Aestheticons’ Men’s Guide To Perfect Gifts for Ladies

Guys, it’s that time of year when we know you may struggle to make the right gift choices for your ladies. At AEstheticons, we’ve done most of the hard work for you. Our recent affiliation with AMAZON allows us to offer you a carefully selected range of gifts – as you’d expect they are all beautiful, iconic and design classics.

We believe your choices will be a perfect way to show your ladies just how thoughtful and full of the holiday spirit you are……I acknowledge receiving some help from Mrs W – but then again she has such good taste! Please enjoy!

PS. You’ll need to do the wrapping!

Oh….and there’s nothing stopping Ladies buying for themselves or other Ladies!

After each image of the product is an Aestheticons post – if there is one – followed by the AMAZON link for ease of purchase. 

Personal

Chanel – the Home of the Little Black Dress – founded in 1909 by Pierre Wertheimer and Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, also known as “Coco Chanel”. Their fragrances include the fabulous:

Chanel Allure – So that’s what “Allure” means Chanel Allure Eau de Parfum – 50 ml

Chanel No 5 – the iconic perfume – Chanel No. 5 FOR WOMEN by Chanel – 50 ml EDP Spray

Clarins tinted moisturizer – six colours to chose from depending on complexion. Mrs W is blond so No 4 (Blond) is her selection.

Clarins HydraQuench Tinted Moisturiser SPF15, 50 ml – 04 Blond

Carmex: Taste those lips – Carmex Lip Balm

Carmex Original Tube & Pot duo pack

Tiger Balm: Go on just relax Tiger Balm

Tiger Balm Red, 3 pack

Clothes

Calvin Klein Underwear: Chic comfort

Calvin Klein Bustier. 3 Pack Womens Cotton Bralette (Black / Grey / White, S)
Calvin Klein Women’s Underwear Cotton Thong, Grey (Grey Heather 020), 8 (Manufacturer Size: S)
Calvin Klein .. Women’s Cotton Bralette and Thong Underwear Set (Black, M)

Fruit of the Loom T Shirts: Simple and beautiful Fruit of the Loom – T shirts

Fruit of the Loom Lady-Fit Valueweight V-Neck T-Shirt SS047 (S, Heather Grey)

Wolford tights: Sheer elegance

Wolford Hosiery Opaque 70 Matt Tights Small Black

Levi Jeans 711 – for size selection check her wardrobe for similar fitting trousers!

Jeans Levis 711 City Blues 2932 Blue

Burberry Coat: Stylish, iconic and elegant  Burberry Trench Coat

BURBERRY Women’s Wkensington Long Coat, Beige (Honey 70500), Medium

Gloverall duffle: Traditional warm  Duffle Coat – by Gloverall

Gloverall Women’s Mid Duffle Coat, Grey (Silver), 14

Rab Parka: The best down by far… Rab Down Jackets

Rab Women’s Microlight Parka – Indigo, 16

Boots and Shoes

Hunter’s Wellington: They don’t need to be Green! Hunter Green Wellington Boots

Hunter Original Tall, Women’s Wellington Boots, Red (Military Red), 6 UK (39 EU)

Ugg Boots: Warm feet…warm heart

Ugg Australia Classic Short II, Women’s Boots, Light Brown, 5.5 UK (38 EU)

Ugg Slippers: So that’s Winter sorted!

Ugg Australia Dakota, Women’s Casual, Chestnut, 6.5 UK (39 EU)

Bass Weejuns: Very stylish – Bass Weejuns Penny Loafers

Womens G.H Bass Weejuns Esther Kiltie Slip On Smart Work Loafers Shoes – Black – 6

Dr Martens: Yes, these look great on ladies too – Dr. Martens

Dr. Marten’s Original 1460 Patent, Women’s Boots, Black, 6 UK(39 EU)

Converse: Cool with jeans –  Converse – Chuck Taylor All Stars

Converse Allstar All Star Core Ox Canvas Navy M9697 5 UK

Birkenstocks  – Heading for the beach? Birkenstocks

Birkenstock Gizeh, Womens-Adults’ Sandals, Blue, EU 37

Skechers – she will love you for this, I challenge you to find a more comfortable shoe 

Skechers Women’s Go Walk 4-Pursuit Trainers, Black (Black), 7 UK 40 EU

Jewellery

Cartier Women’s Tank Francais Stainless Steel – Because she really is worth it!

Cartier Women’s W51008Q3 Tank Francaise Stainless Steel Watch 

Swatch – an everyday watch to face most things! – Swatch

Swatch Women’s Watch YLS453

Thomas Sabo Bracelet: A bracelet for memories

Thomas Sabo Women-Charm Bracelet Charm Club 925 Sterling Silver Length 17 cm X0031-001-12-M

Thomas Sabo Charms: A snowflake for Christmas

Thomas Sabo Women-Charm Pendant Snowflake Charm Club 925 Sterling Silver 0281-001-12

Desk

Cross Sterling Silver pen: For fine writing  – Cross Classic Century – Sterling Silver ballpen

Cross Century Classic Hallmark Silver Ball Point Pen

Smythsons Notebook: Poems and Prose

Live Love Laugh Panama Wallet Note Book Smythson red red One Size

Molskine Diary: Keep a track on your appointments

2018 Moleskine Scarlet Red Large Weekly Notebook Diary 12 Months Soft

Accessories

Suede glove by Dents

Dents Ladies Short Classic Plain Soft Suede Gloves (Black, Medium)

Longchamp Le Pliage Bag

Longchamp Women’s Le Pliage Large Tote Bag bag

Longchamp Le Pliage Rucksack

Longchamp Women’s Le Pliage Backpack Backpack

Rayban Wayfarers: Always and icon  Rayban Wayfarers

Ray-Ban RB2132 New Wayfarer Sunglasses 52mm, Black (901)

Pure cashmere socks: Not just bed socks!

Graham Cashmere – Womens Cashmere Rib Socks – Made in Scotland – Gift Boxed – Mirage Blue

Pure Cashmere Tartan Blankets: wrap up! 

Pure Cashmere Tartan Blanket, Royal Stewart

Sweet tooth

Bendicks bittermint: a mint hamper 

Bendicks Standard Hamper

Charbonnel and Walker sea salt caramel truffles

Charbonnel et Walker Double Layer Sea Salt Milk Caramel Truffles 245 g

Stuff

Fitbit Alta HR Fitness – Pulse racing? 

Fitbit Alta HR Fitness Wristband – Fuchsia, Small (5.5-6.7 in)

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer – More Advanced Technology From Dyson

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer – Fuchsia

Amazon Kindle Fire: A quite read Amazon Kindle Fire

All-New Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1” 1080p Full HD Display, 32 GB, Black – with Special Offers

Apple iPod Touch – load a playlist featuring some of her favourites. 

Apple 32 GB iPod Touch – Blue

BOSE Bose QuiteComfort 35

Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones – Black

Roberts Radio Roberts Radio

Roberts Revival iStream2 DAB/DAB+/FM Internet Radio – Duck Egg

Vogue UK Kindle Edition Vogue UK – Sorry UK Only!

If you liked this post please “Like” and share it with your friends. We’d really like to hear your experiences of the subject(s) featured in this post. Please share them below in the “Leave a Reply” section. Thanks

Images courtesy of the Manufacturers

Advertisement

BOSE – Future Design Classics

The world of personal electronics is clearly one of the fastest moving. Trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, conveniently in January each year, introduce the world to the eye opening developments that have taken a number of years of careful testing prior to bringing to market. The press will be flush with excitement as the market discovers those little boxes that are going to add massively to our lives.

In my search to bring you what may be regarded as “Future Design Classics”, I have scoured the trade shows of recent years seeking identify those aesthetic icons that may already be very popular but also I believe they will stand the test of time.

The first company whose products are, in my view, worthy of the accolade Future Design Classic are made by BOSE. A US corporation based in Framingham (Massachusetts) and was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G Bose (who died in July 2013). BOSE is perhaps best known for its home audio systems and speakers, noise cancelling headphones, professional audio systems and automobile sound systems.

BOSE’s QuietComfort 35 noise cancelling headphone are simply superb. Launched in 2016 they are available in silver or black and use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly. They are ultra comfortable and comprise a simple folding mechanism to be stored when not in use. Widely regarded as the “best of breed” noise cancelling headphones they will permit you to enjoy music or a film on a plane train or on a crowded street. They have the additional advantage of a power cord should the headphone battery run out mid-Atlantic allowing you to enjoy the remains of your film – but with less sound screening.

The SoundLink Mini is a loud speaker that smaller and lighter version of the successful SoundLink Mobile and was introduced in 2013. It weighs just 0.7 kg and includes a charging cradle as well as a power socket. The case is made of sandblasted aluminium. Reviewers and users have praised the excellent sound and build quality. SoundLink Mini uses Bluetooth to play audio from cell phones and other portable devices. Some excellent silicon and leather cases for this beautiful practical and portable mini speaker have been made available by BOSE and others in the market.

In August 2017, the SoundLink Mini II was superceded by the technically more advanced SoundLink Revolve, a conical shaped and aluminium clad mini-speaker, with patented sound delivery. Its sound is big and bold – far superior to the plethora of other Bluetooth mini-speakers on the market. Its real, “head and shoulders” superiority comes from its technology that allows it to be heard from all aspects as you move around the speaker.

If you would like own one of thses BOSE products that we believe will be Future Design Classics please click the following AMAZON links:

Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones – BlackBose SoundLink Revolve Bluetooth Speaker – Triple Black

Whilst we are told that stocks of the SoundLink Mini II can still be obtained we’d encourage you to check with your local suppliers – that’s just how good we feel these mini speakers are!

An interesting postscript: A majority of BOSE Corporation’s shares were gifted by Dr. Bose in 2013 to his alma mater MIT who are prohibited from selling their shares in BOSE and are unable to participate in the management and governance of the company.

If you liked this post please “Like” and share it with your friends. We’d really like to hear your experiences of the subject(s) featured in this post. Please share them below in the “Leave a Reply” section. Thanks

Photos by Bose

Casio MS-8 calculator

Ask any Police Constable who has been on the beat for a while and he/she will attest to the truth that the stuff that gets stolen tends to be the more popular items such as iPhones, Samsung Galaxy 8 and the Casio MS-8 calculators. What?

Well, in my house it doesn’t seem to matter how many I buy my light fingered family, if quizzed would crumble and admit that they too had borrowed – yes that it’s there, there in your handbag…. one of my favourites, a design classic and iconic piece of desk hardware – the Casio MS-8 calculator.

The cleanliness of its simple lines, its above average sized display and built in power source with a simple solar cell makes the Casio MS-8 just very good at doing its job. Also, on newer models before it switches off, to save the solar cell’s charge the word “CASIO” is displayed on its screen just in case you may have forgotten who delivered you such a masterful display of calculation.

My parents, despairing at my obvious inabilities with simple maths homework, allowed me in 1975 to be one of the first kids on the block to enjoy the crunchy key technology and fluorescent eight digit display of the Sinclair Oxford 200. It was designed by electronics genius Sir Clive Sinclair, known in the UK as the man who invented the pocket calculator and his fine work certainly saw me cruise certain tricky maths tests.

It amuses me, forty years on, to see the contents of my old school pencil case’s on display at international design museums – but it was truly innovative.

The paucity of calculators on sale at any major supermarket chain confirms my suspicions that the available calculator apps on iPhones and Galaxies are, for many, the extent necessary of their need for to calculate. Whilst I am very fond of my iPhone and many of its amazing functions are breathtaking its calculator is rubbish and irritates me  – despite a recent update that appears to have done little more than change its colours and fonts!

Whilst my son has mastered the heights of a scientific calculator. His came with a manual the depth of “War and Peace” printed in several European languages but its complexity is daunting for the simplest percentage or fractional calculation.

There is a childish trick that I always perform on a box-fresh Casio MS-8 calculator; my dear Dad was an oil man who worked in for many years in senior capacities at Shell. At some point in 1975, he showed me that by computing the sum “14215469 x 5” the result being “71077345” when the calculator is inverted it reads “SHELLOlL” – go on try it I know you want to…..

Here, get your very own Casio MS-8 calculator by clicking the following AMAZON link Casio MS-80VERII 8 Digit Currency Desk Calculator

If you liked this post please “Like” and share it with your friends. We’d really like to hear your experiences of the subject(s) featured in this post. Please share them below in the “Leave a Reply” section. Thanks

Images courtesy of Casio/Nigel Tout at vintagecalculators.com

 

New 9.7″ iPad

News has reached us from the US that Apple are to discontinue their iPad Air 2 – see our review here Ipad 2 Air – and are to replace this iconic tablet with a new variation of the earlier product just called the “iPad”.

The new iPod will have a 9.7″ screen  – full report see here New iPad 9.7″ – but the important features for this entry level product are the specification and prices.

The new 9.7-inch iPad will be slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor but comes with a faster A9 chip and a brighter Retina display.

Prices will start at $329 for 32GB and $429 for 128GB.

My treasured iPad Air 2 is a 64GB version that gets loaded very quickly if you are traveling and have added more than a couple of in-flight movies.

Bowers & Wilkins – Zeppelin

When I was co-founding Music Business Angels in the early 2000’s, we had a series of meeting with companies that are now house-hold names – see our earlier post about Shazam here Shazam. Around the same time I was introduced to a couple of guys who had been instrumental in the development and success of a great British loudspeaker brand, Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) and had spun off a new speaker company.

B&W was founded in 1966 by John Bowers at Worthing (West Sussex, England) having split off the speaker business from the radio and electronics shop he co-founded with his former Royal Signal compatriot, Roy Wilkins, post Second World war. The original shop, now run by Roy’s son, Paul, still carries evidence of the early B&W production line.

In 1967 the P1 became the first commercial speaker from B&W. Key to the success of B&W is their commitment to research and development, ploughing back into this work. By 1972 a new Worthing based production facility was opened and in 1973 and 1978 B&W were rewarded with a Queen’s Awards for Export. Success and new products flowed.

In 1993 the iconic ‘Nautilus’ speaker was launched. It resulted from extensive research and the finished  article – although expensive – was a distinctly shell-shaped speaker with amazing acoustic quality.

In 2006 B&W launched the iconic “Zeppelin” iPod speaker system. Apple’s iPod, system first launched in 2001, revolutionised the way we enjoy music. Initially connection was by way of a plug-in to the Zeppelin and WhatHiFi commended the Zeppelin describing it as having “set the benchmark for premium iPod speaker docks”.

A further change came in January 2011 when B&W announced the Zeppelin Air, their first speaker to incorporate the Apple AirPlay system that enabled the iPod to be connected wirelessly to the Zeppelin.

In 2106 B&W released – to rave reviews – their latest iteration, the Zeppelin Wireless.  It is essentially the same look as previously – just a little larger. Its timeless elegance has been retained but beneath its elliptical shell it has been almost entirely reworked. In so doing, the wireless connection is impeccable and the sonic quality is yet further enhanced.

For many, the Zepplin’s aesthetic appeal, its sound quality and its price (currently, €700.00) enabled audiophiles to get close to the B&W brand without the depth of pockets needed to enjoy the fabulous Nautilus (currently, €32,500 per speaker) speakers in your living room!

Cross Classic Century – Sterling Silver ballpen

The Cross family business was founded in Providence (Rhode Island) in 1846 by Richard Cross who manufactured gold and silver casings for pencils. Richard’s son, Alonzo T Cross, inherited the business from his father and developed a host of innovations including the predecessors of the mechanical pencil and modern ball-pen.

Cross pens are the essence of understatement and their simple, iconic and fine Art Deco lines make them timeless. The ladies’ Classic Century is elegant and its Sterling Silver body acquires an allure with age – a patina that, in my view, should only rarely be cleaned.

I was in New York looking for a gift for my wife and there is something classically American about this iconic and authentic pen that forms part of a range that was launched in 1946.  Its patented twist-action barrel sparked a design revolution and its sleek profile has found an army of loyal fans.

Cross is, perhaps, not regarded as being a foremost luxury brand but for me the range, style and workmanship are underrated. The Classic Century is an authentic American classic with a trade mark design that evokes the majesty of certain of New York’s skyline. See our earlier post on The iconic Chrysler Building Chrysler Building, New York City

In 2013 the business of AT Cross was purchased by Clarion Capital Partners LLC.

Should you like me be tempted to buy the special lady in your life an heirloom pen then I can highly recommend the Cross Classic Century – please click the following AMAZON link below the image – to gift this beautiful pen.

Cross Century Classic Hallmark Silver Ball Point Pen

You may also be interested to add the matching and equally iconic Century Classic Sterling Silver Pencil to this wonderful gift. Please click the Amazon link below the image

Cross Classic Century Sterling Silver 0.7mm Pencil (H300305)

Don’t risk losing you beautiful and valuable pens – keep them in a bespoke designed leather holder – available for one or two pens – please click the AMAZON link below the image

Cross Classic Century Pencil Cases, 15 cm, Black

If you liked this post please “Like” and share it with your friends. We’d really like to hear your experiences of the subject(s) featured in this post. Please share them below in the “Leave a Reply” section. Thanks

Image Credits AT Cross & Co Inc. – with grateful thanks.

Ipad 2 Air

Date Launched: 3^rd April 2010

Designer: Jonathan Ives

History: In a 1983 speech Steve Jobs explained Apple’s simple stategy: “What we want to do is we want to put an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you and learn how to use in 20 minutes … and we really want to do it with a radio link in it so you don’t have to hook up to anything.”

The iPad is an iOS-based tablet computers designed and marketed by Apple inc. The first iPad was released on April 3, 2010 with the most recent iPad model, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro released on March 31, 2016.

The user interface is built around the device’s multi-function screen that includes a virtual keyboard. All models include built-in WiFi and cellular connectivity is available on certain models.

As of January 2015, there have been over 250 million iPads sold. There have been six version of the iPad. Apple sold more than 15 million first-generation iPads prior to the launch of the iPad 2.

The success of the iPhone led to Apple the launch of iPad that it had begun developing before the iPhone. In 1991, Jonathan Ive’s first project for Apple was a design for a stylus-based tablet – the Mackintosh Folio – but later agreed with Jobs that the phone was more important and contained much of the tablets innovations.

At the time of writing the most recent iteration of the iPad was in March 2016 when the 9.7-inch iPad Pro was announced, which coincided with Apple launching 256 GB storage for both the iPad Pro 9.7 and 12.9-inch versions.

Photo by Apple