The sweater may seem like a standard, almost impersonal gift. Done right, though, it’s the ideal present — it’s practical, attractive and will actually be used. That said, year after year of going with guy friends to return their hideous sweaters for other things has taught me a bit about how not to eff it up. Let’s learn from others’ mistakes:
- Avoid cardigans unless your guy has expressly made his interest in them clear either by mentioning that he is (or could be) a fan and/or he has previously worn one.
- Same goes for turtlenecks. The exact reasoning is still fairly mysterious, but turtle necks are a hard sell with dudes. (To be fair, this guy‘s hot and he does kind of look like a jerk in that turtleneck.)
- Sweaters should hit an inch or two below the top of his pants. Dude’s not trying to wear a dress or a crop top, so keep length in mind while shopping.
- The half-zip sweater is almost universally acceptable to the gentlemen folk.
- Thick ribbing or excessive cables are generally to be avoided.
- Please, for the love of God, do not buy him a sweater with any sort of intense hardware or silly, army-like pockets. Totally unnecessary.
- Feel free to get a little creative with the collar. Something like this is cute without being too cute.
- Stop buying holiday-themed sweaters. Just stop.
- When choosing his size, be sure to consider whether or not it’s the type of sweater he’d wear another shirt under.
- Unless your boyfriend, dad, brother, or whatever has a strong love of the ironic, anything that makes you think “Bill Cosby” is a no-go. Even then, this is a good opportunity to show that you don’t support that filthy hipster perversion by getting him something more classic.
