, I’m picking up like Roja Dove, something like a, something or other it’s got… 

[Antonio] It’s very old school. 

[Nate] Yeah, it’s got Roja’s kind of style on it, yeah.

[Raphael] So I, mean obviously you guys knew you have a lot of stuff, and you … you try a lot of things. Sometimes, when I walk into my thing like, “Oh, today, I feel like this.” And another day, I don’t feel like that at all. Do you have that sometimes or…?

[Nate] Oh yeah, yeah. 

[Antonio] We were talking about that, like, when you have so many fragrances you’re, like, “What do I want to wear today?” Or wear this, and I oftentimes like, story, like oh I like them all, like them all, but you know, one of the things with talking about this, we have the luxury of there’s always new fragrances coming in so I’m like I’ll just wear what’s new, you know.

[Raphae] Yeah.

[Nate] You know, I always, I always like to make good joke out of it; I like, stand back and put my hands on my hips and like, I have nothing to wear.

[Nate] This has that Healy musk in there, too. 

[Prof. Preston] Letter grades for the final fragrance 

[Antonio] What’d you put? C+?

[Raphael] C+. 

[Nate & Antonio] B.

[Raphael] All right.

Ranking and Guessing The 16 Fragrances

[Prof. Preston] Okay, gentlemen. Well, now comes the big reveal for all 16 of our fragrances. I hope your noses have held up okay.

[Nate] And look at how many notes I took.

[Antonio] Yeah. 

[Prof. Preston] Alright. So, let’s start back at the beginning with fragrance number one. This one got an aggregate grade from all of you of B. So, starting off fairly strong. I was a little cheeky with this one because for number one I went with CK One from Calvin Klein.

[Raphael] Nice.

[Prof Preston] Okay, number two, with a aggregate score of D+ was 4711 which Rafael guessed correctly. 

[Raphael] It has a very distinct, like, old smell.

[Nate] I’ve never smelled this before so….

[Raphael] Oh, yeah?

[Nate] Yeah, it’s nice

[Prof Preston] I think Raphael had the advantage being German on that one, so. Number three with an aggregate score of B+, Bleu de Chanel.

[Antonio] That’s surprising.

[Prof. Preston] Number four. Aggregate grade of B is Victor and Rolf Spice Bomb. I think we had some correct guesses on that one. 

[Raphael] Yeah. 

[Prof. Preston] Number five. Aggregate score of B+ was Creed Aventus. I think we had some other Creed guesses there. 

[Raphael] Yeah, okay.

[Antonio] I went with Aventus cologne, and you with…

[Prof. Preston] Absolute. 

[Antonio] It’s funny we all go for the…

[Nate] Was it just the standard one? 

[Prof. Preston] Yes, that was standard Aventus, yep.

[Nate] Wow, does not scream Aventus.

[Prof. Preston] Number six. Aggregate grade of C+ Tom Ford Soleil Blanc. 

[Antonio]  I don’t have that one, so… 

[Nate] Neither do I.

[Prof. Preston] Number seven. Aggregate grade of B minus was Issey Miyake’s L’eau D’Issey Pour Homme.

[Raphael] Yeah that was also big like CK One and Issey Miyake. I remember that I had a buddy in, when I did my civil service in 2003, he had an Issey Miyake.

[Prof. Preston] Number eight with an aggregate grade of A minus, which was the highest aggregate grade received today was, I’m happy to announce, 17 Rosso by Roberto Ugolini. It’s a good thing Raphael guessed that one correctly.

[Raphael] Would have been funny if not, but…

[Prof. Preston] Number nine. aggregate grade of D+, not a strong showing for this one, Polo Green. 

[Nate] Oh, what?

[Prof. Preston] Number 10, aggregate grade of D minus, which was the lowest grade received by any cologne today was Givenchy’s Gentleman. 

[Nate] Wow. 

[Raphael] That was… which one was that? Number nine?

Number 10. 

[Raphael] Number 10.

[Nate] That’s incredible. I did not… wow. 

[Prof. Preston] Number 11, with a grade of B minus, was Old Spice.

[Raphael] Oh, wow! 

[Prof. Preston] Just standard, good old Old Spice. 

[Raphael] How much does Old Spice cost?

[Prof. Preston] Not much. It’s a drugstore scent. 

[Prof. Preston] Okay, number 12, which was guessed correctly by Raphael. An aggregate grade of B+ was Mont Blanc Individuel.

[Prof. Preston] Number 13, with an aggregate grade of C, perfectly average, was Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet. Guessed, uh the house was guessed correctly by Raphael on that one.

[Raphael] They just, you know, when I, in England, they have this, I went with um Jack Collins, we went to like a Penhaligon’s store, and I smelled a lot and I that was my association.

[Prof. Preston] Number 14, with an aggregate grade of B minus. Guessed correctly over here by Nate was Creed’s Green Irish Tweed. Number 14.

[Prof. Preston] Number 15, also with an aggregate grade of B minus, Davidoff Cool Water.

[Nate] I think you got that one, right? 

[Prof. Preston] I believe Antonio guessed Cool Water for number 14. Was the Green Irish Tweed… 

[Antonio] Which was GIT. 

[Raphael] Well, I mean, which is yeah. 

[Prof. Preston] Similar fragrances, similar…

[Antonio] I was just a little bit early. 

[Raphael] So, which one was the second, the 15 was the…

[Prof. Preston] 15 was Cool Water.

[Raphael] Yeah, I mean, they really smell similar here, but it’s a huge price difference, right?

[Nate] Yeah, yeah. It’s like cool water is like 20 bucks, and then Green Irish Tweed is like 300. 

[Prof. Preston] And finally, number 16, also with an aggregate grade of B minus, was Terre d’Hermes. 

[Raphael] The soil of Hermes. Awesome! Thank you, Preston!

[Prof. Preston] Absolutely! Any final thoughts here as we wrap up the video?

[Raphael] I’ll leave it up to you, gentlemen. 

[Nate] No, I’d say it, now you know, it’s going back to what you were saying about marketing and fragrance, I think marketing plays a huge deal with this because if you order, say, a fragrance and you’re blind smelling it like we are, where, we don’t pick up things until they’re shown to us, like if you…

[Raphael] There’s no flacon, right, there’s no color there’s no packaging it’s all stripped out.

[Nate] It’s, it’s…

[Raphael] Same strips.

[Nate] It’s, yeah, it’s paper. 

[Raphael] Like we have a collection of maybe 80-90 fragrances, you guys have 600, so I probably knew that these were out of my realm of fragrances. And so the … the 17 Rosso for me was very distinctive ’cause I’ve smelled that. This one I wasn’t so sure. You see I had like Green Irish Tweed on it as well, and you know, then when you said that it was, like, “Oh, yes, that’s right!” But I didn’t, I would not have I guess that.

[Nate] But the other thing, too, I haven’t smelled most of these, so you know, I have a lot of fragrances and it’s like, you know, that that just shows you how many of there are out there, and it’s like, it’s impossible to smell everything.

[Raphael] Well, I would not have known you know, Polo Green or  Old Spice or whatever.

[Nate] That’s shocking. We tore that apart

[Antonio] I gave it an A. 

[Raphael] The Polo one? 

[Antonio] Yeah, Polo Green, I gave an A.

[Raphael] Yeah, that’s true, yet that was…

[Raphael] So, if you enjoyed this really good analysis by Nate head over to Paragon for fragrances on YouTube, and this guy has a Real Men Real Style, but Scenteno is, I didn’t know for this about a while. How long has…

[Antonio] Yeah, I kept it secret, yeah, we’ve had it for like three years

[Raphael] And it’s shorts only?

[Antonio] Just shorts. It was just an experiment, you know, I created, I’ve got a main channel, which Real Men Real Style, but uh, yeah, the Scenteno channel was just to learn about fragrances, and obviously, I have a lot still to learn. 

[Raphael] And with that name, I mean, come on, that’s ideal.

[Antonio] Yeah, we had someone on our team, Jean, she came up with that. I was like, that’s good!

[Raphael] Did you trademark it? Scenteno? I mean, come on!

[Antonio] No.

[Prof. Preston] All right. Well, thanks to everyone for joining us, and uh, in conclusion, smell you later! 

[Antonio] Okay, see ya. Nice, Preston.

[Raphael] Ah, good!

Raphael’s Premium Travel Credentials

I travel constantly—for work and pleasure—so what do I consider my premium EDC travel kit that I bring along with me at all times? I’ll share with you my experiences as well as my secrets with the help of Sterling Pacific—the sponsor of today’s post.

Frankly, I caught the travel bug early. My parents always took me on trips. My dad was from Brazil and we were in Germany, so we traveled quite a bit. Living in Europe, I also love to visit craftsmen in different cities, and it is easy to travel all over.

Then, I met Teresa. I lived in Germany. She lived in the US. And we had a long-distance relationship for two and a half years. During this time, we flew a lot. Over the course of my lifetime, I traveled well over a thousand hours.

I used to fly primarily at Delta, so I even made it to a Delta Diamond Medallion. These days, I’m not so airline-focused. I’ll just travel with whatever offers me the best deal.

My Old Bag

Today, I’m combining all the things I’ve learned over the last thirty years into my premium travel kit. Certain things change depending on how long I go and where I go, but these are pretty much the things I bring on every trip.

Brown oppermann

Leather Bag

First of all, I always have a leather bag that’s quite sizable, where I can put all my tech stuff, my passport holders, jewelry, and so forth. The bag I’ve been using in recent years is from Oppermann. I think they’re now called Carl Friedrik. It was designed to be a case for 25 hours. 

I never really used it as a weekender, but I used it for my 16-in laptop, cameras, and so forth because it fit all the stuff. Frankly, the interior was a bit big, so I used camera gear to kind of separate things and cushion things so they wouldn’t just slide around, but be protected properly. Overall, I’d say that while the bag served me well, it has aged quite poorly.

The leather didn’t develop a nice patina. It just looks worn and old. The edge paint has come off, and you see the orange lining poking through, which doesn’t look very sophisticated. So, I’m on the lookout for a new bag that suits my needs, and maybe, I have to design one myself—I don’t know.

Once I pack this bag, it’s quite heavy, and it would be quite tiring to carry around through long travel journeys and airports, so I always bring a four-wheeled carry-on suitcase, so I can easily maneuver it wherever I go without too much effort.

Yes, I always put the heavy bag on my carry-on, and I flap the handles over the telescope mechanism to hold everything in place. When the bag originally came out, they didn’t have these straps that go over the telescope mechanism. I think, these days, a lot more bags offer that, and it’s definitely what I would want in a new bag.

Why Should you go for

Four wheels?

In my experience, maneuvering something—getting through narrow lines, going left and right—is so much easier if you have four wheels compared to two. Plus, when you have a heavier bag on top, a two-wheeled one makes the whole thing still quite heavy; versus, a four-wheel one—you don’t carry that weight at all times.

There are a lot of people out there who travel exclusively with their carry-on even without a bag. I’m a clotheshorse, and I typically bring a larger checked back as well; sometimes, even more, because I also like to buy things at the places I go to and bring souvenirs back home.

Four-Wheel Sterling Pacific Suitcase Review

A while back, Sterling Pacific approached us about the collab, and at that time, they had a two-wheel suitcase and, because I don’t like those, I said, no. So, now, they came back and they said, “Hey, we’re introducing this four-wheel suitcase,” and I was like, “Awesome! Your stuff looks great! Let’s do it!”

So, who’s Sterling Pacific: they’re basically a younger, spec-driven brand that focuses entirely on high-end, aluminum luggage. They design their suitcase with pilots and frequent travelers in mind, which I think is wonderful, because you really want something that stands a test of time and doesn’t have a wheel that breaks off.

Sterling Pacific is most famous for their two-wheel case, but I have a six-year-old and when you have lots of suitcases. It’s really hard to push more than two suitcases by yourself if they just have two wheels. So, when I unbox the Sterling Pacific 40 L Four-wheeled Carry-on, I was quite impressed.

Exceptional Full-Aluminum Build Quality

First of all, the packaging was nice. It came with a scratch or dust cover, and it just felt solid right out of the box. The luggage has a full-aluminum design, and you can tell the focus is on aluminum and metal. Pretty much all the parts that are plastic on other aluminum suitcases are metal here. It comes with a two-step, extendable trolley-style handle.

As the name implies, it can hold about 40 L of volume and weighs in at 12 lb or 5 ½ kg. It’s certainly not a small carry-on, but the dimensions are selected carefully so it fits in the overhead bin of airplanes.

The first thing I test on any piece of luggage is the wheels because bad wheels mean you have a higher resistance when walking, and they will die prematurely in a situation when you least expect it. Really, there’s nothing worse than pushing your luggage extra hard on a sidewalk when you’re already jet-lagged and tired from carrying all the stuff.

Smooth Wheel Performance

So, you can see the wheel is mounted in a metal aluminum corner. Usually, this piece is plastic. Every element—including the fender in the middle, the metal hop cab, and even the treads on the wheel—were all designed so they’re super smooth. I mean, I even pushed it at the airport, showing you how easily and smoothly it rolls.

In my experience, our suitcases often become harder to maneuver when they get heavier, but the Sterling Pacific 40 L case works just fine and remains very maneuverable even when it’s heavy.

Outstanding Maneuverability and Durability

The frame is solid and extruded from 6063 aluminum. The body is made from 5000 series aluminum, which is 9-mm thick and that’s a lot thicker than what you usually see. It’s about 130th of an inch thick.

It’s all being held together by over 100 stainless steel rivets, which is good because I’ve definitely had other suitcases with rivets not made of stainless steel that came off before. The corners are really solid. They’re made of 5052 aluminum in a thickness of 1.5 mm.

Really, this is much thicker than other suitcases and you know they’re not going to break easily. This aluminum alloy features magnesium and chromium for greater durability, which is especially important because suitcases and stuff are more easily dropped.

If I think back on all the carry-ons I’ve had. This one feels the most solid—almost like a little tank.

Built to Last, Unlike Other Luggages

I’ve had other aluminum luggage before and Sterling Pacific showed me that they’re not all the same. For example, on other trolleys, things like the trolley handle, the locks, the trolley housing, or the wheel housing are all made of plastic—not so with Sterling Pacific.

The trolley handle retracts into a die-cast aluminum housing. The locks are made of a material called Zamac, and I would have even liked it more if it was brass, but they also have to look at weight because it’s luggage after all.

When you open the locks, you’re greeted with a very satisfying, solid sound. There’s no subtlety here. The same goes for closing the case. You know it’s locked just by hearing it.

"Old World, Old Money" Vibes

Visually, the luggage has an old school appearance and, on the inside, you have a nice Alcantara-style lining. The lining is very classic and, with the Italian full grain leather handles, I definitely feel like Howard Hughes is going to come pick me up any minute now. When I used the Sterling Pacific 40 L Carry-on for the first time, I definitely had “old world, old money” vibes.

If you travel a lot, you know, eventually, things break, and usually you just have to toss out your suitcase and buy a new one. Not so with Sterling Pacific. They have a lifetime warranty, and the case was designed and built in a modular way so parts can be easily replaced, which I think is really, really nice.

So, really, they thought about all the aspects—from the way it functions, the way it’s made, and even what to do if things go wrong.

What’s Inside?

So, now that we covered the bag and the carry-on, what actually goes inside of it?

1. Apple Macbook Pro 16″

As an entrepreneur, I always need to have my laptop with me. Right now, I’m using an Apple MacBook Pro, 16 inches. It works well, and I wanted the M Chip for the great battery life.

When I travel, I also always use a VPN because it protects my connection, especially with open networks. I know of a lot of people who got hacked and I don’t want that to happen. So, for our business, we use a Perimeter 81. I think they were recently bought. I also have VPNs on the private side, so there’s tons of offerings out there. Just get one that works with your budget. 

Also, take a look at functionality. For example, I use private internet access. They also have apps for my phone and my iPad, so I can make sure that all devices are actually covered.

2. Apple iPad Pro M4 with Pencil Pro and Keyboard

When I go on business travel, I also bring an iPad Pro. Right now, I have the new one with the M4 Chip and their Apple Pencil Pro, which is really nice to do a drawing or show something that’s harder to do on just a computer.

My wife, Teresa, also prefers to bring a Kindle. I just use the iPad to read because I don’t want to bring yet another device.

I really like Apple’s M products because the battery life is so much longer, and their newer screens are also brighter and better, so you don’t have issues even when it’s really sunny.

3. Noise-Canceling Headphones

One thing I always bring with me when I travel are noise-canceling headphones. I think they’re essential on long plane journeys, so you can sleep better, you can enjoy your favorite media; but even during your trip, you may use them when things get loud, especially at night. 

Because I’m in the Apple ecosystem, I have an iPhone now, so I bought the AirPods Pro because they’re very convenient to wear.

Have Big Ears?

So, on the plane itself, I prefer more old-school, larger-style headphones, and right now, I’m using a Montblanc MB 01. Their noise canceling capabilities are not as good as the ones from Bose or Sony or even of the Apple AirPods Max, but what I really like about them—the leather quality and the size of the ear cups. I have big ears, so I hate small ear cups because they make my ears hurt when I have them on for 10, 24 hours at a time.

The Montblanc ones don’t and so I can take a slightly worse noise canceling performance for an increase in overall comfort. I think no other brand uses this same soft lamb leather that Montblanc uses.

Some newer planes allow you to connect via Bluetooth to your headphones. If that’s not the case and you’re annoyed by having extra cables, especially if you get in and out to the restroom and so forth, you can get these little adapters that plug in and create a Bluetooth connection with your headphones, so you can even listen to the plain media wirelessly. We got some options for you in the description below where we also put links to all the other things.

“I would consider myself as somewhat of an audiophile.”

Raphael sven Schneider

So, I also have a pair of the Etymotic ER4XR, which have a bass boost. These are wired headphones. They’re buds, but they’re really nice and, if you enjoy listening to high-quality music, maybe this is something you’d like to add to your collection. They cost around 250 bucks, and it’s a great investment in my opinion. Bear in mind, they have the traditional three-and-a-half mm headphone jack.

4. Sleepbuds

As if that one wasn’t enough, I also like to bring another set of noise-canceling headphones, specifically the Sleepbuds. Why would I do that? Unlike an earplug, they function like an earplug, but they also are a white noise machine and they cancel ambient noise.

So, I found them to be a lot more effective than earplugs and you also don’t hear that inner sound of your blood pumping. So, in my opinion, it is a much better thing when you travel and you don’t know what the noise levels are going to be at night.

Also, they’re super soft so you can turn around and sleep on them unlike with, let’s say, AirPods; and again, they wouldn’t only last for 4 hours, so they wouldn’t be good enough.

Also, when traveling for business, oftentimes, I end up in small towns and you’re right next to the main road and they start driving with loud trucks at 4:00 AM at night.

So, it’s essential for me to have a pair of Sleepbuds that enable me to have a good night of sleep.

Originally, we had Bose Sleepbubs II, which were great, but they had some battery issues so they were discontinued and they’re no longer around. It seems like some former employees of the company started to make the Ozlo Sleepbuds, which are now available. We bought into their Kickstarter, bought two of them, and so far, so good. I mean, it comes as a big surprise that they look virtually identical.

5. Bluetooth Speaker

When I travel for personal pleasure and know I’m going to be on the beach, I like to bring a Bluetooth speaker just so I have some music—maybe some Brazilian bossa nova—while I relax it just really adds to the mood when I relax.

Obviously, there are lots of options out there; I decided to support another YouTuber. His name is Oluv’s Gadgets, and he helped develop the EarFun UBOOM L, which I think only cost $79. I think it has deals sometimes, too. It’s a nice, clean sound—you can even get a second one for a stereo sound. It pairs easily with Bluetooth in my phone, and I enjoy it.

6. Toiletry Kit

Of course, I always bring a toiletry kit, and because I’ve never been quite satisfied with the kit itself, I’m working on the design of a new Dopp kit. Obviously, some people like to bring a lot, and others like to bring very little. I always like to bring things like an electric toothbrush, and the Philips Sonicare I have has a little case that plugs in by USB to charge, which is super helpful during longer trips.

If you’re curious about what you should have in your toiletry kit, check out this guide. I’ll also probably film what I will pack for a very specific trip, so stay tuned for that.

Outfit Rundown

No matter where I travel, I always put on a nice set of clothes. Because of that, I firmly believe that I’ve sometimes got an upgrade when I otherwise probably wouldn’t have. I’ve enjoyed better service and, once, I flew to the wedding of my best friend, where I was the best man and, of course, the airline lost my luggage. I didn’t get it back for 100 days.

So, what saved me then was that I had nice clothes that I wore on the way there, so I could wear them for the wedding.

So, what I’m wearing today is a typical travel outfit for me. I’m wearing a pair of seersuckers, which don’t wrinkle; and they’re lightweight, and they’re currently a prototype for Fort Belvedere. I’m pairing it with a linen shirt because it’s very hard-wearing and breathable.

I have an interesting blazer. Sometimes, it can be a navy blazer. Today, I’m wearing a green, cashmere-cotton, sport coat from Isaia. I have a pocket square from Fort Belvedere in silk, which is brown, red, green, and blue, which picks up the color of the outfit. A little boutonniere also from Fort Belvedere in blue, which picks up the color of the shirt.

My shoes are loafers because you can always easily remove them, which is important when you go through security. These shoes are technically not loafers. They’re called “lazyman loafers,” and they’re by Gaziano & Girling. They’re also predestined for travel because they look like a classic men’s dress shoe, but they don’t have leather soles, but the rubber soles throughout, which make them almost as comfortable as a sneaker.

My socks are over-the-calf socks from Ford Belvedere in kind of a khaki and red, which tie together the pants and the shoes. I also have a little pinky ring—simply because I like them—and a vintage wrist watch.

Of course, when you travel, you can always miss a flight; it can get really hot and sweaty, so I always make sure to wear some cologne. Today, I’m wearing the Loafer fragrance from Roberto Ugolini.

It’s also great to have certain things that you can bring in your carry-on, such as an electric shaver for example, or cologne samples. Yes, I like to travel with small vaporizers or little samples like our Roberto Ugolini range. It’s just 2 milliliters. You can bring the entire range, it doesn’t really add much weight, and you’ll have everything you’ll need during the time of your trip.

Fort Belvedere

Silk Pocket Square in Brown with Blue, Green, Red

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Fort Belvedere

Dark Blue Mini Delphinium Boutonniere

get this

Fort Belvedere

Khaki and Dark Red Two Tone Solid Oxford Socks

get this

Fort Belvedere

Roberto Ugolini – Loafer

get this

7. Travel Manicure Set

I also always bring a travel manicure set, so I have a little pair of tweezers. I can clip my nails. I can file them. Because, sometimes when you travel, you get a hangnail, and it scratches on your clothes and you want something that you can just file and cut everything off, so you stop that.

RECOMMENDED

Travel Manicure Set in Leather and Stainless Steel by Fort Belvedere

– Made by hand in Germany
– Solingen INOX Stainless Steel
– Top quality German Boxcalf & Deerskin Leather
– TSA Permitted in your Carry-On

Purchase link

8. Passport Holder

When traveling internationally, I always bring a passport holder because it can put your boarding passes in it, you can put luggage receipts and stickers in it, you can put currency in it, cards, and of course, a bunch of different passports.

So, you have everything in one place, which is helpful when you have to get it in and out all the time. It really helps me to stay organized. And so, I always wanted something that was of a really nice quality and, since most of them are edge painted, I wanted something with double-fold edges that had the same quality as our wallets; and so, I just made them.

Fort Belvedere

10 Card Saddle Brown Dumont Leather Wallet

Make this yours

Fort Belvedere

10 Card Gold Full-Grain Americana Leather Wallet

Make this yours

Fort Belvedere

8 Card Mahogany Montecristo Leather Wallet

Make this yours

9. 4cc Cardholder Wallet

When I travel, I always like to bring a little cardholder wallet because it’s slim so it hides very easily. People can’t see the whole lot and I keep base stuff in my passport holder. And then I take out the currency and the cards that I need that day, put in my card holder, and go about my business.

Typically, I always have some form of debit card or a card that allows me to draw cash from an ATM because, in many countries, cash is still king; and while the pandemic has really helped to allow people pay with cards more frequently, there’s many countries in the world where you get a much better deal if you pay cash than if you pay with card.

Over the years, I found there’s lots of companies that advertise that they don’t charge fees for paying with your cards internationally or withdrawing cash. What they don’t tell you is that they mark up their exchange rate a lot so, sometimes, the card that doesn’t charge any fees actually costs you more than the card that has a small fee but gives you a more favorable exchange rate.

Black Slim Cardholder Wallet

Shop here

Saddle Brown Slim Cardholder Wallet

Shop here

Orange Slim Cardholder Wallet

shop here

How do you find out which card is truly the least expensive for you? What I did in the past is I took the different cards and I withdrew the same amount at the same ATM in a row and then, at home, I compared the statements to truly see which cards had the most favorable rates. 

The person I know who travels the most is my friend, Jared from thriftytraveler.com, and he swears by the Charles Schwab debit card. It’s a free account, it has no ATM fees worldwide, and he always uses it to withdraw cash as soon as he lands.

In the past, I’ve used my regular US Bank debit card, which has a fee, but the exchange rate was good. I know that Wise typically has better rates than US banks and they also have a debit card, but it’s not available for business in the US, so I just haven’t used it, yet. They also have a personal card, I think, but I haven’t compared their rates.

10. Business Card Case

When I go on a business trip, I typically bring a business card case. So, I can store my own cards, but also accept other cards. It’s always a nice gesture when someone gives you a card and you put it in a nice box and you treat it in a respectful way, rather than just stuffing it into your pocket.

RECOMMENDED

Business Card Case for Men in Black and Red Leather by Fort Belvedere

Purchase link

I mean, frankly, in countries like Japan, it’s essential. There’s a whole ceremony of how you actually accept a business card.

Business Card Cases Guide for Professional Style

The Business Card Holder Guide

11. Pen

One old school thing I always bring on a trip is a pen. It’s really handy to fill out customs forms, immigration forms, and all that stuff, and so I wasn’t surprised that a company like Sterling Pacific would add an aluminum pen into their luggage. Quite thoughtful!

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that my interest in classic men’s clothing started with fountain pens, specifically Montblanc fountain pens; and to this day, I still have a Meisterstück 149. And if you want to know whether it’s worth it or not, check out our product review. I typically carry that in a pen case—where it’s a single pen case. For more pens like a ballpoint pen or a roll ball, you can have a larger pen case.

Again, I wanted something that was quality with folded edges in all leather and so we designed that for Fort Belvedere.

Fort Belvedere

Single Pen Case in Saddle Brown Full-Grain Montecristo Leather

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Fort Belvedere

Single Pen Case in Vintage Gold Full-Grain Americana Leather

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Fort Belvedere

Single Pen Full-Grain Dumont Leather Case in Saddle Brown

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When you bring a fountain pen in the plane, keep in mind that it may leak. Because of the different atmospheric pressure, you can get ink on your pen. So, when you open it for the first  time, be careful and probably have a little tissue handy.

To prevent any leakage on your fountain pen, I suggest you put it in your pen pouch and make sure that it stays in the overhead compartment, with the nib facing up.

Eb on our team likes to fill up the pen as much as he can because he says it’s the air that expands that causes the leak. But, I found that I’m never able to get all the air out of the inside of a fountain pen, and frankly, you need to have some air in order to get the ink flow going when you write anyways. So, if you’re not attached to fountain pens, I suggest you skip them and go with a rollerball or ballpoint pen. But, if you like fountain pens like me, then, of course, this is how you handle it.

The Fountain Pen Guide

The Rollerball Pen Guide

12. Travel Shoe Horn, Sleep Mask, & Measuring Tape

What I really do bring with me is a travel shoe horn, a sleep mask, and measuring tape because, as a clothes horse, you never know when you have to measure something.

13. Water bottle

I’ve had experiences before where I stood on a runway for four hours, and they weren’t allowed to serve drinks because of some weird regulation. So, I always make it a point to bring a water bottle—a reusable, not a plastic one—something of quality, like this Klean Kaanteen here, so you can always take a sip of water.

Klean Kaanteen Insulated Water Bottle

Bringing a quality water bottle when traveling ensures you stay hydrated and can save money by avoiding frequent purchases of bottled water. It’s also eco-friendly reducing plastic waste. You can get one online directly from their website.

14. Jewelry Case

If you’re a regular here at GG, you also know that I’m a big fan of pinky rings, jewelry, tie bars, collar clips, and so I always bring a little jewelry case. Back in the day, we even offered one for sale and the one I’m still using is a prototype from back in the day. We stopped making it because we wanted to make a better designed one. We just haven’t gotten around it, yet, so if you want us to start working on that again, let us know in the comments below.

Typically, I have rings in there, cufflinks—whatever it is that is shiny and jewelry—and then it just goes into my b,ag so I have it with ,me and I don’t check it cause I don’t want it to get lost.

15. Watch Case

The same is true for watches. If I bring a watch or more of them, I put it in a watch case. There are a few options out there, but I wanted a really thoughtful one, so stay tuned for some cool watch cases.

16. Tech Pouch

I’ve brought along a lot of electronic devices, and so I have a tech pouch that is full of stuff I only use while I’m on trips, and I don’t touch it when I’m at home. So, I know it’s always complete and ready to go.

Frankly, it saves me a lot of time when I pack, and it also has this peace-of-mind factor. So, what exactly is inside of my tech pouch.

First of all, I have quality chargers. I’ve personally bought and used chargers from the Anker brand. They’ve always been very dependable, and they’ve never let me down. I prefer the higher wattage ones with the GaN modules, which allow me to have, you know, 140 watts of power, so I can charge my laptop, my iPad, my phone, my watch, my toothbrush, and anything else that has electricity, including my camera. I found the more USB-C plug it has, the better because they also can charge faster.

If you go on international trips, I found this adapter from Lenze really helpful. It still has 120 watts and three USB outputs, and you can just adjust it to the German Schuko outlet, the American or the British one, which pretty much has you covered around the globe. That means you no longer have to carry all these individual adapters, which I still have, of course. But that means you have to think about it and, if you go to a certain country, maybe you can bring some that you don’t need, which adds more bulk. So, having this one-stop-shop solution you don’t have to think about is really valuable.

It also has a plug input, so I bring my Anker and that one so I have enough USB-C outputs. Another thing that I’m very particular about is the quality of my cables. Anker, for example, has these really nice silicone cables that stay straight and smooth, and they’re long enough, so I definitely use those. They have USB-C cables, they have lightning cables, and they’re very good quality.

17. Quality Cables

If I bring a camera or if I know I have to move large amounts of data, I also bring a Thunderbolt 4 cable because they have a much faster transfer speed. I remember, once, I had the wrong cable and it took like three hours to transfer stuff from my camera. With the right cable, it would have taken less than 5 minutes. And no, Anker didn’t pay me to say any of that. I just liked their products.

I definitely bring enough cables just in case something breaks. I hate not being able to charge stuff when I want to charge it or having to charge just one thing at a time, which can be annoying and frustrating with whatever schedule you may have. I just want to be able to start my day ready to roll.

18. Camera

If I bring a camera, I like to bring my Sony A1 because it has a large 50 megapixel sensor for images, so you get a nice resolution, but you can also film 8K videos or 4K with 120 frames uncropped, which is really nice.

Alpha 1 – Full-frame Interchangeable Lens Camera

A high-end mirrorless camera known for its exceptional image quality and fast performance.

19. Gimbal

If I know I’m going to be filming a lot, I’ll also bring a gimbal—typically, a DJI gimbal. They’re very good, they’re reliable, and when you use them, you actually work out your forearms a lot. Right now, I use the DJI RS 3 Pro. It’s a good gimbal. I think you can already get the DJI RS4 Pro, but they also pump out new gear all the time. They’re still good even if you get an older version.

Also, I’ve used the gimbal before like a tripod to take a nice family photo. Keep in mind though, carrying your camera on a gimbal is quite heavy, so you have to be really into it in order to want to bring along on your trip.

20. Mic

For mics, I currently use the DJI Mic 2, which have good quality and are easy to use.

21. International Driver’s License

Typically, when I’m abroad, I also drive, but I found I’ve never really needed an international driver’s license. If there is a country you go to where you need one—where I think like Japan—then you have to get that in your home country before you leave. Just keep that in mind. We got a link in the description down below of where you can do that. At least in the US.

22. Pocket Knife

If I know that I’m going hiking and being outdoors, I may even bring a pocket knife, but, of course, not in my carry-on. That has to go into my checked luggage. Last time I was in Switzerland, I bought a Swiss Army Knife, but I have ADHD, and I can’t find it right now. Last but not least, one thing I really enjoy when I travel is to use bikes.

I find that I really explore a city in a very different way than if I use public transportation. I’m breathing in the air; I’m seeing things; I get a better sense of orientation; and even when I’m not in a city, it’s nice to go out by bike. You see things very quickly and it’s healthy and it’s fun. 

23. Universal Bar Mount

Obviously, I don’t know my way around, so having my phone with offline maps from Google Maps is typically a lifesaver. I have found the phone cases and mount from Peak Design to be really, really good.

I don’t like the material of the phone case, which is why I don’t use it in everyday life, but it’s very easy to mount it to any bike or even a tripod. You can rotate it and keep it in different positions, and it has kind of a physical pair with a magnetic lock mechanism that is easy to undo.

Peak Design Universal Bar Mount

• Instantly installs via silicone band—secure connection with easy & quick removal
• Mount on any handlebar or bar-like substrate: bikes, scooters, strollers, motorcycles, golf carts, and more
• Holds phone in portrait or landscape mode
• Mounting head clocks in 32 rotational positions
• Magnetic locking technology (called SlimLink) is ultra secure and feels like magic

So, if I know that I’ll bike and chances are I will always bike, I always bring the Peak Design universal bar mount paired with the phone case.

Do I bring my bike with me? Absolutely not! You can either go rent a bike, and most cities have these bike services where you can just have a bike, use it for 20 minutes, drop it off—it’s like a rideshare platform and it’s a lot of fun.

What does your travel kit look like? What do you bring on every trip, and what would you consider your premium items? Please share with us in the comments below.