

Esquire
Couples: not the easiest category to buy for. So many options, so many opinions, so many opportunities to get it wrong, right? Well, panic not. Trawling endless shopping sites takes time so we’ve done the leg work for you – so all your coffee loving, wine tasting, music listening, book appreciating, home decorating friends will benefit from your superlative taste and thoughtful gift-giving. Whether they’re getting married, celebrating an anniversary or just invited you over for dinner, here are our suggestions for gifts for cool couples that won’t break the bank.
1
Red and White Wine Gift Box
SELFRIDGES SELECTION
selfridges.com
£45.00
A bottle of white, a bottle of red… so sang Billy Joel in “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’. Well, these two organic vegan numbers are actually Spanish but, hey, that’s just semantics. Probably no hangover with these, either.
2
Coffee Table Book
Resident Dog (Volume 2): Incredible Dogs and the International Homes They Live In
amazon.co.uk
£21.99
The perfect hard-back coffee table book: large format glossy images of 25 extraordinary houses taken by architectural photographer Nicole England, including the resident pooch in situ. There’s even an Instagram account to showcase the dogs, @resident.dog
3
Sunflower Leaf Earthenware Platter
Bordallo Pinheiro
matchesfashion.com.uk
£40.00
An earthenware platter’s use is open to interpretation, isn’t it? A plate of charcuterie? Tick. Lemon and lime fruit bowl? Yes. Big slices of cake? Why not? And my personal favourite: a convenient place to throw keys, receipts and general daily detritus.
4
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Laudemio
selfridges.com
£32.99
Produced from early-harvested Tuscan olives, this rich, green oil – with notes of artichokes, almond and black pepper – is strictly for drizzling.
5
Espresso Coffee Pot
Alessi
johnlewis.com
£39.00
We’re all baristas now, with a myriad of expensive home coffee paraphernalia at our disposal. But sometimes, just sometimes, a straightforward cup of joe with your loved one is all you need. And this timeless moka espresso maker – a nod to the original 1930s design – does exactly that.
6
Roberts Revival Radio
ROBERTS
johnlewis.com
£179.99
Who doesn’t love an old fashioned 50s style radio – especially an upgraded one that now features Bluetooth connectivity, a dual alarm and a ‘take it out with you thanks to the option of battery power’. Picnics never sounded so good.
7
Factory Wall Clock
CLOUDNOLA
selfridges.com
£65.00
Practical, functional, utilitarian. A steely, silent mechanism and only requires one AA battery. No-nonsense time-keeping.
8
The Medical Pedicure
Margaret Dabbs
margaretdabbs.co.uk
£85.00
Clinics have been closed for a year and our feet are in trouble. Step forward the medical pedicure at Margaret Dabbs. Performed by fully qualified podiatrists and already popular with men and women, this is a hi-spec facial for the feet.
9
Travel Steamer
STEAMERY
selfridges.com
£110.00
Perfect for business travel, yes, but even better for everyday use when you just can’t be bothered to iron your wife/husband’s Zoom shirt.
10
Horn & Stainless-Steel Bottle Stoppers
Brunello Cucinelli
matchesfashion.com.uk
£220.00
For abstemious couples who miraculously don’t polish off a bottle of wine in one sitting. These horn and stainless steel stoppers have rubber rims to keep the remaining vino ‘fresh’.
11
Gingham Checked Tray
Zara Home
zarahome.com
£7.99
TV dinners, drinks in the garden, makeshift toboggan – the humble tray has a myriad of uses. There are even matching gingham plates and bowls – all for under a tenner. Long live outdoor entertaining.
12
Portable Speaker
Bose®
johnlewis.com
£80.95
It’s small, it’s tough, it’s portable, heck, it’s even waterproof. With bluetooth connectivity, dancing around your outdoor blow-up paddling pool never felt so good.
13
Introduction to Wine Tasting
Berry Bros & Rudd
bbr.com
£20.00
A live Zoom wine tasting session for couples who prefer to stay in. Once the home delivery of 4 bottles of wine, corkscrew, glassware and cheese board has landed, lucky recipients are taught the basics of tasting and appreciation – building confidence for when the hospitality industry is back up and running
14
‘Sex’ Beach Towel
More Joy by Christopher Kane
matchesfashion.com.uk
£120.00
Riffing off 1972’s erotic guidebook ‘The Joy Of Sex’, this woven slogan off-white cotton terry beach towel might well be the all-time perfect honeymoon gift.
15
Wooden Chess & Draughts Travel Game
John Lewis
johnlewis.com
£8.00
Sales of chess sets boomed after Anya Taylor-Joy’s mesmerising performance in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. This clever travel double-act acts as a draughts set too.
16
Fluted Glass Decanter
Richard Brendon
matchesfashion.com.uk
£195.00
Inspired by American glassware from the 1920s, this sturdy little decanter is hand blown and hand cut to create a pleasing light prism effect. Made in Bohemia for Bohemian couples.
17
Wool Blanket
HAY
selfridges.com
£65.00
A colourful upgrade for a bed cover. Or sofa. Or garden chairs. Or chilly shoulders during early evening drinks by the fire pit. (At that price, buy two)
18
GARMIN 5″ Sat Nav
GARMIN
currys.co.uk
£89.00
Ah, the olden days: when we used to read actual maps and argue about directions. Now that favourite couple in your life can maintain a comfortable silence while listening to the dulcet tones of the sat nav lady robot.
19
Set of 5 Resistance Bands
Fitness-Mad
johnlewis.com
£12.49
Couples that exercise together, stay together. Ok, this may not be entirely true but firm glutes and thighs certainly help.
20
Afternoon Tea Pantry Hamper
CARTWRIGHT & BUTLER
selfridges.com
£100.00
Because everyone needs emergency tea, jam, biscuits, chocolates and crackers in their kitchen cupboard.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io