The men in your life can be deceptively tricky to buy gifts for. On the face of it, it should be easy, right? A tasteful leather cardholder or bottle of fine whisky should be enough to satisfy any gentleman. But where’s the personality? Gift giving is all about thoughtfully selecting a present that exactly matches the recipient’s style and interests or, at the very least, demonstrates your impeccable taste. We know that, with a little help, you can do better gents. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Been prowling the racks at Harrods trying to decipher what the most fashionable man you know might want this Christmas? Rest your weary feet and heed our advice: no fashion gift is more gratefully accepted than the holiday item they would never buy for themselves. And, with the Christmas period being prime holiday time, you’re likely to have a destination to tailor your present around.

Is your brother off to Caribbean for a New Year’s getaway? You could do much worse than offer up a pair of Ripa Ripa’s eye-catching Pantelleria swim shorts – ideal for lounging on the beach in St Kitts. Joining your father on the slopes in Gstaad? Ralph Lauren may bill this sweater as being inspired by the American Southwest but we think it would look the part in any après ski bar. Finally, if it’s a traditional winter break in the country, you can’t go far wrong with Holland & Holland’s classic navy field coat. Made from pure Loden wool with calf suede detailing, it’s a gift that’s guaranteed to stand the test of time.

There’s nothing more decadent than spritzing on a fine fragrance or treating yourself to the ritual of a traditional wet shave each morning – which is why grooming products make such great gifts. But, take note, they must be really good grooming products. So step away from the Boots gift sets and allow us to introduce the grooming gear that will really impress.

First up, the perfect shave. Floris’ Briarwood three-piece shaving set comes complete with a shaving brush, Mach3 razor and gold-plated stand and oozes the kind of old world charm that will upgrade any bathroom cabinet. Next up, fragrance. Now, as we all know, a signature scent can be a very personal thing so the key here is choice. Creed’s men’s fragrance discovery set offers travel size versions of the brand’s best sellers – including Aventus, Silver Mountain Water and Millesime Imperial – along with an atomiser, so they can keep their pick of the bunch on them at all times.

And, if it’s a well-travelled man you’re buying for, a well-chosen addition to their carry-on will be greatly appreciated. Czech & Speake’s air-safe manicure set features an ingenious design that meets international air trade restrictions and packs all the essentials they’ll need to be handshake-ready in a chic leather case.

Accessories are what really makes a look but so many of us rely on the same old brown leather belt or black shoes day in day out. Give the gift of choice this Christmas with a few horizon-expanding accessories. Sunglasses make a great present as pretty much everyone looks good in them and it’s relatively easy to find a pair that will suits most tastes. We’re rather partial to Cubitts’ Ampton design with a subtle tortoiseshell frame.

Shoes can be a little trickier but, really, you can’t go wrong with a pair of classic Church’s brogues. Featuring traditional blind eyelets and an elegant dark brown leather construction, these Nevada Oxford brogues are the ideal pair for getting them out of their black loafer rut. Of course, great shoes deserve an equally smart bag to go with them. If the leather number they’ve been lugging to the office for the last few years is looking less business casual than downright shabby then may we suggest you present them with Hackett’s navy laptop bag this year? Crafted in Spain from fine leather and finished with wool flannel, it might just be the upgrade they need to get that (much-deserved) promotion.

Sure, every man you know may already sport a great timepiece, but never has the adage ‘one more won’t hurt’ been truer than when it comes to watches. For fans of a chunkier watch we’d recommend the Hublot Big Bang Unico Black Magic – a true showstopper thanks to its skeletonised dial, in-house self-winding chronograph movement and 42mm black ceramic case.

Think he’ll prefer something a little more understated? Chopard’s latest release, the Alpine Eagle, is just the ticket. Crafted from a special light-reflecting material called Lucent Steel A223, it boasts a sturdy, hard-wearing case, deep blue dial and self-winding chronometer movement. Finally, for a dress watch that’s worthy of the C-suite, we suggest the Montblanc Tradition Automatic Date. The epitome of understated elegance, its clean white dial keeps things simple with just a discreet date window at 3 o’clock.

Now you’ve got the men in your life sorted, here’s our pick of the best Christmas gifts for women…